For the last month, long-time NHL defenseman Brooks Orpik was facing an
extremely uncertain future. After the Washington Capitals traded him and
Philipp Grubauer to the Colorado Avalanche to clear up cap space, Colorado
decided to buy out the last year of his $4.5 million AAV contract, leaving the
37-year-old without a job.

Following the buyout, rumblings emerged that the Capitals were still open to
bringing the two-time Stanley Cup champion back, and on Tuesday, they ended up
inking him to a one-year, $1 million contract, with the chance to make up to
$500,000 in performance bonuses.The Capitals traded Brooks Orpik to Colorado a
 little over a month ago and the Avalanche decided shortly after to buy out the
 last year of his contract. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Though Orpik has been prone to struggles over the years, he had a strong
turnaround in 2017-18 and has an impact that goes beyond his stats, showing
that this signing is a smart one for Washington.

"He comes early and leaves late. He';s in top shape, says the right things in
the room, says the right things on the bench, plays the right way," general
manager Brian MacLellan said of Orpik toward the end of the postseason. "In my
mind, he';s had a real good finish to the season and in the playoffs."Orpik';s
Bounce Back Year

In 81 games this past season, Orpik put up 10 assists, as well as 218 hits and
168 blocks. While his possession metrics weren';t great in the regular season,
he was a stable stay-at-home defender on the bottom pairing, who worked well in
 tandem with rookies like Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey over the course of
the year. However, it was ultimately his playoff performance that capped off an
 excellent 2017-18 campaign for Orpik.

He led all skaters with a plus-17 rating, and had a goal and four points
averaging 16:49 minutes of ice time a night; his single tally was his first
since the 2015-16 regular season and was a key play in the throes of the Cup
Final series against Vegas.Orpik';s goal in Game 2 of the Cup Final was his
first in 220 games. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

"Brooksy doesn';t score a lot of goals, but that was a huge one," goaltender
Braden Holtby said. "To have success in the playoffs, you need guys, every
single guy chipping in and sometimes, they need to chip in ways they don';t
always do."

At the same time, he was playing through a couple of injuries, including a hand
 injury, he suffered in Game 2 of the Columbus series and worse, a slash from
Erik Haula in Game 2 of the Final that took off the tip of Orpik';s pinkie
finger.

"It kind of fell off," Orpik said. "It probably looked worse than it was, to be
 honest with you."

He doesn';t require surgery on his hand and is set to be healthy heading into
next season. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound blueliner is known for his toughness,
stay-at-home, shutdown mentality and physicality. However, it is more likely
than not that a key part of holding onto Orpik is also the impact he has off
the ice.Orpik Off the Ice

In the dressing room, Orpik is an integral part of the team';s culture, which
was one of the big factors in the Capitals finally ending their 44-year
drought. With a lot of young up-and-coming prospects making the jump to the
NHL, it was Orpik who was one of the main mentors, a huge reason why he has
been a long-time alternate captain for Washington.

"[We were] a team full of rookies, and he';s the right guy to really lead the
group as one of the guys because he';s like a father figure in our room,"
former head coach Barry Trotz said. "The players look up to him. I don';t think
 there';s a guy in our room, if Brooks sort of pulls you aside and says, 'you
know what, maybe we shouldn';t do that'; or 'stop feeling sorry for yourself,';
 guys really, really take that to heart. They have so much respect for him and
he';s been the absolute perfect guys for us."Orpik is a beloved member of the
Capitals locker room and one of the leaders. (Sammi Silber/THW)

Ultimately, given his impact that he';s had on the team since joining the club
in 2014, bringing back Orpik will benefit the Capitals heading into this
season. It';s a low-risk deal that provides more depth on the blue line while
also bringing back a player that has been an integral part of the team';s
culture. Not only that, it doesn';t cause any cap trouble and gives Washington
much more than an extra player on the roster.

"He';s an extension of the coaching staff," Trotz said. "He';s a player who
does everything right professionally. He';s a player that has experience and
has been in these situations before. His wisdom resonates in the room. I think
he';s one of the most respected guys that we have. There are few guys that earn
 more respect than Brooks Orpik in our locker room, I can tell you that."

The post Capitals Wise to Bring Back Orpik appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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