The Washington Capitals have acquired forward Lars Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2025 5th round pick, and a 2027 3rd round pick.
The deal reunites Eller with the franchise with whom he spent a good chunk of his professional career with, having been a member of the Capitals organization between 2016-2023. The 35 year old helped Washington capture the Stanley Cup in 2017-18, appearing in 24 postseason contests and registering 18pts along the way.
Currently in the 2nd season of a two year deal he signed with Pittsburgh in the summer or 2023, Eller recorded a modest 4G, 3A for the Pens across 17 contests thus far.
“We are excited to welcome Lars back to our organization,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said. “This move enhances our depth at the critical center position. Lars is a versatile player that we are confident will strengthen our team’s depth and competitiveness.”
Pittsburgh is widely expected to begin resetting their roster as their aging core has struggled to produce on ice results in the early going of the season. Currently 6-9-2 through 17 games, Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas has reportedly told other NHL clubs that everyone except Sidney Crosby is currently on the table.
As of the start of the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh owned the 3rd oldest roster in the NHL with average age of 30 years old. That mark trails only Nashville (30.2) and Edmonton (30.6) for top billing as currently constructed.
Pittsburgh’s woes go beyond just age however, as their defence and goaltending have been areas of concern through the first month of the season. Tristan Jarry currently sports a 5.47 GAA (73rd in the NHL) and .836 SV% (68th in the NHL). 28 year old Alex Nedeljkovic, who was expected to be the team’s backup behind Jarry, has fared slightly better with a 3.25 GAA and .882 SV%, but still falls well below the levels needed to be a number 1 goaltender in today’s NHL.
All in all, it’s very likely Eller is just the first domino to fall in Pittsburgh, with Dubas clearly signalling to other clubs that he’s not content to wait until the trade deadline to begin revamping his roster.
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