A day ahead of the start of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Caps have made their first personnel move of the offseason. Washington sends its second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and its sixth-round choice in the 2027 Draft to Florida in exchange for 23-year-old forward Justin Sourdif.
Originally a third-round pick of the Panthers (87th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, the 5-foot-11, 181-pound Sourdif is a restricted free agent (without arbitration rights) coming off his three-year entry level pact with the Panthers. After five seasons in the WHL – mostly with Vancouver – the Richmond, BC native turned pro in 2022-23. He made his NHL debut with the Panthers on Oct. 16, 2023 at New Jersey.
Sourdif skated in three games with the Cats in ‘23-24 and one this past season. In his lone NHL game with the Panthers in 2024-25, Sourdif scored his first NHL goal, victimizing Nashville’s Jusse Saros for the game-winning goal in a 4-1 Florida victory four months ago, on Feb. 25 in Music City.
Over the course of his three AHL seasons with Charlotte, Sourdif has accrued 35 goals and 61 assists for 96 points in 149 games along with 152 PIM. Sourdif added six goals and seven assists for 13 points with 38 PIM in 27 Calder Cup playoff contests with the Checkers over three postseason runs.
This past season, Sourdif totaled 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points in just 43 games, adding four goals and six assists for 10 points in 18 postseason contests. His rate of .79 points per game was second on the team last season among players who skated in at least 20 games.
This coming fall, Sourdif will require waivers to be returned to the AHL. As it attempts to retain unrestricted free agent forwards such as Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand, Florida already has 10 forwards under contract for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign, and another – Mackie Samoskevich – who is a restricted free agent. Sourdif might have been lost to waivers following a strong season and playoffs in 2024-25, and the trade allows the Panthers to recoup something for a player who is still young and promising, and who could fill a role with the varsity squad in Washington.
With the deal, the Caps believe they’ve added a versatile two-way player with good hockey sense who can play for them in this upcoming season. Sourdif is capable of contributing at center or on the wing; he played in all situations for Charlotte and boasts a strong two-way game. If Washington doesn’t opt to resign UFA right wing Taylor Raddysh, it’s easy to envision Sourdif competing for the fourth-line right wing slot in Washington this season.
During Sourdif’s draft year of 2020, Red Line Report had him ranked at No. 44 overall, listing Alex Killorn as an NHL comparable. McKeen’s Hockey ranked him at No. 60 overall in that draft.
