When the Washington Capitals acquired Nick Jensen from Detroit just over two years ago, they wasted no time making him part of their long-term plans, inking the pending free agent to a four-year, $10-million contract extension. At the time, GM Brian MacLellan described his new rearguard as “a reliable modern-day defenseman” who “can defend well and log valuable minutes.”
In retrospect, it’s clear what MacLellan thought he had in Jensen: a defensive-minded right-handed defenseman who could replace Matt Niskanen in the Caps’ top-four at less than half of the latter’s $5.75-million cap hit.