Capitals Sign Ryan Leonard to Eight-Year, $84 Million Extension

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Ryan Leonard to an eight-year contract extension worth $84 million, the team announced Tuesday. The deal carries an average annual value of $10.5 million and will keep the 21-year-old under contract through the 2034-35 season. The extension begins in the 2027-28 season, meaning Leonard will play the upcoming 2026-27 campaign on the final year of his current entry-level deal before the new contract takes effect. The agreement was finalized just before new collective bargaining agreement rules take effect, which will limit future contract extensions to a maximum of seven years. Leonard scored 20 goals and 45 points in 75 games during his rookie season, finishing eighth in Calder Trophy voting. The Capitals initially selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft after he starred for two seasons at Boston College. Capitals president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan highlighted Leonard's importance to the team, noting that his absence due to an upper-body injury in December was an inflection point. The team went 2-3-2 without Leonard during that stretch, which contributed to a season that ended without a playoff berth.