Capitals Place Dylan McIlrath On Waivers

The Washington Capitals needed to clear a roster spot after acquiring netminder Rémi Poirier from the New Jersey Devils earlier this morning. To that end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Capitals placed defenseman Dylan McIlrath on waivers.

According to beat reporter Sammi Silber, Washington is planning to keep three netminders on the roster for the foreseeable future. The Capitals recently ran into some injury troubles with starter Logan Thompson, so Poirier will give them some insurance behind Charlie Lindgren.

Regardless, the acquisition of Poirier will cost McIlrath his roster spot. The former 10th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft is in his sixth season with the Capitals after signing as an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Despite the relatively lengthy tenure with the Capitals organization, it hasn’t come with a lot of ice time. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, McIlrath has skated in 43 games for Washington, tallying four assists while averaging 10:34 of ice time per game. McIlrath has also delivered 90 hits during that stretch. Although he hasn’t registered many games with the Capitals, he’s remained on the roster as a seventh or eighth defenseman.

If he clears waivers, McIlrath will return to a familiar environment in the AHL. He played in 192 games for the Hershey Bears during his first three years with the Capitals organization, scoring seven goals and 32 points. Not only did McIlrath help the Bears win back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024, but he was also the team’s captain.