Nic Dowd is headed to the Vegas Golden Knights. Jaime Crawford / Getty Images
March 5, 2026 12:03 pm EST
The Washington Capitals have traded veteran center Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights for goalie prospect Jesper Vikman, a third-round draft pick in 2027 and a second-round pick in 2029.
Dowd, 35, has four goals and 16 points in 51 games this season in Washington. He has one more year remaining on his contract with a $3 million cap hit.
The 11-year NHL veteran played a defensive role for the Capitals, centering their fourth line and leading all of their forwards in penalty-killing minutes. Dowd has started 74.9 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone this season, second-highest of any player on the team, and led all Capitals forwards with 43 blocked shots.
The Golden Knights hope the addition will solidify their center depth. William Karlsson hasn’t played since suffering an injury back on Nov. 8, and his timeline for a return is still in question. Brett Howden has also missed the last 19 games with an injury, forcing Mitch Marner – who had played his entire NHL career on the wing – to play center for the majority of this season.
Vegas also acquired physical winger Cole Smith from Nashville this week. With the addition of Dowd, the Golden Knights are reshaping their fourth line ahead of the deadline.
Washington added two draft picks and Vikman, who was a fifth-round pick for Vegas in 2020. Vikman is in his third full season as a pro, with a .866 save percentage in 18 games with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. He’s a big, positional goalie with good raw skills, but has yet to put together a consistent season in the minor leagues.
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Jesse Granger is a staff writer for The Athletic NHL based in Las Vegas covering the Golden Knights and goaltending across the league. He has covered the Golden Knights since its inception and was previously an award-winning reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. Follow Jesse on Twitter @JesseGranger_
