Caps Re-Sign Eric Fehr
The Washington Capitals continued their off-season signings by re-signing right winger Eric Fehr to a two-year $4.4 million deal. This signing should round out the Capitals third line for next season.
Eric Fehr began his hockey career with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Fehr had very strong seasons with the Wheat Kings culminating in a 59 goal, 111 point final season. Fehr was drafted 18th overall in the 2003 National Hockey League (NHL) entry draft by the Washington Capitals.
Fehr spent his first two years with the Capitals American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Hershey Bears. Fehr was called up for the 2007-08 season. For the next three years he was moved in and out of the line up as a healthy scratch.
Last year Fehr had his most successful season with the club playing in 69 regular season games, and scoring 21 goals and 39 points all while averaging under 12 minutes of ice time per night. In addition Fehr had a strong showing in the play-offs, tallying four points in just seven games.
Capitals Perspective
For the Capitals, resigning Fehr helps to round out their third line. Fehr, a very capable winger, is relied upon to help shut down the opponent top scorers. The major benefit he brings to the club is his ability to score goals with limited ice time. Playing only a few minutes per night and notching over 20 goals on the year is an impressive feat for the Winkler Manitoba native.
Washington also managed to get Fehr at a good price for a reasonable two-year term. This will come in handy next year when Washington is faced with the possibility of signing several unrestricted free agents (UFA). Locking up a key member of their bottom-six ahead of time makes life much easier for Washington general manager (GM) George McPhee. McPhee has had a busy week inking Boyd Gordon and defender Jeff Schultz, in the hopes that he can bring back much of the core from last year's Presidents Trophy winning side. Fehr’s minutes should be elevated next season, as he was able to demonstrate his offensive capabilities.
Fehr’s Perspective
For Eric Fehr, staying with the team that drafted him means a real shot at the Stanley Cup. The talent on the Washington roster cannot be denied and Fehr could be looking at a championship should the Capitals get it together for the playoffs in 2010-11. In addition, Washington gives Fehr a place to grow his game. At only 24 years old he gets to play with some of the best players on perhaps the most offensively dynamic team in the league.
Should Fehr take advantage of this opportunity, his stats will inflate in time for his next contract, in two years time. The pending UFA’s on the Caps roster for next season also means that Fehr could see his role increased as soon as next year. Moreover, Fehr comes back to play with team mates and line-mates that he is comfortable with.
Fehr had this to say of the abundance of re-signs made by the Capitals in the past three days: “We were definitely hoping to kind of have everybody back.”
The singing of Eric Fehr is a smart move by GM George McPhee; he gets a jump on what is going to be a very hectic off-season next year, and keeps the core of his team the same, a core that had a highly successful regular season during the 2009-10 campaign. For Fehr the signing means two more years of growth, and the opportunity to win a Stanley Cup.
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