So defenseman Mike Green signs a four-year deal with the Washington Capitals that will pay him a reported $5.25 million per season. That's some major coin for a 22-year-old guy; naturally, he's been thinking about how he's going to spend the dough. Like, for example, on one of the pimpest of pimp rides.

"I'm not going to lie: I definitely want to treat myself to a new car," he said on a conference call today. "Maybe the Gran Turismo, Maserati."

Now, he didn't say the Gran Turismo S, but seriously: If you suddenly had $5.25 million (minus taxes, agents' fees and entertainment expenses) coming to you annually, wouldn't this be in your driveway, like, tomorrow?

Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post said a Maserati would be "a serious upgrade" over Green's current ride, claiming that some of the reporters that cover the team had better cars than he did. "No doubt," said Green through a laugh. "That's why I wasn't going to lie: I need a new car."

So why did Green choose to return to D.C.? His relationship with Coach Bruce Boudreau can't be underestimated. It's clear he enjoys playing for him and appreciates what Boudreau has done for his game, to the point where Green explicitly said "I didn't want to leave Bruce."

Still, after all that talk about Green waiting for an offer sheet from another team, why did he sign before the free-agent frenzy, even if the Capitals were going to match?

"I wanted to be loyal. I personally didn't know it would take this long, and come down to the last day. I don't think it was necessarily the intention. But sometimes that happens and I'm just happy to be with my team soon," he said.

I asked him about the length of the contract. Four years is a solid number for a second NHL contract, but the post-lockout landscape has seen its share of long-term megadeals (see Ovechkin, Alexander). "To be honest with you, we were kind of all over the map. I think it just made the most sense in the end. I would have signed a 10-year deal if it made sense, but it just seems like the four-year deal here made the most sense for myself and for Washington."

His agent, Don Meehan, had his own explanation to Capitals Insider:

"There was some discussion of a longer term deal, but we didn't get to numbers that we felt would be relevant for him," Meehan added. "I think by doing a four year deal, it's in the best interest of both sides. In four years, we'll all have a better perspective of what we should be doing on a longer term deal."