The Washington Capitals not only locked up Ryan Leonard long-term on Tuesday, but they also just signed depth centerman Justin Sourdif well into the future.
Sourdif signed an eight-year, $50.8 million contract extension worth $6.35 million per season, keeping Sourds on the Caps through the 2034-35 season.
“Justin is a good young forward who has continued to develop steadily throughout his career. He is versatile and demonstrated his ability to play an important forward role for our team whenever the opportunity arose last season,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said in a release. “We are thrilled to sign him to a long-term contract and look forward to seeing him continue to elevate his game alongside our veteran core and our young group of players. We believe he has a bright future ahead of him and are confident that he will continue to make valuable contributions to our organization in the coming years.”
Like Leonard’s contract, Sourdif’s deal is heavily front-loaded, with nearly 59 percent of its $50.8 million value — $29.8 million — paid out over the first four seasons. Sourdif will also get some trade protection; he gets a 15-team no-trade clause from Years 3 through 5 and then a 10-team no-trade from Years 6 through 8 per PuckPedia.
Years 3-5 15 team no trade then 10 team NTC remainder
Justin Sourdif contract details
| Year | Salary | Signing Bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $1 million | $7.3 million | $8.3 million |
| Year 2 | $1 million | $7.3 million | $8.3 million |
| Year 3 | $1 million | $6.2 million | $7.2 million |
| Year 4 | $4 million | $2 million | $6 million |
| Year 5 | $3.5 million | $2 million | $5.5 million |
| Year 6 | $5.5 million | — | $5.5 million |
| Year 7 | $5 million | — | $5 million |
| Year 8 | $5 million | — | $5 million |
| Total | $26 million | $24.8 million | $50.8 million |
The Capitals acquired Sourdif, 24, last summer for a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick, bringing him to Washington after he struggled to earn a full-time spot with the Florida Panthers. After starting the year on the fourth line, he moved up the Capitals lineup, especially after an injury to Pierre-Luc Dubois, and established himself as a reliable defensive center who excelled in transition and moving the puck into the offensive zone. Sourdif received unexpected long spells in the top six as the team’s veteran pivots struggled, finishing the season with 35 points (15g, 20a) in 78 games and tying for eighth-place league-wide in rookie scoring.
“Sometimes circumstances provide opportunity for young players, and then that opportunity is on them to take advantage of that,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said of Sourdif in January. “That’s exactly what he’s done with the Dubois injury.”
At five-on-five with Sourdif on the ice, the Capitals outshot opponents 461-428, had a 464-415 advantage in scoring chances, and recorded 52.29% of expected goals for, per Natural Stat Trick. His line with Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson proved especially successful: the trio outscored opponents 14-5 and played the second-most minutes of any of the team’s lines (234:04).
A Caps fan since childhood, Sourdif became the first Washington rookie since Alex Ovechkin to score a hat trick with three goals and five points against the Anaheim Ducks.
Sourdif’s new contract comes on the final day players can sign eight-year extensions before the new collective bargaining agreement goes into effect at midnight, limiting future deals to a maximum seven years.
Sourdif is expected to be the team’s fourth-line center next season, replacing Nic Dowd who was dealt at the trade deadline to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Here’s the full press release from the Washington Capitals:
Capitals Re-Sign Justin Sourdif
24-year-old forward inks eight-year deal with Washington
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Justin Sourdif to an eight-year, $50.8 million contract extension, Senior Vice President and General Manager Chris Patrick announced today. Sourdif’s contract will carry an average annual value of $6.35 million.
“Justin is a good young forward who has continued to develop steadily throughout his career. He is versatile and demonstrated his ability to play an important forward role for our team whenever the opportunity arose last season,” said Patrick. “We are thrilled to sign him to a long-term contract and look forward to seeing him continue to elevate his game alongside our veteran core and our young group of players. We believe he has a bright future ahead of him and are confident that he will continue to make valuable contributions to our organization in the coming years.”
Sourdif, 24, recorded 35 points (15g, 20a) in 78 games during his rookie season with the Capitals in 2025-26. The Richmond, British Columbia native ranked third among NHL rookies in plus-minus rating (+17), tied for eighth in points and tied for 11th in goals. From Dec. 31 through the end of the regular season, Sourdif collected 26 points (12g, 14a) in 40 games. Sourdif’s 12 goals over that span ranked third on the Capitals and tied for fourth among all NHL rookies. The Capitals outscored the opposition 47-28 at five-on-five last season with Sourdif on the ice. Sourdif’s 62.7 goals for percentage at five-on-five led Washington forwards and ranked second on the team.
On Jan. 5 vs. Anaheim, Sourdif recorded his first career hat trick and tied the franchise record for most points in a game by a rookie (3g-2a–5p). The 6’0”, 195-pound forward became the ninth rookie in franchise history to score a hat trick and the first since Alex Ovechkin on Jan. 13, 2006 at Anaheim. Sourdif and teammate Ryan Leonard (2g-2a–4p on Dec. 3, 2025 at San Jose) were two of three NHL rookies to record four or more points in a single game last season.
Sourdif, who was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the third round (87th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, scored his first career NHL goal in his lone appearance with the Panthers during the 2024-25 season on Feb. 25, 2025 at Nashville. Sourdif also recorded 34 points (16g, 18a) in 43 games with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2024-25. Sourdif ranked fifth on Charlotte in goals and sixth in points despite appearing in just 43 games. Sourdif’s 0.79 points-per-game rate was the second highest on the team among skaters with at least 20 games played. During Charlotte’s run to the Calder Cup Finals, Sourdif ranked third on the team in scoring with 10 points (4g, 10a) in 18 postseason contests and tied for the team lead in game-winning goals (2). Four of Sourdif’s 10 points came in the Calder Cup Finals, which Charlotte lost in six games to the Abbotsford Canucks.
During the 2023-24 season, Sourdif recorded an AHL career-high 38 points (12g, 26a) in 58 games with Charlotte. Sourdif’s 38 points ranked fourth on the Checkers, while his 26 assists ranked third. Sourdif also played three games with the Panthers in 2023-24 and made his NHL debut on Oct. 16, 2023 at New Jersey.
Sourdif has registered 36 points (16g, 20a) and averaged 14:28 of ice time in 82 career NHL games with Washington and Florida. In 149 career AHL games with Charlotte, Sourdif recorded 96 points (35g, 61a).
Sourdif played five seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Vancouver Giants and Edmonton Oil Kings, amassing 205 points (86g, 119a) in 199 games.
Internationally, Sourdif earned a silver medal with Canada at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, registering five points (1g, 4a) in five games.
