The Washington Capitals added to their organizational depth on the second day of free agency as they announced the signings of defensemen Louie Belpedio and Calle Rosen and forward Graeme Clarke to two-way contracts. Belpedio’s deal is for two years, while the other two have signed on for one year.
The three AHL veterans will help restore a Hershey Bears roster that has already lost several key contributors this summer, including Mike Sgarbossa, Ethan Bear, and Hunter Shepard. Hershey was unable to three-peat as Calder Cup champions this past season, falling in the Atlantic Division Finals to the Charlotte Checkers.
Belpedio, Rosen, and Clarke will earn a minimum salary of $775k in the NHL. Belpedio ($575k) will earn more than Rosen ($525k) and Clarke ($350k) in the AHL.
The 29-year-old Belpedio is a former third-round selection of the Minnesota Wild in the 2014 NHL Draft. The Illinois native has played in 16 career NHL games, split between the Wild and Philadelphia Flyers, scoring his first two NHL goals with the Flyers during the 2023-24 season.
Belpedio played the entire 2024-25 campaign with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate, notching 28 points (5g, 23a) in 66 games. He has also played for the Laval Rocket and Iowa Wild during his AHL tenure, spending time alongside former Capitals winger Devante Smith-Pelly in Laval and current Capitals winger Brandon Duhaime in Iowa.
Rosen, 31, has the most NHL experience of the three signings, playing 93 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, and St. Louis Blues. The Swedish rearguard’s most recent NHL stint was with the Blues during the 2023-24 campaign, during which he played six games and recorded one assist. The former Calder Cup champion with the Toronto Marlies played the entirety of last season in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles. Rosen recorded 34 points (10g, 24a) in 62 games.
Clarke, 24, was a third-round selection of the New Jersey Devils in the 2019 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Devils during the 2023-24 season, getting into three games. The 2024-25 season marked his first season outside of New Jersey’s organization, as he spent the year with the Iowa Wild.
In 64 games with the Wild, Clarke recorded 37 points (16g, 21a). His best AHL season came during the 2022-23 campaign when he recorded 58 points (25g, 33a) in 68 games for the Utica Comets.
Here’s the Capitals’ press release on the signings:
Capitals Sign Louie Belpedio, Calle Rosen and Graeme Clarke
All three players agree to two-way contracts with Washington
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Louie Belpedio to a two-year, two-way contract ($775,000/$575,000), defenseman Calle Rosen to a one-year, two-way contract ($775,000/$525,000) and forward Graeme Clarke to a one-year, two-way contract ($775,000/$350,000), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.
Belpedio, 29, recorded 28 points (5g, 23a) in 66 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2024-25 season. The Skokie, Illinois native led Lehigh Valley defensemen in assists, points and plus-minus rating (+15) and ranked tied for first in power-play points (7). In addition, Belpedio’s 23 assists marked an AHL single-season career high. Belpedio added one assist in seven Calder Cup Playoff games, helping the Phantoms reach the Atlantic Division Semifinals. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the third round (80th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Belpedio has tallied six points (2g, 4a) in 16 career NHL games with Minnesota and the Philadelphia Flyers. In 408 career AHL games with Lehigh Valley, Laval and Iowa, Belpedio has recorded 146 points (42g, 104a).
Rosen, 31, registered 34 points (10g, 24a) in 62 games with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) in 2024-25. Rosen’s 10 goals marked an AHL single-season career high and ranked second among Colorado defensemen. In nine Calder Cup Playoff games, Rosen tallied four points (2g, 2a) and helped the Eagles reach Game 7 of the Western Conference Final. During the 2018-19 season with the Toronto Marlies, Rosen tallied a career-high 46 points (7g, 39a) in 54 games and represented the Marlies at the AHL All-Star Game. Rosen also won the 2018 Calder Cup with Toronto, recording 11 points (5g, 6a) in 16 playoff games. The 6’1”, 186-pound defenseman made his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 7, 2017 and has recorded 31 points (11g, 20a) in 93 career games with Toronto and the St. Louis Blues. In addition, Rosen has recorded 191 points (35g, 156a) in 351 career AHL games with Colorado, Springfield and Toronto.
Clarke, 24, recorded 37 points (16g, 21a) in 64 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) in 2024-25. The 6’0”, 190-pound forward led Iowa in shots on goal (186) and ranked tied for first in game-winning goals (4), tied for second in points and fourth in goals. Clarke has recorded 186 points (84g, 102a) in 282 career AHL games, including a career-high 58 points (25g, 33a) in 68 games during the 2022-23 season with the Utica Comets. Clarke, who was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round (80th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut and appeared in three games with the Devils during the 2023-24 season. Clarke played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Ottawa 67’s from 2017-20, recording 76 points (46g, 30a) in 134 games.
