The Washington Capitals have signed forward Ryan Leonard to an eight-year, $84 million contract extension on Tuesday.
The deal carries an AAV of $10.5 million and comes on the final day for players to sign for eight years before the max term for an NHL contract drops to seven years on Wednesday.
As a rookie last season, Leonard scored 20 goals with 45 points in 75 games. He made his NHL debut at the end of the 2024-25 season after departing Boston College, scoring one goal in nine games.
“We are extremely excited to sign Ryan to a long-term contract with our club,” said Capitals general manager Chris Patrick. “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. 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.
“We are confident in Ryan’s ability to continue improving as a hockey player, and we believe this agreement provides him with the opportunity to grow and develop within our organization while giving us the ability to keep a talented young player in our lineup for years to come.”
The 21-year-old is entering the final season of his three-year entry-level contract.
Drafted eighth overall by the Washington Capitals in 2023, Leonard helped the United States win back-to-back gold medals at the World Juniors in 2024 and 2025 as well as a U18 title in 2023.
Sept. 15 is the final day that NHL teams can sign players to eight-year contracts.
