Even if the bulk of the chatter over the coming months centers on what Washington brings in from elsewhere, the club faces several significant calls regarding players who are already in its system.
Sitting high on the agenda for Chris Patrick's front-office staff is nailing down an extension with Ryan Leonard, the winger who is 21.
Since the franchise burned the opening season of an entry-level pact during 2025's spring, Leonard — eighth in the Calder Trophy balloting — is bound for restricted free agency a summer down the road and is permitted to put pen to an extension once July 1 arrives.
Both sides might rather hold off on negotiations until Leonard logs a second complete season in the league, yet a wrinkle in the labor agreement could accelerate matters. This stands as the final summer a club may dole out a contract of eight years, because the lengthened labor deal, set to begin September 16, 2026, sets a seven-year cap on the length of player contracts.
As projected by AFP Analytics, a deal spanning seven years for Leonard — chosen by Washington in the first round of the 2023 draft — comes out to $57.8 million, carrying an $8.26 million annual cap charge. Should the parties go a briefer bridge route instead, a two-year pact lands near $9.04 million, carrying a $4.52 million annual charge. Persuading Leonard to commit across the full eight years would probably require a yearly number above what the seven-year projection shows.
Among all first-year scorers, Leonard came in fifth, compiling a 45-point season (20g, 25a) across 75 appearances. He turned into the eighth Washington freshman in club history ever to reach 20 markers in one year — nobody had done it since Ovechkin himself back in 2005-06. Among the franchise's first-year skaters, his 45-point haul ranks 10th for a single season all-time. Going back to 1982-83, the lone two Washington rookies to top Leonard's output are Backstrom, with 69, and Ovechkin, with 106.
An eight-season commitment from Leonard would lock down the bulk of his prime years in Washington, and such a contract figures to age gracefully as the salary cap rises, provided the one-time No. 8 selection reaches his ceiling. As the organization shifts toward life after Alex Ovechkin, securing a player poised to anchor that next chapter would mark a strong opening move and bolster the front office's confidence in mapping out the roster ahead.
Leonard isn't the lone 2027 RFA-to-be eligible to ink a fresh deal this offseason; Justin Sourdif fits that bill too. On top of that, the Capitals must re-sign Hendrix Lapierre along with Connor McMichael, each of whom becomes an RFA come July 1.