Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said Saturday he believes he's made a fair offer to restricted free agent goalie Braden Holtby and is prepared to go to arbitration if necessary, according to The Washington Post.
CAPITALS OFFSEASON COVERAGE
Holtby, who turns 26 on Sept. 16, was 41-20-10 with a 2.22 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and nine shutouts last season. The Capitals reportedly offered a contract in the mid-$5 million range annually; the Post reported Holtby is seeking about $1 million more per season.
He made $2 million last season. An arbitration hearing is scheduled for July 23.
"I think we've made an aggressive offer with Holtby, hoping to get it done sooner than later," MacLellan said. "I like what we've offered. We've offered a term deal with a good salary. The total dollars is pretty significant. Unfortunately, I guess you play it out. If you've got to go to [arbitration], you've got to go to [arbitration]. It's part of the process."
MacLellan said he's taking a wait-and-see approach with restricted free agent forward Marcus Johansson, who had 20 goals and 27 assists in 82 games last season.
"There's a few guys in his range that we're monitoring and we want to get a better indication of what that salary level is coming in," MacLellan said. "We've made him an offer and we feel it's competitive for what these guys are going to get. If necessary, we'll go to the arbitration with him too."
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