Capitals continue busy offseason with significant trade acquisition

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan continued his busy summer of roster retooling by acquiring Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun in exchange for Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round draft pick.

The 26-year-old is a massive upgrade for Washington on defense, matching his career high 41 points in 82 games with Ottawa last season.

MacLellan made the hard yet necessary decision to ship Jensen, who posted a meager 14 points in 78 games for Washington last season, off to the Canadian capital for a fresh start.

Chychrun, a 2016 first-round selection, comes with a $4.6 million salary cap hit entering the 2024-25 season, according to CapFriendly.com . That's well within Washington's projected cap space if it utilizes long term injured reserve spots on the Niklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie .

The trade with Ottawa marks MacLellan's fourth swap this offseason. On June 19, Washington sent goaltender Darcy Kuemper to Los Angeles for young center Pierre-Luc Dubois and also acquired Calgary's Andrew Mangiapane for a 2025 second-round draft pick.

During the second day of the NHL Draft, Vegas sent goaltender Logan Thompson to Washington in exchange for a pair of third-round picks. The trade occurred while Thompson was in the middle of an autograph session with fans at the draft.

Washington also made a few free agency splashes after acquiring Chychrun, signing defenseman Matt Roy and forwards Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh. The Capitals also re-signed future star center Connor McMichael, who was a restricted free agent.

MacLellan is showing he's serious about bolstering Washington's roster to not only help team captain Alexander Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record but also prove their 2024 playoff appearance was no fluke.