The Ins and Outs of the Washington Capitals Roster

Well we're past the second day of the free agent signing period, the draft is behind us and it's interesting to see how things are shaping up for the Caps as we look ahead to next season. Caps GM George McPhee made one great move so far and that was bringing vetran right winger Mike Knuble on board. The free agent pickup from the Flyers was something pretty much nobody saw coming. That said at 2 years and 5.6M this should be a solid good deal for both the Capitals and the 37 year old vetran right wing. Well here's my recap of the ins and outs of the roster and then I posit who I'd put on the "ice" if I were BB and the Caps had to play a game this weekend, to make things easier on myuself I assumed that any of the RFAs tendered qualifying offers were resigned.

Outs:

1) Viktor Kozlov: 2008/2009 Cap Hit: $2.5M
Thoughts/Comparative Value: As much as I liked Kozlov, to me the corresponding "In" - Mike Knuble is a definate upgrade and at just about the same price against the salary cap as Kozlov was last season. Further, Knuble's stats and numbers are better than Kozlov's were last season.

2) Sergei Federov: 2008/2009 Cap Hit: $4.0M
Thoughts/Comparative Value: I didn't see Federov agreeing to much lower a salary than $4M, and he didn't, plus he will now finish his career playing alongside his brother in his homeland. Further this is another "out" where I'm feeling pretty positive about what I think is the corresponding "in" - Brooks Laich on the second line as center. A lot of folks are worried about this including GMGM and Coach Boudreau, and they should be this upcoming season is another one where the expectations are for the Caps to go even further than they did last season. That's a lot to ask when our second highest paid returning forward is likely to no longer even be considered for top six minutes. If he's the replacement for Federov and the second line center Laich has big skates to fill, I'm willing to bet he can and does do a good job accomplishing that feat.

3) Sami Lepisto: 2008/2009 Salary:
Thoughts/Comparative Value: Does it matter? Lepisto played 7 games for the Caps during this past regular season, he had no goals, 4 assists, 6 penalty minutes and was -3. For the Hershey Bears he turned in a solid but not fantastic body of work. To my minds eye you'd have to point to one of the other Capitals prospect/developing defensemen as the trade off here. Given that over the past two seasons when he's been called up to Washington Lepisto has been inconsistent, I thought the move of sending him to Phoenix for a for a fifth-round draft choice in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, rather than making him a qualifying offer was the right move. I also like several other prospects chances of making the big club's roster these days better than Sami's and that includes both Joe Finley as well as the more obvious choices John Carlson and Karl Alzner. Truth be told obviously for the Caps and Lepisto this was a make or break year and he didn't earn his way anywhere near a roster spot.

4) RFAs that did not recieve qualifying offers: Andrew Joudrey, Daren Machesney, Travis Morin and Sasha Pokulok.
Thoughts/Comparative Value: None of these were a surprise though after last season I'd think you'd have to say the Daren Machesney was the victim of a talent-laden goalie pipeline in the Caps System. The other thre all showed promise and flashes at one time or another and as a first rounder you'd have to class Pokulok as a disappointment at best, but none was a total surprise and the guys in the pipeline these four are making room for are all more worthy and better bets.



Ins:

1) Quintin Laing: 2008/2009 Salary: Estimated 2009/2010 Cap Hit Number: $500K
Thoughts/Comparative Value: Okay it's easy to forget that "Q" was GMGM's first free agent signing this season. After all he only spent one game this season in a Caps sweater before getting hurt. However, as a Hershey Bear he had a solid season and a solid playoffs including Calder Cup. Laing provides depth and insurance to both the Capitals and the Bears and though at age 30 he's not likely to ever be on anybody's Hall of Fame ballot, he's an inspirational player, who turns in a solid night's work every game in a manner that has made him a fan favorite.

2) Qualifying offers to Chris Bourque, Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn, Steve Pinizzotto, Jeff Schultz and Kyle Wilson.
Thoughts/Comparative Value:
Well first the only name on this list that some might not be very familiar with - Kyle Wilson: The 24 year old center was drafted in 2004 in the ninth round by the Minnesota Wild, he played college hockey at Colgate through 2005-2006, then he was signed by the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in 2006, he split the 2006-2007 season between San Antonio and Hershey, and was signed as a free agent by Washington last summer. He's played 80 regular season games each of the last two seasons in Hershey. This past year he notched 28 goals and 30 assists for 58 points. He was +13 and had 31 penalty minutes on the season. He's a big (6-0", 200#) right shooting, center and right now you'd have to think he';s a much better bargain and has as much chance of playing 10 games for the Capitals this next season as Michael Nylander does.
The next least known guy on this list - Steve Pinizzotto: An undrafted, 24 year old, big right wing that the Caps signed to a two year entry level contract in March of 2007 while he was playing college hockey at RIT. Pinnizzotto is a 6'-1", 196# right handed winger who has split his past two season between South Carolina and Hershey. During that time he's shown good skills and has been continuing to dvelop his nose for the net while also being a sound two way player with grit. This past season he had a particularly good set of numbers during the Bears' Calder Cup run, in 21 AHL Playoff games, Pinnizzotto had 3 goals, 2 assists and was +5.
The other six (6) players are all well known to Caps Fans and all were "no brainers" for tendering at least a qualifying offer. As far as who of those six are likely to get some interest and offer sheets and who might push through to arbitration other than the obvious one - Shaone Morrisson, you'd also have to think that any of the other five, even Bourque could be of interest to other teams as well, though I can't see Bourque pushing things to and through arbitration.

