Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
According to The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Washington Capitals will acquire left-handed defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the Minnesota Wild’s third- and Washington’s seventh-round picks in 2024. The 30-year-old has one more season at $3.5 million remaining on his contract, which contains a 10-team no-trade clause, but Montreal is retaining 50% of his salary.
Edmundson, who was an alternate captain last season, earned two goals, 13 points, a -29 rating, 42.94% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 41.57% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 40.59% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 61 games. He averaged 19:34 per game (fourth among Montreal blueliners), including 3:19 per game on the penalty kill (first).
Graph: JFresh
In 477 career regular-season games with Montreal, the St. Louis Blues, and Carolina Hurricanes, Edmundson has earned 28 goals, 104 points, and a +23 rating.
In 75 career postseason outings, he has earned six goals, 21 points, and a +7 rating. Edmundson won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019 and made the Stanley Cup Final with Montreal in 2021.
Washington adds a more experienced defenseman to their left side with Martin Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin, and Alexander Alexeyev (all 23-years-old) expected to be on their roster this season. The team allowed an average of 3.18 goals-per-game (18th) but were 81.9% efficient on the penalty kill (tied for 11th). Edmundson should help in both areas and should also give a physical boost as he threw 112 hits, tied for 167th in the NHL.
Washington now has $5,563,333 in NHL salary cap space with 10 forwards, six defenseman, and two goaltenders under contract. The team is also looking to upgrade their top-six forward group.
Washington acquired the third-round pick sent to Montreal on February 28 when they dealt right-wing Marcus Johansson to the Minnesota Wild.
By Harrison Brown
I like it. Adds experience to left side. Montreal retaining 50% is the icing on the cake.
This basically shows that they have no faith in Johansen (or that Fehervary’s reps are asking for something stupid). Edmundson is a 3rd pair defender. Has played under 20 min/game for most of his career. Doesn’t score much, doesn’t hit much, despite his size… Costs about twice what Johansen does, even after the Habs eat half his pay…
Call me unimpressed. I would rather use even that small amount of extra salary up front, or pay Fehervary a bit more to lock him up. And I’d rather bring up Iorio or use Johansen as injury replacements.
They need a finisher, not a 3-4LD…
Good signing.
Sorry but this trade stinks!!!!!!!!! First he is 30 and has one year on a contract and once again the GM is just tossing away draft picks that could be used to rebuild this sorry team. Since there was an article that was published here saying that this draft was a youth movement how about we get a youth movement in the GN office!! Honetly 2 picks to rent a player for 1 year! Time for the Gm who has let so many young players go just to get older players yet mouth about all the talent this team has.
It’s hard to simultaneously rebuild and stay competitive, which the team will continue to be so long as Ovi is still around. This is more a retool than a rebuild. It may not be the most wise use of assets in the long-term, but it is necessary if we still want to compete for the cup. I will say I would have preferred if we used those assets for a forward instead of a defenseman.
This team is not a team that will make the playoffs nor are they a Cup contender. Just because they have Ovie here does not mean a thing as they are just plain bad. How many players on this team were taken off the scrap heap and then because they did well signed to 2 or 3 year contracts in the hopes that they do the same again. Well if those guys did the same every year they would not have been in the dumpster for the Gm to dive into to get. Retool is a word that management uses because they are to scared of Ovie and upsetting the spoiled brat and coach killer. They also use it to dupe fans into going along with the current statis quo rather than jsut say Damn Ovie and his quest for a record this is a team sport and we are rebuilding so we can win another Cup. Honestly does anyone care if your team makes the playoffs and goes out in the first round other than the owner who gets additional revenue? NO!! I would rather lose now and get high picks for several years than be under the illusion that this team is going to be truly competitive for the Cup or even for a division title in the next 5-7 years. Unless they lose enough games and gt the #1 pick who usually is a franchise player they have no one to replace Carlson, Ovie, Backy, Wilson, Oshie or Kuzy on the roster or in Hershey right now.
6-5 with long wingspan like Chara. Not an animal but physical enough. Caps have needed a big dude on D and now they have several, including Alexeyev. Edmundson has been a candidate on these boards before. Really like that Edmundson has been durable and exhibits very little “Knucklehead factor” that has bothered the Caps in recent years. Has One and a Half Stanley Cup Championships. Has good things to teach young Caps and recent-Hershey defensemen.
Was hoping for this acquisition during the Pi$tol Pete era. Better late than never
But nobody’s afraid of Edmundson, like they were Chara. He’s a bottom pair defender with a much lower hit rate than Fehervary. He’s not a fighter. He’s a one-year rental that costs twice what a kid would in cap space. This trade isn’t going to ruin the Caps’ season, but it also isn’t likely to help much, and doesn’t contribute at all to the longer term prospects of the team.
Note also that he has a modified trade clause, making him harder to move at next year’s deadline, if they were in sell mode (not an unlikely scenario).
but he only has one year so it probably won’t be nec to move him.
totally agree with you GRin and it would have been better to keep the picks than sign someone just because they were a left D. The Gm just loves to toss away picks and wondering when someone is going to toss him aside!
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it is verified by Tampa
I like this add.
I like it. Eddy is a solid defensive Dman if he’s healthy. Good fighter when it comes to that. Our D is so feeble. We absolutely need players like this. He will be worth at least a 3rd round pick at the trade deadline.
Feeble! Excellent and correct description! Time to fix it
Maybe they are moving MF for Debrincat. Orlov to Car for two years. We couldn’t have done that?
ah, good call, Anon. I couldn’t figure out why we couldn’t just continue to play AA and MF on the left side. I could see MF being part of a sign and trade deal for Debrincat, tho.
Meh, he will probably be good friends with Mantha, they have a lot in common with their play styles. That thing being bad