Capitals re-sign Ethen Frank to two-year contract extension

A young sniper has received a nice little payday.

On Wednesday, Washington Capitals general manager Chris Patrick announced that the team has re-signed forward Ethen Frank to a two-year contract extension. The deal, set to kick in next season, will carry an AAV of $2 million through the 2027-28 campaign.

Frank is in the final season of the two-year, two-way contract that he signed in June 2024. The deal has a cap hit of $775,000. This new contract will be the first time in Frank’s young NHL career that he will be paid above the league minimum.

In his first full season with the Capitals, the Aurora, Colo. native has started to come into his own as a solid secondary scorer, despite the team having a relatively bumpy campaign. In 52 games, he has scored 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points. He sits tied for eighth on the team in goals and 10th in points.

It comes after a solid first endeavor with the big club. In 2024-25, Frank split time between Washington and its American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears. He potted four goals and three assists for seven points. With the Bears, he posted 20 goals and 28 points in 35 games.

Frank’s scoring prowess made him an intriguing under-the-radar prospect coming out of college. At Western Michigan University, he led the NCAA in goals with 26 during his senior season. He ended up signing with the Bears on a minor-league deal, and became a big part of the Caps’ farm system from then on. He scored 30 and 29 goals in his first two seasons, respectively, helping Hershey win back-to-back Calder Cups.

The Capitals (31-25-7) sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division, four points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.