Michal Neuvirth's contract extension became official only hours ago, and Katie Carrera of the Washington Post already has his reaction. According to Neuvirth, resigning with the Capitals gave him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup, and that was an important part of his decision to stick around.
"I was thinking what to do for a bit," he said. "But me, my agent and my family decided it'd be nice to sign for another two years with Washington. There are great and high expectations here. Their goal is to win the Stanley Cup and that is my goal. I feel like I have the best chance to win the Stanley Cup here, that's why I took the deal."
Neuvirth also commented on how it felt when he found out the Capitals wanted to keep him in the fold.
"When I found out I got the offer it meant a lot to me," Neuvirth said this morning when asked his reaction to knowing the Capitals want him in the mix beyond this year. "It took me about a month to get the deal done and I'm glad that's over, I can put that behind me and just focus on hockey now."
Caps coach Bruce Boudreau also weighed in on how the contract might help Neuvirth on the ice.
"There's always pressure because he's young enough he's going to want another contract, but if anything [the new deal] gives him the peace of mind of knowing the faith that we have in him and he can focus on being a great goaltender like we know he is."
Neuvirth likes the Caps, and the Caps like Neuvirth; seems like this deal pleases everybody.