Washington Capitals sign Matt Roy to six-year contract at $5.75 million AAV

Credit: Mar 16, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy (3) handles the puck during the third period against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Capitals appear hellbent on remaining competitive as long as Alex Ovechkin is kicking around and chasing Wayne Gretzky’s career NHL goals record. After trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane and Logan Thompson in late June, they swung a blockbuster deal for Jakob Chychrun Monday – and kept the momentum going by inking one of the best shutdown blueliners on the market.

As reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Capitals have signed defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year deal carrying a $5.75 million AAV.

Sources say #allcaps have agreed to terms with defenseman Matt Roy: 6 years x $5.75 million.@DailyFaceoff

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 1, 2024

Roy, 29, was a seventh-round pick for the Kings in the 2015 NHL Draft and has spent his entire career with the franchise, playing six NHL seasons dating back to 2018-19.

Roy is a physical right-shot blueliner who has quietly become one of the more underrated defensemen in the league. His 5-on-5 expected goal share graded out top-15 in the NHL among defensemen this past season, one spot above Roman Josi’s. The Kings had the NHL’s No. 2 penalty kill this season, and Roy led the team in shorthanded minutes played per game.

He’ll be a major difference maker for a Capitals team that had the NHL’s 19^th-best penalty kill and graded out near the bottom of the league in preventing high-danger scoring chances this past season.

The Caps have bolstered their forward group to help their superstar Ovechkin, sure, but the moves they’ve made from the net out also suggest they’re determined to compete for a playoff spot or even more. Thompson will form a strong crease tandem with Charlie Lindgren, while Roy and Chychrun will significantly change the face of Washington’s blueline and bring some support for veteran John Carlson.