One of the game’s most talented young scorers and power forwards will be a Capital long-term.
Tuesday, Ryan Leonard signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension with the Washington Capitals worth $10.5 million per season. The deal will keep Leonard with the Caps through the 2034-35 season and begins in 2027-28.
“Hey, Caps fans,” Leonard said. “Got some news today that I will be with you guys for the long term. Really excited, and thank you guys for all the support. We’ll see you soon.”
The timing of Leonard’s extension was significant. Tuesday marks the final day the Capitals could sign the 21-year-old forward to an eight-year contract before the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement takes effect at midnight and reduces the maximum contract length to seven years.
“We are extremely excited to sign Ryan to a long-term contract with our club,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said in a release. “Ryan is a young and talented player who is still years away from entering his prime, and we believe he has tremendous potential to continue growing into an important player for our organization. While reaching his full potential will take time, we have been impressed with his work ethic and the way he continues to develop his game. We are confident in Ryan’s ability to continue improving as a hockey player, and we believe this agreement provides him with the opportunity to grow and develop within our organization while giving us the ability to keep a talented young player in our lineup for years to come.”
Capitals players celebrated news of Leonard’s megadeal by pranking him. Leonard took the ice during the team’s informal skate wearing a green jersey. His helmet had dollar signs scribbled all over it.
Per PuckPedia, L︀︀eonard’s deal is front-loaded. He will receive $36.9 million — nearly 44 percent of his total deal — in the first three years. He also received a no-move clause in Year 6, a 21-team no-trade clause in Year 7, and a 15-team no-trade clause in Year 8.
Ryan Leonard contract details
| Year | Salary | Signing Bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $1 million | $14.7 million | $15.7 million |
| Year 2 | $1 million | $10.775 million | $11.775 million |
| Year 3 | $1 million | $8.425 million | $9.425 million |
| Year 4 | $5.92 million | $3.5 million | $9.42 million |
| Year 5 | $1.2 million | $8.22 million | $9.42 million |
| Year 6 | $2.54 million | $6.88 million | $9.42 million |
| Year 7 | $9.42 million | — | $9.42 million |
| Year 8 | $9.42 million | — | $9.42 million |
| Total | $31.5 million | $52.5 million | $84 million |
Leonard is coming off a breakout rookie season in which he scored 20 goals in 75 games, becoming the first Capitals rookie to reach the 20-goal mark since Alex Ovechkin in 2005-06. Leonard’s 45 points were also the most by a Capitals rookie since Nicklas Backstrom posted 69 in 2007-08. He finished fifth among NHL rookies in goals, assists, and points while ranking third in both five-on-five goals and power-play points.
While Leonard clearly has talent, he still has room to improve at both ends of the ice, both driving individual offense and defending at the other end.
Ryan Leonard and the caps signed an 8×10.5m extension. He's so young (he'll turn 22 in January) and has played so little (only 84 nhl gp) that the caps are obviously basing their eval on a lot of non-nhl information, but the nhl part is fairly dire.
That point was echoed by Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery over the offseason.
“He showed last year that he can score, he can make plays…” Carbery said. “What I want to see and what he’s really working on is an all-around 200-foot game. I just want to see some growth there, and I think he will. I’m not even concerned about the points and goals because I know he’s going to produce in this league for years to come.”
Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:
Capitals Re-Sign Ryan Leonard
Eight-year extension keeps 21-year-old forward in Washington through 2034-35 season
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Ryan Leonard to an eight-year, $84 million contract extension, Senior Vice President and General Manager Chris Patrick announced today. Leonard’s contract will carry an average annual value of $10.5 million.
“We are extremely excited to sign Ryan to a long-term contract with our club,” said Patrick. “Ryan is a young and talented player who is still years away from entering his prime, and we believe he has tremendous potential to continue growing into an important player for our organization. While reaching his full potential will take time, we have been impressed with his work ethic and the way he continues to develop his game. We are confident in Ryan’s ability to continue improving as a hockey player, and we believe this agreement provides him with the opportunity to grow and develop within our organization while giving us the ability to keep a talented young player in our lineup for years to come.”
Leonard, 21, recorded 45 points (20g, 25a) in 75 games during his rookie season with the Capitals in 2025-26. Leonard became the eighth rookie in franchise history to record a 20-goal season and the first since Alex Ovechkin in 2005-06 (52g). Leonard’s 45 points were also the most by a Capitals rookie since Nicklas Backstrom in 2007-08 (69p). The 6’1”, 205-pound forward ranked third among NHL rookies in power-play points (14) and five-on-five goals (16) and fifth in goals, assists and points. In addition, Leonard’s 2.13 points per 60 at five-on-five ranked third among first-year players (min. 50 GP), and he was one of just two rookies and seven skaters overall to score 20 goals while averaging less than 15:00 of ice time per game.
Leonard, who was selected by the Capitals with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut on April 1, 2025, against the Boston Bruins after signing his entry-level contract the day prior. Leonard appeared in Washington’s final nine regular-season games of 2024-25, scoring one goal, and in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games, tallying one assist. In 84 career games with the Capitals, Leonard has recorded 46 points (21g, 25a).
Before joining the Capitals, Leonard played two seasons at Boston College, where he totaled 109 points (61g, 48a) in 78 games played. During his sophomore season in 2024-25, Leonard recorded 49 points (30g, 19a) in 37 games and led the nation in goals. Leonard, who scored 31 goals as a freshman, became the first NCAA player with back-to-back 30-goal seasons since Cam Atkinson in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
The Amherst, Massachusetts native has represented the United States at the 2026 and 2024 IIHF World Championships and won back-to-back gold medals with Team USA at the 2025 and 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships. Leonard served as team captain at the 2025 World Junior Championship and was named tournament MVP and Best Forward after recording 10 points (5g, 5a) in seven games. Leonard also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship, scoring the gold medal-clinching goal in overtime against Sweden.
