Summary Of The Road Not Taken

The Washington Capitals' aggressive offseason got busier Monday when they acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick.

Adding Chychrun comes in an offseason that saw the Capitals trade for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, winger Andrew Mangiapane and goaltender Logan Thompson. The Capitals on Monday also reportedly signed free agent defenseman Matt Roy to a seven-year deal worth $5.5 million annually.

Chychrun, 26, gives the Capitals a top-pairing, puck-moving defenseman who is also entering the final year of a six-year contract that sees him earn $4.6 million annually.

It was believed that Chychrun would leave the Senators this offseason after arriving there at the 2023 NHL trade deadline in a deal from the Arizona Coyotes. He had five points in 12 games with the Sens to close out that campaign with the belief his addition -- coupled with what the club did during the offseason -- could help them make the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Instead, the Senators went through a tumultuous season that led to new owner Michael Andlauer moving on from the general manager who brought in Chychrun, Pierre Doiron, and replacing him with president of hockey operations Steve Staios as the interim GM. The Senators removed the interim tag from Staios' title on Dec. 31.

Staios has also guided Ottawa through a busy offseason that saw them get Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark in a trade from the Boston Bruins.

Now it's Chychrun who is departing the Senators and joining a Capitals team that is trying to return to the playoffs for a consecutive season while captain Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record.

In his lone season in Ottawa, Chychrun scored 14 goals and tied a career-high with 41 points. His arrival provides the Capitals with a top-pairing option that can operate a first-team power-play unit for a team that struggled to score goals.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Roy, 28, figured to attract interest on the market for his durability after averaging 20:53 time on the ice for the Los Angeles Kings last season. He finished with five goals and 25 points in 81 regular-season games and had two assists in five playoff games.

Roy, who's signing was first reported by Sportsnet, just wrapped up a three-year deal with the Kings that paid him $3.15 million annually. He represents a rare seventh-round success story in the NHL, after being selected No. 194 overall in 2025.

The Senators, meanwhile, signed veteran forward David Perron to a two-year contract. He provides a scoring presence in front of the net, having finished with 17 goals and 47 points for the Detroit Red Wings last season.