Capitals offseason a quiet churn with a clear path: lean into a younger core while keeping veteran leadership in the room.

Justin Sourdif arrives from Florida to compete for a fourth-line spot after Washington swapped picks with the Panthers. Washington also drafted five prospects and acquired Declan Chisholm to bolster the back end. Veteran exits included Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, Lars Eller, and Alexander Alexeyev, while T.J. Oshie retired and Nicklas Backstrom headed to Sweden. Alex Ovechkin celebrated a historic milestone and is set to return for Capitals camp to chase another run at the Cup.

The Ottawa Senators have made strategic moves in NHL free agency by signing forwards Lars Eller and Nick Cousins to one-year contracts. Eller, a veteran center from Denmark, joins the Senators after a season with the Washington Capitals, where he recorded six goals and nine assists in 63 games. He brings a wealth of experience, having played for five different franchises. Meanwhile, Cousins re-joins the Senators after a solid season, contributing 15 points in 50 games. Previously, he was instrumental in the Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup victory.

The Senators also made some decisions on player retention, notably not re-signing goalie Anton Forsberg and defenseman Dennis Gilbert. Forsberg has inked a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings, while the Senators have secured young goalie Leevi Merilainen for the next season to back up Linus Ullmark.

Centers Lars Eller and Martin Fehervary from the Washington Capitals have been selected to represent Denmark and Slovakia, respectively, in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. This marks an exciting moment as NHL players return to Olympic competition after an absence since 2014. With preliminary rosters being announced, anticipation is building for the tournament in Milano Cortina.

Notably absent will be Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin, as the Russian team is barred from participating due to political tensions stemming from the conflict in Ukraine. While the full rosters are expected closer to the game's February start, nine of the twelve competing teams have already made their selections. Both Eller and Fehervary bring valuable experience; Fehervary recently had a standout season, and Eller, a seasoned player, was traded to the Capitals recently and contributed significantly to their playoff efforts.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have waived forward Ryan Reaves after a disappointing season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound veteran forward from Winnipeg managed only two assists in 35 games this year. Reaves signed a three-year, $4.05 million contract in July 2023, aimed at adding toughness to the team under new GM Brad Treliving. However, he struggled with speed and discipline, leading to limited ice time and criticism from fans and analysts alike.

In his first season with Toronto, Reaves recorded four goals and two assists, along with 77 penalty minutes in 49 games. He did not make a significant impact during the playoffs, averaging just over seven minutes per game and contributing only one assist in a first-round exit against Boston. Throughout his career, Reaves has amassed 63 goals and 74 assists over 912 games across multiple teams, including St. Louis, Vegas, New York Rangers, Minnesota, and Toronto.

In a thrilling matchup, Alex Ovechkin scored his 879th goal, inching closer to Wayne Gretzky's all-time record as the Capitals triumphed over the Flyers 4-3. Ovechkin's standout goal came in the first period, tying the game at 1-1, showcasing his consistent scoring prowess with 26 goals this season.

Jakob Chychrun delivered the decisive goal in the third period, while Connor McMichael and Lars Eller contributed to the Capitals' success. The Flyers, meanwhile, saw promising performances from Matvei Michkov, who netted two goals, but their struggles continued with this being their fifth consecutive loss.