Thursday, May 8, 2008

Washington Capitals management has not yet discussed next season's roster in detail, but the team is expected to pursue a contract extension with veteran Sergei Fedorov.

Acquired from Columbus for a prospect at the February trade deadline, the 38-year-old pending unrestricted free agent centered each of the Capitals' top two lines down the stretch. He also played a significant role on special teams and served as a mentor to young forwards Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom.

"I'm sure if [Fedorov] wants to play, and we can afford it, we'll figure it out," majority owner Ted Leonsis said this week.

It is believed that if General Manager George McPhee came to ownership with a deal to keep Fedorov, the move would receive approval. Fedorov likely would be offered a short-term deal at a fraction of his $6 million 2007-08 salary, though he might be able to earn more elsewhere. He also said he will consider retiring.

-- Tarik El-Bashir