Capitals, Sharks Extend Bona Fide Offers To Five Prospects

The Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks have taken the steps needed to retain their negotiating rights over five players, with the Capitals extending a bona fide offer to forwards Patrick Thomas and Brett Hyland, as well as defenseman Cameron Allen (Twitter link), while the Sharks have extended offers to forwards Brandon Svoboda and David Klee. A bona fide offer is the offer of a standard player contract that meets the requirements of an entry-level contract, including meeting the minimum salary and length requirements of an ELC. Offers stay open for 30 days after they’re extended, meaning the quintet of players will have throughout June to accept their offers. Accepting a bona fide offer waves a player’s rights to salary arbitration after the contract ends.

Washington’s list of now extended prospect rights is headlined by 2023 fifth-round pick Cam Allen, who’s seen his point totals decrease in each season since he joined the OHL in 2021-22. Allen posted 37 points in 65 games as a rookie, but followed it up with 25 points in 62 games last year and just nine in 25 games this year. He’s fallen a long way after being previously acclaimed as one of the top Canadian defenders in his age group. That merit was flaunted when Allen captained Team Canada at the 2023 World U18 Championship, recording four points in seven games as Canada raced to a Bronze Medal. Allen also served as an assistant captain for the Guelph Storm this season; a role he’ll likely maintain when he returns to Guelph for his final year of OHL eligibility next season.

Allen is flanked by forwards Patrick Thomas and Brett Hyland – Washington’s selections in the fourth and seventh rounds of the 2023 draft respectively. Thomas has one more year of OHL eligibility ahead of him, after posting a career-high 21 goals and 66 points in just 57 games with the Brantford Bulldogs this season. He’s a well-rounded, ’jack of all trades’ forward whose physicality in the defensive end and heads-up positioning on offense have helped him contribute in all three zones. That two-way reliability has been a nice match for the much more aggressive Florian Xhekaj, though Thomas could certainly improve his own play-driving. At just 19, he’ll have plenty of time to continue adding those traits, should he return to the OHL next year. That question doesn’t extend to Hyland, who completed his fourth complete WHL season with the Brandon Wheat Kings this year, posting a career-high 32 goals…