The 27-year-old almost immediately knew that he wanted to return to the Capitals this summer after hitting free agency.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Five days into free agency, defenseman Chase Priskie opened his laptop and navigated to his LinkedIn profile — which he updates religiously thanks to a business 101 class at Quinnipiac — feeling a sense of excitement — and relief — to announce that he landed a new job: player at the Washington Capitals.
After splitting last season between the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks' organizations, Chase Priskie knew almost immediately where he wanted to go next as he hit free agency, and that was back to D.C., where it all began for the 27-year-old blueliner.
Having left the organization following his NCAA tenure with the Bobcats, Priskie inked a one-year deal this summer to return to the Capitals, who launched his pro career when they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. And when it comes to what brought him back after all this time, it was a no-brainer.
"Just looking at opportunity," he pointed out. "New coaches coming in here. I know that their plan is to bring some younger guys into the lineup and myself, I had a really good taste of the NHL in 2021-22 with the Florida Panthers and my goal is to kind of work my way back to that level. Coming in, I have that rapport with management, and they know my game; they know my style. So there's some familiarity there, which kind of gets you ahead of the eight ball a bit."
But beyond his history with the team, including numerous development and camps, there's also the desire to prove that he can help the organization win, whether that be up in the District or down with the defending Calder Cup champions.
"I'm a guy who wants to in. I'm a competitor; I want to compete. That's a very big attraction for me," Priskie said.
With the exception of four NHL games in 2021-22, Priskie has been playing AHL hockey since 2019, and he's had multiple run-ins with Spencer Carbery, who also became familiar with Priskie's game from his Quinnipiac.
Over time, not only did he get a taste of Carbery's systems, but the Bears and Capitals have also gotten a good rundown on where he's at is in his development since his D.C. days.
"Priskie, in a different way, has had a long history in this organization... there's a lot of things in his game as a defenseman that I recognize from the way he's been coached, the way he's been developed. He had sort of an up-and-down path with the different organizations, but we're very familiar with the player; we know what he's capable of doing," Carbery said.
And for the 27-year-old, that development has come a long way. He believes time in the pros has not only led to more poise and maturity but he's also shown the drive, speed and ability that Carbery and Washington want to see.
Priskie also ended last season on a high note; after totalling just nine points in 42 games with the Rochester Americans in 2022-23, he had 13 points in his final 16 games of the season following his move to the San Diego Gulls.
"He's a really good guy, and I'm looking forward to knowing him more because he's very mature and he's very well-spoken," Vincent Iorio said, adding, "He's very poised with the puck, he's got his head up all the time."
Looking at his expectations for this season, Priskie, who is making his preseason debut on Saturday, said it's no secret that he wants to make it back to the NHL, though he knows that won't come easy.
"They already know my game a bit, and then just being able to build off that and show them how much I've developed and worked on my game," Priskie explained.
While Joel Edmundson's hand injury and subsequent surgery have opened up a vacancy on the blue line, Priskie faces heavy competition, including the likes of lefties Alex Alexeyev and Hardy Häman and fellow right-hand shot Iorio.
That being said, Priskie is embracing the challenge and has adopted a flexible mentality that he hopes will set him apart, and he also wants to set an example.
"It's hard... I know there are a lot of variables that go into that and a lot of things that you can't control. So for me, it's just continuously putting my best foot forward every day, whether it's in Washington or Hershey," Priskie said. "I just want to continue to show that I want to be at the NHL level, continue to prove that I can play and for me, continue to build my game. Working on layers to continuously get better.
"A lot of it is what you're doing when people aren't looking that kind of moulds who you are," Priskie noted, adding, "It's putting my best foot forward and doing the right things day in and day out."
At the end of the day, Priskie is just happy to be back with the team that first took a chance on him, the self-described small-town kid from Florida who became "obsessed" with the sport and honed his craft as part of the Panthers' "rink rat" ball hockey program growing up.
So, wherever he ends up, he wants to show the organization one thing: that he's willing to do whatever it takes to make his name known the second time around.
"It's tough to conceptualize, but you chip in anywhere you can just to contribute, whether it's offensively, defensively. Kind of wherever they need me," Priskie said.