Center also looking at deal with Russian club
Free-agent center Sergei Fedorov still is willing to negotiate a new contract with the Capitals, according to his agent, Pat Brisson, and has not yet signed a contract with a team in Russia.
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A report in the Russian newspaper Sports-Express said Monday that the 39-year-old is poised to sign a two-year, $7.6 million deal with Russian club Mettalurg Magnitogorsk. Fedorov indeed will hold talks with teams in the Kontinental Hockey League on a trip home to Russia later this week. Brisson has yet to speak directly with Caps general manager George McPhee. But while no specific meeting has been set for talks, Fedorov also remains interested in staying with Washington.
Fedorov was acquired at the trade deadline in 2008 and helped the Caps to their first playoff berth in five years while splitting time between the top two lines. He returned this season on a one-year $4 million contract and scored 11 goals in 52 games. He also scored the game-winning goal late in Game 7 of Washington’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the New York Rangers.
Meanwhile, a French-language media report by Canadian television network RDS says free-agent forward Viktor Kozlov has already signed with Russian club Salavat. Kozlov, 34, played right wing on the top line with Alex Ovechkin for most of the last two seasons. He had 13 goals in the regular season and scored a career-high four goals in 14 postseason games. That report could not be confirmed.
In other news, the Caps said assistant coach Jay Leach will not be back. Leach was originally hired by former head coach Glen Hanlon and stayed on when Bruce Boudreau was hired in November of 2007. Assistant Dean Evason will remain along with goalie coach Dave Prior. The Caps also announced the signing of undrafted free-agent center Jake Hauswirth, 21, who has impressed at the team’s last two rookie camps. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder scored 41 goals over two seasons with Omaha in the United States Hockey League.
