What the Capitals are getting in Dartmouth goalie Clay Stevenson, and why he signed – `

Clay Stevenson was already having a solid sophomore season for Dartmouth when he put forth the kind of performance that can earn an undrafted player an NHL contract.

Facing nationally ranked UMass Lowell on the road Feb. 5 — and with Capitals brass in the building — Stevenson turned aside 23 shots in the opening period to keep the score close in a game that otherwise should not have been. The Big Green lost that night in Lowell, Mass., but Stevenson’s status as a pro prospect had been cemented, at least in the Caps’ eyes.

“I don’t know if I look at him and say he reminds me of one specific goalie,” said Dartmouth head coach Reid Cashman, who served as an assistant coach with the Capitals from 2018-20. “I just I look at him and, go, ‘Man, that guy’s a professional.'”

Stevenson finished the season with a .922 save percentage and a 2.70 goals against average in 23 starts. He was also named to the ECAC’s all-rookie team and third All-Star team as well as the all-Ivy League first team.

The 23-year-old, who was first identified by veteran Capitals scout Danny Brooks, visited Washington late last month with agent Mike O’Rafferty of Kaizen Sports and signed a few days later, picking the Caps over a handful of clubs, including Arizona , Vancouver, Seattle and the New York Rangers.

“A big but maybe not talked about a lot aspect of any NHL team is the college free-agent market,” Capitals assistant general manager Chris Patrick said. “It’s probably the most secretive, most competitive thing that any team does because these guys are totally free. It’s totally up to them where they go.