3) Mike Knuble signed as a free agent for 2 years at $5.6M
Thoughts/Comparative Value: Thoughts? Awesome comes to mind. Comparative value though Knuble is 37, his numbers have been getting better each of the past several seasons and he comes with 12 seasons of NHL experience and a Stanley Cup. He's a great trade out for Viktor Kozlov and the Right Wing the Caps hoped Chris Clark would be when they signed his last contract. This is a no brainer by pretty much any measure. He'll be awesome on the first or second line and I'm thinking it's first line for him.

So that's where things stand as of this evening - Thursday July 2nd, the Caps are not yet 100% gelled for the season but right now I think the roster looks like this if you had to put a team on the ice for a July 4th game:

Foward Lines:
1) Ovechkin - Backstrom - Knuble
2) Semin - Laich - Fehr (or Clark)
3) Fleischmann - Nylander? (or Steckel) - Clark (or Fehr)
4) Gordon (or Bradley) - Gordon (or Steckel) - Bradley (or C-Bo)
Reserves: Jay Beagle, Kieth Aucoin, Quintin Laing or several other prospects .....

Defense Pairs:
Mike Green - John Erskine
Tom Poti - Milan Jurcina
Brian Pothier - Karl Alzner
Reserves: Jeff Schultz, Shoane Morrisson, John Carlson, Tyler Sloan ....

Goaltenders:
Jose Theodore, Seymeon Varlamov
Reserves: Michal Neuvirth, Braden Holtby ... though nobody has signed "Johnnie" yet either ..

At the risk of pointing out the obvious this lineup truly illustrates Nylander's redundancey at this point and if other prospects in the pipeline continue to develop he'll definately continue to be so. He is a clearly a reason that GMGM makes the statements about UFA signings that he's been quoted as making... Also if Nyls is worth $5M this coming season and some of the guys are getting what they are getting around the league this week what will Backstrom and Semin be worth if they finish out next season with the same sort of stats or better than they had this season?

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!

The Caps 2008/2009 - Were They Worth It - The Forwards

Were They Worth It?


A Review Of This Year's Performances By Each of the Players Who Were A Washington Capitals Uniform In Comparison to Their Salary & Salary Cap Hit - One Uneducated Fan's Opinion


I figured I’d take a shot looking over the full list of players who wore a Capitals Sweater (defined here as incurred at least one day of salary cap cost) this past season. I’m asking the question “Were They Worth It?” “It” being the salary they were paid and the roster slot. This review attempts to acknowledge that there is a salary cap in today’s NHL and that means that not every roster slot can be filled by a superstar, or even the best player in the league in a particular role. The question primarily asks: Given what Caps ownership paid a particular player and the role the coaching staff seemed, from this uneducated individual’s perspective, wanted the particular player to fill, did they meet or exceed expectations? It also then attempts to look forward and say do they deserve a roster slot again next season?



This effort and list is in descending order, by 2008/2009 salary cap hit. I’ve broken out my efforts by Forwards, Defense, and Goaltender, this list is just the Forwards, next I’ll do the others. The salary data is from "nhlnumbers.com". The commentary and links to statistics are provided so you can verify the basis for my commentary, I'm sure not everyone will agree with my grades or even some of the basis for them but that's why this is just one man's opinion. Have at it.



1) Alexander Ovechkin:


2008/2009 Cap Hit#: $9.538M; 2008/2009 Salary: $9.538M


For "The Great Eight" to be worth his league maximum salary cap hit he has to play great all season long on the ice and in the playoffs; he also has to be a great attendance draw. This season, as last, Alex has exceeded those "basic" requirements. He of course has led the league in goals scored in the regular season each of these two past seasons; this seaso he also greatly improved his defensive play and in the playoffs he was clearly a team leader in every sense of the word. That all went along with at least two highlight reel goals this season that will long be included in amazing on ice efforts.

- Overall grade value delivered vs. "cost": Solid A.

- Contract status: Ovechkin is signed to a long term contract with the Capitals for 9-10M per season through 2021. He will be back next season and for many to come.

- Deserving of a roster spot next year?: No question at virtually any price.



2) Michael Nylander:


2008/2009 Cap Hit#: $4.875M; 2008/2009 Salary: $5 0M


The 36 year old “Nyls” had a very disappointing season he played 72 games in the regular season but only 3 in the playoffs. His regular season numbers were significantly off his 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 numbers; the 36 year old finished the regular season with only 9 goals and 24 assists for 33 points. Plus/minus he was even. This despite playing on a higher powered offense on both the first and second line and getting a fair amount of plower play time. It is clear that Nyls doesn't fit with the current "playbook" but his contract, age and the current CBA make it likely he will return again next season. In order for the Capitals to make use of his skills and for him to finish his NHL career in a manner he no doubt wants, contributing in a meaningful fashion, he needs to adjust his style of play and adapt. Whether he will successfully do so or not will determine whether the Caps will ever get any reasonable value out of his considerable cap hit and salary. Such was definitely NOT the case this past season.

- Overall grade value delivered vs. "cost": F.

- Contract status: Nylander is signed with the Capitals through the 2010/2011 season. He will make 5.5M again next season and then 3.0M during the last season of his contract. As has been covered elsewhere and well previously, a buyout really doesn’t make sense or appear likely. He reportedly has a No Movement Clause in his contract, not an unreasonable thing for a nice guy with seven children to have asked for when he was pursued by the Caps as an unrestricted free agent after the 2006/2007 season.

