Caps look for offseason pieces
06/29/09 8:46 PM EDT
The Capitals weren’t expecting to be busy in the free-agent market this summer. But with the loss of forwards Sergei Fedorov, Viktor Kozlov and the expected departure of Donald Brashear, Washington has three holes to fill and may not be able to plug all of them from inside the franchise. With no elite offensive talent left in the minors, a free agent to replace either Kozlov or Fedorov makes sense. But the Caps were tight against the salary cap all last season so any additions will have to be cost effective. Here are some possible candidates when free agency opens Wednesday:
Mike Knuble, F
The veteran winger would be a nice fit. Pittsburgh had success with a similar player in Bill Guerin, acquired at the trade deadline. Knuble is big at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds and loves to crash the net. He is 37. But he made just $2.8 million last year with Philadelphia so a modest raise might work for the Caps. Knuble has scored between 21 and 30 goals in each of the last six years.
Nik Antropov, F
Another big man at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds. Has a skill set similar to Kozlov and scored a career-high 28 goals last year splitting time between Toronto and the New York Rangers. That came after a 26-goal season in 2007-08. He also had a good postseason series against the Caps last spring. The forward made $2.1 million last year, but that could double this summer. Antropov, 29, has been injury-plagued in recent years.
Mike Komisarek, D
The defenseman had a rough 2008-09 season with the Canadiens in part because of nagging injuries. But maybe that will drop the price just enough to let the Caps jump in the mix. He made just $1.9 million last year. At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Komisarek, 28, is a nasty, physical presence in front of the net and not afraid to drop the gloves — exactly what Washington’s blueline needs. He’s not a productive offensive player with 19 points his career best.
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