Alexander Ovechkin became the latest NHL player to land a very, very long term contract yesterday, signing a 13-year, $124 million contract with the Washington Capitals. With this deal, the 22-year-old Russian becomes the first NHL player to sign a $100 million-plus contract. Amazingly, this one seems to make sense for all the parties involved.

OK, when I say makes sense, I mean makes sense in terms of what the present market is for NHL contracts. It’s still hard to justify these large numbers for almost any job, let alone playing a game, but hey, that’s what the market is these days and I don’t begrudge the players their hard-earned money.

This is the third super-long contract signed by NHL stars in recent years (the Islanders’ Rick DiPietro signed a 15-year deal before last season and Philadelphia inked Mike Richards to a 12-year extension earlier this year). In all three cases, the player was young and the contract was designed to make sure that this player would become the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.

You could hardly make a better choice than Ovechkin to fill that role. He’s 22, has scored more goals (130) than any other player in the league since entering the NHL in 2005-06 (Ilya Kovalchuk is tied with him). Ovechkin plays with heart, he is not afraid to play the body and make a check ,and he makes the players around him better. He also has a playful personality that is easy to market and can help sell tickets.

There is still the injury issue: one serious knee injury, for example, and Ovechkin may never play again, or he may return but not be the same force he is now. That’s a risk Capitals’ owner Ted Leonsis was willing to take. Had he lost Ovechkin to free agency or traded his superstar, Leonsis would have hard a hard time making anybody believe he was serious about winning a Stanley Cup in Washington and the franchise’s future viability in the DC-area may even have been questioned. Now, it’s up to “Alex the Great” to bring a Stanley Cup to Washington. The clock is ticking, Alex. You have only 13 years left…

Recchi Not Quite Done

Reports of Mark Recchi’s NHL demise were certainly premature. Since being claimed on waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers, Recchi has made a difference for his new club. In 16 games, he has scored seven goals and 15 points and has been a positive addition to the locker room as well. It was a very good move by the Thrashers to pick up Recchi even though he will turn 40 on February 1st.

Windy City Resurgence

It’s been great to see the return of some large and very enthusiastic crowds to Chicago for hockey games. The Blackhawks have a young and exciting team on the ice for the first time in a long time. Since the passing of Bill Wirtz, his sons have shown a bit more marketing savvy as well. For the first time in forever, some Blackhawks home games have been televised in Chicago.

Fans under 35 may not believe this, but there used to be a time when the Blackhawks were a major part of the sports scene in the Windy City. Names like Mikita, Hall, Hull, Esposito, Roenick, Chelios and Savard made the Hawks an institution. The atmosphere at old Chicago Stadium was special for fans and players alike. In the last 10-15 years, the fans seemed to give up hope and one of the NHL’s Original Six all but disappeared from the sports radar in Chicago. Now, that’s finally starting to change.

Hopefully, the fans will remain patient while the team struggles through it’s present spate of injuries, but there’s little question the Blackhawks are on the right track for the first time in well over a decade.

Nabokov the Sharks' Iron Man

Will Sharks’ goalie Evgeni Nabokov really become the first goalie since Boston’s Eddie Johnston in 1963-64 to start all of his team’s games? Thus far, Nabby has started all 42 games for the Sharks and has an impressive 24-12-6 record, a 1.99 GAA and a save percentage of .918. Backups Dmitri Patzold and Thomas Greiss have played in only three games (all by Patzold) and have yet to make a start. The real question is, can Nabokov keep up this pace and what affect will it have on him down the stretch and into the playoffs? The NHL is a very different league from when EJ started 70 games. Teams didn’t travel west of Chicago back then, and many of the road trips could be made by train. If Nabokov falters down the stretch or in the postseason, look for the Sharks to acquire a quality and trusted backup before the start of next season.

Wings Lock Up Osgood

What a good move by the Red Wings to sign Chris Osgood to an extension. Osgood has quietly been one of the better goalies in the league this season and has sort of flown under the radar throughout his NHL career. He was the starting goalie on the Wings Stanley Cup winner in 1998 and has a career record of 355-188-80. Even though everyone assumed Dominik Hasek was the number one goalie in Detroit at the beginning of the season, Osgood has outplayed “The Dominator” so far. With the 43-year-old Hasek’s return next season a question mark, Osgood gives the Wings the assurance that they will have a quality goaltender.

A Sucker Punch is a Sucker Punch

Hearing the Flyers’ Bob Clarke defend Steve Downie’s sucker punch of the Leafs’ Jason Blake was just like old times but that doesn’t mean it was good. It’s understandable that Clarke is going to defend a player in the Flyers’ organization, that is his job, but there’s no reason to condone taking a sucker punch at anybody. Back in the heyday of the “Broad Street Bullies” in the 70s, the Flyers would typically use tactics like sucker punches or having three players gang up on and attack one opponent. You have an issue with an opposing player and want to drop the gloves, fine, but there’s no excuse for sucker punching another player when the linesman has him tied up and/or his back is turned.