Breaking down the roster

And a hearty welcome back! To get fired up for the start of the season, we're breaking down the Caps skaters from potential call ups to 20 year veterans. Instead of by position, they're broken down by expectation.

The Outside looking in- You’re on the short list for call ups.

Quintin Laing:
Unfortunately, Quintin is in the worst possible position, having to clear waivers both down from the big club and up from Hershey. While Laing’s heart, determination, and willingness to put his health on the line to keep the puck out of the net are never in question he doesn’t have the physical aggressiveness to make him a 4th liner or offensive upside to push him into a third line slot. Unless one of the more defensive minded forwards sustains a multi-game injury, it’s likely Laing will spend most of his time in Hershey unless a trade is worked out.

Chris Bourque:
While his size will always be a detriment, Chris showed himself to be a more than capable offensive talent during the preseason. His two way contract made sending him to Hershey the right decision, but his offensive prowess, determination, and exceptional skating ability kept it from being an easy one.

Bourque has a nose for the net and is willing to pay the price to make a play, which is a must for a player of his stature. His natural fit on most teams would be on a second line, and the thought of him lined up with Nylander and Semin is quite appealing… until one thinks that they’ll actually have to play some of the game in the defensive end.

Expect Bourque to be the first offensive call up (especially if Tomas Fleischmann sputters early on) unless one of the Caps fourth liners goes down with an injury (in which case they’d need a more physical presence than young Chris can provide). My money is on Bourque supplanting Flash by midseason, as Chris has already shown more scoring ability at the NHL level and more willingness to get physical with opposing players.

Sami Lepisto:
There hasn’t been enough time to fully evaluate Lepisto, but from his play last year he looks like a guy that won’t crack the Capitals lineup unless he either finds a 6th gear and works on his passing and playmaking skills or develops a much more physical edge to his game. While the former is much more likely than the latter, it’s unlikely we’ll see more than a couple injury call ups for the young Finn unless Erskine’s lack of speed becomes a major issue for the up-tempo style the Caps are trying to establish as their hallmark.

The Make or Breakers – We need to see something from you. This year.

Boyd Gordon:
The Good- Boyd Gordon is an exceptional player in terms of defensive positioning, commitment to defense and willingness to sacrifice the body to make a play. He has adequate speed to play the NHL game.

The Bad- Gordon lacks the temperament or strength to wear down opposing players. He’s ten times more likely to get put on his can while protecting the puck than to put the other player down. He lacks the offensive tools to move him any further up than the third line, and even that’s a stretch at this point.

While he’s a great team player and an asset on the penalty kill, at this point his role with the team rests with his commitment to defense and the lack of a stronger, more physical player with his skillset. Despite how the fans admire his courage and effort and statistical “above averageness” (yes, we’re looking at you, J.P.) Gordon’s days as anything but a grind liner with the team are all but over.

Tomas Fleischmann:
One of the two most interesting players in this grouping. Flash has nothing left to prove at the minor league level and absolutely everything to prove in the NHL. While he is gifted with a strong and accurate wrist shot and above average playmaking ability, Fleischmann has so far been unable to break through on the big stage.

Some attribute it to youth and a small, slow to fill out frame, it may well be that Flash’s quickness and offensive talents are enough to overwhelm minor league goaltenders and defensemen but not quite enough to beat the stronger, more positionally sound and fleet of foot players in the NHL. If Fleischmann can step up and deliver at least 10 goals in the first half of the season, it will be a sign that he simply needed time to adapt to the big leagues both physically and mentally. If he can’t, it’s likely that this will be his last year with the organization, and possibly his last in the NHL.

Eric Fehr:
Eric Fehr represents another conundrum. Having lost almost his entire professional career to injury, Eric Fehr enters a season healthy for the first time. The experience of playing with the big club for the latter half of last year is certainly a plus, but just hanging around as a standard third or fourth line talent would have to be considered a disappointment.

To blatantly rip off The Deuce, Fehr will have to put up some serious offensive numbers this year if he doesn’t want to be forever known as The Guy We Picked Instead of Ryan Getzlaf. It says here he gets the job done.

David Steckel:
David Steckel has the same defensive skills and forechecking tenacity as Boyd Gordon, but adds a stronger offensive skillset, longer reach, and a much more imposing frame. A reliable defensive asset, Steckel should be expected to post double digit goals without sacrificing in the defensive end this season.

D:
John Erskine:
As long as the team lacks a top tier sledgehammer on defense, John Erskine should have the role of defensive enforcer tied up. By far the most physical Caps defenseman, Erskine can be intimidating in close to the crease but his lack of footspeed often leaves him at the mercy of the league’s elite forwards when defending against the rush. His offensive skills are negligible.

