Report: Holtby, Capitals won't talk contract during season

The Washington Capitals and netminder Braden Holtby are postponing contract negotiations until the offseason, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported during "Headlines" on Saturday.

"The Capitals and Holtby's agent, David Kaye, have decided that they will not talk contract during the season," Friedman said. "They will wait until after the year. The focus will be on trying to win the Stanley Cup."

Friedman then pointed to Washington's recent history of signing core players during the offseason.

"I've been told, 'Don't panic necessarily,' Capitals fans, about that," he said. "If you look at their history, they have signed (John) Carlson and (T.J.) Oshie after the season, before free agency. So, just because it's not happening now, it doesn't mean it still possibly can't happen."

Holtby is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in August he'd begin talks with Holtby and fellow pending UFA Nicklas Backstrom before training camp opened.

The Capitals have run Holtby as their No. 1 goaltender since 2013, and the 30-year-old is in the final season of a five-year, $30.5-million contract he signed in 2015.

Holtby owns a .918 save percentage for his career but has performed below par this year, as well as during the two seasons prior. He's 16-4-4 with a .909 save clip and 2.82 goals-against average this season.

His illustrious Capitals tenure is highlighted by a Vezina Trophy in 2016 and a Stanley Cup in 2018.

Washington is projected to have roughly $19.5 million in available money for next season, without factoring a potential increase to the league's salary cap, according to Cap Friendly. Along with Holtby and Backstrom, Radko Gudas, Brendan Leipsic, Travis Boyd, and Jonas Siegenthaler are other Capitals players in need of new contracts for next season.