The Washington Capitals have signed Mike Vecchione to a one-year, two-way extension that will keep him in the organization through 2022-23. The pending free agent forward will earn a $750K salary in the NHL, and a $275K salary in the AHL next season.
Vecchione, 29, has played just one game for the Capitals this season, his first NHL experience since originally signing out of the NCAA in 2017. Once a highly sought-after college free agent, the minor league veteran has now settled into a top role in the AHL, where he’ll likely play out most of this new contract.
In 46 games with the Hershey Bears this year, Vecchione has 38 points, taking his AHL total to 162 in 257 games. This new contract means he won’t have to fight for a new contract in the summer when he would have hit free agency and keeps him with the same organization–something that has been out of reach the past few seasons.
While he doesn’t provide any real impactful depth for the Capitals, there is at least a chance that he could see some more NHL time. If he does, he’ll cost just the league minimum, a handy option to have as Washington and the rest of the league continue to deal with a relatively flat cap.