The Capitals made a few free agent signings for 2019-20 as they brought in left wings Brendan Leipsic and Richard Panik, right wing Garnet Hathaway, and center Philippe Maillet. It should be expected to be a battle of third and fourth line players. They might be bottom-six players, but it looks to be a lot of productivity in those roles.
Leipsic played 45 games for the Los Angeles Kings and 17 games for the Vancouver Canucks last season as he scored five goals and recorded 13 assists for 18 points for the Kings and two goals and three assists for five points in Vancouver. He signed a relatively cheap contract for one-year, $700,000.
Panik might be the biggest signing here as he’s been a productive player in the NHL. Panik played in 75 games for the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19 scoring 14 goals and recording 19 assists for 33 points. He put up his best season in 2016-17 playing for the Chicago Blackhawks having scored 22 goals and recording 22 assists for 44 points in 82 games. And in 2017-18, between Chicago and Arizona, he scored 14 goals and recording 21 assists for 35 points in 72 games. So he can play productively very consistently. Panik signed a four-year, $11 million contract, a $2.75 million salary cap hit.
Hathaway should provide some depth and productivity in a fourth line role as he put up some quality numbers with the Calgary Flames in 2018-19. In 76 games for the Flames, Hathaway scored 11 goals and recorded eight assists for 19 points. He signed a four-year, $6 million contract, worth a $1.5 million salary cap hit. He is known for his physicality and solid penalty killing.
Maillet is expected to provide some depth as he should play a lot in Hershey. He signed to a two-year, two-way contract worth $700,000 a year. With AHL Ontario Reign, the 26-year old scored 16 goals and recorded 38 assists for 54 points in 68 games. He has no NHL experience.
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