Wednesday Caps Clips: Reason for Optimism?

Your savory breakfast links:

' Lots of lockout news and opinion, so let's dive right in:

' The League made a new offer that must have tested well in the focus group sounds like a step in the right direction... [Puck Daddy, CBC, ESPN, TSN, National Post, Backhand Shelf, NHL Numbers, Sporting News, SI, WashTimes, WaPo, SB Nation DC]

' ... or does it? [Globe and Mail, PPP]

' Karl Alzner was "thrilled to see a legitimate proposal" (which one would imagine wouldn't be Donald Fehr's reaction to seeing his locked out players praising the other side so effusively). [WashTimes]

' So, uh, expansion? [Puck Daddy]

' Will the fans come back after the lockout? Maybe not here as much as elsewhere. [NHL Numbers]

' More recaps of the day and other labor strife-related musings. [SBNation, Puck Daddy, Sportsnet, Sportsnet, Sporting News, Hockey Shopped]

' Nicklas Backstrom may be getting ready to center his #1 wingman (woohoo!) in Russia (meh). [Alex Ovetjkin]

' Wojtek Wolski is pretty much Polish royalty. [eSanok, eSanok, Google Trans via nowiny24]

' Brooks Laich is en fuego. Sorta literally. [RMNB]

' Notes from Tuesday's practice up the road in Hershey... [Patriot-News, Caps365 (video)]

' ... where Ryan Stoa looks to be a key piece for the locals. [Patriot-News, and for more Bears bits, hit up RtR and if Bears and dogs are your thing, Twitter]

' Down a level, Brett Flemming is off and running, err, skating in his second pro season... [Caps Outsider]

' ... and Philipp Grubauer speaks. [Caps365 (video)]

' Legendary player, good cause. [Capitals]

' Finally, happy 28th birthday to Sami Lepisto.