Red Alert: We're back!
Red Alert, your daily Caps news center, has returned, now that the NHL and NHLPA have decided they can once again, live with one another. At least the marriage this time around is for ten years. Negotiations are a funny thing. Numbers being floated around were four or five year deals between the two in a new CBA, so we end up with a ten year deal. Good for fans. A decade of hockey, uninterrupted.
No doubt, the NHL and NHLPA have significant damage control to do for themselves and the sport in general. The second lockout in eight years could be a death blow to your more casual hockey fans. We shall see. It will be interesting to watch attendance numbers roll in during the first month.
Puck Daddy reports that we are likely looking at a 48 game schedule and a January 19 start date. Seems like this Saturday would be the logical start date for training camps to begin.
CSN Washington and the Washington Post give you a little flavor on current Caps player comments on the end of the lockout.
Dmitry Orlov will likely take on a bigger role in Washington's defense this season. Orlov has been out of the Hershey Bears lineup with an undisclosed upper body injury. Orlov will likely not be ready for the first game of the season. Orlov has not been skating and is expected to start this week.
Nicklas Backstrom is already back in Washington. Backstrom suffered a neck injury in Russian hockey league and it is unclear as to the extent of the injury and how long, if at all, Backstrom could miss at the beginning of this season. Word is, he had been listed over in Russia as week to week, certainly worse than the standard day to day. Alex Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson will join Backstrom in DC in a few days. Seems Ovechkin has already departed the Dynamo in Russia. Speaking of MoJo, we assume he was picked up from the gas station that he was discarded to.
For what it is worth, Caps' owner Ted Leonsis gives us fans a welcome back message. Hmm.
So nice to see the NHL back . . . hopefully they do something now to lure the fans back as i have a feeling there will be some empty seats this year . . .
