ARLINGTON, Va. — When Capitals coach Todd Reirden got on the phone with defenseman Brenden Dillon Tuesday shortly after finalizing a trade to bring him to Washington, Dillon brought up an interaction they had some 11 years ago.
Dillon went undrafted in 2009, but he had an opportunity with the Pittsburgh Penguins in a rookie tournament in Canada. Reirden, the coach of Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate at the time, coached the Penguins’ team in that tournament. He remembered liking Dillon “a lot,” but the Penguins couldn’t sign the blueliner prospect.