Let’s talk about it: The Capitals’ decision to keep Charlie Lindgren and ultimately lose Clay Stevenson on waivers

The Washington Capitals lost goaltender Clay Stevenson on waivers to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday while attempting to pass him through ahead of the regular season. The Jets made the claim amid a roster dispute involving starting netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who previously requested an offseason trade. Stevenson had served as the Capitals' third goaltender option behind Logan Thompson and backup Charlie Lindgren.

Washington previously considered carrying three goaltenders to prevent losing Stevenson, according to general manager Chris Patrick. However, the club opted against placing skaters Ivan Miroshnichenko, Ethen Frank, or Dylan McIlrath on waivers to clear roster space. The organization had retained Lindgren on a $3 million deal despite him recording career lows with a 3.52 goals-against average and .879 save percentage over 21 games.