Karl Alzner has a cool hat

He's also a pretty good hockey player. To see how these two items relate, click here.

Caps re-sign Erskine

The Caps secured a bit more toughness for the blueline today, re-signing veteran defenseman and general badass John Erskine to a two year deal. While most defensemen on the Caps roster fit well into the mold of the "new NHL," Erskine is a tough, strong, physical defenseman more reminiscent of the prototypical mid 90s banger. And that's a good thing.

As we've stated time and again, the Capitals need a physical presence to keep opposing offenses honest. Erskine handled that role well until injuries derailed his season. We expect bigger and better things from Big John Studd this coming year.

Couldn't have said it better myself

Per Tarik's blog, this great quote from Brian Pothier,

"It's really going to be good for Mike Green to watch Tom [Poti] because they have the same skill set. Long, rangy and really efficient skaters. Green can learn a lot from Poti. He's a good player and he's going to make us a lot better."

We've said all along that a veteran defenseman would help the young Caps defensive corps (and Green in particular). It's good to see we're not the only ones that think so.

The Can't Miss Kid gets the call

Per just about everyone, Capitals first round draft pick Bobby Carpenter will be inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame this year. Carpenter was the Caps third overall pick in 1981, and spent parts of 5 seasons with the organization. While he never fulfilled the stratospheric expectations that accompanied his selection, Carpenter did post a very respectable 320 goals and 408 assists in his 19 year career.

Congrats on your selection, Bobby.

Semin: Significant Talent, insignificant knee problems

Per Tarik, Alexander Semin's reported knee "injury" is nothing to worry about (contrary to this report. If you want to make any sense of it, I hope your Russian is better than mine, or BabelFish's, for that matter).

Good to hear that Sasha isn't hurt. With the upgrades the Capitals have made, this will be a telling season for Semin.

When surrounded by a decent supporting cast, will he sublimate his own individual talents for the greater good of the team? We're betting that he will... as long as he's not paired up with Brooks Laich (since Kris Frikkin Beech is no longer with the team).

Remember, Semin always gave his linemates a chance to make a play last year. It was only when they blew easy tap ins and shanked good scoring opportunities that he would attempt to take the other team on singlehandedly. If Semin believes in his teammates ability to finish what he starts, he may well finish as the Caps leading scorer.