The Washington Capitals made headlines when they traded Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday morning. Dowd’s departure was the big story, but one small piece the Capitals got in return presents some under-the-radar intrigue and could hint at a potential future deal.
Jesper Vikman, a Swedish goaltender selected by Vegas in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, was the only player sent back to Washington. The 23-year-old backstop has never posted above a .900 save percentage in the AHL, but it’s not his statistics that are notable at the moment.
The netminder was loaned to the Hershey Bears by the Capitals, giving their AHL affiliate four goaltenders on their roster: Vikman, Clay Stevenson, Garin Bjorklund, and Mitch Gibson.
While Gibson is currently out injured, Bears head coach Derek King revealed Tuesday that the team plans on having him travel on their upcoming two-game road trip. The goaltending stable is also full in South Carolina with the club’s ECHL affiliate, the Stingrays, who have Seth Eisele, Ty Taylor, and Alexis Gravel patrolling their crease.
The crowded nets could hint that the Capitals plan to move out a goaltender, namely Charlie Lindgren, with multiple teams around the NHL seeking help in net. According to hockey insider Frank Seravalli, among the teams in the market for a goalie are the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Anaheim Ducks.
Lindgren has shown, particularly during the 2023-24 season, that he can push a team into the playoffs on his own. However, after the Capitals brought Logan Thompson in last year, Lindgren’s role has diminished, going from 50 appearances two seasons ago to 39 last season and just 19 this year.
The 32-year-old goalie signed a 3-year, $9 million contract extension ($3M AAV) with the Capitals last year. He has seemingly struggled to find consistent form this season with the lack of ice time, going 8-7-3 with a 3.41 goals-against average, a .881 save percentage, and one shutout.
Earlier this season, Stevenson was forced into NHL duty with both Lindgren and Thompson banged up, making three starts for the Capitals. He was impressive in those games, going 2-1 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, potentially giving the Caps enough confidence to make him Thompson’s next backup.
While Vikman’s acquisition could be purposeful for another move over the next 24 hours, there could be a far simpler reason why he’s trading places. To bring Dowd in, the Golden Knights needed to send a contract back, as they were already at the 50-contract limit organizationally. Vikman is also out week to week with an injury and hasn’t played since February 15, meaning once he arrives in Hershey, he will be rehabbing behind the scenes. He’s also a restricted free agent at season’s end.
The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is on Friday at 3 pm.
