“(Ovechkin) is our MVP, and he’s one of the most exciting guys in the league,” said right wing Mike Knuble in expressing his eagerness to begin regular season play with Alex Ovechkin on the Washington Capitals team. “He’s intense and works extremely hard, and I can’t help but believe that is going to be contagious.”
Knuble said that he is very happy that he will get to play with Ovechkin and Backstrom -- and also happy to become a player with the entire Capitals team. Having recently signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract with the Washington Capitals, he said that he is anxious to show that his talents and assets will be a real benefit to them. “I knew they needed a guy like me – a guy that can go out in front of the net and score goals, get goals off my skate, my stock, my rear end, whatever,” he explained.
Knuble will replace Viktor Kozlov as a first-line forward alongside left wing Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom. “What we did is replace a 13-goal scorer (Kozlov) with a 27-goal scorer – and the team is better as a result,” explained Capitals general manager George McPhee.
“Backstrom and Ovechkin are going to have the puck a lot,” McPhee explained, “and we needed someone to be around the net to do some of the dirty work. Mike’s made his living there. He has done a real good job in that regard. He has been remarkably consistent in the number of games he has played and the number of goals he has scored in the past five or six years.”
The 6 ft 3, 230-pound Knuble said that shortly after the free-agent process began, four teams had offered him a contract, but that he was very happy to be heading for Washington. With the Philadelphia Flyers he had played in 820 career games – and last year scored 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games.
“Washington is everything that I wanted in a team,” Knuble enthused, making it perfectly clear that he is delighted to be joining the Capitals. “I think the team is on the verge of something good, something great.” Knuble also said that he thinks the area will be a good place for his family to live.
While Knuble, who recently turned 37, understands that he is closer to the twilight of his career than to the dawn, he also believes that since he has taken good care of himself and avoided serious injury, he still has a few more years of serious playing ahead before he will need to think about hanging up his skates for good.
Sphere: Related Content
Knuble said that he is very happy that he will get to play with Ovechkin and Backstrom -- and also happy to become a player with the entire Capitals team. Having recently signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract with the Washington Capitals, he said that he is anxious to show that his talents and assets will be a real benefit to them. “I knew they needed a guy like me – a guy that can go out in front of the net and score goals, get goals off my skate, my stock, my rear end, whatever,” he explained.
Knuble will replace Viktor Kozlov as a first-line forward alongside left wing Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom. “What we did is replace a 13-goal scorer (Kozlov) with a 27-goal scorer – and the team is better as a result,” explained Capitals general manager George McPhee.
“Backstrom and Ovechkin are going to have the puck a lot,” McPhee explained, “and we needed someone to be around the net to do some of the dirty work. Mike’s made his living there. He has done a real good job in that regard. He has been remarkably consistent in the number of games he has played and the number of goals he has scored in the past five or six years.”
The 6 ft 3, 230-pound Knuble said that shortly after the free-agent process began, four teams had offered him a contract, but that he was very happy to be heading for Washington. With the Philadelphia Flyers he had played in 820 career games – and last year scored 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games.
“Washington is everything that I wanted in a team,” Knuble enthused, making it perfectly clear that he is delighted to be joining the Capitals. “I think the team is on the verge of something good, something great.” Knuble also said that he thinks the area will be a good place for his family to live.
While Knuble, who recently turned 37, understands that he is closer to the twilight of his career than to the dawn, he also believes that since he has taken good care of himself and avoided serious injury, he still has a few more years of serious playing ahead before he will need to think about hanging up his skates for good.
No comments:
Post a Comment