All offensive liabilities aside, Erskine can be depended on to do what is necessary to keep the opposition honest. He also has no issues playing rough down low, slashing opponents near the crease, and doing whatever it takes to defend his area. He understands that tripping or cross checking an opponent with a scoring chance with 5 or 10 seconds left in the game is better than holding up and allowing them to shoot. Until the Caps either trade for or develop a marquee hard edged defenseman, Erskine will be called upon to play solid minutes against the more physical teams in the league.

Milan Jurcina:
Will the real Milan Jurcina please stand up? In his best moments (like his first few games after being traded from Boston) Jurcina is an intimidating presence, a giant hard hitting ogre of a defenseman. Unfortunately, just as often (if not more so) he’s completely passive, allowing opposing skaters to skate by him with only a wave of the stick as they pass by. If Jurcina wants to stay on the Caps active roster, he has to commit to taking the body every minute of every game.

The Known Commodities: We know what we’re getting from you, more or less.

Brooks Laich:
Laich appears to have made the leap from a grinder who can chip in a few goals to a legitimate two way forward. His speed is often underestimated and he plays a tough physical game. His scoring touch has improved immensely over the past couple of years, and he should score around 25 goals while providing solid play in all three zones.

Matt Bradley:
Matt Bradley is good for solid all around effort, a few big hits (or at least big attempts) and more one liners than you can shake a stick at every game. Expect the “fan favorite” to chip in with a single digit goal total and 25 or so points along with a few fights smattered in.

Donald Brashear:
Nearing the end of his career, The Donald is still one of the most feared enforcers in the game. The only question with Brashear is whether his already less than stellar footspeed will hold up for another season, and how comfortable he is with what should be a significant reduction in ice time.

Michael Nylander:
If he is truly recovered from shoulder surgery, Nylander should be a big time contributor to the Capitals offense. His puck control skills and ability to find the open man are still in the top 20 in the league. Forget that he will is penciled in as a third liner. He will see significant time on the power play where the extra time and space make him a lethal setup man, and while a return to 80 point form seems unlikely sixty five or so points seems about right.

Chris Clark:
This season a fully fit Chris Clark should return to his post as a upper tier power forward and, just as important, the emotional leader of the team. While another 30 goal season would be icing on the cake, it’s more likely that Clark will chip in somewhere in the range of 25. Clark’s leadership and intangibles will more than make up for the mild production drop.

Sergei Fedorov:
The most versatile player on the roster, Fedorov will be asked to play in just about every situation and position except in goal. As always, he’ll perform admirably, and while his best days are certainly behind him expect Sergei to perform a higher level than he has in years. Great players always seem to have great farewell tours, and even if he’s lost a couple steps Fedorov still has the skill and veteran guile to make his memorable.

Viktor Kozlov:
Viktor Kozlov is by far the most maddening player on the team. Gifted with tremendous hands and size, Kozlov should be a force on the ice each and every night. Unfortunately, his refusal play anything resembling a physical game and his overall lack of interest in the game keep him from being an elite forward.

If Kozlov is given time and space, he is an extremely adept passer and has a shot that is hard and accurate enough to beat most NHL goaltenders. If pressured, Kozlov tends to give up on a play far too easily. Unfortunately, opposing defensemen know this and rarely allow the big fellow to skate free. Just the same as every year in his career, expect above average regular season numbers and yet another disappearing act in the playoffs when it requires heart as well as skill to get the job done. The good news? He’s off the books after this season, so the 2.5 million he earns can be paid to players who actually care.

D:
Tom Poti:
Poti figures to be the team’s number one all around defenseman again this year. While a shoulder injury limited him at both ends of the ice last year, a fully healthy Tom Poti should produce above average offensive numbers and his trademark solid defensive play. While his power play minutes will be reduced because of Fedorov’s ability to play the point and the emergence of Mike Green as one of the league’s premier offensive defensemen, Poti still figures to log a lot of minutes, especially late in tight contests.

Shaone Morrison:
If playing defense was based on slick skating, smooth transition, and positioning, Morrison would be a top tier player. Unfortunately, defense in the NHL also requires a physical element and a willingness to play to the very limits of the rules, which Big Mo has never developed. He’s a solid second or third pairing defenseman, but unless he develops much more upper body strength and a real nasty attitude to match that’s about as far as he’s going to go.

The Potential Breakouts – This is your year kid. Let’s see you go out there and grab it!

Alexander Semin:
Injuries kept the “other” Alex from reaching his potential last season, but he came on strong late. His first playoff experience started slow, but once he adjusted to the physical, tight checking atmosphere he truly came alive. He exhibited desire many though he lacked, and added a physical edge that he’d never before even shown glimpses of.

