ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals are keeping Timothy Liljegren on board, signing the defenseman to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension on Wednesday. Liljegren's deal carries an average annual value of $3.25 million. The Capitals acquired Liljegren at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, bringing him on to help fill the void left by John Carlson. Liljegren appeared in just four games for D.C. after that, picking up seven blocks, two hits and three takeaways while averaging roughly 16 minutes a night. He primarily served as an extra following Cole Hutson's arrival. There will be more opportunity for Liljegren this coming season, though, with Rasmus Sandin out long-term after tearing his ACL at the end of the season. Sandin had primarily switched to the right side and took on a top-4 role given the changes to the D-corps down the stretch. Liljegren himself brings a lot of potential and upside to the defensive corps. The 27-year-old is a smooth-skating defenseman who makes a good first pass out of the zone, can move the puck up ice efficiently and can win puck battles. Liljegren also has the vision and mobility to contribute in all three zones, though he still has to improve his play without the puck. With Liljegren coming back, Washington still has to address its right side and add a bit more to the mix. After Liljegren and Matt Roy, the only other right-handed defensemen on the roster are Trevor van Riemsdyk, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, and Dylan McIlrath. General manager Chris Patrick had said that he wants to work on filling out the defense and said both Liljegren and van Riemsdyk are options, though the team could still look to free agency to fill those voids.