- Deserving of a roster spot next season: NO; but he'll probably get one since we probably can’t deal him and buying him out doesn’t make sense either.



3) Alexander Semin:




2008/2009 Cap Hit#: $4.600M; 2008/2009 Salary: $4.2M


Twenty four year old, Alexander “Sasha” Semin is one of the most talented forwards in the NHL. In 2008/2009 he had a solid season; he finished the regular season tied for 18th league-wide in scoring (points) and 16th for goals scored. He did that despite missing 20 games to injury. His 1.27 points average per game in the regular season was 6th in the league and his 1.0 points per game in the playoffs was 13th. With 8 game winners, he was second on the team only to Ovechkin's 10 GWG as well. From my vantage point in Section 103, Semin has constantly been worth his salary since he received his current contract extension. I know some folks will disagree but I believe the increased emphasis he displayed in tightening up his backchecking this year should quiet them. The only dings anyone can really throw at him are his durability and his occasional lapses in discipline that can result in penalties at inopportune times. Semin seems to have benefited most from the presence of veteran Sergei Fedorov on the Caps, his defensive play has improved dramatically this past season and he led the Caps in +/- in the regular season with a +25. That resulted in his average TOI being up and he also contributed well when asked on the penalty kill unit in addition to lighting the red light 8 of his 34 times on the power play.

- Overall grade value delivered vs. "cost": Solid A.

- Contract status: Sasha will return to the Capitals next season and earn a salary of 5.0 million, at the end of the 2009/2010 season he will be a restricted free agent, if he achieves his potential and has a 40+ goal season in 2009-2010, the Caps will need to worry about someone putting a stupid, high priced offer sheet in front of him.

- Deserving of a roster spot next season: Definitely YES, as well as, hopefully, a contract extension before he starts getting overtures about offer sheets.



4) Sergei Federov:




2008/2009 Cap Hit#: $4.000M; 2008/2009 Salary: $4M


The now 39 year old Fedrov is a future hall of famer and he has played like one since joining the Capitals as a trade deadline pickup during the 2007/2008 season. Despite some injury woes this past regular season he played 52 games during the regular season and all 14 of the Caps playoff games. His influence on the team has been very positive; he is clearly a leader, especially to the young Russians on the team, even Ovechkin. His numbers this past season were solid; his contributions included play at both Center and on Defense. His game winning goal in the seventh game of the rangers series alone was worth well over half his $4M cap hit; then his play through the third period of the game seven against the Penguins on defense when an injured Mike Green was not played, solidified his position as a selfless contributor who wants to win with the Capitals. His faceoff numbers and abilities alone are also worth a lot on this team that sometimes has real lapses in that area. Whether the Capitals can again figure out how to afford him or he can again find the camaraderie of the youthful, Russian superstars energizing enough to return for a 20th NHL season remains to be seen. I for one am hoping the specter of playing for Russia in the 2010 Olympics and possibly winning another Stanley Cup with a Washington Capitals team in 2010 enough to lure him back. If he wants to come back, I'm hoping Caps General manager George McPhee can find a way to pay him enough to make it possible for him to do so.

- Overall value delivered vs. "cost": A.

- Contract status: The 39 year old Federov had a one year contract this past season for $4M and is now an Unrestricted Free Agent. He had been expected to retire after last season but was attracted to playing a 19th NHL season by the prospect of playing with his fellow countrymen on the Capitals. That may once again be a possibility however; once again, the Capitals have some salary cap management challenges that need to be dealt with before that can become a reality.

- Deserving of a roster slot next season? Yes, at a $2 - 3M price tag, Federov's contributions, experience and mentorship of young Russians Ovechkin, Semin and now probably Varlamov is a solid and good investment for the Capitals. Besides, wouldn't it be sweet for him to win a last Stanley Cup in a Capitals uniform and then debate whether he wants to be enshrined in Toronto in either a Capitals uniform or as a Red Wing?



5) Chris Clark:




2008/2009 Cap Hit#: $2.633M; 2008/2009 Salary: $2.75M


The 33 year old captain of the Capitals had a tough season this year. He spent a significant portion of the season on Long term Injured reserve and played only 32 regular season games; he also spent much of it bouncing around on various line assignments. Even in the 32 games he did play in his 9th NHL season Clark struggled but when he got his chance in the 8 playoff games he got in, he seemed to return to form. Bottom line is the jury is still out on where and how Clark will contribute to the 2009/2010 Capitals but he seems determined to do so in a manner fitting of a team captain. Whether that will happen also remains to be seen, his salary cap hit next year will be $2.67M and that may also factor into what happens to him. He is a fan favorite and a team leader. He also has the ability to provide the Capitals some much needed traffic in front of the net though he hasn't been as quick to do so since suffering an injury while doing so during the 2007/2008 season.

- Overall value delivered vs. "cost": D.

- Contract status: The Captain is signed to the Capitals through the end of the 2010/2011 season at which time he will be 35 years old and an unrestricted free agent. His salary next season is $2.65M and his cap hit is $2.633. Despite being a fan favorite and team leader, his salary was negotiated after he scored 30 goals and had 24 assists during the 2006-2007 seasons, the past two seasons haven't been kind to him and it is possible the Caps may need to find some cap space and attempt to trade him or buy him out to do so. That won't be a popular move with the fan base however; the Caps may need to do it to somehow make room to bring in whatever key final pieces they need to go to the next level.

