After the Capitals made the Niskanen for Gudas swap, we speculated that the freed-up room under the salary cap could give the Caps freedom to make a few extra moves.
Indeed, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan wasted no time in utilizing some of that freed-up cap space, signing Carl Hagelin for 4 years at $11 million. The move helps to bolster the Caps forward depth, and locks up Hagelin at an affordable rate for the next 4 years.
As Sam explained in her Rink Wrap of Hagelin, he was one of the Caps best possession forwards and penalty killers after he was acquired, and possessed a skill set that the Caps definitely needed:
He had no problem fitting in, becoming an instant leader in the locker room and an asset on ice who displayed automatic chemistry with his teammates - pretty much on any line.