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ZHL GENERAL MANAGER: |
Barry Groaning |
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GM George McPhee was busy in the days after the NHL draft. On June 27, the Capitals re-signed RW Joe Sacco to a two-year, $1.35 million contract that includes a $650,000 club option for the 2002-03 season. He had seven goals and 16 assists in 79 games last season, his first with Washington. The following day, the Caps re-signed RW Joe Murphy to a one-year, $1 million contract. Claimed off waivers from Boston, he had five goals and eight assists in 29 games with Washington. And on June 29, the Capitals re-signed backup G Craig Billington to a three-year, $1.48 million deal. Acquired from Colorado last July, he was 3-6-1 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in his first season with Washington. ... Billington's partner in the nets, Olaf Kolzig, won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's most valuable goalie. "This was probably the farthest thing from my mind at that point," Kolzig said. "Coming off the year we had the year before and the start we had, it was going to be a struggle to just make the playoffs, let alone win the Vezina Trophy. That's what a lot of teamwork will do. I was fortunate to play with a lot of great guys behind me." ... Washington used its first-round pick in the draft, 26th overall, on C Brian Sutherby. Limited to 47 games by a shoulder injury, the eighth-ranked North American prospect had 18 goals and 17 assists with 102 penalty minutes in the WHL. ... The Caps escaped relatively unscathed in the expansion draft, losing D Oleg Orekhovsky to the Minnesota Wild and C Barrie Moore to the Columbus Blue Jackets. |
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Washington Capitals