After already adding a pair of NHL defensemen in Justin Schultz and Trevor van Riemsdyk, the Washington Capitals have signed Paul LaDue for some minor league depth. LaDue has signed a one-year deal worth $700K.
The 28-year-old defenseman has played 69 games at the NHL level, all of them with the Los Angeles Kings, the organization that picked him in the sixth round back in 2012. LaDue spent almost all of the 2019-20 season in the minor leagues with the Ontario Reign and it seems unlikely he’ll be in any different of a situation in Washington.
The Capitals already have seven NHL defensemen if you include the unsigned Jonas Siegenthaler even with Michal Kempny on long-term injured reserve, meaning LaDue will have to wait for further injuries to get into the lineup. That said, the team is already over the salary cap ceiling and there could be more moves on the way.
Paul has played in 69 regular season games in the NHL.
The Caps are clearly committed to addressing the defense this offseason even with the salary limitations. With a second year potential stud Goalie & a great who almost certainly has lost some of his reflexes with age, sound defense with the Caps zone will go a long way to giving the tenders a chance to succeed.