Washington Capitals: Chandler Stephenson gets his raise
The Washington Capitals have completed the free agency arbitration puzzle. They agreed to re-sign Chandler Stephenson.
In a report from CapFriendly, the Washington Capitals agreed to a one-year, $1.05 million extension for Chandler Stephenson.
The Capitals or Stephenson don’t have to worry about any arbitration hearings. This deal came just six days before Stephenson’s scheduled hearing date of August 1. Stephenson’s case was the final arbitration case after Christian Djoos had a hearing on Monday.
A speedy bottom-six forward with defensive upside, Stephenson experienced a bad case of the sophomore slump. Stephenson posted 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 64 games in 2018-19.
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He also had the lowest Corsi-For percentage at even strength at 44.81% (via Natural Stat Trick) and a team-worst -13. Stephenson was invisible in the playoffs despite appearing in six of the Capitals seven games against Carolina with a -2 and three shots.
One season prior, Stephenson was a fixture on the fourth line during the Capitals run to the Stanley Cup alongside Jay Beagle and Devante Smith-Pelly. Stephenson played in all 24 games, scored two goals and added five assists.
Beagle left in the offseason to a well-deserved payday with the Vancouver Canucks. It opened a hole at the fourth line center and a battle between Stephenson, Nic Dowd, and Travis Boyd. Dowd won out the center spot and this year’s fourth line battle heading into camp comes between the wingers.
The Capitals will be in a weird situation, however, but one that they’re allowed to be in until the end of the preseason. Both of Washington’s extensions to Djoos and Stephenson have put the Capitals $1.4 million over the $81.5 million salary cap. The Capitals can go up to 10% over the salary cap until October 2nd, the deadline to submit opening night rosters.
The Capitals made bottom-six depth one of their biggest priorities when free agency began earlier this month when they signed Richard Panik, Garnet Hathaway and Brendan Leipsic. Hathaway and Leipsic are likely to be on the fourth line next to Dowd. If that’s certainly the case, Stephenson will be scratched from the lineup more often than not.
The Capitals have between now and the end of training camp to make a trade, shed some salary and get under the salary cap in time for opening night. They could also send a player to waivers, where the 30 other teams will have 24 hours to claim them.
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Stephenson will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1, 2020. Washington has now re-signed all their RFAs they extended qualifying offers to.