The Washington Capitals made an unexpected and big splash on the opening day of free agency today, signing right wing Mike Knuble to a 2-year, $5.6 million deal. Knuble spent the past four seasons with the Flyers.
Two statistical feats stand out from Knuble’s last four seasons in Philly: in three of those four years he played in all 82 regular season games. He’s Iron Mike. But look, too, at his goal totals from those seasons: 34, 24, 29, and 27. Dating back to the 2002-03 season with Boston, the season Knuble on Wednesday identified as his breakthrough campaign, he’s scored 20 or more goals in every one, twice reaching the 30-goal range. That’s high-end and consistent production.
Now he stands poised to skate the right flank on the Capitals’ top line, and with his penchant for driving hard to the net and getting his nose dirty, and with the league’s top shooter blasting 500-plus shots from the left side, it’s not difficult to imagine Knuble feasting on more than few of Ovi’s rebounds.
The Capitals will be Knuble’s 5th NHL team. And while he will turn 37 this July 4, he pointed out on a media conference call Wednesday afternoon that there wasn’t a lot of wear on the proverbial tires. In fact, he noted that he spent much of his twenties as a 4th-liner or a healthy scratch.
“I would like to think I am a low milage guy,” Knuble said.
“I know what I do well. I compliment players . . . [I] win puck battles.”
“I have confidence and I know what I do out there. I know what to do for these guys. I do the dirty work in the corners. I don’t think anyone needs to tell me how to play. I just hope that [Ovechkin and I] mesh.”
Capitals’ General manager George McPhee was asked Wednesday if it was fair to suggest that Knuble is the kind of player the team has lacked in recent seasons.
GMGM: “Yeah he is . . . We have needed a player on that line with Ovechkin and Backstrom that [goes] to the net. [Ovi and Backstrom] will have the puck a lot and need someone to go to the net. He has made his living there.”
“We replaced a 13-goal scorer with a 20-goal scorer,” McPhee added. ”We have made the team better.”
McPhee on Wednesday also confirmed that the team will enter the 2009-10 season with Brooks Laich as the leading candidate to skate the no. 2 center position.
Were the Capitals a team that crossed Knuble’s mind as a destination, OFB asked the newest Cap?
“Yea, the Philly thing didn’t end until yesterday. Washington was a team that we heard might be interested, and they were everything I wanted – East Coast, nice city, and a contender in the Eastern Conference. If I didn’t go to Philly I wanted a chance to contend . . .There is a lot of stuff going on in Washington, there are a lot of places that people can go for entertainment. I am glad they were able to get the fans back in it. It’s a tough place to play. It’s nice to see a good hockey city.”
UPDATE: A terrific video clip of Mike Knuble in action:
4 Comments
welcome to dc mike knuble.
I called this right after the cup ended and my friend who’s a panthers fan just laughed at me. Glad to know I was right. And really glad the caps now have a tough as nails winger (and a University of Michigan Product). Go Blue! and Go Caps!
I tell you what, listening to him this afternoon, he seemed to me to know well what his role on the Caps would be but also to be aware that he could play a role on the team not dissimilar to what Bill Guerin did for the Pens in ‘08-’09. We can only hope it would turn out as well.
Seriously. I still can’t believe the Pens got Guerin for what ended up a 3rd round pick, then ended up signing him for $2 mill. this year.
Guy can still play and I can’t help but think that if we had gotten him at the trade deadline (at that bargain price), we could have ended the Pens in the second round.
Here’s hoping that Knuble will bring that kind of screening gritty play we’ve lacked on the top lines.
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