Andreychuck or Langway Law

When the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, half the news stories focused on their oldest player, Dave Andreychuk. Andreychuk was renowned for being the longest tenured NHLer who had never won a championship. We have to wonder where new Capitals acquisition Roman Hamrlik stands on that list. Hamrlik was a member of the Lightning before they were one hit wonders.

Someone on the intertubes claims the lifetime record holder for that category is former Capitals defenseman Phil Housley, with 1495. Housley was a terrific offensive defenseman and a power play quarterback. Hamrlik, a terrific offensive defenseman known mostly as a power play quarterback is currently at 1311. If he plays all 82 games in each of the two seasons of his new contract, he'll move into an exact tie with Housley for futility. That will make the 2013 playoffs especially meaningful to The Hammer.

Of course, Hamrlik will turn thirty-nine during those playoffs, so it's unlikely that he won't miss a game or two here and there, but the numbers are certainly interesting. Still, if he should end up worn down beneath the scorns of time, he can still serve as a mentor behind the bench in the tradition of former Capitals captain Rod Langway, who struggled so much with the prospect of retirement that the league made a rule allowing a twenty-first player to stand behind the bench with the coaches.

Hamrlik has a lot of wisdom to impart in this capacity. He can show some of Washington's young offensive defensemen how to play the game to the fullest. He has already been respected in this capacity in Montreal and Calgary. The Caps certainly need wise veteran defensemen around to teach John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Maxim Orlov and to some extent, Jeff Schultz and Mike Green.

Hamrlik can also bring a very useful perspective to an even more vital cog of the Washington Capitals. As the first overall pick in the 1992 draft, Hamrlik can teach Alexander Ovechkin, the 1st overall pick of the 2004 draft, how to keep competing every night, even when championships don't come easily. With luck, those lessons will help the two break their dry spells together.