Capitals Recall Justin Holl

The Washington Capitals had a roster spot to fill after losing netminder Rémi Poirier off waivers earlier this afternoon. Washington quickly filled it, announcing they recalled defenseman Justin Holl from the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Holl, 34, earns his second call-up of the 2026-27 season. The Capitals signed Holl to a one-year, $900K contract this past offseason and recalled him earlier this season after Washington’s defensive corps suffered a few injuries. He looked good in his debut with Washington, scoring two goals in three games with a +1 rating, while averaging 12:59 of ice time per game.

It’s a solid change of pace for Holl after the 10-year blueliner suffered through the worst stretch of his professional career with the Detroit Red Wings. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Red Wings signed Holl to a three-year, $10.2MM ($3.4MM AAV) contract after he spent the previous six years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It started poorly, as Holl finished with only five assists in 38 games in his first season.

Holl struggled again during the 2024-25 season, prompting Detroit to demote him. Last campaign, the final season of his three-year pact, Holl played exclusively for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues as a salary offset for the Justin Faulk trade.

In fairness to Holl, he was never known as an offensive threat, but his production in Detroit was far lower than he was accustomed to in Toronto. Still, he also began to struggle defensively, producing a career-worst takeaway-to-turnover ratio in the 2024-25 season. Regardless, he has appeared far more comfortable in his limited action with the Capitals.