Former Capitals prospect Chase Priskie has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced on Saturday. The deal has an average annual annual value of $925,000.
In April, Priskie informed the Capitals that he would not sign with Washington, electing instead to test the free agency waters.
Washington’s rights to Priskie expired on Thursday, when the August 15 deadline to sign drafted college players had passed. The Capitals selected Priskie in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
The table below captures all the previously drafted college players whose signing rights expire today (Aug 15) at 5:00pm ET.
If these ones do not come to an agreement with their respective clubs on an ELC by today's deadline, they will become UFA and free to sign with any club. pic.twitter.com/6oXbZDrmEl
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) August 15, 2019
Carolina have long held interest in signing Priskie. The Capitals were rumored to be in talks to trade Priskie’s rights to Carolina back in June, during the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, the Capitals were trying to gain some value by trading the rights to a player they knew had no intention of signing with them.
With the Capitals deep in defensive prospects, Priskie told the New Haven Register that testing free agency would be his best chance of breaking into an NHL line-up.
“Looking at the big picture, I felt going to free agency would best suit me and help me position myself into a top-6 role in the NHL,” Priskie said.
During Priskie’s career at Quinnipac University, the defenseman was a top-ten finalist for 2019 Hobey Baker Award and named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team for four consecutive seasons. In his senior year, he led all NCAA Division I defensemen in goals, power-play goals, and game-winning goals. Priskie had 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists) in 36 games played.
According to the Athletic’s Sara Civian, Priskie has a chance of appearing in a Hurricanes uniform this upcoming season.
The Canes tried to make some sort of deal for Priskie with Washington so they could trade and sign at the draft and they pursued him ever since. He has a real chance to crack the lineup at some point this season.
— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) August 17, 2019
Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk
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