The Washington Capitals did not sign prospects Martin Has or Dru Krebs to entry-level contracts by the NHL’s June 1, 5 pm deadline for drafted players. The decision effectively makes both players free agents as the Caps no longer hold their exclusive rights.

Has was a 2019 fifth-round selection and Krebs was a 2021 sixth-round pick. Neither player has made it to the AHL level yet at this stage of their respective careers.

CapFriendly provided the full list of players from around the league that met the same requirements.

MUST SIGN BY – June 1, 2023 @ 5pm ET

Reminder that today at 5pm ET is the deadline for clubs to sign the following drafted players on their reserve lists to entry level contracts, otherwise they will lose their exclusive signing rights window.

https://t.co/nXfmDT1fO4 pic.twitter.com/rQfep5MbVJ

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) June 1, 2023

Has played his first season in the Capitals organization last year with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays after signing a one-year AHL deal with the Hershey Bears last October. He played 50 games for the Stingrays and recorded 12 points (3g, 9a). The Czech defender was drafted out of the Finnish junior system in 2019 and has since had stints in Canadian major junior in both the OHL and QMJHL.

Krebs, the brother of Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs, has not made his pro debut since his draft day. Krebs signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Bears in April after his last junior season in Medicine Hat ended. Krebs recorded 41 points (8g, 33a) in 67 WHL games with the Tigers last season.

The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir also provided an update on a member of the Caps’ 2022 draft class, Jake Karabela.

The #Caps have also extended a bonafide offer to 2022 draft pick Jake Karabela, which means the team has retained his NHL rights for another year.

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) June 1, 2023

Karabela was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 draft from the OHL’s Guelph Storm. He increased his goal-scoring output by six goals in his first post-draft season from 12 to 18 but his point total dropped by six points from 45 to 39.

According to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, a bona fide offer is a standard player contract that starts at the beginning of the next league season and offers at least league minimum salary. The offer is open to the player for a minimum of 30 days after receipt. Its purpose is to extend the team’s claim to the player’s rights.

Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk/RMNB