The Washington Capitals extended qualifying offers to Connor McMichael, Ethen Frank, Alex Limoges, Riley Sutter, Hardy Häman Aktell, and Mitch Gibson before Sunday’s 5 pm deadline. Washington will retain rights to each player moving into NHL free agency on Monday.
The Capitals dealt away Beck Malenstyn, the only other restricted free agent in their organization, to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round draft pick on Saturday morning. Malenstyn held arbitration rights this summer and could have earned a big raise.
General manager Brian MacLellan revealed earlier this week that McMichael was qualified. The 23-year-old forward set career highs in games played (80), goals (18), assists (15), and points (33) last season.
“Yeah, yeah,” MacLellan said. “We’re in negotiations.”
The other five players are less than a week removed from winning the 2024 Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears. Out of the group of champions, only Häman Aktell has previously made his NHL debut with the Capitals, getting into six total games for the Caps. Gibson previously served as the team’s emergency backup netminder and was recalled before this year’s NHL playoffs to serve as goaltending depth. He never saw the ice for any game time though.
Frank was Hershey’s leading goal scorer for the second straight year after potting 29 goals in 64 games. He also led the Bears in goals during the playoffs, netting 10 tallies. The lightning-quick winger was on the NHL club’s radar for his debut last year but never received that recall.
Sutter was also qualified last summer and signed a one-year contract with the Capitals to stay with the organization that drafted him in 2018. The 24-year-old forward has been a massive part of Hershey’s energy line during the club’s two successful playoff runs and could be an option to fill the hole Malenstyn leaves in Washington.
Limoges, a Virginia native, chipped in 51 points (24g, 27a) in 62 games for the Bears. The big forward was also mentioned by head coach Spencer Carbery last season as a potential recall but never got to the NHL level.
MacLellan has already stated that Washington will not bring back either Max Pacioretty or Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The two will become unrestricted free agents on Monday.
