- The Capitals have interest in retaining pending unrestricted free agents Justin Schultz, Marcus Johansson, and Johan Larsson, notes Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic (subscription link). With Schultz, however, the 32-year-old blueliner would need to take a pay cut from the $4MM he made over each of the last two years for a deal to be done. Schultz is coming off a bit of a quiet year by his standards where he notched 23 points in 74 games. The other two forwards were trade deadline acquisitions and fit in well with El-Bashir highlighting that the possibility of Larsson returning could be tied to Carl Hagelin’s situation with his availability for next season up in the air.
Capitals Rumors
Washington Capitals Re-Sign Lucas Johansen
Even more extension news has come in today. The Washington Capitals have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Lucas Johansen on a two-year, $762k AAV deal. Per the Capitals’ announcement, the deal has the following financial structure:
- 2022-23: two-way, $750k NHL salary/$125k AHL salary
- 2023-24: one-way, $775k
Johansen, 24, was the Capitals’ top draft pick at the 2016 draft, going 28th overall. He’s taken a long time to develop, and spent four full seasons in the AHL before finally making his NHL debut in 2021-22. He got into one game with the Capitals this year and registered an assist.
At the AHL level, Johansen has grown since his debut season and become a top-four defenseman for the Hershey Bears. In addition to his 28 points in 62 games, Johansen averaged just over 20 minutes of ice time per game, which ranked fourth among regular Bears defensemen. He often played as the partner to another Capitals first-rounder, Alexander Alexeyev. Johansen was also a factor on both of the Bears’ special teams units, averaging 1:59 of short-handed ice time per game and 1:20 per game on the Bears’ power play.
Johansen probably won’t become the top-four staple he was drafted in the first round to be, but the Capitals still see enough in him to give him a one-way commitment in 2023-24. Two of Johansen’s professional seasons were wrecked by injuries, and that could mean that Johansen is simply a late-blooming former top prospect who needed a longer runway to finally develop into an NHL player. It’s also possible that Johansen doesn’t improve on the consistency he showed this season, and tops out as a solid middle-of-the-lineup AHL-er.
With this new contract, Johansen will have a crucial two-year window in the Capitals’ organization to finally break into the NHL and become the NHL regular scouts once believed he could become.
New Jersey Devils Acquire Vitek Vanecek
The New Jersey Devils are next to ride the goaltending carousel, acquiring Vitek Vanecek from the Washington Capitals. They will also receive pick No. 46 in today’s draft, while sending picks No. 37 and 70 to the Capitals.
For a little bit of draft capital, the Devils have found an answer in net, or at least someone to potentially pair with Mackenzie Blackwood as he looks to get his career back on track. Like Ville Husso when he was traded earlier today, Vanecek is without a contract for next season and will need to work out a new deal with New Jersey in the coming days. A significant difference, however, is that he is a restricted free agent that can’t get to the open market if the Devils extend him a qualifying offer (which they will).
That qualifying offer only needs to be $787,500 but Vanecek’s NHL history to this point would certainly land him more than that in arbitration. Since entering the league in 2020, the 26-year-old netminder has posted a .908 save percentage in 79 games, going 41-22-10 in the process. At his age, any multi-year extension would be buying out UFA seasons, thus making a deal more expensive.
Despite only ever playing for the Capitals, this actually isn’t the first time Vanecek has been traded. He was also the Seattle Kraken’s expansion selection, only to be traded back to Washington last summer. By moving him now, the team has recouped at least part of the value they had to give up in that trade, while also opening a spot for a goaltending upgrade.
Though Capitals’ general manager Brian MacLellan admitted that Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov would both get qualifying offers, it was clear that he wanted to upgrade the position in some fashion. A plan for that appears to be in place; the only question will now be whether Samsonov is also moved out, or if he partners with a newcomer for next season.
NHL Announces 2022-23 Regular Season Schedule
The news continues to break during what’s been a busy pre-draft week. The NHL has released the full 82-game schedule for the 2022-23 campaign, marking a return to normal dates and length for the first time since 2018-19.
