Washington Capitals get it right with Nic Dowd

The Washington Capitals have re-signed center Nic Dowd for three more seasons. He would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Dowd’s contract will carry an average annual value (AAV) of $1.3 million.

The 31 year old has recorded one goal in nine games this season and leads the Caps in face of percentage at 56.4 percent among players with at least 100 draws taken and ranks third in penalty kill time per game among forwards (1:21).

Last season, Dowd set a career high with 11 goals including three game winning goals and recorded 15 points with 11 goals and four assists in 56 games. The Huntsville, Alabama native also ranked first on the Caps in face off percentage at 56.3 percent. In 316 career NHL games, Dowd has recorded 79 points with 36 goals and 43 assists.

Before he joined the NHL, Dowd attended college at St. Cloud State University (NCAA), serving as team captain his senior year. Dowd recorded 40 points with 22 goals and 18 assists in 38 games during his senior season and finished as a Hobey Baker finalist as the NCAA’s top player in 2014. Dowd was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round at 198th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Dowd spoke to the media during the first intermission of last night’s game against the Penguins:

"“I’ve been around a couple of other organizations — both good organizations — but this has definitely been home. And my wife loves it. We love it. I think a big part of this deal was this does take me till I’m 35. You look around the league, and you can start looking at comparables that are of that age, and I just felt I didn’t want to have to make that choice of, ‘Hey, let’s just pick my family up for one year and move them somewhere else.’ ”"

Dowd’s contract is a total of $3.9 million. This season was the final year of Dowd’s three year contract extension that he signed in April of 2019. Dowd has struggled this season with injuries as he’s in the middle of his second stint on the injured reserve. He’s eligible to come off the IR for Tuesday’s Capitals game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Dowd was also on the ice before the Caps morning skate on Sunday wearing a full contact jersey. He’s an important piece of the bottom six and the central part of a killer fourth line. We can’t wait to have Dowd back in the lineup and the Caps gave him a good raise.