Brooks Laich had six points in seven playoff games for Washington. (Lawrence Jackson/Associated Press)

The Washington Capitals have strengthened their middle by signing centres Sergei Fedorov and Brooks Laich.

Fedorov, 38, signed a one-year deal worth $4 million US, while Laich's deal is for three years.

Laich, 25, will earn $6.2 million US over the course of the deal, according to a Washington Post report. He will earn $1.7 million for the 2008-09 season.

Fedorov scored 18 points in 25 regular season and playoff games with Washington after coming over in a deal at February's trade deadline from Columbus. He quickly bonded with the team's superstar, fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin.

Fedorov has scored 472 goals and 674 assists in 1,196 career games. During 13 seasons with Detroit, he won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, the Hart Memorial Trophy as most valuable player and the Frank Selke Trophy twice as the top defensive forward.

The centre, who has also played for Anaheim in his career, has scored 30 or more goals on 10 occasions, with a career-high 56 in 1993-94.

He was at the end of a contract that paid him $6 million the past season.

Laich made $725,000 last season and had elected to take the Capitals through the NHL's salary arbitration process next month.

The Wawota, Sask., native scored 21 goals and 16 assists in 82 games last season, all career highs. He scored eight power-play goals, two short-handed markers and four game winners.

The six-foot-two Laich added six points in Washington's seven playoff games.

Laich has 36 goals and 41 assists in 233 career games in just over three NHL seasons.

He was drafted in the sixth round by Ottawa in the 2001 NHL entry draft but only played one game with the Senators. Ottawa traded him in 2004 in a deal that saw Peter Bondra go the other way.