The Capitals prospect leads the AHL in shutouts and GAA to open 2023-24.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals have re-signed goaltender Clay Stevenson to a three-year, $2.325 million contract.
Stevenson, who was set to become a restricted free agent in July after his entry-level deal came to an end, is now locked in through 2027. The first year of his contract is two-way ($750,000, $200,000) and the second and third years are one-way ($775,000).
The 24-year-old netminder, who went undrafted and signed as a free agent out of Dartmouth in 2022, has impressed in his rookie AHL season with the Hershey Bears, going 9-4 with a .934 save percentage (second in the AHL), 1.70 GAA and four shutouts (first in AHL). Before making the jump to the Bears, he'd played with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays following his NCAA tenure.
It's a good deal for Washington, who already has an impressive goaltending pool consisting of Darcy Kuemper, Charlie Lindgren, Hunter Shepard, Mitchell Gibson, Garin Bjorklund, Chase Clark and Antoine Keller.
Stevenson is expected to continue to rise up the ranks, along with goalie partner Shepard. Looking at the NHL future, Lindgren has one more year on his contract after this season, indicating that either young netminder could make the jump to compete with Kuemper for time. Kuemper is signed through 2028.