The Washington Capitals extended qualifying offers to six players that were due to hit restricted free agency.
Forwards Jakub Vrana, Andre Burakovsky, Chandler Stephenson and Colby Williams received offers, along with defenseman Christian Djoos and goaltender Vitek Vanecek.
Dmitrij Jaskin, meanwhile, did not receive an offer and thus will hit unrestricted free agency.
The Capitals and Vrana are expected to negotiate a long-term or bridge deal over the summer. Vrana, who is just 23 years old with two years of NHL experience, figures into Washington’s long-term plans as a top-six forward.
Burakovsky, once one of the top young prospects Washington had, was the subject of trade speculation for much of the 2018-19 season. But the Capitals held on to him, and in turn he began to perform better in the late stages of the season, even scoring a postseason goal.
Williams and Vanecek played with AHL affiliate Hershey last year and have yet to make their NHL debuts.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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