A few minutes later there was good news for the Washington Capitals.
The Washington Capitals made a big step towards improving their defense on Tuesday night by re-signing Brenden Dillon to a four year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $3.9 million.
The 29 year old native of New Westminister, B.C. was added by the Caps at the trade deadline in a deal with the San Jose Sharks. Dillon recorded 14 points with one goal and 13 assists in 69 games between the Capitals and the Sharks.
We only got a small sample size of Dillon but a lot of us including myself and contributor Ben wanted the team to re-sign him and they did just that. In 10 games with the Caps, Dillon ranked third on the team in time on ice per game with 20:02 and fifth in penalty kill time per game with 2:40.
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Additionally, Dillon ranked fifth on the team in hits with 16 and tied for 10th in blocked shots with seven. In 59 games with San Jose, Dillon recorded 14 points with one goal and 13 assists and led the Sharks with 178 hits while ranking fourth in blocked shots with 67.
In the playoffs, the six foot four, 225 pound defenseman, registered an assist and eight penalty minutes in eight playoff games. Since the 2014-15 season, Dillon’s 68 playoff games with San Jose and Washington are tied for ninth most in the NHL among defensemen.
Dillon also has Stanley Cup Final experience, leading the Sharks to their first appearance in 2016 before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins. You can tell he doesn’t like the Penguins either which is another reason to like him. If you want more evidence, check out the video below in his first taste of Caps vs. Penguins action. In that playoff run, Dillon averaged 15:09 time on ice per game and ranked second on the team with 72 hits.
Dillon has 10 assists and 81 penalty minutes in 70 career playoff games. Dillon has suited up for 598 career games between the Capitals, Sharks and the Dallas Stars. Dillon has 114 points in his career with 22 goals and 92 assists.
Dillon has represented Team Canada on the international stage, appearing in the 2013 World Championship recording a goal in eight games. Dillon began his career as an undrafted free agent, signing with Dallas on March 1, 2011.
We as Caps fans were all shook when we heard the news that Michal Kempny will miss six to eight months. But with this news, our moods are back to positivity as we wait and see what the team does next with the draft and free agency.
As for Dillon, we’re glad you’re here!