Recapping the Capitals’ Moves in Busy Opening to 2026 Free Agency

NHL free agency opened on July 1. This day is always fast-paced and exciting, as eligible players can move from team to team or be re-signed. You never know what your favorite team’s roster will look like at the end of the day, as it is always a frenzy of movement and transactions. The Washington Capitals made a handful of moves in the first 48 hours, so let’s recap their decisions and take a look at the current state of the roster.

Notable Names

Alex Ovechkin Re-Signs

To the delight of the team’s fans and the hockey world as a whole, Alex Ovechkin announced on Thursday that he will be with the team for one more season. The longtime captain signed a one-year contract with a unique pay structure: $1 million in salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus and a $4.75 million games-played bonus (10 games), per the NHL.

This will likely be Ovechkin’s final season of professional hockey, and with a team stacked full of talented players, it could shape up to be a memorable last run. With the recent acquisitions of Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, the team’s forward lines are looking exceptional. All eyes will be on the Capitals in their captain’s final season — and we can only hope they live up to expectations.

Boone Jenner Joins the Squad

While the team had already acquired two big names in Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch in trades prior to the 2026 NHL Draft, general manager Chris Patrick did not want to stop there. When free agency opened, the organization quickly signed Boone Jenner, former captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, to a four-year, $23 million contract. Jenner had 13 goals and 25 assists in 67 games last season and felt like it was time for a fresh start.

“It was just time to go try something new. Like I said, never been in this spot, and when I did get the call from Washington, it really excited me and just felt like it was the right move,” he said about the signing.

Jenner will add some depth, skill, and veteran presence to Washington’s forward core. While the center is not flashy, he is reliable and will pair well alongside younger talent like Ryan Leonard or Ilya Protas.

Other Signings

Joshua Dunne

The team signed forward Joshua Dunne to a one-year, $850,000 contract. He spent most of last season with the Buffalo Sabres, totaling four points in 34 games. He also has six seasons of American Hockey League (AHL) experience, where he totaled 95 points in 204 games. While Dunne is not a top-of-the-line forward, the team will be looking to fill a bottom-six gap left after Connor McMichael was traded. Dunne may rotate in and out of the lineup to help with that deficit.

Vincent Desharnais

Defenseman Vincent Desharnais was signed to a four-year, $16.8 million contract. He most recently played with the San Jose Sharks, where he totaled seven points and a career-high 18:11 of ice time across 53 games. He is a tough, physical product who ranked tied for second among Sharks blueliners in blocked shots (83) and third in hits (103). Desharnais makes a powerful impact on the ice — his plus-7 rating was the second highest on the team, trailing only star forward Macklin Celebrini.

He will make a great addition to the Capitals’ sizeable roster. Standing an astounding 6-foot-7 and weighing 225 pounds, he will bring a similar level of physicality and force as players like Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, Jakob Chychrun, and Ovechkin. The team’s back end needs some size and a heavy hitter, and Desharnais should fit into that role perfectly. He will likely take the place of Trevor van Riemsdyk, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Justin Holl

Another defenseman, Justin Holl, was signed to a one-year, $900,000 contract. He recorded two points in nine games with the St. Louis Blues last season, and also spent time with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins where he had 14 points. In addition to the Blues, he has played with the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. In the AHL, he spent time with the Toronto Marlies and the Rockford IceHogs. He is a defensive defenseman who will bring further depth to the Capitals’ back end.

Jonny Brodzinski

The Capitals added another forward in Jonny Brodzinski when they signed him to a one-year, $850,000 contract. His performance is on an upswing lately. In 2024-25, with the New York Rangers, he established multiple career highs with 12 goals, 19 points, a plus-6 rating, and 11:41 average ice time and last season, he had 16 points. He has also spent seasons with the Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings as well as their respective AHL affiliates. In the AHL, he has recorded 267 points in 313 games.

Similar to Dunne, he will likely be a player who will fill in when needed. The Capitals tend to have a solid forward core that is bolstered by players who can play a partial season and rotate in and out of the lineup. Last season, players like Ethen Frank and Hendrix Lapierre filled those roles. While Frank remains with the team, Lapierre will be joining the Pittsburgh Penguins, so a substitution was needed.

While most of the major roster transactions are made in the first few days of free agency, the offseason is not over yet. There is no telling what could happen between now and the start of the season in October. The Hockey Writers will be covering all of the news regarding the Capitals and the entire NHL all summer long.