FanHouse George Mcphee

As was first reported by Dan Steinberg at DC Sports Bog last night, both the CBC and Versus aired some video footage last night during the pre-game show before Game 3 of the Caps-Penguins series that featured a shot of a dry erase board listing the team's "keys to victory." While nothing earth-shattering was revealed -- "Don't let Crosby/Malkin have any room," is hardly a state secret -- that didn't stop Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau and general manager George McPhee from expressing their displeasure to the press Thursday while announcing they won't be allowing any locker room access to camera crews before Game 4.

WASHINGTON – It became custom sometime ago that the hero in a victorious Capitals locker room received a shower of shaving cream from his happy teammates.

A couple of weeks ago, TSN hockey analyst Gord Miller came to the conclusion that in order for the Pittsburgh Penguins to remain competitive in the NHL, they would have to deal the league's leading scorer, Evgeni Malkin, for a first-line winger, a No. 2 center, and "hopefully" a pick or a prospect. It was a laughable proposal.

On Sunday night, Rob Rossi, Penguins beat writer for the Tribune-Review, appeared on a weekly Pittsburgh talk show and suggested the team would be wise to put Sidney Crosby on the trade block this offseason. I guess this is what happens when you go from being two wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup to being the No. 10 team in the Eastern Conference in a matter of one season.

One rumor we keep hearing in and around the Washington Capitals this offseason concerns the disposition of veteran centerman Michael Nylander. With the team almost $2.7 million over the cap after re-signing a passel of players and a logjam up the middle, it's hard for the folks who watch the team not to speculate as to what General Manager George McPhee might have up his sleeve to get under the cap by opening night.

Toss in the fact that Nylander's former agent, Mike Gillis, is now General Manager in Vancouver, and you have a pretty typical recipe for intrigue.

And here's something new for the mix: Our FanHouse colleague Jon "J.P." Press, with an assist from some of his readers, discovered that Nylander put his Potomac, Md. house on the market back on July 17. The discovery is just more fuel for the fire, as former goalie Olie Kolzig's departure from Washington was also presaged by a real estate listing for his home.

When you take a look at the numbers, it's clear that moving Nylander, who was imported from the New York Rangers as a free agent before the start of last season, would solve the team's cap problem in one fell swoop. Coming in at a cap hit of $4.875 million, trading the veteran center would take care of the overage and provide about $2 million in cushion going into the season -- just the sort of cushion that most GMs would like to have come the trade deadline.

But will the Caps need to move Nylander at all? The answer: It depends.

TSN is reporting that the Washington Capitals and restricted free agent defenseman Mike Green have come to an agreement on a four-year contract that will pay him an average of $5.25 million per season. The signing has to be seen as a major relief for the franchise, as Green is just the sort of young impact player who may have well attracted an offer sheet from another franchise, this despite the fact that Washington General Manager George McPhee had made it clear from the outset that he would match any offer sheet Green might have received.

With Green signed, the team's immediate concern has to be signing unrestricted free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet. The latest word on those negotiations came from Corey Masisack of The Washington Times, who spoke with Huet's agent Stephen Bartlett. According to Bartlett, he and the Capitals hadn't been in contact for some time, as he had indicated to the team that he and Huet were committed to waiting until today to see what the market has to say about Huet's value. I talked briefly with Bartlett myself last Friday, and he said to me that while the team and Huet were in sync on the length of the contract, the holdup was, as it always is, the dollar amount.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: I was assisting Dr. Mirtle in surgery when the Caps held a conference call, but Puck Daddy was there.

The other shoe finally dropped on San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson today as the team announced that he had been dismissed and the search for a replacement would begin immediately.

I'm finding myself having a tough time saying much about this decision, as most of the hockey world knew all too well that if Wilson didn't manage to get his team -- seen as one of the most talented in all of hockey -- within striking distance of the Stanley Cup Finals this year, his tenure in the Bay Area would likely be terminated. And so it went.

In a little more than 4.5 seasons in San Jose, Wilson posted the most regular season wins (206) and the best winning percentage (.535) in team history. More importantly, however, was his 28-24 record in four playoff campaigns, never getting closer to the Cup than in 2004, when San Jose dropped the Western Conference Finals in six games to Calgary.

The news surrounding Alex Ovechkin's new contract with the Washington Capitals just gets bigger and bigger. According to Tarik el-Bashir of the Washington Post, the actual terms of the deal are a mind-boggling 13 years and $124 million -- according to el-Bashir, it's believed to be the wealthiest deal in NHL history. As reported by el-Bashir, the first six years will pay out at $9 million per season, with the final four at $10 million each.

That's a significant upgrade over the six-year, $54 million report that leaked earlier today from Sovetsky Sport, and a heck of a premium over the 5-year, $43.5 million deal that reigning NHL MVP Sidney Crosby signed to stay in Pittsburgh this past offseason.

According to my FanHouse colleague, JD Press, the contract breaks down as follows:

• $9,538,461.54 per season for the next 13 years
  
• $116,322.70 per game for the next 13 seasons
• $5,311.54 per shift (based on his current season's shifts-per-game pace)
• $304,332.65 per hour of ice time (based on his current season's time on ice per game)

As big a bombshell as the size and term of the contract might be, it also has to be seen as one suffused with a tinge of irony. After all, it was the signing of Jaromir Jagr to a seven-year $77 million deal back in 2001 that backfired so badly and sent the team ultimately onto the course where they were able to draft Ovechkin #1 back in 2004.

If there's anyone laughing now, it has to be New York Islanders owner, Charles Wang. Recall back in September 2006 that Wang and team general manager Garth Snow were roundly ridiculed when they inked the goaltender to a 15-year, $67.5 million deal -- one that's looking like a mere pittance these days.

UPDATE: Sources have just confirmed for me that the original report on the term and value of the contract were correct, that was, before the team decided to revise them upward earlier today. Click here for the press conference audio.

Ever since Sidney Crosby signed a contract extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason, the eyes of NHL free agent watchers have turned expectantly to Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. The thinking: If Crosby was worth $43.5 million over 5 years, how much could Ovechkin command for his second NHL contract?

Earlier today, it looked like we got our answer: According to RDS, Ovechkin walked into the team's offices in Arlington, Va. and signed a six-year, $54 million deal that will keep him under contract with the Caps until 2014. The source: Sovetsky Sport, Russia's answer to Sports Illustrated. Apparently, the story is already out in Russia in print, but has yet to be posted online.

But hold one one second: TSN is now reporting that no deal has been reached and that negotiations are continuing. The bottom line: Stay tuned as we finally learn the fate of the player who has scored more goals in the NHL over the last three years than any other.

UPDATE: Kurt Kehl, the team's Vice President of Communications is denying the story. It's probably important to note that the Caps have a "Meet the Team" event for season ticket holders scheduled for tonight. Again, stay tuned.

LATE UPDATE: The team has issued a press advisory saying that it will make an announcement tonight at 8:30 pm. tonight regarding Ovechkin's contract status. Guess it's all over but the shouting.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Tarik el-Bashir of the Washington Post writes that previous reports pegging the contract term at 6 years and $54 million are incorrect.