Nicklas Backstrom News

With the NHL Draft and the most hectic day of the free agency period behind us, we can start to sort through the rubble of all the moves that have occurred over the last several weeks and see how they will affect the upcoming fantasy season.

Just like any hard core hockey fan I love nothing more than to play the role of general manager.

On the first day of free agency, the Washington Capitals inked veteran winger Mike Knuble to a two-year, $5.6 million contract... by Dave Nichols 6 reads July 02, 2009 On the first day of free agency, the Washington Capitals inked veteran winger Mike Knuble to a two-year, $5.6 million contract.

HKNCapitals-Knuble,0203 Capitals sign RW Knuble to free-agent contract Eds: APNewsNow.

While the Washington Capitals may do some bargain shopping once free agent season begins Wednesday, the long-term health of the franchise is more dependent on the contract situations of Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin.

MONTREAL, June 26 -- For the third time in four seasons, the Washington Capitals selected a center from Sweden in the first round of the draft, bolstering a position General Manager George McPhee considers essential to his team's future success.

On Friday night, McPhee used the No. 24 overall pick to chose Marcus Johansson, a two-way player scouts describe as skilled but not flashy.

'Center ice is a hard position to fill in this league -- a creative, puck moving, center-ice man,' McPhee said. 'If you look at the teams that win Cups, Pittsburgh most recently with [Evgeni] Malkin and [Sidney] Crosby or before that Detroit with [Henrik] Zetterberg and [Pavel] Datsyuk, they have that.'

The Washington Capitals have been pretty happy with the Swedish centers they have drafted recently, so they weren't afraid to add another Friday night at Bell Centre.

After 18 seasons, three Stanley Cups, an MVP award and 483 goals, Sergei Fedorov has decided to leave the NHL and finish his illustrious career in Russia.

Fedorov, 39, was an integral part of the Washington Capitals the past season and a half and was in preliminary discussions to return for another. But a more lucrative offer from Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League and the opportunity to play on the same team with his younger brother, Fedor, proved too much to pass up.

Fedorov, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent next Wednesday, signed a two-year deal with Magnitogorsk, according press releases posted on both the team and the KHL's Web sites yesterday.

A week after 2K Games announced the cover athlete for NHL 2K10 , EA Sports has revealed the cover boy for their own hockey game NHL 10 : Patrick Kane of the Chicago Black Hawks.

While Alexander Ovechkin is the cover boy for the rival 2K Sports NHL 2K10 game, Patrick Kane has been announced today as the cover by for the EA Sports NHL 10... Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane is Cover Boy for NHL 10 by Kevin Lee 79 reads Breaking News While Alexander Ovechkin is the cover boy for the rival 2K Sports NHL 2K10 game, Patrick Kane ...

Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, left, celebrates with Mike Green after the defenceman scored a goal against the New York Rangers in an Eastern Conference playoff game at Madison Square Garden in April.

I know this is very belated, but I wrote it the night of the loss and thought I published it, but apparently I did not.

Comments DETROIT Oskar Osala has been something of a victim of circumstance in his first professional season in North America, but that hasn't stopped him from finding success with the Hershey Bears.

Johnston, Chris - Pittsburgh Penguins' Jordan Staal, center, celebrates his goal as Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom , from Sweden and defenseman Shaone Morrisonn skate nearby during the second period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington.

Now the 21-year-old is a household name among Washington Capitals fans for helping the team into the second round of the playoffs, but this was far from the ending he might have hoped for.

Last summer, George McPhee did what he could to keep his Washington Capitals team from the previous season together.

Alex Ovechkin was supposed to address reporters inside the Mellon Arena here after the Capitals' morning skate ahead of Game 6 against Pittsburgh, but he skipped out.

PITTSBURGH, May 11 -- The fact that the Washington Capitals extended their season Monday night will be chalked up to David Steckel's goal in overtime, and rightfully so, because it provided a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, pushing the Eastern Conference semifinals to a decisive Game 7 Wednesday night. But the extended season was exemplified by something much more mundane -- Viktor Kozlov, a 34-year-old Russian, sweating profusely as he pumped his legs on an exercise bike in a cramped corridor under the stands at Mellon Arena.

PITTSBURGH, Penn.-Scenes from another deflating road loss in this old white dome: ? A lethargic Mike Green, giving away the puck and the clinching goal.

When the Washington Capitals needed to win every game in the final two weeks last season to make the playoffs, they did it.