Photo: NHL.com
The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Dylan McIlrath to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension, senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today. McIlrath’s contract will carry an average annual value of $800,000.
McIlrath, 32, has recorded two assists in 11 games with the Capitals this season. The 6’5”, 240-pound defenseman has been in the Capitals organization since 2021 and captained Washington’s AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, to Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024. Since joining the organization ahead of the 2021-22 season, McIlrath has appeared in 20 games with the Capitals, totaling four assists and 26 penalty minutes. In 192 games with Hershey, McIlrath has recorded 32 points (7g, 25a) and a +16 plus-minus rating.
The Winnipeg, Manitoba native appeared in three regular-season games with the Capitals in 2023-24, including the team’s final two games. McIlrath recorded an assist in Washington’s regular season finale at Philadelphia, where the Capitals clinched the Eastern Conference’s final Wild Card spot. McIlrath went on to play in all four of Washington’s Stanley Cup Playoff games, where he posted a team-leading +2 plus-minus rating. In 58 regular-season games with Hershey in 2023-24, McIlrath recorded 9 points (3g, 6a) and 100 penalty minutes. McIlrath collected three assists in 20 playoff games, as the Bears won their second straight championship, and he claimed his third career Calder Cup.
McIlrath recorded an AHL career-high 13 assists in 60 games with Hershey during the 2022-23 season and added two points (1g, 1a) in 20 playoff games during the Bears’ run to the Calder Cup championship. McIlrath also registered one assist and seven penalty minutes in six games with Washington in 2022-23.
McIlrath was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round (10th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. McIlrath has recorded nine points (3g, 6a) and 147 penalty minutes in 86 career NHL games with the Capitals, Rangers, Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings. In 618 career AHL games, McIlrath has registered 122 points (30g, 92a) and 1,204 penalty minutes with a +41 plus-minus rating.
Washington, who re-signed goaltender Logan Thompson to a six-year contract extension ($5.85 million cap hit) on January 27, goaltender Charlie Lindgren to a three-year contract extension ($3 million cap hit) on March 3, and defenseman Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year contract extension ($9 million cap hit) on Tuesday, has $76,175,000 committed on their salary cap next season with left-wings Andrew Mangiapane and Anthony Beauvillier, centers Lars Eller and Nic Dowd, and right-wing Taylor Raddysh all eligible to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1 at 12 noon ET. Defenseman Alexander Alexeyev and center Hendrix Lapierre could become restricted free agents that day.
The team leads the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference with a 47-15-9 record (.725 points percentage) and has a 13-point lead for first in the division and conference on the Carolina Hurricanes with each team down to 11 games to go in the regular season.
The Capitals conclude a two-game road trip at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday (7:30 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network in-market, ESPN+ or Hulu out-of-market).
