The Washington Capitals have extended Ryan Leonard on a massive eight-year deal that will carry a $10.5 million average annual value.
The Washington Capitals have signed Ryan Leonard to an eight-year, $84-million extension ($10.5 million AAV) that will keep him under contract until the 2034-35 season.
Leonard is entering the final year of his entry-level contract and was set to become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of this season. When this deal kicks in at the start of the 2027-28 campaign, Leonard will be tied with Alex Tuch for the highest salary on the Captials.
Tuesday is the final day for eight-year extensions to be signed before the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement comes into play. As of Sep. 16, the maximum term for players under contract becomes seven years while changing to six years for free agents.
"We are extremely excited to sign Ryan to a long-term contract with our club," Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said in a statement. "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."
The 21-year-old is entering his second full season in the NHL and became the first Capitals rookie since Alex Ovechkin to score 20 goals in a season, and his 45 points were the most among Capitals rookies since Nicklas Backstrom's 69-point campaign in 2007-08.
Before entering the NHL, Leonard played at Boston College in the NCAA where he tallied 109 points in 78 games played across two seasons. During his sophomore year in 2024-25, Leonard recorded 49 points in 37 games and led the nation in goals with 30.
More to come...
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