It was a busy day in the NHL to start free agency. From the clock striking noon to 4:00, NHL teams shelled out approximately $500,000,000 (half a billion) to players; $335 million of that total came in the first hour alone.
Washington did not go after any of the big names like Milan Lucic (Edmonton Oilers), Andrew Ladd (New York Islanders), or James Reimer (Flordia Panthers). Instead, the Capitals went for depth signings to replenish their minor league teams in Hershey and South Carolina.
First up came two of the Development Camp defensemen drafted by Washington, Connor Hobbs (fifth round, 2015) and Colby Williams (sixth round, 2015).