Braden Holtby, Capitals Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

The Washington Capitals re-signed their franchise goaltender Friday, according to the Canadian Press' Stephen Whyno:

The team made things official with a quote from general manager Brian MacLellan:

"

Braden emerged as a top NHL goaltender and we are pleased to sign him to a long-term contract. We feel Braden is just entering his prime and in his young career has already established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the history of our franchise. He is an athletic goaltender with a tremendous work ethic and is a big part of our future.

"

James Mirtle of Globe and Mail reported the deal as a good one for a rising star.

Holtby was the team's workhorse last season, appearing in 73 out of a possible 82 games in the regular season and attaining career highs in wins (41), shutouts (nine), saves (1,887) and minutes (4,247). He was an unrestricted free agent going into the offseason.

With a 41-20-10 record, Holtby did not wear down despite the amount of time he played, leading the Capitals to the Eastern Conference Semifinal after defeating the New York Islanders in the first round. They lost to the New York Rangers in overtime of Game 7. 

The team's inability to advance in the playoffs was no fault of Holtby's. The fifth-year man posted a .944 save percentage and a 1.71 goals-against average in 13 postseason games, showing that he is capable of standing on his head on even the largest of stages.

Keeping Holtby takes a ton of pressure off of Capitals management as they continue to tweak a roster that came a game away from the Eastern Conference Final. Instead of having to hit the market to look for a suitable starting goalie, they can focus on bringing in the last few small pieces of a championship puzzle.

They already have had an active offseason, acquiring wingers T.J. Oshie from the St. Louis Blues and Justin Williams from the Los Angeles Kings. With added firepower to a flashy offense that already includes Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Holtby shouldn't feel the pressure of having to shut out an opponent in order to win every night. 

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com.