Facing mounting depth issues, the Washington Capitals brought back Brett Leason on Monday, signing the bottom-six forward to a one-year, two-way contract.
The deal is worth $775k at the NHL level, the veteran minimum, and $250k in the AHL.
In a corresponding move, the Capitals placed Leason on waivers for the purpose of sending him to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have signed forward Brett Leason to a one-year, two-way contract ($775,000/$250,000). The Capitals place Leason on waivers for the purpose of loaning him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL.#ALLCAPS | @Shift4 https://t.co/JJ8697qWif
Leason was available after the Minnesota Wild released him from a professional tryout agreement during training camp and had signed a PTO with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on October 13.
Leason formerly spent three seasons in the Capitals organization after the team selected him in the second round, 56th overall, in the 2019 NHL Draft. The Calgary native posted 47 points (18g, 29a) in 114 games for the Hershey Bears from 2019 through 2022 and chipped in six points (3g, 3a) in 36 NHL games with the Capitals during the 2021-22 season.
large humans gather on ice for intricate pregame ritual pic.twitter.com/8cYwJvlsUe
The next fall, the Capitals lost the 6-foot-5, 220-pound forward to a waiver claim by the Anaheim Ducks on October 10, 2022, as they tried to sneak the Canadian winger down to the minors. Leason would go on to play the next three seasons for the Ducks, posting 48 points (22g, 26a) in 184 games, which included a career-best season of 22 points (11g, 11a) during the 2023-24 season. Per the Capitals, Leason ranked fifth among Ducks forwards in shorthanded ice time (257:15) and sixth in hits (179) over his three seasons with the team.
Leason comes back to the organization after the Capitals granted Sheldon Rempal his release last week so he could pursue opportunities overseas, signing a big-money KHL contract with his former team, Salavat Yulaev, on Saturday. If Leason makes it through waivers, he would assume Rempal’s veteran forward spot on the team.
The Capitals are also dealing with an injury to Dylan Strome at the NHL level, recalling Ethen Frank from the AHL earlier in the day, while six different players are currently injured in Hershey. Forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko (upper body), Henrik Rybinski (upper body), Luke Toporowski (upper body), and Dalton Smith are dealing with issues, along with defensemen Nicky Leiverman (lower body) and Leon Muggli (upper body). The Bears have also come out of the gates slowly to start the season, losing four of their first six games.