Peter Hassett

About Peter Hassett (@peterhassett)

Who’s a sure thing and who’s a goner among Caps free agents

There are a bunch of open questions for the Washington Capitals this summer. After swapping Matt Niskanen for Radko Gudas and extending Carl Hagelin for four more years, the Caps still have eight free agents whose future is unclear. Muddying things up further is the absence of a concrete salary cap for next season and the twin, looming chaoses of the entry draft and free agency.

To help alleviate your anxieties, I’ve ranked the Caps’ free agents by how likely they are to suit up for the team next season. From slam dunks to long shots, here we go.

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By Peter Hassett 4 days ago

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Brooks Laich discusses bitterness, body wash in new podcast

Towards the end of the first episode of Brooks Laich’s new podcast, How Men Think, the former Caps player admits he felt “bitterness and resentment” towards hockey after his career ended.

Laich is candid about regret over his NHL career and the loss of purpose he felt after it was over. Also in the podcast, he discusses body odor, in-vitro fertilization, and pornography.

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By Peter Hassett 1 week ago

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Capitals re-sign Carl Hagelin for four years, $2.75 million per

The Capitals’ busy offseason continues. After swapping Matt Niskanen for Radko Gudas, Washington has re-signed forward Carl Hagelin for four more years at $2.75 million per.

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By Peter Hassett 1 week ago

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Yaroslav Alexeyev describes sexual assault in QMJHL hazing rituals

On Saturday, Sport Express ran an interview between reporter Evgeny Belousov and Russian forward Yaroslav Alexeyev. In the interview, Alexeyev discusses hazing rituals in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League that include sexual assault.

Please note that this story contains explicit details that some readers may find upsetting.

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By Peter Hassett 1 week ago

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Pittsburgh Penguins trade Olli Maatta to Chicago Blackhawks for Dominik Kahun

Now that the Cup has been presented and the Blues are going buckwild, the business of the offseason has really begun. After the Caps traded Matt Niskanen for Radko Gudas on Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins have made a trade of their own, dealing defender Olli Maatta to Chicago for forward Dominik Kahun and a fifth round draft pick.

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By Peter Hassett 1 week ago

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The Radko Gudas / Matt Niskanen trade is a classic Brian MacLellan move

I really like Washington’s trade on Friday of Matt Niskanen to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Radko Gudas. The trade has every hallmark of an expert-tier Brian MacLellan move: an under-appreciated target player acquired to address a specific team need.

In this case, it was two needs: defensive stability and cap relief.

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By Peter Hassett 1 week ago

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Chris Kuc leaves The Athletic, Tarik El-Bashir returns to cover Caps

Coverage of the Washington Capitals on The Athletic will look different starting this summer. On Thursday morning, Caps writer Chris Kuc announced he is joining the Chicago Blackhawks’ in-house digital content team, and former Caps beat writer Tarik El-Bashir announced he will return to the Caps beat.

El-Bashir previously covered the Caps for NBC Sports Washington and The Washington Post.

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By Peter Hassett 2 weeks ago

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Brian MacLellan: 2018-19 season review

General manager Brian MacLellan built the team that brought the Cup to DC for the very first time, but what comes next will be even tougher.

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By Peter Hassett 2 weeks ago

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Todd Reirden: 2018-19 season review

Though the Capitals kept most of their Cup-winning roster from 2018, their biggest change was behind the bench, where Todd Reirden took over as head coach.

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By Peter Hassett 2 weeks ago

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