A healthy Alexander Semin should thrive with the skilled players he’s been surrounded with. A career year is, if not expected, certainly hoped for.

Nicklas Backstrom:
In his rookie year, Nicklas Backstrom adapted quickly to the North American ice surface, showing constant growth. By the end of the season he was a lock not only for the first line and the coveted slot lining up next to Alex Ovechkin, but for the first power play unit as well. If Backstrom continues to develop and improves his skating (probably his weakest area) the sky is the limit. With the depth the Capitals have at center this season, awarding the number one slot to a second year pro speak volumes about how highly the organization regards him.

D:
Jeff Schultz:
In his first season with the Capitals, there were nights when Schultz looked completely outmatched and, quite honestly, not ready for the NHL. In by the end of his second season, he appeared to have shored up his positional issues and had adapted sufficiently to the speed of the game. Will Schultz’ third season be the one in which he finally is willing and able to use his tremendous size to impose his will on opposing forwards? Probably not, but remember how awkward Zdeno Chara looked his first couple of seasons?

Karl Alzner:
Alzner is this far down the list for one simple reason: he may start the season in Hershey, but there’s no way he finishes it there. Alzner has the tools to be a top pairing defenseman, and although that probably won’t happen this year it’s not too much to expect him to break into the second pair. The kid is, quite simply, the real deal.

Mike Green:
I know, I know, Greener’s breakout season was technically last season. The simple (and scary) fact remains that the kid hasn’t neared his potential. If he is able to shore up his positioning issues in his own zone and continues to be willing to play the body as often as he rushes he’s all but assured to be the league’s best offensive defenseman for the second year in a row. And if the Caps can win a playoff round, his mohawk should be something to behold.


The Chosen One
Alex Ovechkin
‘nuff said.

Why the Flyers are Doomed to Fail for the Next Decade

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Deuce breaks out his hatchet and murders the Flyers:

Since everyone is wrapped up in predictions and series breakdowns, I thought I would look at the futures of the two franchises facing off tonight at the Verizon Center. As others have noted, these two teams have taken two radically different views on rebuilding. The Flyers’ approach can best be described as “the quick fix,” sort of like that commercial where the engineers stick a piece of bubble gum over that crack in the Hoover Dam. The Caps, on the other hand, were patient, tearing down the team prior to the lockout/work stoppage, and rebuilding through draft picks and deadline acquisitions that do not bring contract obligations past this year.

After one bad year, in which they missed the playoffs, Philly went out like a drunken sailor in the Hotel California and brought in everyone’s favorite punk, Danielle Briere, and traded for and signed Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timmonen, Marty Biron. They then totally lost their minds and signed Mike Richards, everyone’s favorite 20-goal scorer, to an 11-year, $5.75 million a year contract. Good move. For this lunacy, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren was almost universally praised.

The Caps, on the other hand, took the hard road. They traded away Gonchar, Bondra, Nylander, Jagr, and the rest, and got back a bunch of young kids nobody had ever heard of and some draft picks in return. They stank the year before, and two years after the lockout. But they drafted intelligently, refused to panic and trade their prospects and draft picks, and played the kids, both in DC and Hershey. They made smart, reasonable free agent signings (Pothier, Nylander, Poti, Kozlov). For this approach, Ted Leonsis and GM George McPhee were almost universally panned. So let’s take a look at the rosters and salary cap numbers, shall we?

Philly:
Forwards of Note
Danielle Briere: $6.5 million/yr through 2014-15
Simon Gagne: $5.25 through 2010/11
Scott Hartnell: $4.1 through 2012/13
Mike Knuble $2.8 through end of next year
Jeoffrey Lupul: $2.8 through end of next year
Sami Kappanen & Scottie Upshall: $1.25 through end of next year
MIKE RICHARDS: $5.75 through 2019/20
RJ Umberger and Jeff Carter are RFAs this summer

Defensemen of Note
Kimmo Timmonen: $6.33 through 2012/13
Derian Hatcher: (wait for it --- wait for it ---) $3.5 million through end of next year
Mike Rathje: $3.5 million through 2010/11
Jason Smith: $1.975 through end of next year (UFA)
Braydon Coburn: $1.3 million starting next year for 2 years

Goaltenders: Wait for it, wait for it:
Marty Biron: $3.5 through 2009/10
Antero Nittymaki: $1.225 through 2009/10

Cap hit this year $55 million
Cap hit next year $49.5 million - and they still need to resign Umberger and Carter, who will be RFAs this summer.
Cap hit in 3 years: $33 million

