Joel Edmundson traded to the Washington Capitals by the Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens start free agency by shipping out a veteran defenceman.
With free agency moments from starting, news broke that Joel Edmundson was about to be traded to the Washington Capitals. The picks coming back in return to the Montreal Canadiens are a third- and a seventh-rounder in 2024, giving the Canadiens more selections for next summer.
Full trade, per sources:
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 1, 2023
To #AllCaps: D Joel Edmundson
To #GoHabsGo: 3rd Rd Pick, 7th Rd Pick@DailyFaceoff
Edmundson was a key member of the Canadiens' defence, especially on a pairing with Jeff Petry a few seasons ago. However, in 2022-23, the Habs graduated a large number of young defencemen to the NHL level, and Edmundson's services became redundant on the team.
Edmundson has one season at $3.5 million remaining on his contract. Montreal has retained 50%, or $1.75 million, in the trade.