3 trades Capitals should explore after losing out on Nikolaj Ehlers

The Washington Capitals masterfully re-tooled their roster in the face of a looming rebuild after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight seasons in 2023. Their front office made a flurry of offseason moves the last two offseasons which catapulted them to two consecutive Metropolitan Division titles.

Massive acquisitions like defenseman Jakob Chychrun, forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and goalie Logan Thompson immediately re-inserted the Capitals into the Stanley Cup contender conversation though despite that, the last two postseasons did not yield a championship.

The team looked to boost its win-now approach by swinging big in free agency this summer. According to reports, Washington came second in the sweepstakes for winger Nicolaj Ehlers' services. The former Winnipeg Jet was the most sought-after free agent and eventually chose the Carolina Hurricanes. Now, the Capitals will have to turn to the trade market for that boost as general manager Chris Patrick told reporters after missing out on Ehlers.

3 trades the Washington Capitals should consider before the 2025-26 NHL season

Washington is most in need of winger depth, hence why Patrick tried so hard to bring in Ehlers to support captain Alex Ovechkin on offense. They could do with a solid defenseman to round out its top pairings as well.

The Capitals have multiple players on their roster that will eventually be trade bait come the NHL deadline next spring. Forward Sonny Milano and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk are both on expiring deals after this season so the team needs to get value for them since it's evident they won't be returning in 2026. Patrick also has a significant amount of draft capital he can include to sweeten any potential deals.

Acquire Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues

Offering a veteran like Milano, 29, plus a future second-round pick or more could entice the Blues to the negotiating table. Though there may need to be a prospect folded into any package to acquire Kyrou. If Washington is serious about bolstering its top lines and getting past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018, it may be worth the investment.

Despite Kyrou's no-trade-clause kicking in on July 1, Washington might be an attractive enough destination for the 27-year-old winger to waive it. Of course, St. Louis will jack up the price to part with its second-highest scorer (70 points) last year.

Acquire Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres

The one aspect of the Capitals' game that constantly has question marks surrounding it is the defense. Veteran John Carlson isn't getting any younger and despite his offensive production, he's become more and more of a liability on his own side of the blue line.

Byram, 24, is considered one of, if not the highest, rated young defensemen in the league reportedly available to teams. His career-high 38 points in 2024-25 are putting pressure on Buffalo to make a decision on his dwindling contract, which has been taken to arbitration meaning Byram can choose to stay for one year or two before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Buffalo isn't ruling out a trade if the right conditions are met and Washington could make the right offer.

Acquire Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames

Patrick may need to package a significant amount of draft capital to pair with someone like van Riemsdyk to beat out any other offers, so that could get expensive. With little cap space to work with, Washington would have to consider either sending another player to Calgary or delay the development of prospects next in line to succeed an aging veteran like Carlson to make this deal happen. It's unlikely to happen, but it should be explored nonetheless.

If taking a swing at Byram falls through, Andersson might be a good backup option to consider. The 28-year-old defenseman has a year remaining on his current deal, and extension talks with Calgary have not gone well. Despite reports that he's only interested in potentially being sent to the Vegas Golden Knights, Washington might be a landing spot he could be persuaded to consider.

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