The Washington Capitals are deep in the playoffs, but aren’t sitting on their hands when it comes to adding to the organization. Today the team announced the signing of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby to a three-year entry-level contract that carries a $860K cap hit. CapFriendly has the breakdown of the contract:
- 2018-19: $725K salary, $80K signing bonus
- 2019-20: $775K salary, $85K signing bonus
- 2020-21: $825K salary, $90K signing bonus
The deal is two-way as like with any entry-level deal, and also includes a European Assignment Clause. That means should Jonsson-Fjallby fail to make the Capitals out of camp next season, he could potentially return to Sweden instead of playing in the minor leagues.
Selected in the fifth round in 2016, Jonsson-Fjallby may be best known for his performance in this year’s World Junior tournament. His flowing blonde locks were hard to miss, as he helped Sweden to a silver medal after a heartbreaking loss to Team Canada in the gold medal game. The 6’0″ winger recorded four points in the tournament, but was all around the puck and showed that his potential might be a bit higher than previously expected.
In 42 games in the SHL this season Jonsson-Fjallby recorded 16 points, a fair total for a 19/20 year old in his first full season at the level. Impressively though he added eight more in 11 playoff games as one of Djurgardens most dangerous offensive players. His six goals ranked fourth in postseason scoring, and could point to a higher level of play that he’s unlocked recently. A shoot-first winger, he was known more for his speed and forechecking ability before this year and could fit into various roles in a North American professional team.