The Washington Capitals continue their surprise transformation into a contending team, bolstering their blueline by trading for Jakob Chychrun and signing Matt Roy. Their efforts seemed questionable when they made their first move, acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois. It still seemed like they were throwing new paint on a rundown house when they traded for Andrew Mangiapane and Logan Thompson. However, now that they've added two strong defenders, I can't help but admire the team's attempt to remain competitive in the Alex Ovechkin era.

Chychrun proved himself as a solid two-way defender in Arizona but didn't really settle in with the Senators last year. A new start in Washington could be just what the doctor ordered. His offensive ceiling will be limited by a lack of power-play opportunity, since he sits behind John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin in line for that top-unit quarterback role. Regardless, he's shown he can produce a modest level of offense even without major minutes on the man advantage. He should continue being a solid option in multicategory leagues, putting up a decent number of shots and blocks to supplement respectable point totals. Chychrun is a UFA after this season.

Chychrun's departure does create more breathing room for Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson, who may have had some power-play opportunity taken away by Chychrun last year. Nick Jensen has never really been a big fantasy hockey contributor, and I don't expect that'll change now that he's in Ottawa. He has two more years left on his deal at a cap hit of $4.05 million.

Matt Roy's impact will likely be greater on the ice than it will be in offensively focused fantasy leagues, but he can contribute to peripheral categories. He's racked up a good number of hits and blocks in recent years and should continue doing so going forward. His contract with Washington is currently the longest among the team's defenseman and his cap hit is second to John Carlson's. Given the investment Washington is making here, Roy should be getting plenty of ice time next season, allowing him to continue racking up hits and blocks.

I was initially skeptical about Logan Thompson's outlook in Washington because the Capitals weren't great defensively last year. However, I'm slightly more optimistic now that they've revamped their roster. The team is currently a few million dollars over the cap right now, so expect a money-shedding move soon. T.J. Oshie has one year left at $5.75 million but has been dealing with back issues, so he might be able to provide them some cap relief.  

Who this Helps

Logan Thompson

Jake Sanderson

Matt Roy

Who this Hurts

No one comes to mind.