Washington Capitals trade Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights

Mar 5, 2026 (9:28)

Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Fourth Period reports Nic Dowd is being traded from the Washington Capitals to the Vegas Golden Knights, and the cap math is the whole story.

Update: the full trade details have arrived below.

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Dowd is 35, a 2009 seventh round pick by the Los Angeles Kings, and a faceoff and penalty kill specialist who plays honest minutes.

He's in year one of a two-year deal that carries a $3.0M cap hit through 2026-27, with UFA status coming in 2027.

If Vegas is serious about another long spring, this is the kind of add that protects leads and wins ugly road games.

The report didn't include the return yet, so this is still a "wait for the trade call" situation.

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On the ice, Dowd's appeal is simple: clean draws, hard routes, and trust from coaches when the game gets tight.

This season he has 4-12-16 in 55 games, and those points are a bonus on top of the defensive workload.

Knights fans are going to love this once it's confirmed, because it screams "no more free chances in the slot."

Vegas can slide him into a fourth-line center job, keep the top-six fresher, and stop burning stars on every defensive zone draw.

The question is retention, because a full $3.0M cap hit is not a casual add for a team that always lives near the ceiling.

For Washington, moving Dowd would be a clear signal they're selling details, not tearing the room down.

If the return is a mid-round pick plus a prospect, that's the kind of deadline profit you take for a player with term.

Either way, it's one of those trades that shows up in April, when one blocked shot or one clean clear flips a series.

Previously on HockeyLatest

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MARS 5\|100 ANSWERS Washington Capitals trade Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights Should the Vegas Golden Knights have paid up to land Nic Dowd?
Yes	51	51 %
No	49	49 %
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