Washington Capitals sign defenseman Chase Priskie to one-year contract

The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Chase Priskie to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal carries an AAV of $775,000 in the NHL and $350,000 in the AHL. The 27 year old split the 2022-23 season between the San Diego Gulls and Rochester Americans of the AHL. He scored 11 goals and 22 points in a combined 56 games this past season.

The cycle of life has come full circle for Priskie and the Capitals. He started off his professional hockey journey when he was selected by the Capitals in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. Priskie was a promising right-handed defenseman who had just come off of a 26-point season with Quinnipiac University. He played three more seasons there, culminating with 17 goals and 39 points in 36 games in his final year there.

As he finished the full four years of university hockey, he was a free agent following the 2018-19 season. He was signed by the Carolina Hurricanes and scored 31 points in 52 AHL games for them the next season. Later that season, Priskie was involved in a major NHL trade, being sent along with Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark, and Eetu Luostarinen to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Vincent Trocheck.

Priskie played some of his best hockey in the Panthers’ organisation, including a four game NHL stint during the 2021-22 season. He has established himself as a dependable AHL defenseman who can put up points. However, at this point in his career it is unlikely that he’ll ever make an NHL lineup full-time.