NHL Trade Rumors: Will Center Brooks Laich Remain a Washington Capital?

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NHL Trade Rumors See Free Agent Brooks Laich Possibly On His Way Out of D.C.

Free agent center Brooks Laich has made it clear that he'd like to stay with the Washington Capitals.

But that doesn't change the fact that he has yet to re-sign with the team and it appears more and more likely that he's going to test the free agent waters.

Laich is reportedly asking for a five-year contract with a salary of about $6.5 million. And with teams such as the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs all apparently interested in the 28-year-old, the Capitals may find it hard to compete if Laich tests the waters.

Laich is probably going to have to take a discount to stay with the Capitals.

The question is, will he?

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A player these days saying he wants to stay where he's called home is like saying he's happy with his apartment now, but that doesn't mean he's not scanning Craigslist to keep his options open.

My point: players jump to and fro in the blink of an eye these days, and just because they're happy somewhere now, it doesn't mean they won't be persuaded to go somewhere else if that somewhere else seems even better.

I don't doubt that Laich likes it in D.C., but when players start testing free agency, you wonder, why didn't they just re-sign with their team in the first place if they liked it so much?

-Ryan Rudnansky

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