Capitals send picks to Penguins for center Lars Eller, who won a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Washington Capitals have reunited with veteran center Lars Eller, who was surprised the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him so early in the season.

Washington sent a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for Eller, who spent seven seasons with the Capitals and helped the club win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2018 — including the winning goal in the final-clinching Game 5.

“I never really wanted to leave in the first place,” Eller said Wednesday night during the first intermission of the Capitals’ game at home against Toronto. “If anybody had told me when the season started, within two months I was going to be playing for the Caps, I probably wouldn’t believe you. But things change quickly.”

The 35-year-old Eller had four goals and three assists in 17 games with Pittsburgh. He was in the second season of a two-year deal he signed with the Penguins in the summer of 2023.

Eller has 182 goals and 227 assists in 1,053 games with Montreal, Washington, Colorado and Pittsburgh. He remains a dependable two-way player and penalty killer and is rejoining a Washington team off to a hot start in the competitive Metropolitan Division. The Capitals entered play on Wednesday at 10-4-0, good enough for third in the division behind Carolina and New Jersey.

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“This move enhances our depth at the critical center position,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said after making his first big move since taking over for Brian MacLellan. “Lars is a versatile player that we are confident will strengthen our team’s depth and competitiveness.”

The move could be the first of several for Pittsburgh, which began Wednesday just two points clear of the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Penguins were whipped 7-1 by Dallas on Monday night, a game in which the Stars poured in six goals in the first period.

Eller said it was difficult to dissect exactly how things went sideways.

“We just could never really string a consistent good game together over weeks or over months and, long story short, it’s kind of been the same to start this year,” Eller said. “We had a couple good games, we had a couple bad games and we had a bad trip out west. It’s tough for me to say exactly what. It just didn’t work out for the team.”

Evgeni Malkin apologized Tuesday for the team’s performance.

“I want to say sorry to the fans,” Malkin said. “They (watched) a really bad game. I hope we, together, find a good way, win tomorrow and start building the team better.”

Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas has tried to straddle a line that keeps the team competitive in the twilight of the careers of franchise icons Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang.

The team’s wobbly start highlighted by the struggles of goaltender Tristan Jarry and a porous defense — the Penguins are tied with Montreal for a minus-21 goal differential, the worst in the league — could lead to more substantial changes. Dubas has been intent on trying to beef up the team’s prospect pool and sending out Eller for two picks down the road is another step in that direction.

“When you’re on an expiring contract your last year and the team is losing more than they’re winning, chances are you’re going to be moved, so I’m not surprised if that was going to be the case later on in the season,” Eller said. “But I was a little surprised maybe it would be this early. It is what it is.”

Before training camp, the Capitals were down to three players left from the ’18 championship team: captain Alex Ovechkin, winger Tom Wilson and defenseman John Carlson. They now have five after signing Jakub Vrana off a camp tryout and reacquiring Eller.

Wilson said earlier Wednesday the team was “getting the band back together” and bringing Eller back where he belongs. It’s a very familiar situation to be stepping back into for Eller, who kept his house in the area and moved right back in.

“It certainly is the closest thing to home for me in the NHL,” Eller said. “It’s just all smiles and good vibes and excitement. You can tell they’re glad to have me back, and the feeling is mutual.”

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Washington contributed.

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