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Caps re-sign Aussie forward Nathan Walker, who ‘has a good chance’ of playing in NHL next season

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Nathan Walker has already made history as the first Australian hockey player selected in the NHL Draft.

He could further the story in the fall as the first Aussie to play an NHL game. On Thursday, the Washington Capitals re-signed the 23-year-0ld winger to a two-year, two-way contract.

Below are the financial details of the deal:

The Capitals have five players that are pending unrestricted free agents. Their offseason priorities are with getting their restricted free agents -- Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky and Dmitry Orlov to be specific -- signed, and the projected salary cap could have quite an impact on which pending UFAs Washington can bring back. With that said, it seems there is a good chance some roster spots may be up for grabs for the organization’s prospects when training camp begins.

Selected by the Capitals in the third round, 89th overall, of the 2014 draft, Walker had 11 goals and 23 points in 58 games last season with the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

He had 17 goals and 41 points in the minors the previous season, but was recently referenced by MacLellan as a player that could move up from the AHL to earn an NHL job with the Capitals next season.

“Walker has a good chance of playing,” MacLellan said, per CSN Mid-Atlantic. "...These guys can all come up, and there’s just going to be more opportunity for them to play this year.”