Caps Extend Mike Knuble for Another Year

The Washington Capitals re-signed veteran winger Mike Knuble to a one-year contract worth $2 million dollars. According to Mike Vogel of the Capitals Official Website, via Twitter, Knuble will not attain any performance bonuses due to uncertainty regarding the current CBA.

From a  fantasy hockey perspective, you have to love this move.

Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin all benefit from playing with an experienced winger with a knack for putting the puck in the back of the net. Over the past two seasons with the Caps, Knuble potted 53 goals. By comparison, and although he is more of a playmaker, Backstrom only potted 51 over that span. In fact, only Ovechkin and Semin put the puck in the back of the net more over the last two years, tallying 82 and 68 respectively.

Perhaps even more of a boost is that due to his age — currently 38; 39 before the puck drops next season — Knuble falls in average draft position. His average pick was 143, which puts him roughly in the 12th round. These kind of picks are the type that win fantasy leagues as taking the right guy between Knuble, Niclas Bergfors, Colby Armstrong and Jakub Voracek could make all the difference in roto leagues.

In addition, Knuble has been even better down the stretch, which might sway some playoff poolies into taking him.

Between March and April of this season, Knuble tallied nine goals in 19 games. He did even better last year with 22 goals coming during the second half of the season. In other words, when the games matter most, he elevates his game.

Due to a change in system it took Knuble, as well as other capable scorers, a longer time to acclimate. Now entrenched in Bruce Boudreau’s plans, Knuble can sit tight on the top line and look for ways to score big goals. The Toronto native is the epitome of a sniper and therefore is good enough to make my fantasy team every season.

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