Capitals Sign Jurcina to One-Year Deal
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Saturday, August 1, 2009
The Washington Capitals signed Milan Jurcina, the team's last remaining free agent, to a one-year contract Friday morning after the defenseman was awarded $1.375 million in arbitration.
Because the award was less than the "walk away" figure of $1.57 million established in the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, the ruling was binding and the Capitals had no option but to accept it.
In Tuesday's arbitration hearing in Toronto, Capitals attorney Don Fishman asked the arbitrator to set the defenseman's salary for next season at $1.05 million. Jurcina and his agent, Allan Walsh, sought $1.55 million, or just below the "walk away" figure.
The award represents a substantial raise over the $912,500 Jurcina earned last season and puts pressure on Capitals General Manager George McPhee to shed salary before the start of the next season to squeeze beneath the $56.8 million salary cap ceiling.
"It's a great result for Milan and the process was handled well by both parties," Walsh wrote on his Twitter page.
The 26-year-old Jurcina, a third-pairing defenseman, led Washington defensemen in games played (79) and all Capitals in blocked shots (131), and he was second on the team in hits (157). He will have the sixth-highest cap hit among defensemen next season, ahead of only John Erskine ($1.25 million) and Jeff Schultz ($715,000).
