Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Bradley -- Cooke -- Fedorov


Humor us for a moment.

Tarik El-Bashir reports that Matt Bradley has been signed to a new, three-year deal with the Caps. We'd have to think this has ramifications for the re-signing of unrestricted free agent Matt Cooke, since Cooke made more than twice as much last year ($1.525 million) as did Matt Bradley ($700,000).

It is not unreasonable to think that for 2008-2009, Cooke's salary on the open market would end up being at least $1.0 million more than what Bradley re-signed for with the Caps.

If one assumes that Mike Green's re-signing is a slam-dunk, will-happen item, you'd have to think there was at least a place-holder in the Caps' budget for him. Ditto for other restricteds like Boyd Gordon or Shaone Morrisonn.

But about whom is there some uncertainty...a player for whom money might need to be freed up to re-sign?

Perhaps the signing of Matt Bradley (and what we now presume will be a lack of overwhelming desire to re-sign Matt Cooke) provides a glimpse into whether Sergei Fedorov will return.

Hey...it's summer, we are entitled to delusions.

photo: The Associated Press

Small wonder


Detroit took a 2-0 lead in games last night with its 3-0 win over the Penguins, in Detroit. The Penguins were shutout for the second consecutive game. Why?

Sidney Crosby had six shots on goal. The rest of the top-six forwards?...

...one (Marian Hossa, 13:25 of the second period).

Evgeni Malkin had only one attempt (a missed shot at 12:38 of the first period).

And if you're wondering about how this series might unfold, think: "Montreal Canadiens." They are the only team (of 31) to have lost the first two games of the finals on the road and come back to win the title. They did it in 1971 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The kid's good, but good enough to overcome that? Probably not.


Photo: Claus Andersen/Getty Images