After another big win over the Columbus Blue Jackets to help keep them up front in the Metropolitan Division standings, the Washington Capitals got back to work on Saturday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The team held a practice to prepare for their Sunday matinee game with the Detroit Red Wings. Prior to practice, some big news broke that affected the future of one of their potential free agents in a positive way. Here are the news and notes from Saturday.
LINES
Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Connolly-Eller-Chiasson/Burakovsky
Stephenson-Beagle-Smith-Pelly
Defense
Orlov-Niskanen
Djoos-Carlson
Orpik-Bowey
NEWS
The biggest news on Saturday came before the team even laced up their skates and took the ice. The Capitals announced that they have re-signed Lars Eller to a five-year contract extension worth $17.5 million with an average annual value of $3.5 million. Eller has earned that paycheck with his stellar play on the third line this season. With 11 goals and 28 points through 53 games, he is well on his way to reaching career highs in both. His 28 points are just two shy of the career-high he set in the 2013 lockout-shortened season and Eller needs just five more goals to tie the career-high that he set in the 2011-2012 season. Both of those marks came during his time with the Montreal Canadiens. Part of his success this season came in a 10-game run from Jan 7. to Feb. 2 where Eller posted nine points (five goals, four assists).
#Caps center @lellerofficial signs contract extension to remain in the District through the 2022-23 season!@VogsCaps breaks it down: https://t.co/BkBgUtNhXR#ALLCAPSpic.twitter.com/G2LkA1DZmN
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 10, 2018
Eller spoke with the media following practice about his new deal saying, “This is where I wanted to be. Looking at the options, I wanted to stay here. It’s a good fit for me. I think the team is gonna be competitive not just this year, the next couple of years with the core that they have we’re gonna continue to be a top team. It’s certainly more fun being on a team that you know is gonna be competitive and that is the case here. This is where I wanted to be.”
Shifting the attention to on the ice, Andre Burakovsy and Alex Chiasson were taking turns rotating on the third line alongside Eller and Brett Connolly. It is unclear at this time who would be in and who would be out of the lineup tomorrow. With no morning skate on Sunday, we may not know until warmups.
Looks like Burakovsky and Chiasson are rotating alongside Eller and Connolly in practice. Not sure who’d be in tomorrow. Burakovsky was the healthy scratch last game.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) February 10, 2018
Burakovsky was a healthy scratch in Friday’s game vs. the Blue Jackets and only played for 6:34 seconds during Tuesday’s win in Columbus. Burakovsky sat out the entire third period of that contest and his final shift came with 2:12 left in the second period. Trotz said after practice that he expects Burakovsky to be back in the lineup tomorrow but isn’t exactly sure what the lineup will be.
Barry Trotz says he expects Andre Burakovsky to be back in the lineup tomorrow against the Red Wings. He said he has not told Andre that yet, and that he’s not exactly sure what the lineup will be.
He did, however, confirm that there will be a lineup.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) February 10, 2018
SHAVINGS
- In his last six games. Evgeny Kuznetsov has led the Capitals with nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) and is riding a team-high six game point and assist streak.
- Kuznetsov’s 37 assists lead the team this season and are tied for 14th in the NHL.
- Kuznetsov has recorded an assist in 25 games this season, with the Caps posting a record of 18-4-3 in those games.
CAPS TODAY
CAPS TODAY: With a goal and an assist last night versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, Evegeny Kuznetsov now has nine points in his last seven games, (2g, 7a), setting a new team high in both points and assists. https://t.co/5ENLuRWaKu pic.twitter.com/yuuesDvjul
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) February 10, 2018
INTERVIEWS
Lars Eller
Lars Eller discusses his new five-year, $17.5 million extension with the #Caps. pic.twitter.com/cfJAnaJ2V4
— Tarik El-Bashir⌨🎙🏒 (@TarikNBCS) February 10, 2018
CAPITALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Hello again. pic.twitter.com/AzScJtgFng
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) February 10, 2018
The #CapsKidsClub presented by @GiantFood is having their annual Kids Day today! @Caps_Slapshot and the @capsredrockers here for the festivities. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/RyjifjWxcJ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 10, 2018
Owen Meyer is killing it out here with the boys! @WishMidAtlantic #CapsCare #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/o6NsMb1QUt
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 10, 2018
Owen Meyer & @JVranaa hot dogging around after practice #ALLCAPS #CapsCare pic.twitter.com/eYiMJLPofh
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 10, 2018
By Michael Marzzacco
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