The Washington Capitals have cut ties with two selections they made in the 2017 NHL Draft.
The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir reports that Capitals GM Brian MacLellan has not tendered contracts to defenseman Sebastian Walfridsson and forward Kristian Røykås Marthinsen, meaning both will be removed from the team’s NHL reserve list.
#Caps elected not to sign 2017 picks Sebastian Walfridsson + Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen. Walfridsson, a D selected in 5th, played for Visby/Roma in HockeyEttan. Marthinsen, a LW picked in 7th, played for HC Dalen in HockeyEttan. They'll be removed from WSH reserve list at 5 p.m.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) June 1, 2021
Walfridsson, a fifth-round pick (161st overall), spent the entire season playing on loan for the Swedish third-tier league, the Hockeyettan, with Visby/Roma. The 22-year-old defenseman scored 12 points (5g, 7a) in 40 games. Wafridsson spent the previous four seasons in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan with Södertälje SK (2019-20) and MODO Hockey (2016-2019). Walfridsson represented Sweden in the U-18 World Junior Championship during the 2016-17 season.
The Norwegian-born Røykås Marthinsen was a Capitals’ seventh-round pick (213th overall). He spent the 2018-19 season with the Saskatoon Blades (Braden Holtby and Greg Holtby’s former junior team), posting 29 points (13g, 16a) in 62 games. Once his junior eligibility was up, Røykås Marthinsen signed a deal with HC Dalen of the HockeyEttan. During the 2020-21 season, the 21-year-old left winger scored 21 points (14g, 7a) in 40 games. Røykås Marthinsen is under contract with HC Dalen next season as well.
The decision not to sign the two picks comes as the Hershey Bears were the best team in the AHL last season. The Capitals do not anticipate many prospects — one or perhaps two — breaking onto the team next season and much of the current roster is under contract, meaning there was not much room to bring the prospects in even if MacLellan wanted to.
