Now, he will be lining up behind them after signing a two-year contract with Pittsburgh, with president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas saying the Penguins envision Eller as the team's third-line center.
It can be difficult finding someone who has both the ability and the desire to play in such a role, so the Penguins feel incredibly fortunate to have filled it with someone like Eller, who's excited about the opportunity ahead with his new team.
"I felt like Pittsburgh was a really good natural fit for me and my family," Eller said during a virtual media availability on Tuesday. "I think it checked a lot of boxes that I was looking for. Most of all, I think it has been and still is a competitive team.
"I see them as a playoff team. I think that the players that have been Pittsburgh's best players for over a decade are still their best players, capable of getting it done. So, the competitiveness on the team, and my role within the team, was very appealing."
Lars Eller speaks with the media.
When free agency opened on July 1, Dubas - along with head coach Mike Sullivan and associate coach Todd Reirden, who won a Stanley Cup championship with Eller in 2018 with the Capitals - got on the phone with the 34-year-old forward.
"He's somebody we keyed in on early," said Dubas, who discussed how bringing in players like Eller would be essential to getting the Penguins back on track after their 16-year postseason streak ended last year.
"Playing behind those guys, I think for me - and guys like me - it'll be our job to support them with secondary scoring and being very hard to play against," Eller said.
Eller can certainly provide some offense, having recorded 10-plus goals nine times in his career, where Eller's played in parts of 14 NHL seasons after getting drafted in the first round by St. Louis in 2007.
He's comfortable in any situation, whether that's center (where he's strong on draws), wing, power play, and penalty kill, and also feels he can provide some veteran leadership to the younger guys coming in.
But Eller's ability to provide a highly competitive game at both ends of the ice is what he takes the most pride in.
"I think I play my best games when there's the most on the line, tough games against good teams," said Eller, who has 15 goals and 49 points in 103 career playoff games. "We'll be facing a lot of playoff caliber teams in our division. The more that's on the line, the more I feel like I rise to the occasion."
Penguins fans have certainly seen that from Eller a lot over the years, and while it's going to be somewhat of an adjustment seeing him in black and gold versus red, white and blue, he feels like all of those Metro Division battles have helped prepare him for what's ahead.
"Certainly, the rivalry between Pittsburgh and Washington, I know those are going to be the fun games," he said. "But you're still going to be competing against all the other top teams in the division that we were with Washington. So, there's a natural familiarity there that I think will be helpful and won't make the transition difficult."
That existing familiarity with Reirden, who was associate coach with the Capitals when Eller first arrived in Washington before serving as head coach from 2018-20, was something else that appealed to him about signing with Pittsburgh.
"Me and Todd always had a good relationship in either role he was in," Eller said. "Had good communication with him. I like what he stands for and wants to emphasize, and what he wants to see out of his players and what he wants his team to play like."
That sort of excellent communication came through in that initial conversation with Reirden, Sullivan and Dubas - and they're thrilled it resulted in Eller choosing Pittsburgh.
"The Eller signing we thought was really, really key for us," Dubas said. "That's one we're very happy about."
