Capitals Restore Fourth Line, Ink Duhaime & Raddysh As They Shift Attention To Forward Lines

ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals spent the morning upgrading the blue line but also made some important tweaks to the fourth line as well.

Washington signed left wing Brandon Duhaime and right wing Taylor Raddysh to respective contracts.

Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman , Duhaime's deal is two years and carries an AAV of $1.85 million, and per PuckPedia , Raddysh's contract is for one year at $1 million.

After trading away Beck Malenstyn in order to move up in the second round of the NHL Draft and parting ways with unrestricted free agent Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Washington's powerhouse fourth line was left without two key wingers on either side of Nic Dowd.

Related: Capitals Continue To Bolster Blue Line, Sign Matt Roy To Long-Term Deal After Jakob Chychrun Trade

Both Duhaime and Raddysh bring the ability to complement Dowd and slot in there.

In 80 games split between the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche last season, Duhaime picked up five goals and 13 points, along with 208 hits. However, it's not his point production that makes him an asset on the ice.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Duhaime, who comes in at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, is a hard-hitting forward who goes all out on the forecheck and has good speed. He doesn't shy away from throwing the body and doesn't mind dropping the gloves, either, which makes him a strong replacement for Beck Malenstyn. The 27-year-old also has quick hands and can be a threat offensively, as he is able to get to the dirty areas and win puck battles. He can also play on the penalty kill.

Raddysh also brings size and skill to the bottom six and can get to the dangerous areas. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound winger had 14 points in 73 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, along with 84 hits and 43 takeaways.