At his busy summer winds down and vacation beckons for him and the rest of the National Hockey League, Washington Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan reflected on the final box checked on his offseason list. Friday evening, some 55 hours after his initial arbitration hearing ended, forward Marcus Johansson was awarded a one-year contract worth $3.75 million, effectively solidifying the roster for the upcoming campaign. They will have a backup goaltending battle to settle, a depth forward to choose and internal competitions to decide.
Otherwise…
“We’re exploring a couple things,” MacLellan said on a teleconference, “but I would say we’re done for now.