Capitals Acquire Jakob Chychrun, Sign Matt Roy In Free Agency

Capitals Acquire Jakob Chychrun, Sign Matt Roy In Free Agency

The Washington Capitals are working hard to ensure they remain in the playoffs next season. After adding Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Kings, they are focusing on their blue line. They have a whole new pairing of top-four guys after signing Matt Roy and trading for Jakob Chychrun. The team confirmed the news of their trade with Ottawa while Elliotte Friedman revealed news of a seven-year deal with the former LA Defenseman:

NEWS | The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick. pic.twitter.com/F0iiGSeNPw

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 1, 2024

In addition to Chychrun, Washington expected to sign Matt Roy 7 x $5.5M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2024

There is a clear motive here. The Caps want to remain competitive for as long as Alex Ovechkin plays in red. He is obviously targeting Wayne Gretzky‘s all-time scoring record. At the time of writing, the Great Eight is only 41 goals behind from tying his tally of 894. That total could very well be met as soon as this upcoming season. Getting him a new center combined with two puck-moving defensemen can definitely help expedite that process.

Chychrun was one of the most sought-after players on the trade market this Summer. The former Coyotes defenseman makes $4.6 million this season before hitting free agency. He gives the Capitals a much needed power-play quarterback to give John Carlson some rest. His potential partner in Roy had a really solid season. He’s sound in his own end and can move the puck through the defensive and neutral zones well. Here’s JFresh’s analysis:

Matt Roy, signed 7x$5.5M, is a defensive defenceman. Has become one of the most underrated play-driving blueliners in the league and had an excellent season in LA this year. Interestingly, despite all that he does turn the puck over quite a bit in transition. #AllCaps pic.twitter.com/wgyzMGfUSM

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2024

The Right Fit?

Obviously, many believe the best of the Caps with Ovi have come and gone. As he gets older, his intensity and defensive efforts have dwindled. Of course, what he brings offensively is always worth it. But the Caps front office is making lots of gambles for the upcoming season. They are arguably betting their jobs on it if they regress and miss the playoffs. They are currently over the cap by quite a bit so they will have to unload some salary in the coming weeks. Expect pieces like Sonny Milano or Trevor van Rimesdyk to become cap casualties.

Bruins Add Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov In Free Agency

In what may come as a surprise to some, the Washington Capitals are one of the busiest teams in the offseason. They reshaped their defense after adding both Matt Roy and Jakob Chychrun.

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