The Washington Capitals re-signed 21-year-old winger Ryan Leonard to an eight-year, $84 million contract extension on Tuesday, a deal that runs through the 2034-35 season and carries a $10.5 million average annual value. Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said the club is "extremely excited" and called Leonard a young, talented player still years from his prime who fits the team’s long-term plans. Leonard, the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is coming off a rookie season in which he scored 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points in 75 games and led the club with 10 goals and 15 points over the final 20 games as Washington pushed for the playoffs. He ranked third among NHL freshmen in power-play points with 14, in 5-on-5 points with 16, and posted 2.13 points per 60 at 5-on-5, and he finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting. The signing came in the final days before a new collective bargaining agreement took effect, one of the last opportunities to lock returning players into eight-year extensions under the old terms. Leonard said he still has a lot to learn, adding "I'm not even close to kind of figuring it out at all" and that he hopes the game continues to slow down for him as he develops into a top player for the Capitals.