Compare that with the Capitals:
Capitals Cap Hit this year: $39.021
Cap Hit next year: $34.8 million (but we still need to sign Green (RFA), Morrison (RFA), and Huet/Kolzig (UFAs))
Cap hit in 3 years: $28.4

So which roster would you rather have in 2009/10 for essentially the same salary cap hit?
Philly - with Briere (31 years old with 5 years left on his contract), Gagne (30 years old); Hartnell ((27 with 3 years left), Richards (24 years old with 9 years remaining); and VanRiemsdyck (on an entry level contract) up front, and
Timmonen (34 with 3 years remaining); Rathje (35); and Coburn (24) on the back line (and Biron and Nittymaki in net)

OR

Ovechkin (23 years old with 11 years remaining), Semin (25 years old coming up RFA the next summer), Clark (33 years old with a year remaining), Nylander (36 with a year remaining), Backstrom (21 and and RFA the next summer), Fleishmann (25 and RFA the next summer) up front; Poti (32 with 2 yrs left), Pothier (???) (32 with 1 year left), Green (who we know we’ll resign), Alzner on the back line (on an entry-level contract with 1 year remaining), Huet or Kolzig in net.

I think if we polled NHL GMs, even Holmgren would take that second lineup. In a second. And remember, that’s when you factor in 5 million a year or so for Green!

Even worse, the Flyers have killed themselves in the long term, as Briere will be a 6.5 million dollar cap hit when he’s 35 and 36 with a no-trade clause!
Timmonen will be a $6.3 hit when he’s 37!
MIKE FREAKING RICHARDS will be a $5.75 hit when he’s 34 years old.
AND, they’re just above-average enough to be a fringe playoff team for the next 6-7 years, meaning no high draft picks, no blue-chip sure fire young superstars in the near future. Oops.

The only deal the Caps have past 2010/11 is Ovechkin: at 9.5 a year. I’ll take that one. So the Flyers have taken the quick fix route back to the playoffs, where they are doomed to be a team that will be average to pretty good for the next, oh, six years or so. They’ll play a hard nosed, hard working style, have mediocre goaltending, and are doomed to eventually bow out to teams with more talented superstars. Sound familiar Caps Fans?

Boy, am I glad those days are over. On the other hand, the Caps still have some work to do…they have to resign their restricted free agents (Green, Morrison, Laich, Gordon, Fehr, probably in that order of importance), and lock up a solid netminder until we find out if Varlamov or Neuvirth are any good (Huet, anyone?), but even then, the Caps will have the salary cap room to make moves and add to an already potent lineup.

Sorry Philly. It looks like the Championship drought is going to last at least a decade or so longer. But you can always reminisce about the old days of the Broad Street Bullies, and talk about how tough your team is. And hey, how about them Eagles?

Oh, and one more thing: Jim Butler --- you’re an idiot. Only someone as dumb as you could insult an entire fan base in the NY Times, then act surprised when they (rightfully) hammer you for it.

Hanlon let go

Per the Caps, Glen Hanlon has been relieved of his coaching duties and replaced on an interim basis by former Hershey Bears head coach Bruce Boudreau. The move was not unexpected considering the Capitals are off to their worst start in over 25 years. However, Hanlon's tenure in Washington should not be judged based solely on this year's merits.

Glen Hanlon lead a team with a pittance of NHL caliber talent for two seasons, and for the entirety of those two seasons we almost never saw a team that gave less than everything it had. I don't think it's overreaching to say that the Capitals overachieved for those two seasons, and their coach's optimism, patience and understanding were all major reasons for that.

Unfortunately, most coaches in the NHL are not measured on what they do for young teams or how they teach young players to grow into NHL regulars, but on their records. As the team matured and new talent was added, Coach Hanlon eventually had to be measured by the standards of other coaches: wins and losses. But let us not forget that Glen Hanlon was the right coach for the Washington Capitals for two seasons. He should be commended for the job he did with the organization during that time.

Now it's time to move in another direction. So thank you Coach Hanlon for the job that you did in the previous two years. Caps fans will not forget you for it.

Now a new era begins. While it's far too early to say whether the Boudreau experiment will last past this season, it's clear that it was time for a change. Welcome Coach Boudreau.

And lets go Caps.

So Long, Sudsy

Per the horse's mouth, the Capitals have traded Brian "Granite Chin" Sutherby to Anaheim for a second round pick in the 2009 entry draft.

Ladies and gentlemen

Your 2007-08 Washington Capitals (opening night roster).

