Capitals send picks to Penguins for center Lars Eller, who won a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018

Chris

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NHL Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins

PITTSBURGH – The Washington Capitals have reunited with veteran center Lars Eller.

Washington sent a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for Eller, who spent seven seasons with the Capitals and helped the club win the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 2018.

Eller, 35, had four goals and three assists in 17 games for Pittsburgh. He was in the second season of a two-year contract he signed with the Penguins in the summer of 2023.

Eller has 182 goals and 227 assists in 1,053 games for Montreal, Washington, Colorado and Pittsburgh. He remains a reliable two-way player and penalty killer and joins a Washington team that is off to a hot start in the highly competitive Metropolitan Division. The Capitals entered Wednesday's game with a record of 10-4-0, good enough for third place in the division behind Carolina and New Jersey.

“We are pleased to welcome Lars back to our organization,” said Capitals General Manager Chris Patrick. “This move increases our depth in the critical center position. Lars is a versatile player who we are confident will strengthen the depth and competitiveness of our team.”

The move could be the first of several for Pittsburgh, which entered Wednesday just two points ahead of the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Penguins were beaten 7-1 by Dallas on Monday night, a game in which the Stars scored six goals in the first period.

Evgeni Malkin apologized for the team's performance on Tuesday.

“I want to apologize to the fans,” Malkin said. “They saw a really bad game. I hope that we can find a good path together, win tomorrow and start building the team better.”

Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas has tried to forge a line that will keep the team competitive even in the twilight of the careers of franchise icons Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang.

The team's shaky start, highlighted by goaltender Tristan Jarry's woes and a porous defense – the Penguins are tied with Montreal with a goal difference of minus-21, the worst in the league – could lead to bigger changes. Dubas has been eager to expand the team's prospect pool, and sending Eller for two picks down the road is another step in that direction.


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