Capitals sign defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to three-year extension

Capitals

Capitals sign Trevor van Riemsdyk to three-year extension

/ by Ethan Cadeaux

Capitals

The Capitals' blue line of the future is beginning to take shape.

Washington signed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to a three-year extension, general manager Brian MacLellan announced on Saturday. van Riemsdyk's new contract is worth $9 million with a $3 million annual average value.

THREE-V-R

The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to a three-year contract extension. van Riemsdyk's contract will carry an average annual value of $3 million.#ALLCAPS
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 11, 2023

With van Riemsdyk's new deal complete, the Capitals' top four defensemen -- van Riemsdyk, Jensen, John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin -- are all under contract through the 2023-24 campaign. Defensemen Martin Fehervary and Alex Alexeyev are both restricted free agents following the 2022-23 season as well.

MacLellan has made it a priority to retain multiple current Capitals following a busy trade deadline where the organization traded five key contributors away. van Riemsdyk is the third player the team has extended in the last week-plus, joining fellow defenseman Nick Jensen and winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

The 2022-23 season has been somewhat of a breakout year for van Riemsdyk, who has already totaled career highs in points (19) and goals (seven). He leads Washington and is seventh in the NHL in blocked shots (146) and leads the club in plus-minus (+12). It's worth noting that the 31-year-old has appeared in all 66 of the Capitals' games thus far this year, too.