Capitals Hoping Thompson Brings 'Competitive Situation' To Crease; What It Means For Lindgren & D.C.'s Direction In Net

LAS VEGAS — After parting ways with Darcy Kuemper, the Washington Capitals were in need of a replacement to join Charlie Lindgren on the NHL roster. They filled that need during a wild three-day stint in Las Vegas, acquiring goaltender Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights.

And for general manager Brian MacLellan, the hope is that Thompson will bring another strong presence to the crease in D.C.

"There was an opportunity to get a good goalie with some upside," MacLellan said. "We had to add, we're going to have to have four goalies, we only had three after the trade. We look at it as a potential guy that's gonna improve and we'll see what happens in the future with him."

Related: Capitals Draft Tracker: Every Pick And Trade That The Team Has Made In Vegas

Thompson, who is signed for one more year at $766,667, was an All-Star in 2023 but dealt with injuries and adversity that led him to post a .908 save percentage in 46 games last season.

With Thompson now in the mix, the team will also likely keep the same tandem down in Hershey, with Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson leading the charge in the Bears' net. Mitchell Gibson, meanwhile, figures to get another year with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays.

For Thompson, though, this is a chance to continue to show what he can do at the highest level.

"I think I got a lot more that I can prove in this league," Thompson said.

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When it comes to Thompson's role, Washington wants Thompson to get back to his highest form and also expects him to compete with Charlie Lindgren for ice time in a 1A/1B situation.

At the end of the day, though, Lindgren's made the most of his opportunity; now it's time for him to continue to prove he's the bonafide starter. And that's exactly what MacLellan is hoping the Thompson trade pushes him to do.

"I mean, Charlie's earned his spot here," MacLellan said. "Hopefully, we have a competitive situation in net and we'll work it out from there."