Washington Capitals Re-Up Carl Hagelin for 4 years

Carl Hagelin is coming back to the Washington Capitals for four more years.

In the aftermath of the Matt Niskanen trade, the Washington Capitals used some newfound cap space to re-sign Carl Hagelin to a four-year, 11 million dollar deal. The AAV for the winger will be $2.75 million until the end of the 2023 season.

Acquired from the LA Kings in a February trade, Hagelin came in and turned around his offensive performance and notched three goals and 11 points through his 20 games in Washington.

A noted-speedster on the ice, Hagelin helped out the team’s penalty kill after arriving in D.C. He was a forward that wore many hats, as he played anywhere from the second to the fourth line in his tenure.

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From the Caps:

“We are pleased to have signed Carl to a new four year contract,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in a press release. “Carl is a versatile player who can play on any line and is an excellent penalty killer. He is a proven winner and provides great leadership to our team.”

Hagelin has never been a serious offensive threat since he left New York in the 2014-15 season, but was always a pain in the Capitals side in Pittsburgh, specifically in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Another area where Hagelin excels is in the possession department, where he posted the highest Corsi percentage on the team at 57.49 percent. He had an Expected Goals percentage of 59.04 percent, also the highest on the team, and a Scoring Chances percentage of 58.79, the highest on the team of skaters that played more than 50 minutes.

So, it’s clear Hagelin is a possession darling and will be an excellent force in the Capitals middle six. The lone negative could come in the length of the contract, as he’ll turn 31 before the 2019-20 season starts. He’ll be 34 when his contract expires, whether or not that’s in D.C.

That’s a tough ask for Hagelin, as once his speed goes away, the majority of what makes him successful as a player will, too. So for the Capitals to get a good deal from this, Hagelin has to maintain his speed and defensive prowess for at least two of the last four years.

The move leaves the Capitals with 10.73 million dollars left to spend under the cap with nine forwards, six defensemen and two goalies under contract.

Jakub Vrana, Andre Burakovsky, Brett Connolly and Christian Djoos are still left to be signed, meaning the Capitals will be on a tight squeeze headed to the NHL Draft and free agency on July 1.