Capitals Lock Up Ryan Leonard for Eight Years, $84 Million
Washington got its 21-year-old winger signed before the new CBA closed the door on eight-year deals at midnight.
The Washington Capitals re-signed forward Ryan Leonard to an eight-year, $84 million extension on Tuesday, a deal that carries a $10.5 million average annual value and runs through the 2034-35 season.
The timing matters. The new collective bargaining agreement takes effect at midnight, capping re-signings with a player's own club at seven years and free agent deals at six, so Tuesday was the last chance for teams to hand out eight-year terms. Leonard's contract begins in 2027-28, at which point he will match Alex Tuch as the highest-paid player on the Capitals.
"Ryan is a young and talented player who is still years away from entering his prime, and we believe he has tremendous potential to continue growing into an important player for our organization," general manager Chris Patrick said. "While reaching his full potential will take time, we have been impressed with his work ethic and the way he continues to develop his game."
Leonard, 21, put up 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 75 games as a rookie in 2025-26. He became the eighth rookie in franchise history to score 20 goals and the first since Alex Ovechkin in 2005-06. His 45 points were the most by a Capitals rookie since Nicklas Backstrom in 2007-08.
The eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Leonard came out of Boston College after two seasons, where he scored 61 goals in 78 games and became the first NCAA player with back-to-back 30-goal seasons since Cam Atkinson. He made his NHL debut on April 1, 2025, and played eight games in that spring's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Amherst, Massachusetts native captained the United States at the 2025 World Junior Championship, winning tournament MVP and Best Forward honors on the way to a second straight gold medal.
Leonard is one of 33 players to sign an eight-year contract since the NHL and NHLPA reached the new CBA in late June 2025. Twelve of those have come in the past three months, including Cale Makar's record $163.2 million deal in Colorado.