All things must come to an end

Another year, another Capitals season done before its time. The Caps were unable to put together a three game winning streak to end the season, falling 2-0 to the Buffaslugs. Kris Beech had two of the best opportunities for the Caps, which is why they ended the game with a goose egg. Indeed, if the Capitals could have taken advantage of their opportunities, they might have won the game. However, the inability to finish chances again proved their undoing.

Two observations on Buffalo. One, Ryan Miller is good. Real good. But he isn't as good as the Caps made him look Saturday. For example, at first glance Miller's save on a one timer from a wide open Beech appeared to be an all-world save. Until you realize that 1) Beech took an extra second to settle the puck, so it wasn't a one-timer at all and 2) that gave Miller the time he needed to set and kick across to make the stop. Good save, yes. But it was just as much a poor offensive decision. Hopefully, the Caps will have guys with better offensive instincts to finish off plays like that next year.

Second, Daniel Briere is an absolute pansy. If there was any doubt before he was tossed for spearing, it's gone now. This is the second time against the Caps Briere has used his stick as a weapon in one season. It shows an utter lack of respect for the opposing players and the game of hockey in general. But from a class act like Briere, we've come to expect no less. If the Caps sign him instead of Drury or Gomez this summer, my head might explode.

As a side note, Fan Appreciation Night proved to be an exercise in frustration. Yes, it was nice that prizes were given to the fans throughout the game. That part of the day was well-organized and executed. And it was great to see all the members of the team, even the injured ones, on the ice at the end of the season. But there was an issue which kept a lot of folks from enjoying the entire game. For some reason, the concessions stands on the 4th floor were less than half staffed, which led to lines so long that some folks (such as my girlfriend) had to wait in line for OVER HALF of the second period. Not the experience you want fans to take away from the last game of the season.

And so we come to the end of another Caps season. We've seen the good (Olie Kolzig's consistently outstanding play, the wizardry of Semin's stickhandling and the power of Ovechkin firing a wrister in full stride). We've seen the bad (the team's dowright futile road record in the second half of the season, the regression of a very young defense, the rash of injuries after the all star break). We've definitely seen the ugly (several downright atrocious performances against the Florida Panthers).

But with all we've seen, this offseason promises to offer the one thing that's been in short supply for Capitals fans. Hope. The team now has the chance to build on a solid foundation of young talent. I don't think the same has been said about a Caps team in 15 years. Not even in their best years did the Caps have the top-flight offensive talent that has been on display at the V this season. With all due respect to Peter Bondra, who was a scoring machine on a team with almost no other offensive options, the Capitals have never had an Ovechkin before. They certainly haven't had two players with the amazing offensive gifts that Semin and Ovechkin have.

Yes, they certainly have holes to fill. Lots of them. But with the core of the offense (Ovechkin, Semin, Clark, Backstrom, Gordon, Fleischmann, and Eric Fehr if his back ever heals) set for next year, the future looks bright. And with the another year's experience, this young defense has a lot of potential. And while I'm the first one to say the Caps need to be active in free agency and possibly trade some of their stockpiled draft picks and young talent for established players, the future of this team looks bright. Keep your chins up, Caps fans. Better days are on the horizon.

And always remember:

Let's go Caps!
Let's go Caps!
Let's go Caps!

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Update: There's a great shot of the Deuce with his newly won Alex Ovechkin signed puck at Japers' end of the year shindig up at Japer's Rink. As usual, I won nothing.

Call me crazy...

but am I the only one that think starting Olie tomorrow is not in the best interests of the Caps? He's been out much longer than was initially expected, which leads me to believe that the injury was worse than reported. The Capitals are out of the playoff race, so the team doesn't need Olie to try to secure a couple extra points.

I understand Kolzig's desire to get back on the ice. And while I don't think Brent Johnson played especially poorly during his stretch as a starter, nobody would debate that Olie is a major upgrade between the pipes. I also understand that he's a leader on the team, one of the few remaining veterans who leads by example. He wants to show his teammates he's committed to playing for them even though the playoffs are well out of reach.

Therein lies the crux of the problem. We know Olie is willing and capable of playing. But will he be at 100%? Will the damage to his knee have healed completely? I doubt that it has. And if he suffers another, perhaps more serious injury while rushing back to play, will anyone think that a couple points in the standing this year were worth it?

Notice I'm NOT making the argument that Kolzig should sit so the Capitals can secure a better draft position. While it might be better in the long run, it would be a disservice to the fans and the team not to play a fully healthy Kolzig. I just don't think you can pronounce the man fully healed after a couple shooting sessions and a single practice.

Thoughts?

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Update: Japer's Rink has a counterpoint up. Check it out. And I am NOT Bill Frist, dagnabbit!

