The Capitals added to their forward corps by acquiring Carl Hagelin from the Kings in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick and a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick, the teams announced Thursday.
Hagelin, 30, is in the final year of a four-year contract that includes a $4 million annual cap hit. L.A. will retain 50 percent of his cap hit, per the Washington Post.
This will be Hagelin’s third NHL team of the season after opening the 2018-19 campaign with the Penguins, who traded him to the Kings in exchange for Tanner Pearson last November. The speedy forward recorded two goals and six assists in 38 games with Los Angeles, which is looking to recoup assets before the Monday trade deadline.
Playoff experience is something that Hagelin will be able to provide the defending Stanley Cup champions. He won two titles with the Penguins in 2016-17, and played a pivotal role in the 2016 playoff run by recording 16 points in 24 games. However, he’s been less productive in the regular season with just 61 points in 180 games over the last three years.
The Kings will receive the Capitals’ own 2019 third-round pick along with their 2020 sixth-round pick. L.A. now has 10 picks in the upcoming NHL draft, including their own first-round pick and Toronto’s first-round pick from the Jake Muzzin trade.
