Capitals Ink Fehervary To Three-Year Extension; Where Team's Salary Cap Situation Stands

Here's where the Capitals cap situation stands after re-signing Fehervary.

ARLINGTON, V.A. -- The Washington Capitals checked another outstanding item off their to-do list on Tuesday, inking defenseman Martin Fehervary to a three-year extension.

Fehervary's new deal carries an AAV of $2.675 million and can be viewed as a type of bridge deal, given the 23-year-old is expected to play a major part in the Capitals' future.

In 67 games this past season, Fehervary posted six goals, 10 assists and a plus-minus rating of minus-11, along with 31 penalty minutes. He spent some time on the injured reserve while dealing with an elbow injury and another lower-body ailment, but still played an integral role. He also thrived toward the end of the season after reuniting with John Carlson on the top pairing, a role he often played in his rookie year that earned him Calder Trophy consideration.

The 23-year-old is expected to be an integral part of the team's future blue line, along with Rasmus Sandin. Fehervary is a talented skater and physical shutdown defenseman who has also showcased his ability as a puck mover.

Fehervary's new deal is a good price for his services, but it does leave Washington in a tight spot regarding its cap space.

Per Puckpedia, the team has roughly $99,000 remaining in cap space with 20 roster players (including Aliaksei Protas) after re-signing Fehervary and also bringing on board Max Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson. Without Protas, there's $888,000 left to spend.

General manager Brian MacLellan said that the team is still exploring options for a top-6 forward but placed emphasis on the trade market over free agency.

Technically, the team could exceed the cap by $2 million by placing Pacioretty on the long-term injured reserve to start the season, but that's still little to work with. That being said, a trade seems imminent before the season in order to revamp the first two forward lines, especially with there not being much to spend.