Washington Capitals sign Rasmus Sandin to five-year, $4.6 million AAV extension

The deal kicks in next season and will take the Swedish D-man until the end of the 2028-29 season. Unlike Sandin’s current contract, there are no signing or performance bonuses. The 23-year-old is in the final year of his two-year, $1.4 million deal which he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in September 2022. That had a $450,000 signing bonus in the first year.

With elongated playing time for the last couple of seasons, Sandin has become a solid offensive weapon. Last year, which saw Sandin start with the Leafs before getting traded to Washington, he scored a career-high seven goals and 28 assists. He is producing at a similar rate this season, as the 2018 first-round pick has notched three goals and 17 assists in 52 games.

Since coming to the Capitals, Sandin has been relied on to play on the top pair most of the time, splitting time alongside John Carlson and Nick Jensen over the last month. This deal assures the Caps at least four defensemen through the end of the 2025-26 season, as Carlson, Jensen, and Trevor van Riemsdyk are locked in over the next two years.

In 211 career games, Sandin has scored 16 goals and 67 assists, with a career +2 rating. His only playoff experience came in 2021, when the Montreal Canadiens ousted the Leafs. Sandin played just five games in the series that went the distance, registering one goal.

While it is not impossible, it will be tough sledding for Sandin and the Caps to make it to the playoffs this year. Washington (28-23-9) is fifth in the Metropolitan Division, seven points back of the Philadelphia Flyers for third with three games in hand. The Capitals are also seven points out of a Wild Card spot, having played less than both the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning.