NHL free agency 2023: Canadiens trade Joel Edmundson to Capitals for picks

The Montreal Canadiens have traded defenceman — and alternate captain — Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick and seventh-round pick in 2024.

Edmundson played 61 games for the Canadiens in 2022-23, making a limited contribution offensively but skating 19:34 per night.

In order to facilitate the deal, the Canadiens are retaining half of the blueliner's salary, meaning the deal will save $1.75 million in cap space.

That means Montreal now has 490K in available space, as the team was above the cap prior to the deal. By moving Edmundson, they also free up more ice time for younger defencemen who are more likely to be part of the team's upcoming competitive window.

By acquiring Edmundson, the Capitals are adding some size (6-foot-5, 221 pounds) to their back end and bringing aboard a player capable of taking on tough assignments. Edmundson started 63.7% of his shifts in the defensive zone in 2022-23 and logged more than three penalty minutes per night.

Edmundson has never topped 20 points in an NHL season, but he could provide a steadying presence to a Capitals defence corps that lost Dmitry Orlov midway through last season. The 30-year-old defenceman had a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract, but it appears Washington did not make the cut. His deal expires following the 2023-24 season.

The Capitals will now have $5.563 million in cap space to address the remainder of their offseason needs.