Thursday, July 10, 2008

Busy offseason in D.C.

It was one of their biggest faults last season. As the Capitals pushed to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff chase — finally succeeding on the season’s final day — they consistently struggled to create traffic in front of opposing goalies.
With rugged right wing Chris Clark out with various injuries, that task eventually fell to center Brooks Laich, who scored 12 goals over the last 22 games en route to a career-high 21 goals and 37 points. On Wednesday, he was rewarded with a three-year contract extension worth $6.2 million.
So what was a problem for the Caps may morph into a strength, as long as Clark, a 30-goal scorer two years ago, returns healthy from an injured groin and big right wing Eric Fehr develops.
“When you’re hungry around the net good things come of it,” said Laich, 25, who scored the majority of his late-season goals by setting up in front and enduring abuse from opposing defenders. “We didn’t really have anyone doing that once Clarkie got hurt and he’s one of the best at it. So I thought I’d give myself more opportunities. It’s an element that I added to my game and I think I’m capable of taking it to another level.”
Laich will likely have to do so at a wing position after playing center much of last year.
That’s because the Caps are finalizing a reported one-year, $4 million contract with center Sergei Fedorov. Acquired at the trade deadline in February, the 38-year-old Fedorov, a former NHL MVP, was a key part of Washington’s run to the Southeast Division title, serving as a mentor to the younger players and registering four goals and 11 assists. He added another five points in the playoff series vs. Philadelphia. Fedorov joins Nicklas Backstrom and a healthy Michael Nylander at that position.
“We expect to have something finalized with Sergei in the next few days,” said Caps general manager George McPhee. “It’s a paperwork [issue] now. We just have some administrative things to take care.”


Odds on a Favre, Packers reunion

If you think a discussion on politics can polarize a room, just try bringing up the possible return from retirement of Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.
The future Hall of Famer, former MVP, Super Bowl Champion and Madden 2009 cover boy is reportedly interested in a return to the game he walked away from several months ago.
Teams rumored to be interested in the signal caller include the Baltimore Ravens. But who is the most likely team to have Favre if he returns?
BetUs.com set some interesting odds this week.
Favre has 5-1 odds that he un-retires and plays a game next season and 14-1 odds to win the league’s MVP despite being officially retired.
The teams he’s most likely to play for? BetUs.com lists the Packers at 1-1, the Bears and Vikings at 2-1 and the Dolphins at 7-1. If he opts to still appear on national television — but as an analyst in a suit and tie instead of as a player in pads and helmet — Favre is 1-2 to join ABC or ESPN, 5-1 to join NBC and 3-1 to join FOX.


United defender Namoff makes most of opportunity

“It only took me seven years to get it,” D.C. United’s Bryan Namoff told The Examiner’s Craig Stouffer following the eighth-year defender’s first-ever game-winning goal in United’s 2-1 overtime win against the Chicago Fire in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.
It was also just the second career goal for the 29-year-old from Rockford, Ill. He’s also United’s third-most tenured player, and he led all D.C. defenders in minutes played (2,089) in 2007.
What pleased him the most about his goal? Who he beat on his near-post run to get on Jaime Moreno’s perfectly placed corner kick.
“It was interesting because former teammate Brandon Prideaux was marking me,” said Namoff. “We had exchanged phone calls the day before, and there was a little bit of trash talking going on there. It was nice that I was able to break away from him, and Jaime put in a great ball so I just needed to make good contact.”


Knucklehead of the week » Donald Sterling, Clippers owner

You have to feel sorry for Clippers fans. After their memorable playoff run three seasons ago — a Game 7 loss to Phoenix in the second round — it looked like the years of neglect during Sterling’s reign had finally ended and Los Angeles’s second NBA franchise was no longer a joke. But injuries to rising star Shaun Livingston and center Elton Brand along with the aging of several key veterans sent the Clips back to the NBA draft lottery. And while it’s not Sterling’s fault that Brand opted out of his contract last month and — shockingly — took a better offer from the Philadelphia 76ers, the Clippers’ owner needed to do more to keep his star center in the fold, especially after the signing of hometown star Baron Davis. It wasn’t neglect this time. But a failure is a failure, something the Clippers know all about.


SIZZLE & FIZZLE

On fire
1. Somewhere over the Atlantic » Prep hoops star Brandon Jennings is bypassing college to play professionally overseas.

2. Money for nothing » Ex-West Virginia and now Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez ordered to repay his former school a $4 million buyout clause.

Ice cold
1. All about the Benjamins » Forward Elton Brand said he would stay with the Clippers if they built a team around him. They signed Baron Davis, but Brand still bolted to Philadelphia for more money.

2. Don’t call it a comeback » Brett Favre needs to stop texting people about a return to the game and keep to the golf course.


ON THE RECORD

“It certainly wasn’t a reaction move. We would have gladly had Rich two or three weeks ago.”

— Cubs GM Jim Hendry on trading for starting pitcher Rich Harden after the Brewers traded for CC Sabathia a day earlier.


“It may have surprised a lot of people, but a lot knew it was coming. It’s a big deal. But Joe Gibbs Racing will go on and continue to do well. I don’t see the team taking a very big hit.

— Racecar driver Joe Logano, 18, who is expected to take Tony Stewart’s vacated No. 20 car by the end of the season.