2022-23 will see its curtains open overseas, where the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators will open the season at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia on October 7 and 8, 2022. The regular season will begin on the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, with a classic doubleheader. The puck will drop at Madison Square Garden for an Eastern Conference Final rematch between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, followed by a Pacific Division showdown in Southern California between the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.
The Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony will be the following night at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. The season will wrap up on April 13, 2023.
Some key events throughout the season include the 2022 Global Series in Tampere, Finland, where the Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play a pair of games on November 4 and 5, 2022. The 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic is slated for January 2, 2023, between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, and the 2023 NHL Stadium Series is set for February 18, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Hurricanes will host the Washington Capitals. All-Star Weekend will be February 3-4, 2023, hosted by the Florida Panthers.
Capitals Notes: Backstrom, Goaltending, Draft
When the Washington Capitals announced that Nicklas Backstrom had hip surgery, speculation erupted that the 34-year-old forward could potentially be on his way to semi-retirement, sitting out the last few years of his contract and heading to long-term injured reserve. Not so fast, says general manager Brian MacLellan:
I think everybody is happy–the trainers, the doctors–with the surgery and the results of the surgery. It is Nick’s intention to come back and play at some point this year.
While the timeline for that return is still unclear, MacLellan made a point to explain that the team won’t be looking to use his cap space as if it were staying on LTIR the whole year. Instead, they will look to their young players to step up in his absence and carry the ship until he returns.
- Backstrom has a $9.2MM cap hit through the 2024-25 season and will turn 35 in November. If he was ruled out for the year, moving his contract to LTIR would provide a ton of flexibility for the team in free agency, allowing them to go after not only his replacement but potentially a veteran goaltender as well. MacLellan confirmed that the team will issue qualifying offers to both Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov but that the position is not settled. In Pierre LeBrun’s latest for The Athletic, he even writes that he wouldn’t be surprised if they have checked in on Jack Campbell.
- There have been talks about nearly every draft pick in the first round it seems, and Washington’s No. 20 is no different. MacLellan explained that the idea of moving it has been discussed but that they are more likely to just hold onto that spot and make a selection. The Capitals didn’t have a first-round pick a year ago but have actually done a pretty good job of keeping their top selections over the years, despite being in a perpetual state of contending for the Stanley Cup.
Capitals Promote Emily Engel-Natzke
The Washington Capitals have made history with the promotion of Emily Engel-Natzke to video coordinator, making her the first woman to hold a full-time coaching role in the NHL. Engel-Natzke served as the video coach of the Hershey Bears for the past two seasons. General manager Brian MacLellan released a statement:
Ovechkin Signs One-Game Soccer Contract In Russia, Scores Game-Winner
In the past, there has been an expectation that Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin would finish up his career with Dynamo Moscow in Russia. On Friday, the veteran did indeed sign a contract with them, just not the Dynamo Moscow you might be thinking of. Instead, Dynamo’s soccer team announced the signing of the 36-year-old to a one-game contract, naming him the captain for the match as well. That game was played on Saturday with Ovechkin actually scoring the game-winner against Amkal in a 5-0 victory. Fittingly, given how many of his goals have been scored in the NHL, it came on a one-timer from the left side, the clip of which can be seen here.
Washington Capitals Extend Beck Malenstyn
A few minutes after announcing a contract for Brett Leason, the Washington Capitals have wrapped up another negotiation. This time it’s Beck Malenstyn signing a two-year extension. His deal will come in at a slightly lower average annual value of $762.5K, as Malenstyn will receive $750K in 2022-23 and $775K in 2023-24 at the NHL level. The other difference is that the first year of this contract is a two-way deal, which carries an AHL salary of $110K.
Malenstyn, 24, played 12 games for the Capitals this season, scoring his first NHL goal in the process. The 2016 fifth-round pick has 15 games total at that level and has spent the majority of his pro career to this point with the Hershey Bears. In 65 games there this season, he had ten goals and 16 points.
