Washington Capitals give Fehervary 3-year contract extension

The Washington Capitals signed defenseman Martin Fehervary to a three-year contract extension Tuesday.

The $8.025 million contract has an average annual value of $2.675 million, and keeps some youth in a group of aging defensemen, as the Capitals slowly push toward a rebuild.

The 23-year-old veteran appeared in 67 games last season, finishing with six goals and 16 points. He led the Capitals in hits (217) and tied for second in blocked shots (128), while topping 20 minutes per game on the ice.

The Capitals selected him in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft, and he made his debut on Oct. 2, 2019. Since then, the Slovakia native has appeared in 152 games with the Capitals, totaling 14 goals and 34 points.

The Capitals, who fell out of playoff contention after the NHL All-Star break, trimmed some payroll late last season, including some veterans on their blue line. But, even still, their roster features five defensemen over 30, so Fehervary and Rasmus Sandin, 23, will help balance that.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.