On February 19, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan landed Michal Kempny from the Chicago Blackhawks for a third-round pick. Kempny, a depth defenseman with the Hawks, didn’t feel like he received the full trust of his coaches in Chicago. He got that confidence back though in Washington and became one of the biggest catalysts during the Capitals Stanley Cup championship run.
After signing John Carlson to an eight-year, $64 million extension Sunday, MacLellan has now turned his attention to Kempny to try and re-sign the the 27-year-old defenseman before he officially becomes a free agent on July 1.
According to reporting by the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan on Sunday, the Capitals have been aggressive on bringing Kempny back, offering the Czech a multi-year deal. Discussions have continued today.
As for Michal Kempny, Caps have made a multi-year offer. Discussions there will continue tomorrow.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 24, 2018
Khurshudyan believes the Caps will “get a Kempny deal done in the coming days.” Kempny also loves Todd Reirden, who is likely to become the team’s next head coach.
Caps have a little more than $13 million in salary-cap room left. Think they'll get a Kempny deal done in the coming days; two sides are continuing discussions tomorrow and Kempny *loves* Reirden. Wilson is getting a pay raise, but he's an RFA, so that makes things simpler.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 24, 2018
In Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts column published Monday morning, the Sportsnet journalist was less enthusiastic about a Kempny return to Washington, but reported that the Capitals “are still in” on bringing him back.
9. Now that John Carlson has signed, Washington will try and keep Michal Kempny. Much more interest now than at the deadline, but the Capitals are still in it. Since Colorado bought out Brooks Orpik, he can return to Washington at a new salary. Someone is going to make it very difficult for Jay Beagle to stay. He’s got a lot of respect around the league for what he does. Carlson’s signing thrusts Erik Karlsson back into the spotlight, with Ottawa trying to create a bigger market for his services.
Headline photo: Ethan Miller
