The trade that sent Brooks Laich, the team’s longest-tenured player, to the Toronto Maple Leafs was announced before midnight on Sunday. The Washington Capitals also sent defenseman Connor Carrick and a 2016 second-round pick to the Maple Leafs, and they got Daniel Winnik and a fifth-round pick in exchange.
Washington now has around $2.2 million in annual cap space ahead of today’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, according to generalfanager.com. That cap room wouldn’t dip into the cap relief created by moving defenseman John Carlson to long-term injured reserve after he had a lower-body “procedure” on Saturday and will be out at least 24 days, missing 10 games.