The Washington Capitals have brought back veteran center Lars Eller.
On Tuesday, Washington traded a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick to Pittsburgh to get Eller, who spent seven seasons with the Capitals and was part of the team that won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2018.
The 35-year-old Eller had 4 goals and 3 assists in 17 games with the Penguins. He was in the second season of a two-year deal he signed with Pittsburgh in the summer of 2023.
Eller has 182 goals and 227 assists in 1,053 games played with Montreal, Washington, Colorado, and Pittsburgh. He is known for being a solid two-way player and penalty killer, and now he is returning to a Capitals team that has had a strong start to the season in the tough Metropolitan Division.
As of Wednesday, the Capitals were 10-4-0, sitting in third place in the division behind Carolina and New Jersey.
“We are excited to welcome Lars back to our organization,” said Capitals general manager Chris Patrick. “This move enhances our depth at the critical center position. Lars is a versatile player that we are confident will strengthen our team’s depth and competitiveness.”
The trade could be just the start of changes for Pittsburgh, which was sitting just two points above the bottom of the Eastern Conference as of Wednesday. The Penguins suffered a tough 7-1 loss to Dallas on Monday, where they gave up six goals in the first period.
Evgeni Malkin apologized to fans for the poor performance.
“I want to say sorry to the fans,” Malkin said. “They (watched) a really bad game. I hope we, together, find a good way, win tomorrow and start building the team better.”
Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas has been trying to balance keeping the team competitive while also planning for the future, especially with the aging stars Sidney Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang. The team’s slow start, including struggles from goaltender Tristan Jarry and a weak defense, has led to discussions about making bigger changes.
The Penguins, tied with Montreal for the worst goal differential in the league at minus-21, could make further moves as Dubas continues to build the team’s future by adding prospects, with sending Eller away for future picks being another step in that direction.