5 back of the lead

In a bit of positive news, Alex Ovechkin has rediscovered his scoring touch, and now sits tied for 3rd overall in the league in goals scored. Second place is well within reach, but it might be too much to ask Alex to make up a 5 goal differential with Vinnie Lecavalier with so few games remaining. Then again, if he keeps getting time on both special teams units, you never know...

After their loss to the Thrashers, the Caps sit fourth from the bottom of the league. They may move to third before their next game if Phoenix wins their game in hand. An unfortunate as it may be, this season is now all about draft position.

On the bright side, there have been many public assurances by big poppa Ted and George McPhee that this offseason will bring an influx of talent. The Caps need a true number one defenseman, which I touched on in this post a while back. Since then, the center position has (rightfully) overtaken defense in terms of talent needed due to the departure of Zubrus. And while Tarik is convinced the Caps crosshairs are squarely targeted on Pavel Datsyuk, I'm hoping for Gomez or Drury. Both would significantly improve the first line, both are effective passers, and both are capable of assuming a position of leadership in the locker room. Stanley Cup rings tend to keep other players' attention. Both also have a history of coming up big in the playoffs, while Datsyuk hasn't.

If the team wants to make any kind of serious postseason run next year, they still have to have a star defenseman. Period. Their young defensive corps still lacks a clear cut leader, a guy capable of being accountable for the defense as a whole. Lets hope they go out and get one.

Rough night in Toronto

Unfortunately, the Capitals weren't able to overcome their continuing roster issues, losing to the Maple Leafs 3-0. Yet again they failed to produce on the power play, going 0-5 with the man advantage. I understand that we're using smoke and mirrors to just field a team at this point, but something has got to be done to address the Caps problems with special teams before the start of the year.

Hire a consultant, hire an assistant that specializes in teaching the power play, but do something. The team has looked terrible all year when they go a man up. Most of the power play goals they score are a result of individual plays by the Alexes. If you can't knock in a couple cheapies, you won't win many games (especially not in the "new" NHL where you're guaranteed 4-5 opportunities a game).

On the bright side, it was good to see Fred Cassivi look solid in an uber-rare start. He didn't get the win, but did impress with his shot stopping ability and his collected demeanor in net. Not to knock Johnson, but I'd like to see Freddie get a couple more starts before the close of the season. The guy has worked his butt off to get to the NHL level, and it's nice to see him get some playing time. Maybe we can spring to get him some properly colored pads, too.

From a drafting perspective, tonight's loss brought the Caps within 1 point of the 4th overall pick, and within 3 of the third pick. Despite the relatively low depth of talent in the draft, a 3 or 4 pick overall should be good trade fodder after the season for a team looking to pick up some young talent.

Steckel gets the call

Dave Steckel has been called up to the big club. Steckel has been excellent at the dot, winning almost 3/4 of the draws he has taken in Hershey. He's also a fairly big boy at 6'5". HockeysFuture pegs him as a 3rd or 4th liner, but he should see significant minutes given the dearth of healthy centers on the team right now. Hopefully we'll be pleasantly surprised with his offensive abilities, but he looks a bit like Gordon-lite.

Welcome to the big dance, Dave.

A quick hop across the border

The Caps take a quick jaunt up to Toronto tonight to face the 11th place Maple Leafs, who are only 2 points out of the last playoff spot.

Let's see...

Caps taking on a team desperate to secure a playoff spot? Check.

Caps still decimated by injuries to key players (Clark, Gord-o (I will NOT call him muffins), Pettinger, Kolzig)? Check.

Caps still fielding a peculiar lineup of 11 forwards and 7 defensemen? Check.

Novotny still working to establish offensive rhythm with new teammates? Check.

Normally, one would think that under these circumstances, I'd be waxing negative about our prospects tonight. I was going to, until I learned that yes, KRIS BEECH WILL BE BACK IN THE LINEUP TONIGHT. WE'RE SAVED!

Sorry. Couldn't help it.

On the bright side, Mike Green will be up for the game after his (mental) reconditioning stint in Hershey. Looks like Greener's going to be with the big club until it's time for the Bears' playoff run down in the AHL. Good for him.

Why we shouldn't get too excited about the trade deadline

It seems a good number of Caps fans are getting pretty fired up over the trade deadline. Although the main theme has been the will they stay, will they go storyline involving the twin Zs (Zubrus and Zednik), the status of Jamie Heward and Steve Eminger has also been cast into doubt. Caps fans all over are waiting with baited breath to see what compensation the team will get for any of the players listed.

Folks, it's time to cool your jets. At least until after the playoffs.

The Capitals are sellers at the deadline, which they admitted about three weeks after we all knew it. They're not going to make the playoffs, and therefore are highly unlikely to pick up any player of note at the deadline. No team that thinks it has a chance is going to ship a solid player in exchange for another, which means we're going to get... wait for it... wait for it...

