The Washington Capitals re-signed defenseman Rasmus Sandin on Wednesday to a five-year contract worth $23 million.

He will count $4.6 million against the salary cap through the 2028-29 NHL season.

Sandin, who was set to be a restricted free agent this summer, has rounded out his game since joining the Capitals a year ago from Toronto in a trade deadline deal that cost them a first-round draft pick. That price has proven to be worth it, as Sandin has averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time and has 20 points in 52 games this season.

The nearly 24-year-old Swede will now be part of Washington’s blue line of the future along with franchise cornerstone John Carlson and young Slovak Martin Fehervary. Forward Aliaksei Protas also recently was extended through 2029, and only winger Tom Wilson — whose seven-year contract through 2031 begins next season — is signed for longer.

Re-signing Sandin comes on the heels of the Capitals trading Anthony Mantha to the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2024 second-round and a 2026 fourth-round pick. They also could make moves involving fellow pending free agents Joel Edmundson, Max Pacioretty and Nicolas Aube-Kubel and are receiving calls about valuable fourth-line center Nic Dowd.

General manager Brian MacLellan has said he would like to add young players to the mix even while selling, similar to the trade he made with the Maple Leafs for Sandin. Getting high picks and flipping them could still happen before the deadline Friday.

“That would be ideal,” MacLellan said last week. “That would be the type of thing we’re looking to do, yes.”

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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press