Head coach of the Washington Capitals Bruce Boudreau walks to his bench before his team started overtime play against the Pittsburgh Penguins in game 6 of the 2nd Round of the NHL Playoffs at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. Monday, May 11, 2009. (Michael Connor / The Washington Times)
Brooks Laich won't lead the NHL in scoring, but the versatile center's value to the Washington Capitals can be measured in the six-year, $27 million contract he signed. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)
Washington Capitals center Brooks Laich is not a fan of the NHL's concussion protocol. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby listens to head coach Dan Bylsma during the NHL hockey team's first workout of the new season at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Crosby, recovering from a concussion, has not been cleared for full-contact workouts. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Capitals center Jay Beagle (83) made the NHL roster this season largely because of his commitment to conditioning and nutrition. He'll be counted on for energy bursts to get to loose pucks and to play the body as a skater on the fourth line. (Associated Press)
Dallas Stars' Mike Modano is retiring after 21 seasons in the NHL. Modano, in a phone interview Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, from Dallas, said he recently declined a chance to continue his career with the Vancouver Canucks. He will make the official announcement Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
** FILE ** Karlis Skrastins of Latvia, then with the Dallas Stars, controls the puck during an the NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh in March 2010. A Russian jet carrying a top ice hockey team crashed just after takeoff on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, killing at least 43 people, including Skrastins. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
Washington Capitals prospect Cody Eakin made an a positive impression in development camp, though he was hard on himself when asked to assess his performance Saturday. The 20-year-old center is looking to crack the NHL roster. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)
Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (19) of Sweden drives the puck down ice during the NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
