Capitals Remain In Mix For Ehlers, Decision Reportedly Imminent
The Washington Capitals remain on Nikolaj Ehlers watch as the unrestricted free agent is reportedly set to make a decision soon.
The Washington Capitals remain on Nikolaj Ehlers watch as the unrestricted free agent is reportedly set to make a decision soon.
Per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Ehlers is expected to put pen to paper at some point on Thursday. The Capitals, along with the Carolina Hurricanes and Utah Mammoth, are the three frontrunners, while other teams have also been poking around.
Ehlers is coming off a career year where he had 63 points through 69 games with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old has eight 20-goal seasons under his belt at the NHL level and possesses the speed, hockey IQ and playmaking ability to be an impact player.
Washington’s primary goal this offseason is to add another scorer to the forward group as the team looks to bolster the middle-6 and add another X-Factor that can provide a spark at even strength and on the power play.
Ehlers would fit the bill and would likely fill in on the second line with Pierre-Luc Dubois, whom he played with in Winnipeg, and Tom Wilson.
The Capitals have roughly $6.9 million in projected cap space, and with Ehlers expected to sign a deal with an AAV between $8-9 million, they’ll likely have to make a corresponding move to clear some cap space before the season starts. They can go over in the offseason.