Capitals Sign Jeff Schultz; Joe Corvo Inks 2-Year Deal With Hurricanes

Well it's not that I'm so smart, it's just that some things are logical and make sense. Earlier this year I said the next most important RFA signing for GMGM to make after the Backstrom deal was done was to get Jeff Schultz under contract for 3-4 years. In the past week or so, I've also suggested I wouldn't be surprised to see Joe Corvo back with the Carolina Hurricanes next season. Well yesterday both things happened.

The Capitals and Jeff Schultz agreed to a multi-year deal, avoiding arbitration. This is a good thing, IMO. As I've pointed out arbitration, while usually ending up with a fair result, also, seems to me, to leave a "bad taste" in both parties' mouths. The 4 year deal is reportedly for $11M so that's a $2.25M salary cap hit for each of the next four years for a guy who at 24 had what I'd consider to be a "breakout" year last season. He's clearly coming into his own and assuming he continues to mature will only get better, especially if he adds a slight bit more physicality and "edge" to his game. He's definitely worth $2.25M/season, especially if anyone with a clue about hockey ever thought Jeff Finger was worth $3.5M/year or Zach Bogosian was worth $3.375M/season.

Down in Raleigh, Joe Corvo was brought back on a two-year $4.5M deal that will pay him $2.0M this coming season and $2.5M for the 2011-2012 season. Prior to coming to the Caps in a trade deadline deal for Oskar Osala and Brian Pothier, Corvo had spent the prior 2 1/2 seasons with the Hurricanes; the 33 year old Oak Park, ILL native was the average TOI/game leader in Carolina last season and has been their blue line anchorman since arriving in Carolina from Ottawa. So basically the Capitals cost for the rental of Corvo for this seasons playoffs was Oskar Osala. Personally, I think that was a fair deal/move though I know in hindsight some will argue otherwise. I also think the resigning by Carolina of Corvo was a smart move for them both.

I'll be doing an update to yesterday's looking ahead at next season sometime over the next couple of days after a few more of the RFA contracts are settled, but I'm curious about reactions to the Schultz signing, I've been surprised at the range being shown in blog comments on it since yesterday. The next signing I'm looking to see an announcement for out of Kettler is Eric Fehr, I'd like to see he and the Caps avoid arbitration as well. Other than that, we all know my improbable wish re: Patrick Sharp - hey, my late old man always used to say "If you're going to wish, you may as well wish big, it doesn't cost any more."

Is it September yet?

LETS GO CAPS!!!