When the Washington Capitals acquired defenseman Michal Kempny from Chicago, coach Barry Trotz guessed general manager Brian MacLellan wasn’t done dealing before next Monday’s trade deadline.
Trotz turned out to be right.
The Capitals traded a 2019 fifth-round pick Wednesday to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Jakub Jerabek.
Jerabeck, 26, is in his first NHL season and has appeared in only 25 games. The trade gives the Capitals additional defensive depth. Jerabek plays on the left side, similar to Kempny.
On Tuesday, the Capitals waived defenseman Taylor Chorney to create the extra roster spot and salary cap space.
Before the Canadiens, Jerabek spent the majority of his professional career playing overseas in the Czech Republic. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning he will likely be a rental for the cash-strapped Capitals.
The Capitals now have eight defensemen on the roster.
Jerabek, who has a $950,000 salary, has one goal and three assists this season.
Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets claimed Chorney off waivers.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.