Marcus Johansson Signs, Avoids Arbitration

by

On Wednesday, Washington Capitals senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced that the team re-signed forward Marcus Johansson to a three-year, $13.75 million contract extension.

Johansson, 25, was set for arbitration later today but was able to come to an agreement with the club short of completing the process. On Monday, Johansson asked for $5.25 million ahead of arbitration, while the Capitals countered with an offer of $3.85 million. The deal announced today, carries a $4.583 million AAV.

Last summer, Johansson and the Capitals went to arbitration, resulting in the award of a one-year contract worth $3.75 million for the 2015-16 season. That season, Johansson played in 74 regular season games with the Capitals and tallied 17 goals and 46 points. It was statistically one of Johansson’s best seasons, as he set career highs with seven game-winning goals and registered a plus-12 rating.

Johansson, a native of Sweden, has represented his country at international tournaments three times in the past. Johansson played for Sweden in the World Junior Championships in 2009 and 2010, helping them to silver and bronze medals. During the 2014 Olympics, Johansson was a member of Sweden’s silver medal winning team.

Johansson’s current deal compares well with the six-year, $27 million contract that Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazim Kadri signed earlier this offseason. During the 2015-16 regular season, Kadri had similar statistics to Johansson, scoring 17 goals and 45 points in 76 games.

Johansson was originally drafted by the Capitals 24th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.