- Deserving of a roster slot next season: Maybe/MaybeNot. I like "The Captain" but being objective and looking at a $2.667M salary cap hit next season, I think you have to call this one a "toss-up" at best. The sentimentalist in me hopes he's back, but if he's not so they can bring in something we all agree they need, I won't be irate. If he does end up back on the Caps he needs to adjust his game like he did in the Penguins’ series and really drive to the net and play inside more.



6) Viktor Kozlov:



2008/2009 Cap hit#: $2.500M; 2008/2009 Salary: $2.500M


The 34 year old Kozlov had his most productive playoffs ever in his 11th NHL season including both his first playoff goal during the Ranger series, and a two goal game in game 6 of Pittsburgh series. His regular season statistics were in line with his career averages except for his +/- number of -9. However Kozlov's regular season Corsi rating this past year of 15.4 is one of the better numbers for a player with 50 or more regular season outings. His $2.5M cap hit this past season delivered 1.66 Pts/60 however his GFON/60 was only 2.84 while his GAON/60 was 3.12 despite often playing with both Ovechkin and Backstrom who had significantly better numbers in both regards.

- Overall value vs. "cost": C-.- Contract status: Kozlov is an unrestricted free agent and rumours abound that he will play in Russia next season. However, it's also clear he enjoys playing with his countrymen on the Capitals so that remains to be seen. It is unlikely though he will be offered a contract as rich as the one he is coming off of to return, if the Caps want him back. He is a talented player who at times is dazzling however, he also has times where it is clear he is not playing up to his potential. He is a flexible guy who can play both center or wing and he has the size to crash the net though he has not often done so.

- Deserving of a roster slot next season? Another "toss-up" though he probably won’t be back and that’s understandable. If he insists on as much or more than he got last season, the answer to the question becomes NO. It hurts to say that because like any Caps fan you want to believe the team has what it takes to get further then they did this year with no changes. That’s really not the case and to make the improvements needed the Cap room has to come from somewhere. Truth be told, the only reasons this is even a toss-up to me is because of his solid showing in the playoffs. He had been relatively unremarkable in a contract year putting his status in jeopardy before he had his best playoffs ever.



7) Nicklas Backstrom:




2008/2009 Cap hit#: $2.4M; Salary: $850K, Bonus: $1.35M


No sophomore slump this year for this young and rising star. The 21 year old Backstrom had a super sophomore season this year. The Swede's 66 assists led the team and his 88 points overall was second only to "The Great Eight." At times during this season some of them key he played pivot between Ovechkin and Semin on the "SOB" line and they dominated opponents. By the 20th game of this year there was no doubt who the number one center on the Capitals was and is - it's Backstrom, he has very quickly become the present instead of the future of the Capitals. Despite showing up for training camp with a few extra pounds he quickly worked himself into shape and by the playoffs this year he showed an ability to clearly handle the more physical nature of the second season. Backstrom's 15 points in 14 playoff games was second only to OV's 21 points for the Caps; his playoff performance was solid and he never wavered, there were many evenings where his play led the team when the rangers and Penguins focused on Ovechkin. His 66 assists in the regular season was third best in the league and his 88 points put him at 9th overall in league scoring.

- Overall value vs. "cost": Solid A.

- Contract status: Backstrom just completed his second year of his three year entry level contract. He will return to the Capitals next season for a salary of $850K with bonuses of up to $1.65M all of which he will no doubt earn. Hopefully, he will be signed to an extension early next season, if not this summer. If he is not he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2009/2010 season.

- Deserving of a roster slot next season? Definitely YES; it’s probably no question, even at twice the price as well.



8) Brooks Laich:




2008/2009 Cap hit#: $2.067M 2008/2009 Salary: $1.7M


The popular 25 year old forward returned to the Capitals with a multimillion dollar contract extension after a breakout year, and despite no longer being able to fly under opponents' radars had a solid regular season and solid playoffs. His 53 points in 82 games was good for 5th best on the team and his 23 goals were fourth highest on the team. He achieved this moving around on various lines; he was especially effective on the power play where his gritty play in and around the net earned him 9 of his 23 goals. His GFON/60 was 3.06 vs a GAON/60 of 2.67 further reflecting his solid season. Laich is clearly part of the Capitals future plans and they/we need him to further cultivate his "netnose" and play a gritty game creating traffic down low even more next season. He was worth every penny of his $1.7M salary this past season and he will likely be well worth his $2+M salaries the next two seasons before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at age 27.

- Overall value vs. "cost": A.

- Contract status: The popular and talented Laich is signed through the end of the 2010/2011 season.

- Deserving of a roster slot next season? YES. Laich is clearly worth his current salary and contract. He is a solid contributor and top six forward on a very talented team.



9) Donald Brashear:




2008/2009 Cap hit#: $1.200M; Salary: $1.2M


In many ways the 37 year old left wing, is the best "enforcer" in the NHL. His productivity is better than his peers and his fighting ability and "intimidation value" is as good as any of his contemporaries. The fact that he can and does contribute more than just intimidation is why he has been able to command a larger salary then most who serve his role. This past season "Brash" earned $1.2M and is now an Unrestricted Free Agent. While at age 37 he has lost a step and he was never the "fleetest of foot", he usually is able to make up for it with determination, smart play and short shifts. This past regular season he over 63 games played he averaged TOI/60 of 8.19 minutes; compare that and his productivity to guys like the Rangers' Colton Orr and Montreal's Georges Laraque and you can and will likely see why he makes twice that of Orr and wonder why Laraque makes more. The only things going against his return are his age, and the fact this last suspension made it clear the NHL's League office really would like to see the end of the enforcer, though that is not likely to happen and a team with as many high profile talented players as the Capitals sure still seems to need a good one.

