Avalanche Acquire Lars Eller From Capitals

The Washington Capitals have traded forward Lars Eller to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

The selling spree in D.C. continues. 

The Washington Capitals made yet another move in their on-the-fly retooling on Wednesday, trading forward Lars Eller to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft. 

Eller is in the final year of his contract at a cap hit of $3.5 million. As per the terms of the deal, the Capitals have agreed to retain 31 percent of Eller's remaining salary. 

As has been the case for most Capitals players this season, Eller is in the midst of a lackluster campaign, having racked up just seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 60 games, all while logging a little over 15 minutes per match in ice time. 

Eller has never been an offensive phenom by any means, but his current pace ranks among the lowest of his career. It certainly isn't helped by the Capitals deploying him almost exclusively in a defense-first role, beginning Eller's shift in the offensive zone just 36.5 percent of the time. 

On a loaded Avalanche team, Eller will not be tasked with shouldering the same load he did in Washington, perhaps opening him up to contribute more on the offensive side of the puck. 

With the Avalanche always needing extra centers, Eller should be a fine addition to their roster as they prepare to defend their Stanley Cup.