The Washington Capitals made their first offseason splash ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft by acquiring 23-year-old forward Justin Sourdif from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder. Sourdif, a restricted free agent, has limited NHL experience but posted strong numbers in the AHL with Charlotte, including 34 points in 43 games last season and 10 points in the playoffs. With Florida’s roster depth and pending free agents like Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand, Sourdif likely faced a tough path to NHL minutes — and the Panthers opted to get assets rather than risk losing him on waivers.

For the Capitals, the move signals a clear effort to retool their bottom six while possibly preparing for departures of pending UFAs like Taylor Raddysh, Anthony Beauvillier, and Andrew Mangiapane. However, the price raised eyebrows given Sourdif’s lack of NHL résumé and the team’s existing forward depth, including young names like Hendrix Lapierre, Bogdan Trineyev, and Ivan Miroshnichenko. Washington’s front office clearly sees untapped potential in Sourdif, and under head coach Spencer Carbery’s player development system, the Caps are betting that the versatile forward can crack the NHL roster — and make the deal worthwhile.