Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan and new Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette met with the media Tuesday afternoon. The final question asked of MacLellan was about Braden Holtby’s status with free agency, and if he expected Holtby to enter free agency.
MacLellan re: Holtby and free agency – “I would expect he goes into free agency…I spoke with his agent last week”#ALLCAPS
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) September 15, 2020
“I would expect he goes into free agency,” MacLellan said. “I think the goalie market is probably a little unusually deep this year. I talked to his agent last week briefly about where he’s at and the kind of opportunities he’s looking for. I would assume he goes to free agency and we’ll keep in contact with him throughout the free agency and see if he’s getting what he wants.”
Free agency begins at noon on October 9. At that point Holtby and his representation are free to speak and negotiate with any team. Prior to October 9, the Capitals retain the only rights to negotiate with Holtby.
By Jon Sorensen
Please trade those rights to someone even if all you get is a 4 or 5 round pick as we can use the players in the system and you never know what you might find in the later rounds. Would be nice to have him back but at his price no way and I dont see him accepting a 1 year deal.
They would need to act quickly. Free agency begins at noon on October 9.
Undoubtedly Holtbeast last contract signing so I would expect him to go for the gusto. I’m not upset either way. A player should always test the free agent market to gauge his true value. Good luck!
Yep, he deserves the biggest pay day he can get. It would be selfish to expect him to pass that up. It’s his last shot at a big payday in his professional career. He’s a family man, and he should do what’s best for him and his family. But he will be sorely missed. No better definition of “class act”.
He was and is a “class act”. I have a problem with having kept him and not trading him at the deadline for something. I know it is hindsight but sometimes you have to bite the bullet now, miss the playoffs or do what they did get in and out like a shower and at least get something for a still quality player. Maybe a new team and environment will get him back to the old “beast”.
Spot on, ‘Druid’. I was one of the only NoVa Caps folks that seriously considered the idea last summer. But Sammy had no experience at that time. In hind-sight, which is always 20-20, that would have been the best business move.