Capitals sign ex-Maple Leafs Grabovski
Posted August 23, 2013 12:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Mikhail Grabovski’s long free-agent summer is over.
The former Toronto Maple Leafs forward has signed a one-year, $3-million deal with the Washington Capitals, where he figures to be their second-line centre.
Grabovski became an unrestricted free agent when the Leafs bought out the final four seasons of his five-year, $27.5-million contract.
At centre, they re-signed Tyler Bozak to a five-year, $21-million deal and traded for David Bolland from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Capitals had their own hole down the middle after letting Mike Ribeiro leave to sign with the Phoenix Coyotes.
General manager George McPhee said last month that the plan was for Brooks Laich to be the second-line centre, something that likely changes with the addition of Grabovski.
Grabovski played in all 48 games last season for Toronto under coach Randy Carlyle, putting up nine goals and seven assists in largely a bottom-six role. Previously under Ron Wilson, the Belarusian was an effective scorer, recording 51 points in 2011-12 and 58 points in 2010-11.
Agent Gary Greenstin said he expects Grabovski to be a 60- or 70-point player during an 82-game season if given that kind of role under Capitals coach Adam Oates.
“He has to get more minutes (to be successful),” Greenstin said in a phone interview.
Greenstin said it was the plan all along for Grabovski to seek a short-term deal. He was set to make $6 million this season with the Leafs under his previous contract, so the 29-year-old is taking a pay cut, but with the salary cap expected to rise for 2014-15, a one-year deal could put him in position for another pay day.
Grabovski didn’t get that immediately after the Maple Leafs used a compliance buyout on him. Toronto will pay him $14.3 million over the next eight years as a result.
