Lars Eller ’s day began in Pittsburgh and ended with him headed to Washington — where he achieved his greatest success — as part of a rare trade between the Penguins and Capitals. After the trade, Kyle Dubas confirmed a poorly kept secret: He tried to find a suitor for Eller at last season’s trade deadline.

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.

Eller, a member of the Capitals’ Stanley Cup winners in 2018, returns after being traded to Colorado in March 2023.