- Overall value vs. "cost": B-

- Contract status: The fan popular "Brash" is now an Unrestricted Free Agent and rumored to be receiving offers to play in Russia next year for as much or more than he made here last season.

-Deserving of a roster slot next season?: Of the current Capital UFA's calling this one is probably the hardest. Who would the Caps out in this role if they don't resign Brashear, he is without a doubt, in my opinion the best in the NHL in this role but he is 37 and the Capitals need some salary cap room. Resigning him for $1M or more doesn't seem to be a smart move but the Capitals do need a good, relatively talented, big guy who can also serve as a "heavyweight" enforcer, if they can't find one for less than Brashear costs they should resign him. The fact he is also a great guy who is involved in the community and seemingly in all regards a solid citizen is another thing suggesting offering him a one year contract for a fair price as well, but there are other considerations like RFA Boyd Gordon who could get an offer sheet or two that should be settled first.



10) Matt Bradley:




2008/2009 Cap hit#: $1.000M; Salary: $1.0M


The 30 year old"Brads" is a versatile and popular member of the Capitals. He is a model, selfless "grinder" with an enthusiasm, energy and demeanor that sure seem to point to the gritty 30 year old right wing finishing his career with the Capitals. This past season Bradley delivered a "solid body of work" both during the regular season and during the playoffs. He played 81 regular season games and 14 playoff games. He stepped up his play in the playoffs and delivered two goals and four assists proving some much needed secondary scoring. In this, his 8th NHL season, the Stittsville, Ontario native, played the Capitals "middleweight" enforcer role and also was a solid contributor to the third and fourth lines notching 5 regular season goals and 11 points. He is a durable and versatile grinder who works every shift to earn his pay.

- Overall value vs. "cost": Solid B (because of his playoffs as well as his shootout skills ;->).

- Contract status: Bradley is under contract through the end of the 2010/2011 season for $1.0 million per season.

- Deserving of a roster slot next season: That's an easy one to answer YES to.



11) Eric Fehr:


2008/2009 Cap hit#: $735K; Salary: $735K


The 22 year Fehr has thus far failed to live up to the promise that led to the Capitals drafting him in the first round and 18th overall in the 2003 entry draft. However this past regular season he spent the full season up with the Capitals, played 61 games as well as 9 playoff games. During that time he showed some flashes of the promise that led to his high draft position and his relative performance vs. cap cost were in line. Fehr had 12 goals, 13 assists and 25 points putting him at 10th among Capitals forwards while his $735K cap hit put him at #11. In that vein, Fehr earned his keep and deserved his position and 10.39 minutes TOI/60, his 23.9 CORSI rating was/is also second best on the team so he's still seemingly a keeper, but with the many solid prospects in the Capitals pipeline he probably needs a breakout year next season to still be considered a potential future top six forward in the Capitals organization after the 2009/2010 season. The biggest "ding" on Fehr since he's been drafted has been his durability and he seemed to get over most of that this past season playing a full season with little time lost due to injuries. That said, if he can bulk up a little and get a little gritty so he goes down low more especially late in the season and the playoffs, with his net and puck sense, he'll have that breakout year and his worries will be over and behind him.

- Overall value vs. "cost": B.

- Contract status: Fehr is now a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) but will likely be resigned by the Capitals.

- Deserving of a roster slot?: Fehr is 22 years old and has some great puck handling skills as well as very soft hands and great puck-sense. As long as he doesn't get any ridiculous offer sheets, the Caps should sign him to another two year contract at a similar price to what they paid him this past season to see if he can stay healthy and their faith in him as a first rounder can pay off.



12) Tomas Fleischmann:


2008/2009 Cap hit#: $725K; Salary: $725K


"Flash" had a couple of good stints this past regular season and down the stretch he often seemed to be the only Capital forward capable of playing with Michael Nylander without looking frustrated. That said I am of the opinion like many that while "Flash" had his best season yet and earned his keep, he did not earn the large amount of power play ice time he seemed to get the latter part of the season or in the playoffs. Instead, I believe he got that large amount of "prime time" because no other Capital seemed as likely to be able to potentially capitalize on it when the "first unit" guys were available for whatever reason in Coach Boudreau's eyes. Make no mistake with 19 goals, 18 assists and 37 points in 71 regular season games and 3 playoff goals including a game winner in the first game against Pittsburgh, the 25 year old Swede clearly earned his $725K. His regular season production ranks him 7th among all Caps and 6th among forwards while his price puts him at number 12 on cost so clearly that's good value. However, in the long haul to get to the next level and stay a "top six" forward on the Capitals, if the team is to get to the next level as well, the 6'1", 190# Swede needs to get more physical and drive to the net more as well as create more traffic in front of the net. While talented and a solid puck handler on a team with Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom, that role is well filled and the Capitals need Fleischmann to develop a different dimension to his game else they may need to move him to make room to bring in someone else who does that and still provides 20+ goals/season.

- Overall value vs. "cost": C+

- Contract status: Fleischmann is under contract to the Capitals for a fair price of $725K/season through the end of the next (2009/2010) season. With any luck for both he and the Caps next season will be that no question breakout year that this season seemed like might happen.

