The Capitals are set to move on from pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk one way or another, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ writes. With Washington unlikely to pursue an extension with him, they’re willing to move him before the deadline to get a return for him while freeing up a roster spot.
That roster spot is crucial as the Caps look to welcome top D prospect Cole Hutson to the NHL – potentially within the next two weeks. An underwhelming season for Hutson’s Boston University means they’re all but ruled out of qualifying for the national tournament. Their final regular-season game is against UMass-Lowell on March 7. They’ll have at least one conference playoff game, but if they drop an opening round matchup on March 11, Hutson could be signed and on Washington’s roster for the stretch run and playoffs two weekends from now.
The Caps have already rostered eight defensemen virtually all season long, so they’d need to move one out, either via trade or waivers, to work him in. While they likely wouldn’t love to lose out on a serviceable piece of right-shot depth like van Riemsdyk in a best-case scenario – Hutson is a lefty – he’s averaging just 15:32 per game for Washington this year and has been in and out of the lineup.
The 34-year-old van Riemsdyk has been a stellar bottom-pairing option for Washington for the last several seasons but hasn’t been terribly effective this year. While a defense-first rearguard, his eight points in 47 games are still his worst offensive output since his first season in D.C. back in 2020-21. His possession impacts have cratered, too, controlling 48.3% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 with a career-worst -3.6% relative Corsi For share.
If not used in a deal for a forward and is instead moved separately as a more traditional rental, there will be plenty of contenders looking to shore up their right-shot depth. The Lightning have been looking for help there but reportedly prefer a long-term option. If they can’t strike a deal there, though, a cheap rental option with a good bit of playoff experience, as van Riemsdyk has, would suffice. The Stars, Oilers, and Sabres are other clubs in playoff position with a documented need and desire for immediate right-side help.