All KHL procession rights reserved for Vladimir Putin's team, the KGB.

Truth be told this was intended to be a hate rant directed at Semyon Varlamov.  Though I reacted rather nonchalantly to the reports of him leaving for the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg, I was a bit more passionate about his agent’s comments.

But in the middle of my anger-infused sentences, I realized that I could not sink to the level of immature bashing; there are many more people capable of that.

It’s now clear that what Varlamov is doing is what any smart, talented, thinking person would do.  Varly himself said he would take a pay cut to stay in the NHL, and I believe him.  Among his agent’s comments, there is none about money, and he even says that Varlamov is spending time in Hershey to train.

What this suggests is that Varlamov fully recognizes the esteem of the NHL and the fact that he is in no position to profit from it.

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St. Petersburg: The Best Rumor for Varlamov - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

(Photo by Alena Schwarz)

I breathed a huge sigh of relief this morning when Brooks Laich signed his six-year, 27-million-dollar contract extension. Folks who’ve read my posts on the Washington Post’s Box Seats blog know that I like to write about community relations and philanthropy, so in my mind this flat tire-changing wonder is elevated to near-superhero (read: actual superhero) status. Now that I’ve unmasked him (you’re welcome, Brooks), here are the five superpowers I’m hoping he’ll put to good use this season:

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Brooks Laich’s Five Superpowers - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

King, right, with John Carlson.

Capitals enforcer D.J. King, who is still on the roster, is 27 today. Despite only playing 16 games this past season, King, of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, was a welcome presence in the locker room. (Photo by Alena Schwarz)

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Happy Birthday, D.J. King! - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

Happy Birthday, John Erskine! - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

1) Bloggers Angie Lewis and former Capitals Outsider contributor Keara Dowd wrote an article for the Hockey Writers titled: “Fancy This: Jaromir Jagr to… Washington?”

The headline on its own can be misconstrued as a rumor, but the article is clearly a list of pros and cons of Jagr coming back to D.C. which ultimately sides with the cons. Contemplating whether a team should pick up a certain free agent is common for sports bloggers to tackle.

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Hockey Blogging, Mistakes, and Suck-Ups - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

Jay Beagle prepares for liftoff. via ATP Athletics

Jay Beagle and Karl Alzner aren’t slacking off this summer. Nope, they’re filming workout videos in Calgary to awesome music.

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Beagle and Alzner Squatting - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

24/6 : The Road to the NHL Awards - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

Lidstrom doesn't need to retire, but maybe you should, Mohr.

The NHL Awards didn’t provide much for the Capitals demographic this year, or for anyone who enjoys a good television in general.  Mike Green was the sole representative for the team as a nominee for the NHL Foundation Award, which was eventually awarded to L.A. Kings’ captain, Dustin Brown.

Though a measurement of the individual players’ seasons, a lot can be told about a team when looking at the sway of the votes.  Not much can be said in favor of the Caps, but compared to last year there has been some improvement.

The Ugly: The Defense

From having two defensemen technically in the race; Mike Green was second to Duncan Keith and Jeff Schultz tied with Dion Phaneuf for 16th in 2010; the Capitals had no representatives for the Norris this year.  At the time, Green led in defensive scoring and was second only to Schultz in plus/minus. Dennis Wideman was the only Washington defenseman to crack to the top 30 this season.

As a result, Neither Schultz nor Green returned to the All-Star Career defense roster.

The fact that there was no Vezina contention in 2010 does not make the fact that there was none this year any better.  But with Olaf Kolzig making his comeback to the Washington stratosphere, the development of Neuvirth, Holtby, and possibly, maybe Varlamov, will hopefully change that legacy.

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The NHL Awards: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

Capitals forward Brooks Laich, of Wawota, Saskatchewan, is 28 today. (Photos by Alena Schwarz)

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Happy Birthday, Brooks Laich! - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog

So what is the captain up to in the Motherland?  With a bit of Youtube research, I may have a pretty good idea…

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Offseason Ovie - Capitals Outsider - Capitals Outsider - A Washington Capitals blog