Eller landed a one-year, $1.25 million contract from Ottawa on Tuesday.
Eller started the 2024-25 campaign with the Penguins before being traded back to the Capitals. Overall, the veteran center played in 80 regular-season contests while racking up 10 goals and 12 helpers. The Senators have decent center depth, which means Eller could find himself filling a fourth-line role unless the team opts to move Dylan Cozens or Shane Pinto to the wing.
Eller notched an assist and two PIM in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Canadiens in Game 3.
Eller snapped a 12-game point drought with the assist. He went minus-8 with 17 shots on net and 18 hits in that span. The third-line center had 22 points, 104 shots on net, 57 hits, 35 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating over 80 regular-season games between the Capitals and Penguins in 2024-25, so he offers little upside in fantasy.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Chips in with assist
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Eller logged an assist in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Wild.
Eller has three assists over 13 outings in March. The 35-year-old remains in a bottom-six role, and while he's on the third line, Nic Dowd often gets more ice time as a shutdown center. Eller has produced 22 points, 89 shots on net, 46 hits, 32 blocked shots, 32 PIM and a plus-3 rating over 70 appearances between the Capitals and Penguins this season.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Ends drought Saturday
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Eller produced two assists in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Sharks.
He had a hand in an Aliaksei Protas tally in the first period and a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal in the third. Eller snapped a 12-game point drought with the performance, and the veteran center has 10 goals and 21 points in 65 appearances on the season.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: High shot volume in victory
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Eller recorded five shots on goal and blocked a shot, but he held a minus-1 rating in Monday's 5-4 shootout victory against the Senators.
Since scoring goals in back-to-back games in early February, Eller has not recorded a point and has a minus-2 rating on a Capitals team that leads the Eastern Conference. It's certainly encouraging that after Monday's performance, the 35-year-old has 10 shots on goal in his last five games. However, when you factor in the fact that Eller is on pace to average his lowest ice time since his rookie season, the upside is very limited.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Ties game in third period
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Eller scored a goal and went plus-3 in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Flyers.
Eller has scored in back-to-back games for the first time this season. He netted the equalizer at 6:23 of the third period, tying the game at 3-3. Eller has four points over his last eight contests and a total of 10 goals, 19 points, 67 shots on net, 38 hits, 26 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 52 appearances between the Capitals and the Penguins this season.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Lights lamp Tuesday
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Eller tallied a goal and three shots during Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Panthers.
Eller snapped a 10-game goal-scoring drought when he put the Capitals ahead early in the third period on a partial breakaway goal. The Danish forward has managed five goals and 11 points in 34 games since being acquired from Pittsburgh in November of 2024.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Deals assist in win
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Eller recorded an assist in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Flames.
Eller set up Aliaksei Protas' breakaway tally in the third period. It's been an acceptable month for Eller, who has two goals and two assists over 13 appearances in January while filling his usual third-line role. The center is at 17 points, 63 shots on net, 37 hits, 24 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 48 appearances between the Capitals and the Penguins this season.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Nabs helper Tuesday
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Eller recorded an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Oilers.
Eller had a shot attempt ping off the post but straight to Pierre-Luc Dubois, who made no mistake on the second attempt. The helper ended Eller's four-game slump. The 35-year-old center has struggled to put up consistent offense, but that's not unusual for a depth player who tends to focus more on defense. Overall, Eller has 16 points, 58 shots on net, 37 hits and a minus-4 rating over 45 contests between the Capitals and the Penguins this season.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Scores in loss
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Eller scored a goal on one shot and had one hit in Friday's 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal.
Eller knotted the game at 2-2 early in the third period, beating rookie netminder Jakub Dobes to the glove side. It was his fourth goal since joining the Capitals in mid-November and just his second tally in the last 17 outings. The 35-year-old center, who entered Friday averaging 12:49 TOI per game with the Capitals, does not get as many shifts as he did with the Penguins (16:25 per game).
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Tallies in chaotic win
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Eller scored a goal in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Rangers.