With a new contract in hand, Malenstyn will be another young forward fighting for minutes at training camp, while the Capitals try to sort out their lineup without Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom. The 6’3″ winger represents a big, physical presence for the bottom six but lacks much offensive upside, meaning his role with Washington will likely remain as a depth option.
Still, Capitals’ general manager Brian MacLellan is getting some offseason work done ahead of time and now has just five pending restricted free agents in the whole organization. Malenstyn would not have been eligible for arbitration and had basically no leverage, though landing some security in a two-year deal is a nice reward for the Hershey favorite.
Washington Capitals Extend Brett Leason
The Washington Capitals have taken care of a pending free agent negotiation, signing Brett Leason to a two-year extension. The contract will carry a cap hit of $775K, paying him $750K in 2022-23 and $800K in 2023-24. Notably, the deal is a one-way contract, meaning Leason will make that much no matter which level he plays.
Leason, 23, made his NHL debut this season and ended up playing in 36 games for the Capitals, scoring three goals and six points along the way. The 6’5″ forward adds an interesting dynamic to the lineup, representing a size and skill blend that is hard to find around the NHL.
While he isn’t overly physical, his long reach and ability to protect the puck have made scouts and prospect prognosticators excited for years. In his final year of junior, that size advantage led to an incredible 46 goals and 114 points in 77 games, though that kind of production has been hard to come by in the minor leagues.
Still, with Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson both out following major surgery, there will be available opportunities in the Washington lineup to start the year. A player like Leason could take advantage of that and potentially even see time in the top six or on the powerplay, depending on how the lines shake out by the end of free agency.
The one-way nature of the contract suggests that he’ll be in the NHL at least, along with the fact that Leason is no longer waiver-exempt. If the Capitals wanted to send him to the minor leagues, he would need to clear waivers first.
Offseason Checklist: Washington Capitals
With the offseason in full swing aside from the two teams in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s time to examine what each squad will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at the Capitals.
It was a tough season on the injury front for Washington with three of their top forwards missing at least 35 games. Despite that, the Capitals remained a top-ten offensive team and were able to get to the playoffs although they were ousted in the first round by Florida. With an aging core, GM Brian MacLellan will have some work to do to keep this group in the playoff hunt as a rebuild isn’t likely in the cards.
Add Short-Term Offensive Talent
The recent news that Nicklas Backstrom has undergone hip resurfacing surgery should open up some LTIR flexibility for Washington. While no firm timetable for a return has been announced, of the handful of players who have had the surgery, the quickest recovery was after an entire season. Accordingly, MacLellan should be comfortable using a good chunk of his $9.2MM AAV on a replacement. But as this hasn’t been termed a career-ending procedure (though it put an end to Ryan Kesler’s career), the Capitals will be limited in terms of what they can do to replace him.
Since the potential exists for Backstrom to play down the road, Washington should be limiting themselves to looking to either acquire a player on an expiring contract or signing a free agent to a one-year deal. In doing so, they’ll be able to free up the cap space to integrate Backstrom back for 2023-24 without any issue and if he can’t return, then they’ll have the flexibility to spend next summer.
Of course, Backstrom’s injury leaves a big hole down the middle and let’s face it, there aren’t a lot of impact centers available on one-year contracts so the Capitals may need to get creative here. Lars Eller can play in the top six in a pinch but isn’t an ideal fit there for a long stretch, nor is Nic Dowd. T.J. Oshie has shifted down the middle to cover for short-term injuries but asking him to do that for a full season would be tough and it’s not as if he’s consistently healthy either. Spending at least part of Backstrom’s money on help at center will be a must for MacLellan.
You might have noticed I haven’t mentioned Tom Wilson here who will be on LTIR as well to start the year. However, since he’s due back a couple of months into the season, the Capitals can’t really do much of anything to replace him outside of recalls although they’ll be able to carry a max-sized roster at least.
