The Washington Capitals announced on Sunday afternoon that the team has signed center Nic Dowd to a three-year contract extension that carries a $1.3 million cap hit. The 31-year-old could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 13.
Dowd has missed five games this season with two different lower-body injuries but has earned one goal in nine games. He has cemented himself as the Capitals’ fourth-line center, which has been among the NHL’s best in the past three seasons.
Dowd has averaged 12:28 per game this season, including 1:21 on the penalty kill (fourth among Capitals forwards). He is arguably the Capitals’ best shutdown center and plays against the opposition’s top players.
He set career-highs in goals (11) in 56 games last season and tied his career-high in points (22) in 64 games during his first season in Washington (2018-19).
In 316 career NHL games with the Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, and Vancouver Canucks, Dowd has earned 36 goals and 79 points. In 20 career Stanley Cup Playoff games (all with the Capitals), Dowd has three goals (two came in the 2021 first-round vs. the Boston Bruins).
The Capitals now have $18,289,167 in cap space this offseason with goaltender Ilya Samsonov, goaltender Vitek Vanecek, defenseman Dennis Cholowski, right-wing Daniel Sprong, and right-wing Brett Leason set to become restricted free agents. Everyone except Leason and Cholowski has arbitration rights. Defensemen Justin Schultz and Matt Irwin can become unrestricted free agents.
The #Allcaps signed 31 y/o F Nic Dowd to 3 year $1.3M Cap Hit extension:
Yr 1: 1.6M
Yr 2: 1.3M
Yr 3: 1.0MIn final year of 3 year 750K Cap Hit deal and was set to be UFA.
20-21: 11G 15P in 56GP
Rep’d by Dean Grillo @o2ksportshttps://t.co/EkPlKMaH7t
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) November 14, 2021
By Harrison Brown