Capitals Add Veteran Depth With Jonny Brodzinski

The Washington Capitals continued adding organizational depth Wednesday by signing veteran forward Jonny Brodzinski to a one-year, one-way contract worth $850,000. While this isn’t a move expected to dramatically change Washington’s NHL lineup, it gives the organization another proven veteran who can step into the lineup when injuries inevitably occur.

Brodzinski, 33, is coming off another productive season with the New York Rangers, appearing in 55 NHL games while scoring six goals and adding 10 assists for 16 points. He averaged 10:29 of ice time per game, finished with 47 hits, and was used primarily in a fourth-line role while occasionally seeing power-play time.

The Minnesota native has carved out a lengthy professional career after starring at St. Cloud State University. Since making his NHL debut with the Los Angeles Kings in 2016-17, Brodzinski has also spent time with the San Jose Sharks and Rangers. Over 264 career NHL games, he has totaled 33 goals, 38 assists and 71 points while proving he can fill a variety of bottom-six roles.

His greatest value, however, has often come in the American Hockey League.

Brodzinski has consistently been one of the AHL’s better offensive veterans. During the 2023-24 season he scored 11 goals and 25 points in just 16 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack before spending most of the year with the Rangers. In 2022-23 he posted 21 goals and 48 points in 47 AHL games, while recording 18 goals and 39 points in only 36 games during the 2021-22 season. Earlier in his career he produced 27 goals and 49 points for Ontario in 2016-17, showing he has been an impact scorer at the AHL level for nearly a decade.

Although Brodzinski signed a one-way NHL contract, the Capitals’ offseason additions make it difficult to envision him earning an everyday roster spot. Washington has already added Boone Jenner, Brandon Duhaime, and several other veteran pieces, creating far more competition than existed a season ago.

Instead, Brodzinski projects as an ideal Hershey Bears veteran. His leadership, experience and offensive production would make him a major addition for the Bears while keeping an NHL-caliber forward just a phone call away. If injuries strike the Capitals, Brodzinski has shown throughout his career that he can step into a fourth-line role without needing much adjustment.

That organizational depth is something Washington lacked at times in recent seasons. Rather than rushing prospects into NHL action, the Capitals can now rely on a veteran with more than 260 NHL games and over 250 AHL points on his résumé. It’s not a flashy signing, but it is exactly the type of move successful organizations make to survive the grind of an 82-game season.

MSB Take

This is the type of signing winning organizations make.

Jonny Brodzinski isn’t coming to Washington expecting to play 82 games, and the Capitals aren’t signing him to be a top-nine forward. They’re signing him because they know an NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

Washington has dramatically improved its organizational depth over the past few days. Boone Jenner projects as a middle-six fixture, Brandon Duhaime returns as a physical bottom-six winger, and now Brodzinski gives the organization another proven NHL veteran who can step into the lineup without the coaching staff worrying about whether he’s ready.

The reality is Brodzinski will probably spend much of the season in Hershey. That’s not a knock on him—it’s a reflection of how much deeper the Capitals have become. He’ll likely serve as one of the Bears’ veteran leaders while remaining among the first forwards recalled when injuries hit the NHL roster.

That’s an upgrade over recent years, when Washington often had to rely on inexperienced prospects or career minor leaguers in key situations.

Brodzinski also brings an impressive AHL résumé. He has topped 20 goals multiple times, has produced well over 250 career AHL points, and has worn the captain’s “C” in Hartford. Those are exactly the types of veterans who help prospects develop while keeping a championship-caliber culture in the minors.

At 33 years old, Brodzinski isn’t part of the Capitals’ long-term future, but he doesn’t have to be. His job is to provide dependable depth, leadership, and insurance. If Washington only needs him for 20-30 NHL games because the rest of the roster stays healthy, the signing will have done exactly what it was intended to do.

Not every free-agent signing has to be flashy. Sometimes the smartest moves are the ones that quietly strengthen an organization from top to bottom, and this looks like one of those moves.