Tonight the Capitals face the Buffalo Slugs, the new team of former Capital Dainius Zubrus. Zubrus was traded away because he did not agree on a contract with the Capitals before the trade deadline, and this summer he will be an unrestricted free agent. From our perspective, it looked like the Caps’ hopes of luring him back this summer were entirely dashed when he told the Buffalo press that he was thrilled to join a team with “a real hockey atmosphere.” Some in D.C. took this as a slight toward the Caps and their fans.

Now DCist has heard of a new reason to hope that Zubrus could sign another contract with Washington after July 1st, when this year’s class of free agents start negotiating contracts with teams. Audrius Zubrus, a regional sales manager for the Capitals, and Dainius’ younger brother, is planning to stay with the Caps next year. According to an anonymous source, Audrius is dating a local and wants to make Washington his home regardless of who outbids whom for his older brother’s playing services.

While Washington could not offer Dainius the “real hockey atmosphere” he’s craved in the last couple years, we’re sure he knows that the lack of fan enthusiasm was directly related to the Caps’ poor results on the ice. We hope he sees, as we do, a great likelihood that will improve next year, especially if ownership and management make the moves they claim they’re committed to making. At least we can now claim that the Washington Capitals are the only team in the league that can offer Dainius Zubrus something he might be starting to miss by now: a real family atmosphere.

Photograph of Washington’s “Hockey Atmosphere” by Flickr user Pak Gwei