Eller picked up his first point in four games since he returned from an illness that cost him four contests. He played at right wing rather than center amid a middle-six shuffle that also saw Connor McMichael land on the third line. Eller is up to 14 points, 52 shots on net, 30 hits, 18 blocked shots, 22 PIM and a minus-5 rating over 37 appearances between the Capitals and the Penguins this season. Barring a significant number of injuries, he's unlikely to play above the third line.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Activated from IR
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Eller (illness) was removed from injured reserve Sunday, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Washington assigned Hendrix Lapierre to AHL Hershey in a corresponding move. Eller will likely return to a bottom-six role against Detroit on Sunday after missing the last four games. He has six goals, 13 points, 47 shots on net, 14 blocked shots and 27 hits across 33 appearances between Washington and Pittsburgh this season.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Set to miss time with illness
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Eller was placed on injured reserve Friday, retroactive to Dec. 17, due to an illness, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Head coach Spencer Carbery said that Eller saw a doctor Thursday who revealed that the 35-year-old is dealing with an illness that will force him to miss some time. Eller will be sidelined for the Capitals' final three games before the league's Christmas break, and it's unclear whether he'll be able to return before the end of the calendar year. Over 33 appearances between Pittsburgh and Washington this year, Eller has totaled six goals, seven assists, 27 hits and 20 PIM while averaging 14:56 of ice time.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Supplies helper in loss
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Eller notched an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Blackhawks.
Eller ended a six-game point drought with the helper. While he hasn't been big on offense since returning to the Capitals, he remains a steady third-line center for the team. His scoring rate is virtually identical to how he started the year with the Penguins. Eller has a total of 13 points through 33 contests, and he's added 47 shots on net, 27 hits, 14 blocked shots, 20 PIM and a minus-4 rating. The big difference has been in ice time -- Eller's at 13:21 per game with the Capitals compared to 16:25 per outing with the Penguins, but he's been able to sustain his offense thanks to a stronger supporting cast.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Pots two goals
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Eller tallied two goals, two shots and a plus-2 rating during Monday's 4-1 win over the Panthers.
Eller netted the tying goal late in the first period and salted the game with an empty-netter as the Capitals took down the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers. The 35-year-old is up to three points in six games since returning the Capitals, but he may not have much to offer from a fantasy perspective as long as he's outside of precious top-six minutes.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: First point since trade
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Eller logged an assist and three shots on goal in Monday's 6-2 win over Utah.
The helper on a Brandon Duhaime tally in the third period was Eller's first point in three games since the Capitals reacquired him in a trade with the Penguins. Eller is at eight points, 31 shots on net, 19 hits, 10 PIM and a minus-4 rating over 20 appearances this season. The 35-year-old should be a fixture on the Capitals' third line, though he's yet to see any power-play time since the trade, which could limit his offense.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Expected to play Friday
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Eller is practicing with the Capitals on Thursday and is expected to play Friday in Colorado, as reports.
Eller was dealt to the Capitals on Tuesday and sat out Wednesday's tilt against Toronto. Eller is practicing on the third line alongside Andrew Mangiapane and Jakub Vrana. Eller had four goals and seven points over 17 games before the trade.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Won't play Wednesday
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Eller won't be an option against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Eller is likely still finalizing things after being traded from Pittsburgh to Washington on Tuesday, so it shouldn't come as a surprise he won't be immediately pressed into service. Considering the 35-year-old center spent seven years with the Caps, Eller should be fairly comfortable readjusting to his surroundings. He figures to move into a third-line center role and should be a heavy factor on the penalty kill.
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Capitals' Lars Eller: Dealt to Washington
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Eller was traded from the Penguins to the Capitals on Tuesday in exchange for 2027 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
This deal makes more sense for the Capitals than it does for the Penguins, as Eller will end the revolving the door of Michael Sgarbossa and Hendrix Lapierre at third-line center in Washington. The 35-year-old Eller had seven points, 27 shots on net, 17 hits and a minus-4 rating over 17 appearances this season, and while the scoring pace is unlikely to change, his non-scoring production could improve in a better team situation. This will be Eller's second stint with the Capitals after spending parts of seven seasons with the team from 2016-2023. Per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Eller is likely to miss Wednesday's game versus the Maple Leafs but should be available once the Capitals begin a road trip Friday in Colorado.
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