The Washington Capitals have put in work signing players to add to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, for their next season where they’ll look to defend their Calder Cup Championship. Alongside an extension for Dylan McIlrath and the additions of Matthew Phillips and Pierrick Dube comes a signing of Alex Limoges from the Winnipeg Jets’ affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Per PuckPedia, the deal is a one-year, two-way contract carrying a $775k AAV and a $235k AHL salary. Seeing as Hershey already has their first-line center locked in with Michael Sgarbossa, Limoges figures to slot in either as the team’s second or third-line center, depending on the fate of 2020 first-rounder Hendrix Lapierre.
Limoges, 25, hasn’t yet played in the NHL but has been an extremely strong AHL scorer ever since he turned pro out of Penn State. The Virginia native scored 20 goals and 54 points for the Moose this past season, leading the team in scoring.
He only managed one goal and no assists in five playoff games and did not earn any NHL games or a qualifying offer, but his play was improved compared to last season and he firmly established himself as a top-six player in the AHL.
Now he’ll bring his services closer to home and play for the defending Calder Cup champion, with the hope of finally earning a call-up to make his NHL debut.
Hershey will be strong this year. They’ll have junior scorers Ryan Hofner and Alex Suzdalev Bedard’s sidekick in Regina) coming in, and 1st rounder Ivan Mirishnichenko. I’d rather them playing draft choices, than signing AHL players.