The Capitals have found success with a goaltending tandem of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren this season, and it appears they have no plans to let go of either goalie anytime soon.
With the trade deadline just over three months away and Thompson and Lindgren set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Freidman spoke on the Caps’ strategy in net on the most recent 32 Thoughts podcast.
“Both their goalies, Thompson and Lindgren, are UFAs, and Washington’s told teams they want to keep both those guys,” Friedman said.
The Capitals currently spend less than $2 million against the cap for their goaltenders, paying Lindgren $1.1 million and Thompson $766,667 this season, but the duo’s results surpass goaltending tandems paid far more. Among all goaltenders with 10 or more games played, Thompson, who has a 14-2-2 record in Washington, ranks fifth in the NHL in goals saved above expected (12.4) and sixth in both save percentage (.916) and goals against average (2.38).
A season after ushering the Capitals to a playoff spot, Lindgren’s performance has been somewhat more muted this year, but he’s still played well enough to earn regular starts. In 18 games this season, Lindgren has recorded a .900 save percentage, 2.69 goals against average, and -1.9 goals saved above expected. He told reporters last May that he was open to signing a contract this summer, but the Capitals opted to delay negotiations until after the offseason.
With both Thompson and Lindgren playing above their current salaries, the Capitals will need to shell out if they want to keep them in DC. Mackenzie Blackwood set a potential benchmark for the goaltending market last week, signing a five-year extension with the Colorado Avalanche worth $5.25 per season. Thompson has outperformed Blackwood so far this year, though Blackwood has spent most of the season playing behind the bottom-feeding San Jose Sharks.
Igor Shesterkin’s eight-year, $92 million extension with the New York Rangers also set a new ceiling on the goalie market earlier this month. At $11.5 million per season, Shesterkin will become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history when the contract kicks in next fall.
In addition to Lindgren and Thompson, the Capitals are set to have seven skaters on their active roster become unrestricted free agents next summer, including Jakob Chychrun, Nic Dowd, Lars Eller, Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, Jakub Vrana, and Dylan McIlrath.