- Deserving of a roster slot? At his current price, it seems worth giving "Flash" another year to see if he can become a solid top six forward. However, he like Fehr clearly has lots of "Baby Caps" nipping at his heels and he may be traded by Caps GM George McPhee for a good draft pick, to make room for them, or to provide fuel for some draft day moves.



13) Boyd Gordon:


2008/2009 Cap hit#: $725K; Salary: $725K


Gordon, a 25 year old Saskatchewan native, is the Caps "shutdown guy." During the playoffs against Pittsburgh he often found himself facing the top line whenever the Caps didn't want to send out Sergei Federov, he is also a top faceoff man on a team where the other one was 39 years old. He, along with Matt Bradley, and David Steckel, is the face of the Capitals' "grinders" and checking line guys. "Gordo's" 2008-2009 performance was solid; he clearly deserved his $725K salary and seemed to deliver everything he was asked to provide the team. Because of his role, Gordon's traditional statistics don't ever seem to properly reflect his value, in my opinion. His value is better understood looking at his FO% both by game and overall for the Pittsburgh playoff series for example: game 1 - 20%, game 2 - 54%, game 3 - 88.9%, game 4 - 87.5%, game 5 - 83/3%, game 6 - 60.0%, game 7 - 77.8%.

- Overall value vs. "cost": A.

-Contract status: Gordon is a restricted free agent (RFA) and may get a few interested parties due to his capabilities as a penalty killer and in the faceoff circle.

- Deserving of a roster slot? Yes at a fair price/as long as no one puts a ridiculous or stupid offer sheet in front of him, he should be back.

14) David Steckel:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $512K; Salary: $525K

The 27 year old Ohio State University product and Milwaukee, WI native is and was probably the best bargain on the Capitals line-up this season. His played in 76 regular season and 14 playoff games to earn his $500K this year. For that he delivered 8 goals and 19 points in the regular season. He scored 3 playoff goals including the Game 6 winner in OT against Pittsburgh and during the regular season his 58.2% faceoff % was fourth best in the league.

- Overall value vs. "cost": A+.

- Contract status: Steckel is signed with the Capitals through the end of next season and will earn $725K for the 2009-2010 campaign.

- Deserving of a roster slot? Definitely YES.

15) Quintin Laing:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $487K; Salary: $475K

The popular "Q" was injured late in the season in Hershey when he suffered a lacerated spleen in late March. He has been out since then. He played 39 games in a Capitals uniform in the 2007-2008 season becoming a fan favorite and developed a reputation as a shot blocker; however, this season he played with Hershey most of the season and only appeared as a Capital one game before he got injured. He is 29 years old and this may be the end of the line for the rugged Left Wing from Rosetown, Saskatchewan.

- Overall value vs. "cost": B.
- Contract status: Laing earned 500K last season and is now an unrestricted free agent (UFA). He would likely be glad to be resigned by the Capitals or any other NHL team to a league minimum contract. He would certainly be a solid contributor for at least another season or two in Hershey and provide the Capitals with an excellent penalty killer if the Caps find Steckel and Boyd Gordon unavailable for a period during that time.
- Deserving of a roster slot? In DC only if both Steckel and Gordon are unavailable, that said he is a relatively cheap insurance policy and he is a positive presence in the locker room. "Q" is likely to find himself the victim of a pipeline full of talented, younger players in the Capitals organization.

16) Kieth Aucoin:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $487K; Salary: $475K

The 29 year old Aucoin was second in AHL scoring this regular season (Caps prospect, and fellow Hershey Bear, Alexandre Giroux was first) and provided spark to the Capitals in the 12 games which he appeared in a Caps "sweater" this regular season. In those 12 games he scored 2 goals and had 4 assists (0.5 ppg). The 29 year old, 5'9", 187# Center has appeared in 65 NHL and 505 AHL games during his 8 year professional hockey career. At this juncture both his age and diminutive size are working against him but his drive, puck sense and quick hands are all pretty impressive and the reason he is a solid playmaker as his AHL leading 71 assists in 70 games proved. In addition to his size and age, another thing working against Aucoin is the strength the Caps have at the Center position right now. That said if Federov opts not to return or the Caps opt not to bring him back, and the Caps can somehow deal Nylander, Aucoin becomes an option to fill a third or fourth line spot assuming Steckel and "Gordo" move up the depth chart.

- Overall value vs. "cost": A.
- Contract status: Aucoin earned $475K and is under contract to the Capitals next season for $500K. After next season he will be a UFA.
- Worth a roster spot? Possibly, he is definitely worth bringing to camp next August. Aucoin earned that during the 12 games he played in a Capitals uniform this past season.

17) Alexandre Giroux:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $475K; Salary: $475K

In addition to being the leading goal scorer in the AHL with 60 goals in 69 games played during the regular season, the 27 year old Center/Left Wing from Quebec also appeared in 12 NHL regular season games with the Caps this campaign and is currently leading the Hershey Bears in Calder Cup scoring as well. During his 12 games with the Caps, Giroux put 20 shots on net, scored a goal and had an assist. Drafted in 1999 the 6'3", 190# Giroux has only appeared in 22 NHL games (21 for the Caps over the past two seasons and 1 during the 2005-2006 season), that said the 2008-2009 AHL MVP might be ready for another shot in a Caps jersey, especially if he is ready to give Eric Fehr a run for his money and stand the punishment it takes to crash the net and camp down low for the rebound in the NHL.

