The Capitals inked defense prospect David Gucciardi to his entry-level contract, as reflected by a team release. The two-year deal begins next season and carries a cap hit of $855K with an $82.5K AHL salary, the club said. He’s headed to AHL Hershey to finish the year.

Gucciardi turns pro following his senior season at Michigan State. Cornell eliminated his Spartans in the regional semifinals of the national tournament after capturing a second straight Big Ten championship. Gucciardi had a great season in the NCAA, scoring 6-10–16 in 37 games and finishing second on the team with a +21 rating. That, unsurprisingly, was enough to convince Washington to sign him before losing his rights on Aug. 15.

A 2022 seventh-round pick, Gucciardi was first eligible for selection in 2021. However, he was overlooked after splitting the year between the Youngstown Phantoms and the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League. He’s been a good two-way presence throughout his tenure at Michigan State. Still, his offense this season was a career-high by a significant margin after seeing a steady decrease in point totals from his freshman through junior seasons. Since the 2021-22 season, he owns a 17-28–45 scoring line in 139 NCAA games.

Gucciardi, a left-shot defender, stands at 6’1″ and 185 lbs per the NHL, although the Spartans list him at 200 lbs. He wasn’t ranked among Washington’s top 15 prospects by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic in January, and Dobber Prospects projects his NHL certainty at 30% with a ceiling of under 30 points per season at his peak. He’s not an impact player in the Capitals’ rather deep system by any stretch, but he’s good organizational depth and will head to one of the league’s best development environments in Hershey to begin his professional career.

The Capitals inked defense prospect David Gucciardi to his entry-level contract, as reflected by a team release. The two-year deal begins next season and carries a cap hit of $855K with an $82.5K AHL salary, the club said. He’s headed to AHL Hershey to finish the year.

Gucciardi turns pro following his senior season at Michigan State. Cornell eliminated his Spartans in the regional semifinals of the national tournament after capturing a second straight Big Ten championship. Gucciardi had a great season in the NCAA, scoring 6-10–16 in 37 games and finishing second on the team with a +21 rating. That, unsurprisingly, was enough to convince Washington to sign him before losing his rights on Aug. 15.

A 2022 seventh-round pick, Gucciardi was first eligible for selection in 2021. However, he was overlooked after splitting the year between the Youngstown Phantoms and the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League. He’s been a good two-way presence throughout his tenure at Michigan State. Still, his offense this season was a career-high by a significant margin after seeing a steady decrease in point totals from his freshman through junior seasons. Since the 2021-22 season, he owns a 17-28–45 scoring line in 139 NCAA games.

Gucciardi, a left-shot defender, stands at 6’1″ and 185 lbs per the NHL, although the Spartans list him at 200 lbs. He wasn’t ranked among Washington’s top 15 prospects by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic in January, and Dobber Prospects projects his NHL certainty at 30% with a ceiling of under 30 points per season at his peak. He’s not an impact player in the Capitals’ rather deep system by any stretch, but he’s good organizational depth and will head to one of the league’s best development environments in Hershey to begin his professional career.