Capitals make an incredible deal, fans are ecstatic
Some really good work from GM Brian MacLellan.
HockeyFeed
This just in, the Washington Capitals have re-signed 23 year old defenseman Martin Fehervary to a three year contract worth just $2.675 million per season.
Check it out:
The Slovakian blueliner has continued to progress with the team that past three seasons, to the point where he became arguably their best shutdown defenseman in 2022-23. He recorded six goals and 16 points in 67 games with the Capitals this past season and led the team in both hits (217) and blocked shots (128). He averaged about 20 minutes of ice-time per game and with veteran Dmitri Orlov now out of the picture, fans can expect those minutes to increase substantially.
Fehervary may not be a household name just yet amongst hockey fans, but that speaks more to the strength of his game than anything. He'll never wow you with his offensive instincts or scoring prowess, but he plays a steady game and is calm and cool under pressure with the puck. He's a modern day defensive defenseman who is great at breaking up plays, making outlet passes and relieving pressure for his defensive partner.
Just an outstanding deal all around for Capitals GM Brian MacLellan.
And if you don't believe me, just check out the reaction from Caps fans online:
Read below for the press release announcement of Fehervary's signing:
The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Martin Fehervary to a three-year contract extension, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today. Fehervary's contract will carry an average annual value of $2.675 million.
Author AttributionFehervary, 23, recorded 16 points (6g, 10a) in 67 games with Washington in 2022-23. The 6'2", 204-pound defenseman set a single-season career high in assists and led the Capitals in hits (217) and ranked tied for second on the team in blocked shots (128). Fehervary averaged 20:00 of ice time per game and finished the season with the sixth-most minutes played on Washington (1,340:01).
During the 2021-22 season, Fehervary recorded 17 points (8g, 9a) in 79 games, ranking first among rookie defensemen in goals and tied for sixth in points. In addition, Fehervary's 251 hits led the Capitals and ranked seventh in the NHL among all skaters. Among rookies, Fehervary ranked second in hits and sixth in blocked shots (117). The Bratislava, Slovakia native also ranked tied for first on the Capitals in games played (79) and fifth in time on ice per game (19:39). During Washington's First Round playoff series against the Florida Panthers, Fehervary led the Capitals with 38 hits in six games. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Fehervary ranks fifth in the NHL in hits (468) among defensemen.
Fehervary, who made his NHL debut at age 19 on Oct. 2, 2019 at St. Louis, has recorded 34 points (14g, 20a) in 152 career games with Washington. The Capitals selected Fehervary in the second round (46th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.