Harry Lichtman
The 2026 NHL Free Agency period began on Wednesday, July 1st. As a result, the Washington Capitals added some new players to fill some holes.
Capitals senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick has already made a plethora of moves during the offseason. Back in June, the team acquired forwards Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, while trading away veteran Connor McMichael.
Here’s a look at what happened to the Capitals on Day 1 of free agency.
Who Left the Capitals?
Former Capitals forward Brandon Duhaime left to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Duhaime had started all 82 games in his last two seasons in D.C. Last year, the 29-year-old only generated four goals and five assists, along with 78 penalty minutes.
Meanwhile, defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk signed with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. The 34-year-old’ had been with Washington since the 2020-21 season.
Who Joined the Capitals?
The biggest acquisition for the Capitals on Wednesday was forward Boone Jenner. The team signed the 33-year-old to a four-year, $23 million contract, with an AAV of 5.75 million.
Jenner had previously spent his entire NHL career with the Columbus Blue Jackets and was most recently the team’s captain. Last season, the 33-year-old recorded 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 67 games with Columbus. He had four 20-goal seasons in 13 years with the Blue Jackets, with three of those coming in the last five seasons.
Jenner is also one of just six NHL players with at least 200 goals and 1,800 hits. Other players on that list include his new teammates Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, as well as Brady Tkachuk, Vincent Trocheck, and Brayden Schenn.
Earlier in the day, the Capitals signed another depth forward, Jonny Brodzinski. Per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, Brodzinski was inked to a one-year, one-way contract that pays $850,000.
Brodzinski spent years between the AHL and NHL before making the full-time jump to the NHL with the New York Rangers in 2023-24. This past season, the 33-year-old had 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) and 12 penalty minutes in 55 games with the Rangers.
The Capitals also made moves to address the blue line, especially regarding Rasmus Sandin’s absence for the first half of next season. They did just that by signing defensemen Vincent Desharnais and Justin Holl.
Desharnais was signed to a four-year, $16.8 million contract, with a $4.2 million AAV. Last year, the 6-foot-7 blueliner appeared in 53 games with the San Jose Sharks, posting a goal, six assists, 103 hits, and 83 blocks. The 33-year-old also averaged a career-high 18:11 of ice time per game.
Meanwhile, Holl inked a one-year, $900,000 deal. The 34-year-old appeared in just nine NHL games with the St. Louis Blues last season, recording a goal, an assist, and a plus/minus of plus-5. He had spent the first half of last season with the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
Update on Alex Ovechkin
As of right now, the 40-year-old Ovechkin is an unrestricted free agent who is not listed on the Capitals’ roster. It’s only a matter of time before The Great 8 announces his big decision.
