The Washington Capitals had to make room after bringing in netminder Rémi Poirier from the New Jersey Devils earlier this morning, and Dylan McIlrath is the one who got squeezed out.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Washington placed the defenseman on waivers as the club adjusted its roster. Beat reporter Sammi Silber added that the Capitals intend to carry three goaltenders for the foreseeable future, a move shaped in part by recent injury issues with starter Logan Thompson. Poirier gives Washington extra cover behind Charlie Lindgren.
For McIlrath, the transaction puts his roster spot in jeopardy. The former 10th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft is in his sixth season with the Capitals after signing as an unrestricted free agent before the 2021-22 campaign.
His time in Washington has been steady, but not especially heavy on minutes. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, McIlrath has appeared in 43 games for the Capitals, recording four assists while averaging 10:34 of ice time per game.
He has also landed 90 hits in that span. Even without a regular night-to-night role, he has stayed on the roster as a seventh or eighth defenseman.
If he clears waivers, McIlrath would head back to a place he knows well in the AHL. He played 192 games for the Hershey Bears during his first three years in the Capitals organization, putting up seven goals and 32 points. He also helped Hershey capture back-to-back Calder Cup titles in 2023 and 2024, serving as the team’s captain.
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The Capitals added a bit of insurance to their goaltending pipeline by bringing in Remi Poirier from New Jersey for a 2027 seventh-round pick. Poirier had originally been acquired by the Devils from Dallas before this season, and the move gives Washington another body in the system after Clay Stevenson was lost on waivers.
For a team that values organizational depth in net, it is the kind of low-cost shuffle that can matter more than it looks on the surface. Poirier has not appeared in an NHL game, but Washington was able to take advantage of the Devils decision to move him now rather than risk a more complicated outcome later, leaving the Capitals with a little more flexibility as they keep sorting out their goaltending picture. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Add Goalie Depth With One Big Question Attached
The Capitals have added another name to their goaltending mix, acquiring Rmi Poirier from the Devils in exchange for a 2027 seventh-round pick. It is the kind of low-cost move teams make when they want to shore up organizational depth without changing the top of the chart, and Washington had a clear opening after losing its previous third-string netminder.
Poirier brings professional experience from the AHL and ECHL, but his path in New Jersey never really opened up. He did not appear in a game for the Devils during the 2026-27 season, so the question for Washington is less about what it gave up than what it can get out of a goalie who arrives with room to climb and a chance to carve out a role. [Read more 🡒]
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The next run of games should tell a lot more. Minnesota, Dallas and Florida are all the sort of opponents that can expose soft spots, and Washington is already trying to manage some defensive depth issues while keeping pace in a crowded division. If the Capitals can hold up through that stretch, the conversation around this start gets a lot more serious. [Read more 🡒]