The Washington Capitals announced on Saturday that they have extended bona fide offers to prospects Cam Allen, Patrick Thomas, and Brett Hyland. All three players were selected by the Capitals in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Per 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. Its purpose is to extend the team’s claim to the player’s rights.
#Caps have extended bona fide offers to defenseman Cam Allen and forwards Patrick Thomas and Brett Hyland, each selected in the 2023 NHL Draft, to extend their rights.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) June 1, 2024
Cam Allen was the Capitals’ fifth-round selection in 2023 from the OHL’s Guelph Storm. The 19-year-old blueliner got a very late start to his last year after having shoulder surgery in August. He was limited to just 25 games and in those games recorded nine points (2g, 7a). Coming out of the draft combine, Allen was labeled as one of the best pure athletes in the entire 2023 class, finishing top 10 in 11 different events. Allen has previously represented Canada at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U-18 World Junior Championships, serving as captain of both teams.
Thomas was a fourth-round selection by the Capitals from the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. During his age-18 season, he led the Bulldogs in scoring with 56 points (17g, 39a) from 66 games. This past year, he increased his scoring output to 66 points (21g, 45a) in nine fewer games. He then chipped in an additional seven points (1g, 6a) in six playoff games.
Hyland, one of the Capitals’ seventh-round picks in 2023, finished out his junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL this year. The 21-year-old winger led Brandon in scoring with 59 points (32g, 27a) in 66 games. Hyland was a double-overage pick by the Capitals and is a former teammate of Vincent Iorio with the Wheat Kings. He served as Brandon’s captain in his final year of junior eligibility.
All three prospects were brought in to the AHL’s Hershey Bears earlier in the spring on amateur tryout agreements. They were eventually released from those agreements to start their offseasons.
Washington did not announce entry-level contracts for either Jake Karabela or Oskar Magnusson by Saturday’s 1 pm deadline, meaning they have renounced the two prospects’ draft rights. Karabela will reenter the 2024 draft and Magnusson will become a free agent.
