Capitals F Ryan Leonard signs 8-year, $84M contract

Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard signed an eight-year, $84 million contract on Tuesday.

The deal came on the final day for teams to sign players to eight-year contracts. The maximum term allowable drops to seven years on Wednesday.

Leonard's contract begins next season and has an average annual value of $10.5 million. He is entering the last season of the three-year, entry-level contract.

"We are extremely excited to sign Ryan to a long-term contract with our club," Washington general manager Chris Patrick said. "Ryan is a young and talented player who is still years away from entering his prime, and we believe he has tremendous potential to continue growing into an important player for our organization.

"While reaching his full potential will take time, we have been impressed with his work ethic and the way he continues to develop his game. We are confident in Ryan's ability to continue improving as a hockey player, and we believe this agreement provides him with the opportunity to grow and develop within our organization while giving us the ability to keep a talented young player in our lineup for years to come."

Leonard, 21, recorded 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 75 games with the Capitals in 2025-26.

He was selected by the Capitals with the eighth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft.