Second-line center is a role that Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee has been unable to properly fill for most of Alex Ovechkin's career with the club.
McPhee acquired a great second-line center in Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars via trade last offseason, but after the 33-year-old veteran bolted to the Phoenix Coyotes during free agency in July, a hole down the middle was once again created on Washington's second line.
The next solution for this position will be Mikhail Grabovski, whom the team signed to a one-year deal worth $3 million with on Friday. McPhee was pleased with the signing, per a statement he made via NHL.com:
Mikhail adds speed and offense to our lineup, and we are very pleased to have him sign with the Capitals. We believe he will be an excellent addition to our club.
Is Grabovski an adequate replacement for Ribeiro as the second-line center on a team that will move into a tougher Metropolitan Division next season?
From an offensive standpoint, it's unlikely that he will score at a point-per-game level like Riberio did in 2013. With that ...
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Article written by Nicholas Goss
Is Mikhail Grabovski a Suitable Mike Ribeiro Replacement for Capitals?
August 23rd, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
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