Washington Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Washington Capitals, NHL or NHLPA
Future of Washington Capitals UFA uncertain
Photo credit: The Hockey News
The Washington Capitals are far from entering a rebuild, but GM Chris Patrick has made it clear he intends on making an upgrade at the 3C position. That said, Lars Eller found himself demoted during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and all signs lead to an inevitable divorce between the parties.
I think it's safe to say that Lars Eller failed to live up to expectations in the second round of the NHL postseason.
Unfortunately, Lars Eller stood out for the wrong reasons, drawing criticism for his underwhelming performance and limited offensive impact.
Coming into the offseason as a pending UFA, it's hard to say if Eller has done enough to warrant a contract extension.
Washington Capitals could part ways with Lars Eller
According to sources, The 36-year-old tallied six goals, 15 points, a .51 faceoff-winning percentage, and .5421 five-on-five expected goals-for percentage in 63 regular-season games with Washington after getting acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 12. Eller notched an assist in nine postseason games but was scratched for Game 5 vs. Carolina with the team's season on the line.
The Capitals' biggest offseason priority is upgrading at the third-line center position (where Eller played) and the team is also trying to get younger. Although Eller will be a legend in Washington forever for his heroics during the 2018 Stanley Cup run, it appears highly likely that the team will be looking at other options.
While forward Connor McMichael has been vocal about his intent to permanently make the switch from the wing to center, Chris Patrick seems determined to explore external options.
Will Lars Eller be on a different team next season? Time will tell.
More details to follow.
| POLL | ||
MAI 29 | 29 ANSWERS Future of Washington Capitals UFA uncertain Do you think Lars Eller will play on a different NHL team next season? | ||
| Yes | 20 | 69 % |
| No | 9 | 31 % |
| List of polls | ||
