Wheeling, Dealing Capitals Trade for Jakob Chychrun

The Washington Capitals, pretty obviously trying to get ahead in the Metropolitan Division while building around future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin, on Monday traded for defenseman Jakob Chychrun.

Washington — a longtime rival of the Pittsburgh Penguins and likewise trying to get back into the playoffs — acquired Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round draft pick. Chychrun had 41 points in playing all 82 games with the Senators.

They then reportedly signed steady defenseman Matt Roy, formerly of the Los Angeles Kings, and winger Brandon Duhaime, formerly of the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, in the early minutes of free agency.

The Capitals and general manager Brian MacLellan have been highly active in the past few weeks.

They traded for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, sending goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings.

They traded for winger Andrew Mangiapane, sending a 2025 second-round pick to the Calgary Flames.

At the draft, they swung deals that gave them three of the top 52 picks. They also acquired goaltender Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights.