The Capitals spent the first day of free agency padding the bottom of the roster, bringing in two depth forwards and a veteran defenseman as they continue to reshape their bench pieces.
Washington added Jonny Brodzinski from the New York Rangers and Joshua Dunne from the Buffalo Sabres, with each carrying an $850,000 cap hit. The team also agreed to a one-year, $900,000 deal with 34-year-old defenseman Justin Holl.
These are the kind of moves made to fill holes and steady the lineup, and the Capitals have a few to address. They are a little light at center, and they’ve already lost one defenseman to injury and another in a trade.
Brodzinski, 33, comes over after appearing in 55 games for the Rangers last season, when he posted 6 goals and 10 assists. He owns a career faceoff percentage of 50.1, a number that matters for a Capitals team looking to improve in the circle next season.
Drafted by Los Angeles in the fifth round in 2013, Brodzinski has played 264 NHL games and has 71 career points. He also spent time with San Jose in 2019-20.
Dunne, 27, brings a different kind of depth. He signed with Columbus in 2021 after his college career at Clarkson and has played 50 NHL games overall, mostly at center. Last season he skated in 34 games for Buffalo and finished with 1 goal and 3 assists.
Holl now steps in as Washington’s extra defenseman in place of Declan Chisholm. The 34-year-old was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the 2010 NHL draft and has appeared in 405 career games with Toronto, Detroit, and St.
Louis. He has 14 goals and 83 assists for 97 points.
Brodzinski and Dunne will get their shot in September, but nothing will be handed to them. Both are expected to battle for a spot, with fourth-line and extra-forward roles available. Brandon Duhaime has signed with the Maple Leafs, and Hendrix Lapierre was traded to Pittsburgh, leaving openings in the forward group.
There’s also no shortage of younger players pushing for a look when camp opens. Andrew Cristall came close to making the team in each of the past two training camps and followed that with a strong rookie season in Hershey.
Terik Parascak turned heads with his play in juniors last season. Ivan Miroshnichenko and Anthony Beauvillier are also in the mix, and more free-agent additions and camp invites could still be on the way before training camp begins.
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