(photo by Brian Murphy)
When you want it done right, you gotta go north of the border.
While that may not be the case in most instances, it definitely applies to all things hockey. And that is why, I would like to turn your attention to a few articles currently featured on the TSN Canada website (think ESPN, without the suck). For starters, the Washington Capitals have re-signed Brooks “Ladies’ Man” Laich to a three-year deal worth a little over $6 million. On top of that, TSN is also reporting that the Caps have re-signed Sergei Federov to a one-year deal worth $4 million. This, my friends, is what we in the business call “great news.”
Laich, whom some of you may remember the Caps acquired in the Peter Bondra deal, posted career highs in goals (21), assists (16) and points (37) last year. And while the ladies may love him for different reasons, Caps fans embraced the 25-year-old for being one of the few players in our nation’s capitals who showed a consistent willingness to post up in front of the net, even if it meant taking a beating from opposing defensemen. On a team largely comprised of finesse players, Laich isn’t afraid of doing the dirty work.
Speaking of finesse players, how great is it to have Federov back in town? The 17-year-veteran may have only been a Capital since the trade deadline, but I’ve yet to find a Caps fan who didn’t want him back for another season. The guy will forget more about hockey than most players will ever know, and the fact that he’ll head into next season as the third center (behind Nicklas Backstrom and Michael Nylander) is a wonderful luxury that most teams simply cannot afford.
And finally, I would like to direct your attention to this feature story on the Capitals’ next star, Karl Alzner. If you’re looking for a young stud defenseman to complement Alex Ovechkin and friends, this is your man. As a member of the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, Alzner earned defenseman of the year and player of the year honors. Oh, and he captained Canada’s gold-winning squad at the world junior tournament too. Needless to say, this guy is the real deal.
Unlike the Nationals, the Caps are quickly becoming must-see TV.
