Photo credit: Chris Gordon

Washington Capitals 2013 first round pick Andre Burakovsky has waffled on where he will play next season, but that’s over now. Burakovsky has personally announced that he has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Washington Capitals.

Over the summer, Burakovsky’s contract with the HockeyAllsvenskan’s Malmo Redhawks expired. Then, before the CHL Import Draft, Burakovsky came to a verbal agreement to play for the Windsor Spitfires. Instead, the OHL’s Erie Otters drafted him. Burakovsky said, “[being picked by the Otters] is not what I had in mind.”

After passing several self-imposed deadlines, Burakovsky announced his decision to sign with the Capitals this morning to Malmo-based blogger MrMadhawk. If he does not make the team out of training camp, Burakovsky will either play with Erie along with potential 2015 first-overall pick Connor McDavid or the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears. Since Burakovsky was drafted out of Sweden, he is eligible to play in Hershey as soon as this season.

Friend of the blog Jake Ware has the translation of Burakovsky’s announcement.

Andre Burakovsky: I have today signed on [with the Capitals] for three years.

So what happens now?

Andre Burakovsky: I’ll come to camp in September and try to break through as quickly as possible. I can play in the AHL and I can go to Erie. It’s up to Washington now, they’ll decide what’s best for me.

When did this come up?

Andre Burakovsky: It was a while ago. My agent Patrik Aronsson has worked hard to solve it and they were eager to bring me over. It shows they believe in me and it will be great to move over there.

Do you expect to play in the NHL as soon as this year?

Andre Burakovsky: I don’t know. We’ll see. Maybe I can do something like what Filip Forsberg did at the end of last season. I’m going over in September, then we’ll take it from there.

Thanks to @KivinenV for first tweeting out the link.