"Given that he spent more time watching as a healthy scratch than playing late in the regular season and into the playoffs, Jeff Halpern already knew he likely wasn't returning to Washington next season. So when General Manager George McPhee called Halpern recently to inform him the Capitals wouldn't try to re-sign him, the veteran centerman wasn't truly surprised. Halpern, 36, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "I just think how the last 20 games went, it was there," Halpern said in a phone interview Friday. "You do your part and see where you fit in and I think I was able to do what I was brought in to do when I was given an opportunity to play. I was happy with how I played this year and when I talked to George, he agreed, but going into next year that spot has kind of been filled." A Potomac, Md., native, Halpern signed a one-year deal as an unrestricted free agent last summer for a second stint with his hometown team. He was brought in to anchor the fourth line, take key faceoffs and contribute on the penalty kill. Through the first five months of the season, Halpern did just that. He boasted a team-best 58.3 percent success rate on draws, fifth best among faceoff leaders in the NHL, and in the early stages of Dale Hunter's tenure he garnered promotions to the top two lines. " Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-jeff-halpern/2012/06/08/gJQAAuamNV_blog.html
