A trade between Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals has been confirmed.

Trade Details
Minnesota Wild Acquire: 2018 5th round pick (WSH - #155 - Damien Giroux) Sum: $0$0$0 Change: $0 Change: -$625,000 Change: -$650,000	Washington Capitals Acquire: Tyler Graovac · $0$625,000$650,000 (AHL/JR) Sum: $0$625,000$650,000 Change: $0 Change: +$625,000 Change: +$650,000

Washington can now protect both of Eller and Wilson, because Graovac meets the exposure requirements. So good for them.

However, whenever you can get a decent draft pick for a player who may never play full time in the NHL, you've done a good job.

Hmm. Looks like the Capitals will probably be letting Oshie walk in free agency, then.

Doubt it. Think this is just a depth move, since Williams will be leaving.

They won't have enough spots to protect Oshie.
1) Ovechkin
2) Bäckstrom
3) Kuznetsov
4) Johansson
5) Burakovsky
6) Eller
7) Wilson
True, he could just refuse to sign with Vegas and then negotiate a deal with the Capitals. But do the Capitals really have the cap space to give Oshie a contract that isn't a massive undercut at this point? Plus, Vegas is building a team from scratch, and they have the moniez to sling around.

Eller is a 4th liner who isn't a must-protect.

i think they should re-sign williams. if they need to play in a game 7 he could really help them out.

And, yet, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan, Capitals beat reporter for the Washington Post:

Reason for this trade? It's so the Caps can protect Lars Eller in the expansion draft. Gives them another forward under contract thru 17-18.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 15, 2017

Also, Eller plays 3rd-line minutes with Connolly and Burakovsky; Winnik - Beagle - Wilson was the 4th line.

Kinda like this past season?

If they can work out a deal with Oshie, they would hands-down protect him over Eller and WIlson.

See the tweet I posted earlier re: Eller. A Capitals beat reporter seems to think that Eller will be protected; that's probably about as informed a person as you're gonna find regarding the inner machinations of the team that's not working for the team itself.

As for Tom Wilson... yeah, Oshie's a much better player than Wilson. I should probably amend my original assertion to say "this is more of a backup plan in case MacLellan and Oshie can't come to an agreement." "Oshie's definitely walking in free agency" is a bit of a strong taek, but, again, Oshie's most likely to stay with the Capitals if he takes a massive undercut on his next contract, which he may not be willing to do. This is his best chance to make truckloads of money.

Oshie will be resigned. Eller is replaceable, so they'll expose him.