DRAFT PICKS AND MINOR LEAGUE PROSPECTS!!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!

Seriously, we won't know much about the makeup of this team (aside from the absence of current players) until well after the season, when the team makes (or doesn't make) moves to sign or trade for players in the offseason. The trade deadline for the Caps will be like so much foreplay... a touch here, a touch there, but no major moving and shaking (at least not in terms of aqcuisitions). We may see some trade ties established between the Caps and a couple other teams, but not enough to read into any future deals. And while it's certainly smart for the Capitals to add to their already deep pool of young talent for call-ups and trade bait, it's not going to have much effect on the roster until well after the postseason ends.

Somebody order the banana split?

The Capitals posted a very respectable split against the Devils this weekend. On the bright side, the Caps did put up a 4 spot on Martin Brodeur, and any time a team can say that they've done well offensively. They took advantage of multiple breakdowns in coverage by the Devils, which happens about as often as snowstorms in June.

They got goals from one of their stars (Semin), one from their role-players (Pettinger), one from the defense (Jurcina) and one from a new arrival (Fleischmann). Their balanced attack along with a splendid (if not spectacular) game from Johnson gave the Caps the victory. In addition, Alex Ovechkin seemed reinvigorated by the Jurcina goal, which he inially seemed to think deflected off him, and attacked the goal with much more vigor after the score. His strong play continued on to the second game, and while the Capitals were not able to take away a victory against Broduer's backup Scott Clemmensen, their overall play was miles above what we've seen from them recently.

The next couple days should be very interesting from a roster standpoint. I leave you with the words of George McPhee, when asked about movement on the roster at the deadline:

"Yes," McPhee said, nodding, "there will be something."

Whether it's something substantial or not remains to be seen. Will Zubrus and/or Zednik be moved? Will Eminger be a Cap after the deadline? Or will there be another, less expected move?

Another day of the Trap, another loss

In Sunday's game against the Penguins, the Caps yet again played the neutral zone trap, putting no pressure on the Penguins defense and allowing them to carry the puck out of their own zone unhindered. And once again, the Capitals lost. They also had another game with almost no production in the offensive end. Anyone noticing a trend here?

I'm all in favor of playing defensive minded hockey when the circumstances demand it. And if the Capitals still had half their defensive lineup out with injury, I'd see some sense in playing the trap. But that's not the case. If anything, the Caps defensive roster is in the best shape it's been in since before the lockout.

Milan Jurcina has been nothing short of a revelation, proving that 1) you should ALWAYS trade with the Bruins (see Thorton, Joe and Iafrate-Juneau for further evidence) and 2) I'm a moron. The knock on the guy with the B's was that he wasn't as physical as a man with his physical attributes should be. Well, we've seen NO evidence of that here in DC, as he's been a force to be reckoned with on the blueline, consistently knocking players off the puck and playing the body like only he and Big John Erskine seem capable of doing.

Indeed, the Caps depth on defense has improved to the point that they've been able to send one of their brightest defensive prospects (Mike Green) back to Hershey to regain his confidence and offensive flair. This team is still a bit thin on D, but nowhere near as much as they have been for most of the season. With Pothier and Erskine back in the lineup, they look as good as they have in years. And while nobody is claiming the Caps still don't have a hole (or 2) to fill on the back line, they aren't in a position where they need to trap. But they do.

Because of that, their offense has absolutely no flow. For most of the season, the Capitals were able to create offense because they forechecked hard in the offensive zone, putting pressure on opposing defenses and capitalizing on their mistakes. Right now, they are sending exactly ZERO forecheckers, which has stunted their offense to the tune of 2 goals or less in 8 of their last 9 games, the only exception being their game against the putrid LA Kings. That is PATHETIC offensive production. There's a reason Ovechkin and Semin can't find their scoring grooves. It's because they're not spending enough time in the offensive zone to do so. And until the Caps stop playing the trap, it's only going to get worse.

At this point, the playoffs are out of the picture for the Capitals. A loss is a loss, whether it's 3-2 or 7-5. It makes no sense to continue to bore the fans to sleep and continuously lose games at the same time. If they're going to go down, the Caps need to go down swinging. And that means leaving the trap where it belongs: in the garbage heap.