- Overall value vs. "cost": A.
- Contract status: Giroux earned $475K this past year and after this season is an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA). He will likely be signed for a fair price to another league minimum contract and have a chance to earn a place on somebody's NHL roster next season.
- Deserving of a roster slot? Yes if he can be resigned at a fair price, the Caps should do so and invite him to camp.

18) Chris Bourque:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $625K; Salary: $675K

The 23 year old son of Bruin Hall of Famer Ray Bourque was drafted by the Capitals in 2004 in the second round and played 35 games at NCAA powerhouse Boston University before turning pro in 2005. This past season he played in eight games as a Capital and scored his first NHL goal. In Hershey he played in 70 plus games each of the past two seasons proving his durability despite his aggressive style of play and 5'8", 187# size.

- Overall value vs. "cost": B.
- Contract status: Bourque aka “C-Bo” becomes an RFA this summer and should be resigned to a league minimum contract with some incentives.
- Deserving of a roster slot? C-Bo continues to show flashes in Hershey and his short stay in a Caps sweater this season demonstrated promise; he’s close but not there yet for top flight NHL play. He should be brought to camp at Kettler in August but he needs to figure out how to get “scrappier” if he’s going to earn a full time roster slot.

19) Jay Beagle:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $875K; Salary: $688K, Bonus: $188K

The 23 year old had a solid year and performed well when called up to the Caps in the Series against the Penguins.

- Overall value vs. "cost": A.
- Contract status:. Beagle is under contract to the Capitals to an entry level contract through the 2009/2010 season at which time he will become a RFA.
- Deserving of a roster slot? He is a big, gritty, high energy forward and should be invited to the Caps Camp this summer to see if he can win a regular position on the third or fourth line.

20) Oscar Osala:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $850K; Salary: $685K, Bonus: $165K

The 21 year old Finnish rookie had a solid year and performed well in 75 regular season games for the Hershey Bears, scoring 23 goals and notching 14 assists; he also appeared in 2 regular season games for the Capitals. He was second among Bears rookies in scoring.

- Overall value vs. "cost": A.
- Contract status: Osala is under contract to the Capitals to an entry level contract through the 2010/2011 season at which time he will become a RFA.
- Deserving of a roster slot? Osala is another guy who should be invited to both development and possibly regular camp to see if he can give guys like “Flash” and Eric Fehr a run for their money.

20) Graham Mink:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $500K; Salary: $500K,

The 30 year old journeyman appeared in two games for the Capitals and had a very good AHL season for the Bears, so far he’s playoff contests. He scored 32 regular season goals and had 27 assists. He’s one of the team leaders for the Bears both on and off the ice and at 6-3’ 220# he is a rugged forward capable of filling multiple roles.

- Overall value vs. "cost": B.
- Contract status: Mink will be a UFA after this season and at age 30, the Stowe VT native may choose to hang up the skates and pursue his interests in New England rather than scramble and scrape for a roster slot next season if he isn’t picked up again by Hershey or Washington.
- Deserving of a roster slot? Graham Mink is a scrapper but with the pipeline of other players already in the Caps organization and another crop of draft picks to place it’s hard to see him ever getting back to the NHL with the Caps anytime soon.

21) Steve Pinnizotto:

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $715K; Salary: $580K,

Twenty four year old Pinnizotto was called up and shuttled on and off the Capitals roster for 1 day this season, he didn’t appear in any games and he was never assigned a jersey number. He is a 6’-1” 195# Center in his third year with the Hershey Bears. This season he’s had reasonable season with Hershey on their checking lines, he’s appeared 45 regular season and 12 playoff games for the Bears, he also played 11 games with the Capitals ECHL Affiliate South Carolina Stingrays and scored 4 goals this season as well.

- Overall value vs. "cost": C.
- Contract status: The 25 year old was signed to a two year entry level contract by the Caps in 2007 and becomes a RFA this summer.
- Deserving of a roster slot? Probably not, the pipeline is pretty full, but his size and solid defensive skills mean he’s worth considering. Additionally, so far he’s had a solid 2009 Calder Cup notching 3 goals and an assist in 12 games so far, so the Caps or someone else may opt to give him an offer for a league minimum contract.

22) Andrew Gordon

2008/2009 Cap hit#: $607K; Salary: $585K

The 23 year old Gordon is a compact right wing in his second year as a professional after being drafted in the 7th round of the rich 2004 entry draft and playing 3 seasons in the NCAA at Saint Cloud State. He appeared in his first NHL game this season for the Capitals but his only recorded statistic is 1 hit. He’s had a very good AHL season for the Bears, in 80 regular season games, he’s scored 21 regular season goals, had 24 assists and was + 16. In this season’s Calder Cup he’s played 13 games and scored 3 goals.

- Overall value vs. "cost": B.
- Contract status:. Gordon is under an entry level contract to the Capitals through the 2009/2010 Season at which time, he’ll become a RFA.
- Deserving of a roster slot? He deserves an invite to camp but it’s likely if the Caps are going to promote a 5’10” wing it’ll be C-Bo who wins the roster slot. That said Andrew Gordon could yet make it to the NHL the way he’s been playing in Hershey this past season.

One Down! - Three To Go ...

WOW - that was the only word I could think to express my feelings as a walked down "E" Street last night to get back to where I parked my car - WOW...

