What happened: Justin Sourdif agreed to an eight-year contract with Washington at a $6.35 million annual average value, locking in one of the last max-term deals before the new CBA cut contract limits to seven years. The former Panthers third-round pick was selected No. 87 overall in 2020 and turned his first full run in Washington into 15 goals and 35 points over 78 games last season.

Why it matters: The timing gives the Capitals long-term cost certainty on a 24-year-old center before the league's contract rules tightened. It also shows Washington views Sourdif as a real piece of its middle group down the middle alongside Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Boone Jenner and Ilya Protas.

What to watch: The next read is where Sourdif opens camp in Washington's center rotation and how much offensive usage follows this commitment. His role will be one of the clearer tells on how quickly the Capitals expect him to outgrow a bottom-six slot.