The Washington Capitals are going all in.

As the free agency market opened on Wednesday, general manager Chris Patrick kept the phone lines busy, and used the first day to address some key areas and fill some voids following the departures of free agents Brandon Duhaime and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

Up front, Washington signed Boone Jenner to a four-year, $23 million contract, bringing in a versatile depth forward who can slot in at left wing and also play center.

Jenner had 13 goals and 38 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets this past season and also had three consecutive 20-goal campaigns, and not only can he score, but he's also a heavy hitter, wins face-offs, blocks shots, kills penalties and wears many different hats. He's also a proven leader in the locker room, having worn the "C" in Columbus the last five seasons.

Expect the 33-year-old to slot in where Duhaime, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was and help bolster the PK, while also providing some key secondary scoring and being available to move up and down the lineup.

In addition to Jenner, Washington also signed forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Josh Dunne to one-year, $850,000 contracts. Both players are most likely to spend the majority of the season with the AHL's Hershey Bears, a team hurting for depth up front with Matt Strome, Henrik Rybinski and more hitting the market.

After addressing the forward group, Patrick shifted his attention to the blue line, where D.C. was in need of some depth on the right side with van Riemsdyk headed to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Rasmus Sandin spending the next 6-9 months recovering from ACL surgery.

To fill that void, the Capitals signed Vincent Desharnais to a four-year, $16.8 million contract. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound defenseman is a force to be reckoned with and likes to make his opponents as uncomfortable as possible, as he hits hard, clears the net-front, kills penalties and makes a decent first pass out of the zone.

Desharnais appeared in 53 games with the Sharks last season, registering a goal, six assists, 103 hits and 83 blocks, along with a plus/minus rating of plus-7 and 68 penalty minutes. He had a decent year with an underwhelming San Jose Sharks defensive corps, where he had the least amount of scoring chances against and high-danger chances against at 5-on-5, and ranked second in expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5 among defensemen with at least 33 games played.

To add further depth on the right side, Washington also inked veteran Justin Holl to a one-year, $900,000 contract. The 34-year-old spent the majority of the season in the AHL with the Detroit Red Wings' AHL-affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, but appeared in nine NHL games down the stretch with the St. Louis Blues following a trade at the deadline. Expect him to be available as an extra defenseman, or to get time in Hershey depending on how camp plays out.

With all of their signings, the Capitals have $3.475 million remaining in projected cap space for the upcoming season. That, of course, raises the question of whether it's enough to re-sign captain Alex Ovechkin, who is a free agent for the first time and is still deciding on his NHL future.

Last week, Patrick said he's not sure which way Ovechkin is leaning, but did say he has a number in mind for what a contract could look like if the 40-year-old chooses to return for another season.

That said, these signings and cap space don't necessarily impact that choice one way or the other; Ovechkin is 35 and is eligible for a one-year contract with a lower base salary that is heavy on bonuses that'd carry into the 2027-28 season.

Ovechkin also wanted Washington to do what it can to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, and money likely isn't a hang-up for him should he choose to come back.

Either way, Ovechkin has not decided yet and is still mulling over his options, and that decision is expected to come at some point in the near future.

Ultimately, though, D.C. addressed some key areas of depth, and ultimately, look a lot bigger and stronger heading into the season. Wednesday's moves were just the icing on the cake for a Capitals team that already made a big splash with Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch.

Now, it's just about seeing how all of that comes together, with or without Ovechkin leading the pack.