The Washington Capitals wanted to make waves this offseason and brought in a handful of big names, but they also took care of business from an organization perspective with a number of strong depth signings.
Among those is veteran defenseman Justin Holl, who signed a one-year contract with D.C. on the opening day of free agency. His deal is one-way and will pay $900,000 at the NHL and AHL levels.
Looking at his role, though, there are a number of areas where he fits, and he could be vital to Washington's plan on the blue line this season.
First off, Holl is more than familiar with head coach Spencer Carbery, having played for Carbery him during both of their tenures with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Carbery spoke at length about Holl this summer, sharing how he provides depth in a vital area for D.C.
"I worked with him in Toronto for a couple years, he's a very, very reliable veteran, penalty kill, right shot," Carbery said. "I think we're in a really good spot from a depth standpoint of some signings that might not quite be as flash, but are really, really solid."
Holl, 34, has nine years of NHL experience under his belt, though he spent the majority of last season in the AHL before his trade to the St. Louis Blues.
In nine games up with St. Louis, he had a goal and assist and a plus/minus of plus-5. His advanced metrics also showed an upward trend with an expected goals-for percentage of 56.76 and Corsi-for percentage of 52.54 at 5-on-5. While it's a small sample size, it's a good sign considering how the Blues were able to turn things around at season's end with Holl in the mix and averaging roughly 15 minutes per night.
The 6-foot-4, 194-pound right-handed blueliner limits his mistakes and has the size and positioning to be an effective shutdown defenseman. He's also shown versatility and coachability, and can play multiple roles and third-pairing minutes and jump into game action if need be.
Holl's shutdown style also complements the likes of players like Jakob Chychrun and Cole Hutson well, as he'll be more defensive-minded and stay at home to allow his partners to break out offensively.
While Holl hasn't been a mainstay in the NHL of late, he is a solid extra defenseman to have on the roster and a strong option with Washington needing more depth and insurance on the right side with Rasmus Sandin, who switched to the right toward the end of last year, expected to be out until at least January.
Of course, Holl making the opening roster will depend on how training camp goes, as anything can happen and young players like David Gucciardi and Ryan Chesley wanting to show what they can do at the highest level. He will also have to compete with Dylan McIlrath for a spot as an extra, as McIlrath's taken ownership of that role the last few years.
That said, he's a reliable, strong option for D.C. to have in the system, and if he doesn't make the NHL, he'll definitely pack a punch for the AHL's Hershey Bears, who have made some key additions this summer, too, with them wanting to make a longer run this time around.
