According to reports, recently bought-out Henrik Lundqvist is set to sign a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals on Friday, the first day of free agency.

Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was asked about the rumors on Tuesday night after Round One of the NHL Draft concluded.

“We’re looking for a backup veteran goaltender,” MacLellan said on Tuesday. “He’s a really solid candidate for us.”

But it was what MacLellan did after he responded which really communicated everything you needed to know.

Video

All the rumors point to the #Caps signing Henrik Lundqvist as a free agent on Friday. Brian MacLellan said “he is a really solid option for us!”

But it’s not so much about what he said. It’s all about the sly smile at the end of what he said! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/6Vi7KJa7QP

— Rob Carlin (@RobCarlinTBD) October 7, 2020

Oh wow, that is a large smile.

GIF via @Capitals

Rob Carlin wasn’t the only one to pick up on Mac’s not-so-subtle message either.

“I just laughed when he was asked about it last night,” Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Network. “He gave a stock answer to the question and had a little smile. If you play cards, if you are a poker player, you look for a tell, and to me, that was the tell.

“I think a lot of people are expecting Henrik Lundqvist to be a Capital on Friday,” Friedman continued. “You can never say anything is done until it’s done but I think that smile may have been the tell.”

Screenshot courtesy of @Capitals