Ready or not, the 2009-10 NHL season is less than three weeks away. The Capitals open on Oct. 1 in Boston against the Bruins. In the meantime, Saturday afternoon was Media Day at Kettler Capitals Iceplex – a morning for players to undergo physicals and have photos taken. The Caps officially open training camp on Sunday in preparation for another season of high expectations. Washington, of course, lost a seven-game series to the Pittsburgh Penguins last May in the Eastern Conference semifinals – the team that eventually won the Stanley Cup.
One issue facing the organization is the status of veteran center Michael Nylander. The 36-year-old did report to Kettler on Saturday. What will happen from there is anyone’s guess. Nylander played in 72 games last season, but clashed with coach Bruce Boudreau about his role and ice time. He played in just two playoff games before becoming a healthy scratch the rest of the way. The problem? Nylander is the team’s third-highest paid player at $5.5 million per year. His salary-cap hit is $4.875 million. It would clearly be best for both sides if Nylander moved on. But that’s easier said the done. His salary makes a trade difficult. The other team would need an open spot at center and the cap space to accommodate Nylander for the next two seasons. Then, Nylander has a no-movement clause in his contract and must approve any deal.
“Well, he’s here. He’s in great shape,” said Caps general manager George McPhee this morning. “There’s some discussion with some European teams and something may develop there. But we’ll see.”
Nylander reportedly made comments in a Swedish-language newspaper earlier this summer that Boudreau told him during a meeting last spring he wasn’t good enough to play. What the exact remarks were only Boudreau and Nylander know for sure. And Nylander wasn’t talking on Saturday morning.
“I don’t know what air there is really [to clear],” Boudreau said when asked if he would meet with Nylander again as camp starts. “I mean, we had an extensive talk at then end of last year and I don’t know – I talk to all the players and I’m sure he’s going to be one of them.”
