Your savory breakfast links:
- A thoroughly underwhelming first day of free agency was redeemed with the late-evening breaking news that three-time Stanley Cup champion and 2014 Conn Smythe recipient Justin Williams has agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Capitals. Waitwhat?
- Yep. Justin. Williams. Signed. [NHL.com, Team Release, Caps Today, Rink, Dump ‘n Chase, WaPo, LAK Insider]
- Clutch time, and have we already seen the best bargain of the summer? [Puck Daddy, PHT, ESPN, Frankovic, RMNB]
- Los Angeles bids farewell to a fan (and franchise) favorite:
- Our SB Nation pals hosted a “favorite moments” roundtable. Many of those moments featured large shiny silver objects and/or the work performed in order to acquire said objects. [Jewels From The Crown]
- “For the first time in my life, I have a second favorite hockey team. For the next two seasons, it’s the Washington Capitals. A proper send-off article will be written for Justin Williams when I no longer desire to repeatedly punch something.” [Surly & Scribe]
- Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar had previously considered the pending free agency of their teammates Williams and Jarret Stoll . [Mayor’s Manor]
- As for the balance of Free Agent Frenzyday, it featured a few comings and goings.
- First, the comings:
- Stanislav Galiev has earned the confidence of his coaches and a new two-year, $1.15 million dollar contract. Go get ’em, Gally. [Caps Today, S&S, THW, RMNB]
- Defenseman Taylor Chorney , UFA from the Pens organization, received a one-year, $700K one-way contract. [Rink, THW, Caps Today]
- Hershey assistant coach Bryan Helmer knows Chorney well, having skated on a defensive pairing with him when they played for the Oklahoma City Oil Barons. [Patriot-News]
- Chorney’s father, Marc, also played pro hockey as a defenseman for the Pens from 1980-1983. [Pens Media]
- Four more depth signings were announced: Forwards Carter Camper and Sean Collins, and defencemen Mike Moore and Aaron Ness signed one-year, two-way contracts. [Caps Today]
- Now, alas, on to the goings:
- Farewell to Caps defenseman and Hershey Bears captain Steve Oleksy , who has signed a one-year, two-way contract with (ugh) the Western Pennsylvania Waddlebirds. We’ll miss ya, Binky. [Caps Outsider, Chocolate Hockey, Pensburgh]
- Hershey also saw forwards Jim O’Brien and Chris Conner depart for the Flyers‘ and Devils‘ organizations. The Bears suddenly have a lot of roster slots to fill. [Patriot-News]
- And finally, the news we’ve been expecting/dreading arrived – Mike Green signed a three-year, $18M contract with the Detroit Red Wings. [NHL.com, Winging it in Motown, Detroit Free Press]
- The Capitals issued a statement: “We want to thank Mike for 10 great seasons with the Washington Capitals. Mike was an ultimate professional in his long tenure with our organization and had a huge impact on our community. We wish Mike all the best with the Detroit Red Wings organization.” [Caps Today]
- Green’s now-former teammates bid him farewell. [RMNB]
- Dan Steinberg pays tribute to the Young Guns Era, quarterbacked by the man who now moves on to Motor City. [DC Sports Bog]
- Finally, happy 39th birthday to Tomas Vokoun… and happy 57th to our old friend George McPhee.