The Washington Capitals traded from their defensive depth, as they announced they have sent Jonas Siegenthaler to the New Jersey Devils for a 2021 third-round pick. The move should free up some salary for the Caps to add a depth piece before the trade deadline.
Last year it looked as if Siegenthaler had won himself a full-time role with the organization, as the 23-year-old played 64 games for the Capitals in 2019-20, posting two goals, nine points and a plus-11 rating. However, things had changed under new coach Peter Laviolette, who chose to play veterans over him, as the blueliner has seven games this season with no points.
For Washington, the team that is into LTIR and had just $375K in available cap space, this move opens up some extra space as Siegenthaler carried an AAV of $800K, giving the Caps ample room to bring aboard a cheap veteran for their stretch run before Monday's trade deadline. The Caps had eight defenseman on their roster, which means they don’t have to replace Siegenthaler with another defenseman.
For New Jersey, the Devils bring in a young defenseman to join their rebuild. The team will have to hope that he can fit in somewhere in their lineup, but with the potential of a trade of either Sami Vatanen or Dmitri Kulikov, Siegenthaler is a solid addition. The blueliner also reunites with countryman Nico Hischier as both come from Switzerland and are quite familiar with each other.
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