The Signing: Matt Niskanen, D, 27, signs with the Washington Capitals
The Deal: Seven years, $40.25 million
The Cap Hit: $5.75 million
Where he fits: Niskanen should fit right in among the Capitals’ top-four d-men, perhaps even landing on the first unit alongside Mike Green, is they can afford to keep the longtime Capital. Otherwise, he could pair with Brooks Orpik, whom the Caps also signed Tuesday.
The Good: Niskanen’s 46 points last season led all UFA defencemen, and his plus-33 was miles better than anybody else’s. Sure, some of that came from playing for the Penguins, but a lot of it was a result of Niskanen’s game maturing over the past two years. He’s a good skater, an excellent puck mover and, at 27, will be in his prime for basically the length of the deal. It’s not every day you can lock up a top-four defenceman who is less than 30 years old on the open market and Niskanen was arguably the top prize on the blueline.
The Bad: It remains to be seen how much of Niskanen’s offensive production was a product of the top-flight stars who shared the Penguins PP time with him. It also remains to be seen if his game has staying power (this was his first season with more than 20 points) and is he can make further steps—which is something of a must considering the size of the contact he’s just been handed. There’s not a lot of downside to adding him as a player, but if his game plateaus, the massive investment might take away from Washington’s ability to upgrade in other areas.
The Grade: B-. Time will tell if Niskanen is a top-flight defenceman. For now, he’s being paid like one, for a long time—and that’s the only reason why his addition isn’t worth an ‘A’. In a capless vacuum , he’s an excellent addition.