The Dane has officially switched sides in the Capitals-Penguins rivalry as he took the ice in the DMV for summer skating work.

Lars Eller was back in familiar territory on Monday, taking the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Monday to work with Washington Capitals skating coach Wendy Marco. And despite being at the Capitals' practice facility, he has officially switched sides and is officially ringing in the Pittsburgh Penguins era of his career.

Eller was sporting Penguins colours, from new gear to the team's official practice jersey. It comes after he signed a two-year contract to join Washington's longtime rival Pittsburgh in free agency.

The Dane has worked with Marco for years and has stressed the importance of improving on the fundamentals. He also helped Marco coach one of her clinics last season.

Eller had called D.C. home for seven seasons and became a fan favorite and staple as the Capitals' third-line center. He also scored the Stanley Cup clinching goal in 2018 agaisnt the Vegas Golden Knights.

His run with Washington came to an end in February when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche as part of the pre trade deadline sell off. In 488 regular-season games over his time with the Capitals, Eller picked up 208 points.

Looking ahead, Eller is excited to join Pittsburgh and believes he can help the team return to the playoffs and become a contender again. He also cited his versatility and willingness to play multiple roles, but has his sights set on his classic third-line center role.

"I felt pretty quickly that I could see myself playing in Pittsburgh," he said.

And when it comes to facing his former club, he believes he'll have a chip on his shoulder.

"Those are gonna be the fun games," Eller said, adding, "Playing a lot against my old team, that’ll be a motivational factor for sure.”