Spending little time addressing their small hole on the blue line Wednesday afternoon, the Washington Capitals signed defenseman Taylor Chorney, an individual with knowledge of the situation confirmed. The team has not yet confirmed the terms, but according to multiple reports, the one-year contract carries an average annual value of $700,000. Given the reported one-way nature of the deal, Chorney would likely become Washington’s No. 7 option behind Nate Schmidt and Dmitry Orlov on the third pair.
The Capitals had been in the market for a depth option on the back end, searching for a veteran, physical presence who could skate on the right side, presumably to spell the more fleet-footed, puck-handling Schmidt and Orlov on occasion.