The Washington Capitals will head into the July 1 deadline for re-signing scheduled unrestricted free agents with neither Max Pacioretty nor Nicolas Aube-Kubel signed to extensions.
Pacioretty and Aube-Kubel are the lone UFAs on the team’s NHL roster. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan admitted during his pre-draft media availability on Thursday that he has no plans to retain either winger before the deadline or when they hit the open market.
“They’re free agents,” MacLellan said. “Unlikely that they would be back with us.”
Pacioretty was signed to a one-year, $2 million contract by the Capitals during free agency last year. His contract came with substantial performance bonuses after having back-to-back Achilles tendon tears in the year prior. He tallied 23 points (4g, 19a) in 47 games for Washington, achieving all of his bonuses along the way.
Those earned bonuses, adding up to $2 million, will be subtracted from the Capitals’ salary cap for the 2024-25 season. Pacioretty also had a chance to net the Capitals some assets at the trade deadline but chose not to waive his no-move clause for a move to the New York Rangers.
Aube-Kubel was acquired by the Capitals in November of 2022 as a waiver claim from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Washington signed him to a one-year, $1.225 million extension and posted 16 points (6g, 10a) in 60 games last season.
Washington will also have decisions to make on a handful of UFAs that just won a Calder Cup with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Matthew Phillips, Joe Snively, Lucas Johansen, and Chase Priskie are all scheduled to hit the open market on July 1.
Connor McMichael and Beck Malenstyn are the organization’s two NHL-rostered restricted free agents. MacLellan expects both to get qualifying offers.
“Yeah, yeah,” MacLellan said. “We’re in negotiations with both.”
Ethen Frank, Alex Limoges, Riley Sutter, Hardy Häman Aktell, and Mitch Gibson are all also Capitals’ restricted free agents with the Bears.
