The Washington Capitals were busy on the first day of NHL free agency. General manager Chris Patrick signed four veterans — defensemen Vincent Desharnais and Justin Holl, along with forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Boone Jenner — on Wednesday.
Jenner agreed to a deal worth $23 million over the next four years, while Desharnais signed a four-year, $16.8 million contract, the Capitals announced.
Holl and Brodzinski both signed one-year deals worth less than $1 million, according to multiple reports.
Desharnais and Jenner are likely to see crucial minutes for Washington next season, though Holl and Brodzinski project as depth pieces.
Boone tallied 38 points — 13 goals and 25 assists — during his final season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 33-year-old spent the last five seasons as Columbus’ captain, ending his Blue Jackets run as the franchise’s all-time leader in games played. He recorded 421 points across 808 games throughout 13 seasons in Columbus.
Desharnais spent last season in San Jose, scoring one goal and six assists while averaging a career-high 18 minutes of ice time across 53 games. But the Canadian’s biggest impact came in the defensive zone.
He recorded 83 blocked shots and 103 hits, ranking second and third among Sharks’ defensemen. He was a staple of San Jose’s penalty kill, ranking fourth among NHL blue-liners with 3 minutes and 14 seconds of short-handed ice time per game.
The 30-year-old is known for his imposing size: 6 feet, 7 inches and 225 pounds. He was a seventh-round selection for the Edmonton Oilers in 2016. Desharnais has spent the last four seasons with the Oilers, Sharks, Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Washington also agreed to sign Holl to a one-year, $900,000 contract, according to multiple reports. The 34-year-old made nine appearances for the St. Louis Blues, racking up one goal, one assist, five blocks and five hits.
The Minnesota native started his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs; he’s scored 14 goals and 83 assists in 405 NHL appearances.
Washington had already lost defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to free agency. The 34-year-old spent the last five seasons with the Capitals, but elected to sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Washington also added Brodzinski to provide depth among its forwards. He spent most of last season on the New York Rangers’ fourth line, scoring six goals and adding 10 assists in 55 games.
After the initial wave of moves, Washington was left with an estimated $3.4 million in cap space, per PuckPedia. The bulk of their remaining flexibility will likely be reserved for long-time captain Alex Ovechkin.
The NHL’s goal-scoring king technically became a free agent on Wednesday. He is widely expected to re-sign with the Capitals if he does not retire. Ovechkin told reporters at the end of the season that he would decide on whether or not to play another season in the early portions of the summer.
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