Nic Dowd, the center of one of the best fourth lines in hockey, has signed a three-year, $3.9 million extension with the Washington Capitals.
The deal will keep Dowd in Washington through the 2024-25 season.
The 31-year-old forward is a key member of the Capitals’ penalty kill (1:21 minutes per game) and the team’s best faceoff man (56.4 percent win percentage).
The extension is nearly double Dowd’s current salary of $750k, which he has vastly overperformed.
The #Allcaps signed 31 y/o F Nic Dowd to 3 year $1.3M Cap Hit extension:
Yr 1: 1.6M
Yr 2: 1.3M
Yr 3: 1.0MIn final year of 3 year 750K Cap Hit deal and was set to be UFA.
20-21: 11G 15P in 56GP
Rep’d by Dean Grillo @o2ksportshttps://t.co/EkPlKMaH7t
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) November 14, 2021
The new contract comes as Dowd has struggled to stay on the ice during the 2021-22 season. Dowder has missed five of the team’s 14 games this season due to two different lower-body injuries. Sunday, he skated at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, but did not practice or take line rushes with the team.
Dowd is coming off his best season pro in 2020-21 where he scored a career-high 11 goals, including three game-winners.
Nic Dowd, signed to a 3x$1.3M extension by WSH, is a capable enough veteran fourth line defensive centre who plays tough minutes and has a poor penalty differential. #AllCaps pic.twitter.com/Qvx61gDry6
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 14, 2021
The Capitals now have three of their four starting centers under contract through 2025 (Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Dowd). The only pivot whose deal will end earlier is Lars Eller (2022-23).
Here’s the full press release:
Capitals Re-sign Nic Dowd
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed center Nic Dowd to a three-year contract extension, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today. Dowd’s contract will carry an average annual value of $1.3 million.
Dowd, 31, has recorded one goal in nine games this season and leads the Capitals in face-off percentage (56.4) among players with at least 100 draws taken and ranks third in penalty kill time per game among forwards (1:21). Last season, Dowd set a career high with 11 goals, including three game-winning goals, and recorded 15 points (11g, 4a) in 56 games. The native of Huntsville, Alabama, also ranked first on the Capitals in face-off percentage at 56.3 percent. In 316 career NHL games, Dowd has recorded 79 points (36g, 43a).
Prior to joining the NHL, Dowd attended St. Cloud State University (NCAA), serving as captain in his senior year. Dowd recorded 40 points (22g, 18a) in 38 games during his senior season and finished as a Hobey Baker finalist as the NCAA’s top player in 2014.
Dowd was selected by Los Angeles in the seventh round, 198th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