The Deuce speaks

In response to Tarik's post on the Caps today (as well as some of the over 60 comments) the Deuce weighs in:

I too am very disappointed following last night's loss to the lowly Panthers. And I agree that it would have been very difficult to make the playoffs with the current defensive corps (although I tried to convince myself otherwise at the beginning of the season). Green, Morrison, and Eminger are talented YOUNG defensemen (well, at least I know Green and Morrison are. Eminger I'm not so sure of). Schultz is still growing into his body and should not be in the NHL this year (probably not next year, either). But I'm still having more fun watching this Caps team than ever. Ovechkin and Semin alone are worth the price of admission. EVERY GAME.

I respectfully disagree with the post by Dossier claimin Olie "lets in too many softies and is overpaid." Without Olie, we would be losing games 10 or 11 to 3 instead of 4-3 or 5-3. He's worth every penny. And some. And I disagree that GMGM and Hanlon need to be fired. The Caps have drafted some excellent young prospects in the last few years: Backstrom (an easy choice), Green, Schultz, Fehr, Eminger, Varlamov . They've also picked up some nice young talent in trades: Fleischman, Klepis, Morrison, Giroux, etc. The main problem with this team is youth and inexperience. The ups and downs we're witnessing are exactly what you expect from a young team.

Next year, with Backstrom, Fehr, and maybe Fleischman in the lineup, a lot of the "placeholders" will be relegated to relief duty (BEECH, Clymer, Sutherby, Bradley, Laich, maybe Gordon). With one or two veteran defensemen, and possibly a solid free agent center (see Gomez, Scott, or Drury, Chris), this team could be dangerous as early as next year. I truly believe that. But who knows. Maybe I'm dreaming and we should just fire everyone, trade everyone, bench everyone and sign every old, slow, big free agent available this summer.

From the "Just what we didn't need" department

The Caps have acquired yet another young defenseman. I recognize that we're thin on bodies on the blueline, but more inexperience cannot be the answer. And if Jurcina can't crack the lowly Bruins lineup, he's not going to be much help to us this year. So I guess we're still building towards the future here, even though the trade sounds designed to plug a hole in the present. I'm not sold on this AT ALL, but hey, a 4th rounder isn't exactly a big price to pay for the guy.

I hate reruns

The Capitals harshest stretch of the season is almost over. And not a moment too soon.

I said before that I was hoping the Caps could take 2 wins during this five game stretch. I even go all optimistic and called for 3. I never thought that this team would take home exactly zero points from those 5 games.

One thing this set of games should do is calm down all those fans that are calling for trades at the deadline to improve the team for a playoff run this year. It was all too apparent that the Caps lack the depth they need to compete in a seven game series. They simply don't have the wealth of talent. Yes, I know that the team was shredded by injuries and illness, but every team gets a bite taken out of it by the injury bug from time to time. More veteran and deeper teams still find ways way to secure points, whether in wins or OT losses. The Capitals simply couldn't dig as deep as they needed to. This is not to say that they lacked effort (they didn't). They just aren't a team that can manage lost man-games to injury, especially in such a horrid stretch of games.

What lies ahead for the Capitals this year seems apparent. They will work their butts off to win a lot of games they wouldn't take on talent alone. They will lose some heartbreaking games they should win (a la their game with the Flightless Devilbirds). And they will finish somewhere between 7th and 10th in the Eastern Conference. They may make the playoffs, they may not. But the team is not yet ready for a serious run. Trading away club assets to assure a playoff birth this season should not be a priority. Securing a free agent or two in the offseason should be.

The one issue I'm most concerned with at this point is the Capitals poor play with the man advantage. They yet again failed to score on a lengthy 5 on 3. Perhaps they need to move more bulk to the front of the net and just let the puck fly looking for a goal off the screen, redirect or rebound. Sometimes having too many purely talented players on the ice at once leads to over complicating the issue.

The Caps next game is this Thursday at the V against the Habs. Hopefully the time off will allow the team to heal (from injury and the plague).

That's the last time

I ever write something nice about a free-agent-to-be that I think the Caps should sign. Scott Gomez, you owe me for this one. So just make it easy on all of us and sign here in the offseason.

The Caps played fairly well considering the plague is sweeping through their ranks, but lost again to the Devils last night, 4-3. A late rally including a last minute goal by Alexander Semin couldn't quite pull the Caps even. As I've said before, with a young (and getting younger by the minute) team you want to see the kind of effort and determination the Caps showed regardless of whether they could cap off the comeback.

Kudos to Lawrence Nycholat for scoring his first NHL goal. People who never play sports at a highly competitive level tend to overlook moments like his last night, but if you realize just how incredibly difficult it is to reach the top professional league in the world, and how rare it is for a player to realize that dream, you get an inkling of what last night must have felt like for him.

The Capitals are 0-4 in their murderous 5 day, four game trip. Hopefully they (and half the Hershey Bears roster) can steal 2 points tonight against the Rangers.