The Washington Capitals have re-signed Tyler Lewington to a two-year two-way contract, that will carry an average annual value of $675K in the NHL. Lewington has spent the last three seasons in the minor leagues, after finishing up his junior career with the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2015.
Known mostly for his physical style, Lewington once again led the Hershey Bears in fighting majors and penalty minutes this past season. The right-handed defenseman had 11 points in 71 games, but totaled a career-high 149 penalty minutes. It seems unlikely that Lewington would be destined for the Capitals anytime soon, but there is more to his game than just fighting. What he lacks in high-end mobility he can usually make up for in quick decisions, and isn’t a detriment to the Bears at even-strength.
The Capitals have a deep group of defensemen currently, but are scheduled to lose Michal Kempny, Jakub Jerabek and John Carlson to unrestricted free agency this summer. If none of the three are retained and the team finds themselves short on depth in the coming years, it’s not out of the question that Lewington could find himself up in the NHL in the case of injury. For now, he’ll continue to develop his all-around game in the minor leagues, while not losing the physical edge that got him here.