The Washington Capitals have been relatively quiet this offseason after being eliminated in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Thursday, the Capitals made their first transaction of the 2021 offseason. The team announced they re-signed forward Joe Snively to a one-year deal.
The deal is reportedly a two-way contract worth $750,000/$90,000. Snively, 25, played the last three of four seasons with the AHL Hersey Bears. During that stretch, he played in 84 games, found the net 20 times, had 28 assists, and scored 44 points.
The popular play that Snively is best known for is back during the 2019-20 season with the Bears. Down 2-0 in the third period, the Bears scored two goals to force overtime. Teammate Mike Sgarbossa went to end the game but the shot was rebounded off the post. That’s when Snively made the goal that erupted the Giant Center.
Joe Snively Overtime Winner (12/8/2019)
COMEBACK COMPLETE! Down 2-0 in the third, the Bears forced overtime! In sudden-death, Joe Snively created a turnover and BURIED the rebound of a Mike Sgarbossa shot off the post!
Posted by Hershey Bears on Sunday, December 8, 2019
All of Snively’s success can be dated back further than his time in Hershey. Prior to his time with the Bears, Snively played four seasons for Yale University. At Yale, he played in 129 games, scored 58 goals, had 81 assists, and scored 139 points.
Snively got his professional start in hockey at the age of 16. He was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL. Snively played there from 2012-15. With the Musketeers, Snively found the net 50 times in 159 games, had 75 assists, and scored 125 points. His success with Sioux City can be traced back to his time with the Selects Hockey Academy where he played from 2011-2012.
Despite the NHL contract, don’t expect Snively on the Capitals often next season. The team has a plethora of young forwards making their case to be featured on Washington’s depth chart. While it’s hard to imagine Snively being on the Washington depth chart in 2021, it’s not impossible. We could see the Herndon native move up to a starting spot for his home team sooner rather than later.