The Washington Capitals had 11 free agents on their NHL roster heading into July 1 and Friday they re-upped the first of those players. The Capitals announced the re-signing of TJ Oshie to a eight-year, $46 million contract, the maximum amount of years a team could offer under the current CBA.
The deal keeps the team’s first-line right wing in DC likely for the rest of his career, but it also, according to MacLellan, will end the team’s pursuit of unrestricted free agents Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk, Justin Williams, and Daniel Winnik.
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#Caps senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan talks to the media about T.J. Oshie's contract extension. #RockTheRed pic.twitter.com/D5bE0ckc6p
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 24, 2017
“I would imagine we’re done, depending on if something happens transaction wise,” MacLellan said to reporters at the NHL Draft in Chicago. “I would assume we’re done.”
MacLellan also does not think the team will trade the rights of any of the UFAs, but admitted “it might happen.”
As for the team’s restricted free agents, MacLellan said he plans to qualify all five: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky, Brett Connolly, Dmitry Orlov, and Philipp Grubauer.
“I think we got TJ at a good number that will help us get the rest of the guys done,” MacLellan said. “As we get closer to the deadlines, a little more urgency might come in and we’ll hopefully get them done.”
The Capitals currently have $19 million to do so.
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