WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals have shored up their goaltending tandem for the next few seasons by signing Charlie Lindgren to a three-year extension worth $9 million.
General manager Chris Patrick announced the move Monday, with the Capitals atop the Eastern Conference with roughly a quarter of the regular season left to play.
Lindrgen's deal comes five weeks since they signed fellow netminder Logan Thompson to a six-year deal worth $35.1 million.
"Since joining our organization in 2022, Charlie has consistently demonstrated exceptional professionalism and reliability in net with his athleticism and drive,” Patrick said in a statement. “With both goalies under contract for the next three seasons, we expect this tandem to provide our club stability at a crucial position and push one another to compete and play at a high level.”
When their new contracts kick in next season, Thompson will count $5.85 million and Lindgren $3 million against the salary cap. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have already agreed to raise the cap by $7.5 million to $95.5 million in 2025-26 with bigger increases in ’26-27 and ’27-28.
Getting something done with pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Jakob Chychrun now becomes the top priority for Patrick, who took over the day-to-day responsibilities from longtime GM Brian MacLellan last summer. Patrick has not tipped his hand about his plans ahead of the league's trade deadline Friday, though he is expected to pursue depth on defense and at forward.
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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
