from Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post,
After one month of tedious preparation had resulted in $68.9 million of NHL contracts signed within a few hours, Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan walked downstairs at the team’s practice facility and into the locker room, where reporters awaited. “Be nice,” he jokingly said as he approached the podium. “Be nice.”
A seven-year deal worth $40.25 million to Matt Niskanen and a five-year deal worth $27.5 million to Brooks Orpik had left plenty of questions for MacLellan, and he answered all under the umbrella of addressing needs. In his first free agency atop the front office, the calculus was simple: To shore up the defense, add leadership and improve five-on-five play, Washington needed to open its checkbook.
“We had cap room,” MacLellan said. “Ownership gave the green light to get to the cap, and we spent the money where we felt we needed to spend it the most.
“It’s a big commitment by our organization and hopefully the players see the commitment by both ownership and management to address perceived needs that we do have. I’m excited about it and hopefully they are too.”
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