Taylor Raddysh signs one-year contract with Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have looked to add to their scoring depth, signing winger Taylor Raddysh to a one-year contract worth $1 million.

Raddysh was left unsigned by the Chicago Blackhawks, who elected to not give him a qualifying offer after a down year. The former Erie Otters star had 20 goals and 37 points in 78 games two years ago, so many were expecting a further breakout from a guy who once led the OHL in assists.

Instead, he had just five goals and 14 points in 73 games with the Blackhawks, the second-highest output of his career. Raddysh was originally taken 58th overall by Tampa Bay in 2016. At the time, he was a dominant offensive threat with Erie, spending four years there before finishing his final year with the Soo Greyhounds. Raddysh turned pro in 2018-19 and made an immediate impact with 46 points in 70 games.

Despite that, it wasn’t until his fourth year of pro hockey that he finally made his NHL debut, scoring 11 goals and 22 points between Tampa Bay and Chicago. Now in Washington at a cap-friendly price, Raddysh has a chance to find his game again and look to give the team a bit of a scoring punch in the bottom six.

According to CapFriendly, the Caps are currently $14 million over the cap, but Nicklas Backstrom’s $9.2 million hit will be put on long-term injured reserve. It’s also unclear what will happen with T.J. Oshie and his $5.75 million salary after dealing with injuries throughout most of 2023-24. The team has no NHL players needing new deals, but after winning the AHL’s Calder Cup, Alex Limoges, Riley Sutter and Hardy Haman Aktell are all awaiting new contracts as RFAs.