Pick A Goalie; Deal A Goalie
When Seattle took Vitek Vanecek in expansion, it looked as if Washington’s decision of who to run with between the pipes had been finalized and that they’d run with Ilya Samsonov moving forward. But a week later, the Capitals reacquired Vanecek and the questions returned. After running that tandem for all of this past season, the questions still remain.
Vanecek’s campaign was practically identical to his rookie year (2.67 GAA, .908 SV% compared to 2.69 and .908, respectively) but his track record is still limited to just 79 games in the regular season. While those numbers are decent, they’re also not starter-level either. Meanwhile, Samsonov saw his numbers get worse for the second straight year (3.02 GAA, .896 SV%, both worse than the league average). That said, Samsonov was a highly-touted first-round pick who has been perceived to have the higher upside of the two even though the results haven’t been there so far.
While it’s possible that the Capitals could opt to bring both goalies back (both are restricted free agents with arbitration rights as well), it feels like the time is right for a chance. Washington was believed to be interested in Marc-Andre Fleury at the trade deadline although making a deal and remaining cap-compliant was next to impossible. But if they were looking for a veteran then and have since suffered another quick playoff exit, it stands to reason they’ll be looking for a veteran upgrade again. If that’s the case, one of Samsonov or Vanecek has to go.
The trade market for goalies rarely yields a significant return although the fact that both are young (Vanecek is 26, Samsonov 25) will help. This is something that they may want to do sooner than later as well. While it’s possible they could wait to see how free agency shakes out to see if there’s a vulnerable team or two, the risk is that if everyone finds alternative options between the pipes, the Capitals could be stuck carrying three goalies into training camp. If they want to avoid that, the choice of who to keep and who to trade will need to be made within the next few weeks before the start of free agency on July 13th.
Round Out The Back End
With Justin Schultz, Matt Irwin, and Michal Kempny all set to hit free agency this summer, there are a couple of slots to fill at the back of Washington’s back end. The emergence of Martin Fehervary helps in that they don’t necessarily have to look for someone that can fill a spot in the top four although it would be a nice luxury if they opt to reallocate some of Backstrom’s money to the blueline.
Assuming none of those three free agents return, there will be a couple of different roles to try to fill. Schultz took a regular turn on the second power play unit and the Capitals don’t have a lot of players that can run the point aside from their top two. Accordingly, one of their two targets to fill out their defense corps should be someone that can play in that role. The other role is Irwin’s, one that he did a good job with. While he didn’t log a lot of special teams time, he was able to play on both sides and that type of flexibility is something that head coach Peter Laviolette certainly covets.
It wouldn’t hurt if at least one of those spots was filled by someone on a multi-year deal either. The list of Washington’s NHL rearguards that are signed beyond 2022-23 starts and ends with John Carlson. It wouldn’t be ideal to be in a situation where the Capitals are trying to rebuild half of their back end or more a year from now so if they can get a bit of stability with their depth options, it would be helpful.
Orlov Extension Talks
To that end, extension talks for Dmitry Orlov should be high on MacLellan’s priority list. The soon-to-be 31-year-old is actually coming off a career season offensively with 12 goals and 35 points but overall, has been quite consistent with his offensive production, averaging between 0.35 and 0.46 points per game over the last seven seasons. It’s pretty safe to pencil him near that rate for a little while longer yet. Orlov has seen his ice time dip a little bit the last couple of seasons but he was just under 21 minutes in 2021-22. Again, it’s pretty safe to pencil him in around the 20-minute mark for a few more years.
That helps set a ballpark price for what an extension should look like. Orlov is a number two defender who, in an ideal world, would drop down a peg over the next few seasons as he gets older. For that type of role at his age, Orlov should be in line for a raise on his current $5.1MM AAV but not a substantial one. While the total AAV will likely depend on the length of the contract (do they work out, say, a six-year deal with the salary in the final season being a little lower to bring the cap hit down?), it should check in somewhere near the $6MM mark. If Washington is comfortable around that range, they should be trying to work something out soon after he’s eligible for an extension in mid-July and ensure that a second key cog of their back end will be around for a while.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.