ARLINGTON, VA — Rasmus Sandin spent last spring in flux.
Coming to DC ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, Sandin hoped to prove that he could perform in a top-four role after struggling to establish himself with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
A year later, Sandin spent the week of the trade deadline cementing his ties to the District, inking a five-year extension worth $4.6 million per season. Sandin reflected on the trade on Wednesday, grateful both for the initial chance he got with the Capitals and for the opportunity to put down roots in the area with a long-term deal.
“It all started a year ago when I got here, and the organization really showed a belief in me and gave me a big opportunity,” he said. “I love it here. Hard to kind of believe still that it’s done, getting a five-year extension. I feel like this is the place that hopefully I will be for the whole five years, at least, too. It’s something you’ve been dreaming about and hoping for, but you never really thought it was going to happen. It did and I’m very happy about it.”
After playing mostly third-line minutes with the Leafs, Sandin immediately formed a key part of Washington’s defensive corps. Sandin has averaged 21:19 on ice in 52 games this season, behind only John Carlson, and has spent significant time on the power play.
Sandin becomes just one of three Capitals signed through 2028-29 (alongside Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas) and will likely help guide the team as they navigate a post-Ovechkin era.
“It’s going to be fun to see, with the team’s development and with my own development as well, of course,” he told Capitals writer Mike Vogel. “Where we are right now, we’re fighting for a playoff spot. We’ll see where everything goes this year. But very excited for where the team is going to go and the future of this organization. I’ll hopefully be a big part of it as well.”
Though he preferred not to look too far ahead, he reiterated his desire to remain in Washington as long as he could.
“I signed a five-year deal because I want to be here for the five years,” he told reporters Wednesday. “Hopefully it’s not just the five years. Hopefully it will be longer, too. But as I always am, I usually try to take it day by day and try to get better every single day an hopefully take a little bit of a bigger role in the locker room and become more of a leader too. But I’m very excited about it.”
Sandin’s last round of contract negotiations with the Leafs drug out for months, causing him to miss the start of training camp in 2022 before ultimately inking a two-year deal. This time, he avoids not only a summer of uncertainty but also the potential for arbitration if the two sides couldn’t come to a deal.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “I’m very happy it got done at this time, too, even though we have a lot of time left to work with. But very happy it got done and very excited to be here for ultimately five more years.”
When general manager Brian MacLellan met with reporters last week, he noted that he had had begun talking to representatives for the team’s pending RFAs, but “nothing serious” at that point. Sandin confirmed that the contract came together quickly once both sides were ready to make a deal.
“A little on and off, I’d say,” he explained. “I think we started a conversation a while back a little bit. I’ve been trying to focus on the season and playing good hockey and get points here for the team, and I think the last couple days it picked up and got done pretty quick, yeah.”
Now, Sandin’s ready to start thinking about his next big transaction: buying a house.
“Maybe,” he said, to a chorus of laughs. “Start to look around a little bit, talk to some of the guys but we’ll see.”
