Knuble heads to nation's capital: Thirteen seasons in the NHL have made Mike Knuble comfortable with doing the dirty work in the corners and in front of the net. Just because he'll be skating next season on the wing opposite Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, Knuble doesn't expect to alter his approach The Capitals addressed their need for a scoring winger, signing free-agent right winger Knuble to a two-year deal worth $5.6 million on the first day of NHL free agency. "I know what I do well," Knuble said. "I complement players. I've been able to be successful and they've been able to be successful." Knuble, who turns 37 on Saturday, had 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games for Philadelphia last season. The deal was announced Wednesday, a few hours after teams could sign free agents. "Washington is everything I wanted in a team," Knuble said. "I think the team is on the verge of something good, something great." (Updated 07/01/2009).
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 7/10/09).
Fantasy Analysis
Capitals general manager George McPhee, in need of a rugged veteran willing to muck it up along the boards and create havoc in front of opposing goalies, jumped at the opportunity to sign Knuble. "We needed someone to go to the net," McPhee said. "Mike's made his living there." Knuble will replace Viktor Kozlov, who signed with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League last month, as a first-line forward alongside left wing Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom. "What we did is replace a 13-goal scorer (in Kozlov) with a 27-goal scorer -- and the team is better as a result," McPhee said. In 13 seasons with Detroit, the New York Rangers, Boston and Philadelphia, Knuble has 215 goals and 214 assists in 820 games. He has scored at least 10 power-play goals in each of the past five seasons, making Washington's already dangerous man-advantage unit even more potent. Consider Knuble a No. 5 or No. 6 Fantasy forward Draft Day with potential to exceed expectations. (Updated 07/01/2009).
RW Mike Knuble will turn 37 this weekend, but he's a very good pick-up for the Caps while some of their younger players get ready in the minors. He's the only player they've signed and might be the only one because they're just about at the cap. He's gotten over 20 goals in each of the last six seasons. This past year, he finished with 27 goals and 20 assists for the Flyers. Knuble also ranked fifth on the team in goals, sixth in points, second in game-winning goals (six). In addition, Knuble should make an already very strong power play better. He got 11 goals in extra-man situations last year. "It was everything I wanted. They've been right up there every year. It's a very good place to play," he said in the press conference. 72//2009
The Capitals addressed their need for a scoring winger, signing right wing Mike Knuble to a two-year deal worth $5.6 million on the first day of NHL free agency on Wednesday. 07/01/2009
Advice
Knuble, who turns 37 on Saturday, had 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games for Philadelphia last season. He could replace Viktor Kozlov, who signed with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League last month, as a first-line forward alongside left wing Alex Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom. In 13 seasons with Detroit, the New York Rangers, Boston and Philadelphia, Knuble has 215 goals and 214 assists in 820 games.
Knuble heads to nation's capital: Thirteen seasons in the NHL have made Mike Knuble comfortable with doing the dirty work in the corners and in front of the net. Just because he'll be skating next season on the wing opposite Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, Knuble doesn't expect to alter his approach The Capitals addressed their need for a scoring winger, signing free-agent right winger Knuble to a two-year deal worth $5.6 million on the first day of NHL free agency. "I know what I do well," Knuble said. "I complement players. I've been able to be successful and they've been able to be successful." Knuble, who turns 37 on Saturday, had 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games for Philadelphia last season. The deal was announced Wednesday, a few hours after teams could sign free agents. "Washington is everything I wanted in a team," Knuble said. "I think the team is on the verge of something good, something great." (Updated 07/01/2009).
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 7/10/09).
Fantasy Analysis
Capitals general manager George McPhee, in need of a rugged veteran willing to muck it up along the boards and create havoc in front of opposing goalies, jumped at the opportunity to sign Knuble. "We needed someone to go to the net," McPhee said. "Mike's made his living there." Knuble will replace Viktor Kozlov, who signed with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League last month, as a first-line forward alongside left wing Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom. "What we did is replace a 13-goal scorer (in Kozlov) with a 27-goal scorer -- and the team is better as a result," McPhee said. In 13 seasons with Detroit, the New York Rangers, Boston and Philadelphia, Knuble has 215 goals and 214 assists in 820 games. He has scored at least 10 power-play goals in each of the past five seasons, making Washington's already dangerous man-advantage unit even more potent. Consider Knuble a No. 5 or No. 6 Fantasy forward Draft Day with potential to exceed expectations. (Updated 07/01/2009).
Sergei Gonchar scored 2:19 into the third period and the Penguins eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers with a 5-3 victory Saturday in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Arron Asham and Claude Giroux, role players on a team filled with goal scorers, scored the first two goals and the Flyers avoided elimination by beating the Penguins 3-0 Thursday to force Game 6 in the Eastern Conference first-round series.
A sliding Sidney Crosby scored a goal that ricocheted off his skate and into the back of the net to spark Pittsburgh to a 3-1 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Bill Guerin scored his second goal of the game after Pittsburgh went on a rare two-man advantage in overtime, and the Penguins went up two games in their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers, winning 3-2 on Friday.
The Penguins got a goal and an assist each from stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and shut down the frustrated Philadelphia Flyers' fleet of scorers for a 4-1 victory Wednesday night in the opening game of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
