NHL
Defenseman Madison Bowey Re-Signs with Capitals
Madison Bowey re-signs with the Washington Capitals after a rocky 2017-18 season, but the Washington Capitals have faith in what he’s capable of. Bowey signed a new two-year contract worth $2 million with the franchise on Thursday. The deal carries a $1 million average annual value, a $100,000 signing bonus, and no performance bonuses.
A Season’s Difference
The 23-year-old defenseman had 12 assists in 51 games and an average of 13:43 time on ice per game. Once Michal Kempný joined the team, Bowey didn’t play for the remainder of the season. However, he stayed with the Capitals during the Stanley Cup run instead of returning to the Hershey Bears. Bowey had three goals and 11 assists in 31 games during the 2016-17 season with the Bears.
Brooks Orpik was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, opening up a spot on the blue line for the 2018-19 season. There will be competition for the spot, but if Bowey cuts back on his turnover rate, he’s in prime position. Offseason training and prior NHL experience will earn him a spot unless the Capitals choose to make a move. There was talk of the Caps bringing Orpik back after Colorado bought out his contract, but that’s still to be seen.
This two-year deal shows that the Capitals want to give him a chance to prove that he is an NHL player. They are willing to give him the chance to learn, train, and grow with the team that drafted him in 2013.
What’s Next for the Caps?
With Bowey’s contract done, there’s only one restricted free agent remaining to sign. Right wing Tom Wilson has been in negotiations with the team since they issued his qualifying offer. He opted to forgo salary arbitration, but they aren’t necessarily close to a deal, according to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan.
An update on Tom Wilson’s contract negotiations: the two sides have explored “something north of four years,” but nothing is done or close and with no arbitration hearing, it’s hard to know when the end will be https://t.co/gbwIAzde4A
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) July 17, 2018
It’s unlikely that the team won’t reach an agreement with Wilson before the start of the season. Wilson is one of the longest-tenured players in the Washington corps and possible candidate for the captaincy after Alex Ovechkin retires. There is around $7 million remaining in cap space, which is plenty to keep him around.
