Capitals sign veteran center Nic Dowd to three-year, $3.9M extension

The Washington Capitals announced Sunday afternoon that they signed center Nic Dowd to a three-year extension worth $3.9M. The deal, which spans from 2022-23 to 2024-25, will carry an average annual value of $1.3M. Per PuckPedia, the structure of the contract is as follows:

• 2022-23: $1.6M salary
• 2023-24: $1.3M salary
  
• 2024-25: $1.0M salary

Dowd will enter his fifth season with Washington in 2022-23. He’s been a reliable fourth-line center for the team since joining in free agency prior to the 2018-19 campaign.

The native of Huntsville, Ala., is in the final year of a three-year, $2.25M extension he signed with the team on April 11, 2019. In his Capitals tenure, Dowd has 27 goals, 26 assists and 53 points in 185 games played along with a 53.3% winning rate in the faceoff dot. He had a career-best 11 goals in 56 games last season while averaging 14:22 per game, also a career-high.

Dowd’s been limited to just nine games in 2021-22 due to a recurring lower-body injury, scoring just a goal in those nine contests. It’s his ability in the faceoff circle and reliable game that draw Washington’s coaching staff and front office to him, though.

As a variety of young prospects like Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Brett Leason are close to becoming full-time players at the NHL level, Dowd will likely be a valuable pivot and mentor to help solidify the team’s bottom six.

Dowd will be 34 years old at the expiry of this contract extension.