The declarations blare across the NHL each fall and Michael Latta felt ready to join the chorus. “I think I’m in the best shape of my life right now,” the young Washington Capitals forward said recently, echoing what almost everyone says around this time, though that didn’t necessarily make this assertion untrue. By eating right and training plenty, Latta dropped between 10 and 15 pounds this offseason, drastic enough of an improvement that his head coach took notice.
“He’s done a really good job in the summer,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “I’m really proud of the changes he’s made in terms of his body, his conditioning, his commitment, all those areas.