Mike Green has been a Washington Capital for more than a decade and he doesn’t want that to change.
The 29-year-old was selected by the Capitals 29th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and, according to Green, not once has he seriously considered leaving the only team he knows.
With his current contract expiring in the summer, Green may finally get a chance to test his value on the open market, but he hopes it never comes to that.
“My heart is in Washington,” Green said to Ian Oland of Russian Machine Never Breaks. “It always will be until something else happens. My focus is here. My focus is winning a championship here and giving that to the fans. As an organization, that’s what we want as a team. I’m a part of that until the day I die or retire.”
Although Green no longer logs 24 minutes a night or puts up 70 points a season, he’s been an integral part of a team that is in a relatively comfortable playoff spot — seven points clear of ninth place — and fifth in the league in goal differential.
The Calgary, Alberta native has six goals and 39 points in 61 games, with 16 of those points coming on the league’s best power play, and is a key cog on the team’s blueline. So much so that the team didn’t even consider trading him at the trade deadline this season, believing that having Green gave the team the best chance to succeed this year.