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Category: Washington-Capitals

Caps Put Michael Nylander On Waivers

by Paul on 11/07/09 at 12:23 PM ET
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Per Bob McKenzie’s Twitter,

Washington puts Michael Nylander on waivers.

His salary cap hit is almost $4.9M and it runs thru the end of next season.

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Tags: Michael+Nylander,

Will Mike Green Make Team Canada?

by Paul on 11/04/09 at 03:26 PM ET
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from Dan Rosen of NHL.com,

Completely unprovoked, Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau spent Tuesday morning lobbying for defenseman Mike Green to make the Canadian Olympic team.

“If I’m Stevie Yzerman, I’m looking at him as one of your top pair,” Boudreau said.

According to people that follow the Capitals closely, it’s the first time Boudreau has publicly made a pitch on Green’s behalf. It’s also an about face from last spring, when after the playoffs were over Boudreau admitted his disappointment in Green’s overall effort through 14 postseason games.

continued

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Tags: Mike+Green, Team+Canada,

Don’t Look For A Home-Town Discount For Semin

by Paul on 11/04/09 at 11:43 AM ET
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from Dmitry Chesnokov at the Examiner,

I decided to ask Semin’s agent, Mark Gandler, a few questions about his client’s contract negotiations. “Yes, we started the process and have exchanged ideas,” - Gandler told me today. He did admit that it was “impossible to predict” if a contract will be signed before the Olympic break, as the negotiations are at a “very preliminary” stage right now. But Gandler did say that “it’s clear that the Capitals want to see Alexander in their line-up.”

I asked Gandler if there was a possibility Semin would be traded at the deadline if both sides cannot find a compromise by March. “You don’t trade one of your best players from a play-off team to another play-off team. It is self defeating,” - Semin’s agent replied.

And finally, a lot of fans believe that Semin might give a “discount” to the Capitals. I wondered if this could become an issue in the negotiations. Gandler’s reply was firm: “I don’t believe in discounts.”

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Tags: Alexander+Semin,

Washington Media Plays 20 Question With Ovechkin

by Paul on 11/03/09 at 12:55 PM ET
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And he still doesn’t break.

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Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin,

Morning Line

by Paul on 11/03/09 at 10:43 AM ET
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The players will all rally around the coach and the jerseys that they wear. This is a team. They play for each other and for our passionate fans. The players will want to thank Alex for his MVP talents and we hope to NOT miss a beat. We will test our mettle now. This may be a small blessing in disguise as each and every player will have to step up their game to replace the one-of-a-kind talents of Alex Ovechkin.

-Washington Owner Ted Leonsis. More from Ted at Ted’s Take…

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Ovechkin Injury Doesn’t Appear Serious

by Paul on 11/02/09 at 02:58 PM ET
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from Tarik El-Bashir of Capitals Insider,

Alex Ovechkin managed to sneak out through a back door at Ketter Capitals Iceplex this afternoon after receiving treatment on what is believed to be a left arm or shoulder injury, and thus avoided a handful of reporters who were camped outside of the Arlington practice facility.

But Slava Malamud of Moscow-based Sport-Express told me he caught up with Ovechkin on the phone. According to Malamud, Ovechkin declined to divulge the precise location or nature of his injury but said that “tests” taken came back negative and that the injury is not believed to be serious. Malamud also said that Ovechkin does not expect to play Wednesday in New Jersey.

continued

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Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin,

IMG Signs Ovechkin

by Paul on 11/02/09 at 10:10 AM ET
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from MarketWire,

“We are very pleased to welcome Alex to the global team at IMG,” said David Abrutyn, IMG’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Global Consulting. “He is clearly one of the world’s greatest athletes and one of the NHL’s brightest stars. His electrifying play and charismatic personality will make him one of the most sought after athletes for companies and brands to grow their business. We are looking forward to working with Alex and his family, the Capitals and the NHL to build the Ovechkin brand and the game of hockey around the world.”

“As one of the most exciting players the game of hockey has seen, Alex has captured the imagination of fans around the globe and he is well on his way to establishing himself as one of the world’s great sports icons,” said Brad Pelletier, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of IMG Canada. “The excitement and personality he brings to the game is not only great for hockey, but also for his personal brand, which we look forward to working with him to grow around the world.”

Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin,

Ovechkin With Upper-Body Injury

by Paul on 11/01/09 at 08:09 PM ET
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The Capitals post-game show said Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said Alexander Ovechkin has an upper-body injury.

He collided with Raffi Torres in the 2nd period, skated off the ice and did not return.

added 8:15pm, Boudreau now has added AO is day-to-day.

added 8:39pm, via Tarik El-Bashir of Capitals Insider,

Asked what happened during the scrum, where it appeared he was originally injured, Ovechkin said: “It was just a moment of the game. Nothing happened. [Jason Chimera] hit me, I hit him. It was a little battle over there but nothing happen. I can’t tell you how I got hurt. It’s day to day, but just in case I didn’t go back on the ice.”

Asked if he thought the injury was serious, Ovechkin said: “I don’t know.”

Ovechkin didn’t want to say much, but he did confirm that the injury is upper body in nature. He also took several drinks from his Gatorade bottle with his right hand, but did seem to be doing much with his left arm, though he was not wearing a sling.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin,

Boudreau’s Book

by Paul on 11/01/09 at 09:10 AM ET
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from Mike Wise of the Washington Post,

Boudreau is also courageous enough to talk about one of the most disturbing rookie-initiation episodes imaginable.

“They put me in the hospital during rookie hazing,” he writes of the treatment he received from his Minnesota Fighting Saints’ teammates. “They pinned me down on a gurney and tied my legs and arms. They shaved my head and pubic area. Then they put turpentine on the cuts and smeared black tar on my groin and chest. They finished by gluing my armpits and left me lying there bawling like a baby until the trainer came and took me to the hospital. If I didn’t love the game so much, I would have quit after that day. It’s one of the reasons I’ve never liked initiations. I’ve never cut another guy’s hair.”

more and Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer is available at Amazon.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Bruce+Boudreau,

Talking Caps Cap

by Paul on 11/01/09 at 08:09 AM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

The Chicago Blackhawks’ salary-cap issues have been well-documented as they attempt to sign Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith to extensions. To me, the Washington Capitals are a mini-version of that cap crunch in the East.

Star winger Alexander Semin and star center Nicklas Backstrom are both slated for restricted free agency July 1, and preliminary contract talks have already been held in both cases. I don’t think Backstrom will be an issue. But I’m hearing things aren’t going great on the Semin front.

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