One of the reasons that the Washington Capitals have been so successful this season is because there are several high-end players with contracts that bring the team great value.
The Washington Capitals have developed a bit of a reputation for signing their own players to great contracts. Many times, these are younger players that are playing at a level that exceeds what they are getting paid.
Though there are several bad contracts on this team in terms of cap hit – obvious ones such as Brooks Laich and Brooks Orpik – there are even more contracts that are looking like absolute steals as we move on through the season.
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Even going back to the George McPhee era, he was very notorious for drafting quality young talent, and then signing those up-and-coming players to great contracts as they progressed through their careers. Many of those contracts are carrying over to this year’s Washington Capitals team.
Karl Alzner had a great quote following the Capitals’ 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday regarding the performances of many young players, and it really puts the Caps’ current situation into perspective.
"“It makes you excited for the future, but it also makes you worry. You can’t keep guys around as easy as you could have at times before. Guys are going to get offers from other places when you have as much skill. And if you have success — look at Chicago as a good example — other teams want to poach guys away. We’ve got to enjoy what we’ve got going on right now and continue to play good hockey and hope that it’s our time. But it’s fun to see the development of some tremendous players.” -Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner, via Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post."
Many of those players have contracts that challenge for the top-five best contracts on the team. Let’s examine who makes that list.
Next: #5