Michal Kempny was the Washington Capitals’ unsung hero on last year’s run to the Stanley Cup — though eventually receiving enough praise from hockey analysts and media to render the “unsung” part ironic.
Kempny arrived in a late February trade that garnered little notice. He went from an afterthought and a healthy scratch on the Chicago Blackhawks to a vital role among the Capitals’ top four defensemen as Washington dispatched opponent after opponent in April, May and June.
With the news Tuesday that Kempny would miss the playoffs after undergoing surgery to repair a torn hamstring he suffered in a fight March 20, the Capitals may already have their next Kempny waiting in the wings: Nick Jensen.