Tue Jul 1 15:56:56 2008

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Capitals ink Theodore to two-year deal

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Arlington, VA (Sports Network) - The Washington Capitals have signed goaltender Jose Theodore to a two-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Theodore, 31, appeared in 53 games for the Colorado Avalanche last season, compiling a 28-21-3 record with three shutouts, a 2.44 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

He also started all 10 playoff games for the Avs, going 4-6 with a 3.15 GAA as Colorado was bounced in the Western Conference semifinals by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep.

The Laval, Quebec native spent the first eight-plus seasons of his NHL career with the his hometown Canadiens before being dealt to Colorado late in the 2005-06 season.

Theodore's tenure with the Avalanche was somewhat of a disappointment, as his acquisition was meant to mirror that of Patrick Roy's arrival from Montreal to Denver in 1995 -- a move which netted the franchise a pair of Stanley Cup titles. Instead, Theodore could only backstop the club as far as the second round in two playoff appearances.

In 2001-02 with the Habs, Theodore had his finest season, piling up a 30-24-10 record with a 2.11 GAA, seven shutouts and a .931 save percentage in 67 games en route to capturing both the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player and the Vezina Trophy as its top goaltender.

A two-time All-Star, Theodore has appeared in 444 games over 12 seasons with Montreal and Colorado. He owns a career record of 183-197-40, with a 2.65 GAA and 26 shutouts.

Theodore joins Cristobal Huet as the other former Canadien manning the cage for the Caps. Washington picked up Huet at the trade deadline last year and he was in goal during the team's run to the Southeast Division crown.