Your savory breakfast links:
- The Caps have signed defenseman Nate Schmidt to a one-year, two-way deal; that leaves them with just one unsigned RFA, Cameron Schilling. [Caps, WaPo, Patriot-News, Stars and Sticks]
- In other signing news, it looks like they’ve also inked goaltender and 2014 draft pick Vitek Vanacek to an entry-level contract. [PHT, RMNB]
- New Caps’ defenseman Matt Niskanen worked with new Caps’ assistant coach Todd Reirden for two years in Pittsburgh, which was a big reason why Niskanen chose to head to DC. [CSNW]
- He, along with Ted Leonsis, had many nice things to say about much-maligned Brooks Orpik. [WaPo]
- Leonsis also spoke to the need for the team to be completely in sync from top to bottom… something that has been missing in recent years, for sure. [CSNW]
- A few Development Camp leftovers:
- Garrett Haar has had a rocky couple of years career-wise, but he believes that experience has helped him to grow on and off the ice. [WaPo]
- Looking at camp standout Andre Burakovsky and the organization’s decision to move him, at least for now, to center. [Stars and Sticks]
- Jakub Vrana‘s shootout move in the first scrimmage of Development Camp was pretty sweet – so sweet that it made the cut of the top five of the summer so far, so there’s that. [Puck Daddy]
- The Hershey Bears, like the Caps, narrowly missed making the playoffs after a long stretch of postseason appearances. And like the Caps, they’re hoping to improve in 2014-15. [CSNW]
- One of the things they’ll have to contend with will be revised overtime rules in the AHL. [Patriot-News]
- Along with Alex Ovechkin and Joel Ward, Eric Fehr was one of the Caps’ stars for the 2013-14 season. [THW]
- And while we’re reflecting, how about a fancy look at 2010-11? [BrooksLaichyear]