Although it has not been confirmed by either Caps GM Brian MacLellan or Holtby's agent David Kaye, the Washington Capitals and Braden Holtby have begun contract talks.
Holtby is coming off a career year that saw him take the Capitals to within one goal of the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998. Holtby played in 73 regular season games compiling a 41-20 record with a 2.22 GAA and .923 SP.
He was the backbone of a Capitals team that has struggled in the goalie department since Olaf Kolzig manned the pipes. The Caps have never found the consistency they wanted, but now they are hoping Holtby is the franchise netminder they have been craving.
While the Caps were defeated in one of the best playoff series this season, Holtby was up to the task facing off against one of the games greats in Henrik Lundqvist. Holtby put a 6-7 record with a 1.71 GAA and a .944 SP. He was the was the heart and soul of the Caps lineup throughout their post-season run and now that he is entering RFA status, the Capitals are hoping to lock him up for at about 5-7 years.
Holtby will probably be looking to receive around $5M a season in this deal and GMBM and owner Ted Leonsis will have no problem giving it to him.
The Capitals have around $20M to spend this off-season and Holtby is just one of a few players that the Caps hope to retain. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson are also RFA's, and Mike Green, Eric Fehr, Jay Beagle, and Joel Ward are just a few of the UFA's the Capitals are offering up this summer.
Let's hear your thoughts on Holtby. Is he worth $5M a year for 5-7 years? Can he keep up this style of play and lead the Caps over the elusive playoff hump?
More to come...