Already Feeling At Home So Far With Capitals, Sourdif Ready To Be A 'Swiss-Army Knife' Player In D.C.

ARLINGTON, V.A. — Justin Sourdif was packing up his apartment in Charlotte, ready to head home for the offseason, when his phone rang. It was Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito with some unexpected news.

Sourdif had been traded to the Washington Capitals, a team that, unknowingly to him, had been looking to acquire him for quite a while and attempted a few trades before finally landing him for a second-round pick this summer.

"I was pretty surprised," Sourdif admitted. "I was super excited that Washington liked me as a player and wanted me to come to the organization. I'm just super happy to be here."l

With his energy, versatility and offensive prowess, Sourdif had put himself on multiple teams' radars over the last few years. Though he showed upside and the potential as a full-time NHLer, Florida's depth chart ultimately kept him in the minors.

So, when Zito came calling, Sourdif was looking forward to finally having a chance to take the next step.

"Florida, they won back-to-back Stanley Cups, so it's obviously a tough organization to crack. and Washington really liked me as a player and wanted to bring me in and (Zito) said, 'You're definitely going to get better opportunity there than with us. We loved you as a player,' but at the same time, they wanted me to move on because they believed I was able to make the next jump."

Sourdif inked a two-year contract with the Capitals this offseason, and after dealing with an illness to open camp, is finally getting to show the energy and offensive ability he can bring to the table.

"Just the way he moves, he's got that agility, dartiness to him where he's in and out of areas. He's quick, whether it's a tight turn or a spin, and that's a very valuable skill in professional hockey," coach Spencer Carbery said. "That's the biggest thing I've noticed. I think he's also an intelligent player, he's a guy that can go to the really high-traffic areas."

It's Been A Long Road Back To The Capitals For Milano. It's Paying Off So Far In Camp: 'He's Playing At The Top Level Of Sonny Right Now'ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals winger Sonny Milano likes to look at the bright side.

And for Sourdif, he feels he still has a lot more he can add to his game and that he hasn't hit his peak yet.

"I feel like every single day, I'm getting better, even just the way I see the game," Sourdif said, adding, "Every year I'm going to keep getting better and better and just evolve different parts of my game."

The 23-year-old is slated to start his Capitals tenure on the fourth line with Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd on a powerhouse fourth line. It's a role he's more than happy to take on, too, and he said he's prepared to do just about anything.

"(I want to bring) lots of energy, obviously, wherever I am in the lineup," Sourdif said. "Whatever they want me to do. Penalty kill, if I'm playing five, 10 minutes a night, doesn't matter. Whatever I can do to help the team win, that's what I'm going to do."

At the end of the day, Sourdif wants to make it at the highest level, and his plan to do that is to be a "Swiss-Army Knife" type of player.

"I've played in all sorts of scenarios... I can play up and down the lineup. If they need me to play in the top-6, I feel I can step up. Playing with Dewey and Dowder, if that's how the season starts, absolutely I think we could be a really good line. I just look forward to whatever comes."