The Washington Capitals signed a pair of free-agent defensemen from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, giving Matt Niskanen a seven-year, $40.25 million contract, and Brooks Orpik a $27.5 million, five-year deal. The 27-year-old Niskanen led NHL blue liners with a plus-33 rating last season, when he set career highs with 10 goals and 36 assists. The 6-foot, 209-pound defenseman has 35 goals, 132 assists and 266 penalty minutes in 491 career NHL games for Pittsburgh and Dallas. The 33-year-old Orpik has played his entire career with the Penguins, who drafted him in the first round in 2000. The Capitals also signed free-agent goaltender Justin Peters to a $1.9 million, two-year deal and re-signed center Michael Latta to a $1.15 million contract.
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