Lucas Johansen, the blueliner taken 28th overall at the 2016 draft, has signed his three-year, entry-level deal with Washington, the club announced on Thursday.
Johansen, the younger brother of Nashville center Ryan Johansen, is in his third season with WHL Kelowna. The 19-year-old has six goals and 36 points through 60 games, slightly off the impressive 10-goal, 49-point effort he put up in his draft year.
“I think he has some special tools, in terms of his ability to slow down the play and see some things that other players don’t,” Washington assistant coach Todd Reirden said after watching Johansen in the preseason, per the Post. “He’s looking like an outstanding draft pick for us and a real great prospect moving forward.”
The Caps announced that Johansen will remain in junior this season.
In a related move, the club also inked another defenseman -- 22-year-old Colby Williams -- to a two-year, entry-level deal. Williams, who’s been playing with the club’s AHL affiliate in Hershey, was a sixth-round pick in 2015.