The Washington Capitals have gone through quite a few changes as they transition from Dale Hunter to Adam Oates behind the bench. Still, GM George McPhee decided to bring back one of Hunter’s favorites; the Capitals re-signed Jay Beagle to a three-year contract that Stephen Whyno reports is worth $2.7 million overall.
Mike Vogl reports that he’ll get $700K in 2012-13 and then $1 million in the following two seasons, salary-wise.
Beagle’s excellent faceoff winning percentage (57.7) and steady defensive play - along with all the dog puns that come with his last name - made him a favorite in many circles. As I mentioned, Hunter was one of his biggest fans, giving him 18:25 minutes per game during the 2012 playoffs. (There were times when Beagle received more ice time than Alexander Semin and Alex Ovechkin.)
Beagle won’t light up the scoreboard, but he’s the kind of guy who can inhibit other teams from doing so. At $900K per year, his return is easy to trumpet.