Dainius Zubrus - #9
Position: C/RW
Shoots: Left
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 226 lbs.
Born: June 16, 1978
Age: 27 Years
Nationality: Lithuanian
Birthplace: Elektrenai, Lithuania
Drafted: Philadelphia Flyers
1st round, 15th overall, 1996
Contract Terms:
Two-year, one-way contract
$1.85M (2005-06 and 2006-07)
(Signed August 18, 2005)
Salary: $1,850,000 (2006-07)
(Photo credit: Capitals website, "Image of the Day" archive.)
Caps Corner Analysis:
After nine NHL seasons, Dainius Zubrus has all the tools to be a dominant power forward. At 6' 4" and over 230 pounds, Zubrus can stand up to any NHL player and is among the league's fastest big men. He uses his linemates well and brings a deft stickhandling touch. This combination of attributes led the Philadelphia Flyers to select Zubrus #15 overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
Yet Zubrus has struggled to fully meet his offensive potential. Zubrus sees the ice and moves the puck effectively, but he is only an average shooter and average in the face-off circle (562/556 for 50.3%, 96th in the league in 2005-06). Centering 106-point winger Alexander Ovechkin in 2005-06, Zubrus scored a disappointing 57 points.
Projection
On the plus side, Zubrus is a consistently strong defensive player. Zubrus is extremely strong, a very good skater, defensively responsible, and regularly logs heavy penalty-killing minutes. Even when not contributing on the scoresheet, Zubrus is an effective player on the ice. His work ethic is commendable and he rarely takes shifts off. On a deeper team Zubrus would be an excellent third-line checker. On the rebuilding Capitals, Zubrus is a top-line player who as often as not cannot finish a pretty Ovechkin play.
Though he's nearing his plateau, the potential is there for Zubrus to improve somewhat offensively. In addition to a year centering Ovechkin, Zubrus played with Capitals LW prospect Alexander Semin for Lada Togliatti in the 2004-05 lockout season, and has shone with Russia in international play. Fortunately for a team with a tight payroll, Zubrus' salary rests in the sub-$2 million range.
Zubrus will remain Ovechkin's center on the top line in 2005-06, but the potential is there to be moved to a role for which he is better suited once the Capitals add more talent in future seasons.
Contract Particulars
On October 8, 2002, Dainius Zubrus signed a two-year contract worth $1.4 million and $1.5 million, for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, respectively. The contract agreement came after a contract holdout that led Zubrus to miss all of the team's 2002-03 training camp. He remained characteristically enigmatic under the contract, displaying strong defensive-zone play and forechecking, but prone to recurring injuries and minimal offensive output.
Zubrus declined to accept a qualifying offer from the Washington Capitals in Summer 2004, and signed a one-year contract with Lada Togliatti of the Russian Superleague (RSL) for the 2004-05 season as the NHL entered its year-long lockout. Zubrus debated returning to Lada for a second season, but ultimately negotiated a two-year contract with Washington on August 15, 2005, for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
Zubrus will earn $1.85 million in the second year of the deal in 2006-07. He will qualify for unrestricted free agency on July 1, 2007.
|
NHL Salary (Career) |
|
Team |
Year |
Salary |
US$ Increase |
% Change |
|
PHI |
1997-98 |
$800,000 |
-- |
-- |
|
PHI/MTL |
1998-99 |
$800,000 |
$0 |
100% |
|
MTL |
1999-00 |
$660,000 |
-$140,000 |
83% |
|
MTL/WAS |
2000-01 |
$1,000,000 |
$340,000 |
152% |
|
WAS |
2001-02 |
$1,000,000 |
$0 |
100% |
|
WAS |
2002-03 |
$1,400,000 |
$400,000 |
140% |
|
WAS |
2003-04 |
$1,500,000 |
$100,000 |
107% |
|
WAS |
2004-05 |
Lockout |
-- |
-- |
|
WAS |
2005-06 |
$1,850,000 |
$350,000 |
123% |
|
WAS |
2006-07 |
$1,850,000 |
$0 |
100% |
Career statistics: HockeyDB.com
Updated: June 4, 2006
Brian Marshall
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