In the span of a little over five weeks, Matt Niskanen made some of the biggest changes of his life.
Niskanen got married to his now-wife Katie on June 28, three days shy of the annual start to the free agent signing period. He then signed a seven-year, $40.25 million contract with the Washington Capitals — the fourth-largest given to a defenseman — and managed to find a house in the Arlington area a week later and close on the purchase by the end of the month.
The biggest adjustment, though, comes on Thursday, when the Capitals open their season at home against Montreal. Niskanen and Brooks Orpik, former teammates in Pittsburgh, will truly begin their tenures in Washington, which used their signings to revamp a defensive corps that struggled mightily at times last season.
“I think it’s deep, and when you’re deep, you can survive an injury or two throughout the season,” Niskanen said. “I don’t know if we have a Norris Trophy candidate this year, but our committee is going to be pretty good, so hopefully, that will have a big impact on our year.”
The Capitals used 13 different defensemen last season, a good number of whom were younger players who, in any other circumstance, would likely have not played for the team. While John Carlson and Karl Alzner played in all 82 games, Mike Green, John Erskine and Dmitry Orlov were all limited because of injury.
Green played in 70 games — more than he had played in the previous two seasons combined — while Orlov appeared in 54 and Erskine was on the ice for 37. Four of their replacements were assigned to Hershey, the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, before rosters were finalized on Tuesday.
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At the very least, adding two experienced veterans would take some of the burden off of Alzner and Carlson, who logged an average of 24:30 of ice time last season. Having players like Niskanen, coming off a career year offensively, and Orpik, a big-bodied enforcer, further reduces the strain on the holdovers.
“It doesn’t change anything about the way I play or the way Carly plays or the way Greenie plays,” Alzner said. “It just gives us a little bit more piece of mind that those guys are also back there and can log the minutes and play hard. I’m extremely happy about it. It just evens the whole D corps out, and I think it makes us one of the better corps in the league.”
While Alzner and Carlson have spent considerable time as the Capitals’ top defensive pairing over the past three seasons, new coach Barry Trotz has elected to split them up. In three of the final four preseason games, Orpik was joined with Carlson, while Alzner and Niskanen formed the second group.
Trotz put the four together to create some semblance of balance: In Carlson and Niskanen, he has two puck-moving defensemen; in Orpik and Alzner, he has more traditional defensive-oriented types.
“They complement each other very well,” Trotz said. “I think it gives them some balance, and it allows you to play any way you want, but all defensemen have to defend and all defensemen have to jump up in the play at the right time. I think it’s a little bit of personnel and I think it’s a little bit of balance. If you get both guys going up at the same time, it’s not always a good thing, but I think it’s having balance to the groups.”
Wooing both Niskanen and Orpik to Washington was a fairly straightforward process. Unable to visit Arlington because of his wedding, Niskanen asked Orpik, who could make the trip, for a scouting report after his visit was complete.
Orpik, who later signed a five-year, $27.5 million deal, gave the meeting a rave review and greenlighted further contemplation. Niskanen entered the signing period looking for two things: a team with a chance to win, and a team that would allow him to succeed.
Acquainted with the Capitals’ forwards and familiar with one assistant coach — Todd Reirden, who coached Niskanen, Orpik and the defensemen in Pittsburgh — Niskanen took the plunge and signed the contract.
On Thursday, the next stage of his life, in Washington, can begin.
“I think the challenge for me is just to not change who I am because of the contract,” Niskanen said. “You’re not going to help yourself by trying to be someone that you’re not. Now, I do know that expectations go up. I’m expected to play well and be a consistent player, but I’m not gonna try to reach a certain point total because I think I have to. I had that attitude last year, and I don’t care if I get points, but things were clicking for me because you just take what’s there.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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