Last night's game was joyful, if you were and/or are a Washington Capitals fan. Unless for some odd, unfathomable reason reading this blog is your only connectivity to the outside world, you already know the Washington Capitals completed a comeback from a 3-1 best of seven series deficit against the NY Rangers last night. If you didn't watch the game at all you only know the final score was 2-1, you might not know the Rangers played an excellent game, executing the "dreaded" 4-1 trap flawlessly for the first two periods and fairly well for the final period of the game. If you didn't watch the game in person at DC's Verizon Center, you might not have any idea or appreciation just how fantastic a celebration of world class NHL playoff hockey the game was, or how loud and enthusiastic the sellout crowd was either.

Thanks to an early goal by the Rangers' Nik Antropov, setup by that pesky, nuisance Sean Avery drawing multiple Washington Capitals into a shoving match in the corner, the Rangers led or were tied in this game for all but the final 4:59. Thankfully for the Capitals, if your only going to lead a hockey game for less than 5 minutes, the last 4:59 of the third period of game 7 of a playoff series is the right time to do it though. So even though, by my estimation, Sean Avery had finally made a real impact on the Rangers - Capitals Series where it counts, on the scoreboard, the Caps comeback was completed. Interestingly from a scoresheet perspective 4 of the 5 biggest names on last night's scoresheet were Russians and the fifth was also a European. I am speaking of the 3 goal scorers and the two goaltenders. As already mentioned, Nik Atropov scored the Rangers only tally, while Alexander Semin and Sergei Federov socred the two goals necessary for the Capitals to advance to Round 2. In net for the Capitals Simeon Varlamov (pronounced var-LAM-ov) aka CZAR-lamov, made the victory possible with several excellent saves, including two at the end of the second period that were crucial. Rangers netminder Henriq Lundqvist stopped 22 of 24 shots, a save percentage of 0.917 last night and didn't give the Caps much to shoot at all night.

The Rangers executed the 4-1 trap flawlessly during the first period, limiting the Caps to just two shots on goal, fortunately one was a great one by Alexander Semin that found the back of the net at 15:34 of the first period to tie the game at 1-1. The rest of the first and remainder of the second periods were tough minutes for the Capitals, New York played measured, patient team hockey and executed a stifling trap. The Blueshirts play limited the Caps scoring chances but they did get a few. Howver, either good recoveries by relentless backchacking or "King Henriq" kept the few Caps scoring chances out of the Rangers net at their end of the ice. While at the Caps end of the rink, they too had tightend things up after giving up that first goal to Antropov at the 5:35 mark of the first period. Finally at about the 15 minute mark of the third period, veteran and future Hall of Famer Sergei Federov, playing in the 8th game seven of his illustrious NHL career, got his chance for glory on a breakaway after an outlet pass from Matt Bradley. The 39 year old from Pskov, Russia did not flinch or miss, after streaking down the right side of the ice, he saw his opening. The Swedish Monarch in the net for the Rangers moved quickly to the left side of the net, however, Federov must have sensed Lundqvist moving too far or too fast and he pulled up instantly putting the puck past him into the upper left side of net past the Ranger goalies' right shoulder. Fedorov is now tied with Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux for 15th place on the league’s all-time playoff scoring list. Fedorov now has 12 game-winning goals in Stanley Cup playoff competition, tied for 17th on the NHL’s all-time list in that department. To put Fedrov's career playoff accomplishments in perspective, last night was his 176th NHL playoff game, that's almost 3 full regular seasons without missing a game's worth of playoff experience and accomplishments. He is now one game shy of matching Hockey Hall of Famer Al MacInnis for 25th on the league’s all-time list in that department. How's that for WOW!

The moment when Federov scored is when an already loud Verizon Center crowd erupted and stayed so "rumbling the rafters" for the remainder of the game. To be sure, the Caps played excellent, dominating hockey for those last 5 minutes of play and the Rangers only managed to get Lundqvist to the bench for just two seconds as the puck was in their zone for much of the final minutes of play. The crowd noise was the loudest I have ever heard it during ANY professional sporting event of my life. However, from where I could see it the crowd was always in control, to be sure some additional precautions were taken in and around the Rangers bench and they seemed well thought out and advisable to keep in place for pretty much all games.

As for crowd behaviour, you can only pretty much speak knowledgeably about the conduct in and around your own seat. But I can tell you from my discussions with my seatmates, it seems my friend Gary brought a group with him and they managed to get a fair number of seats in and around section 103 for game 5. Per the folks who usually sit around me there were no untoward incidents then and it was clear the usual good natured chat between hockey fans of rival teams was all conducted in a civil manner. Last night two Rangers fans, a husband and wife, sat in front of Tom and I, we had several good conversations at breaks in the action, like the prolonged delay when the glass needed to be repaired and between periods. They were nice folks and I believe they would say the same about us. The only thing they probably didn't like about the game was the outcome but I'm not going to work to change that anytime soon.

Another big - WOW - story of the game and series was now just turned 21 year old Simeon Varlamov. He took over for Jose Theodore after game one and through the last six games of the series he's compiled a 4-2 record with a SV% of 0.952 and a GAA of 1.17 - WOW! CZARlamov's athleticism and flexibility proved to be a deadly combination to the Rangers 2009 playoff objectives. Other pleasant developments that are notable so far from this series - the elevated level of play of the entire Capitals line up and the mature, patient adjustments being made to the games by the Caps young stars to playoff hockey. You can't write about this series without mentioning the improved level of focus and play by the blueline corps, notably Erskine, Jurcina, and Poti. Sure Green, ShaMo and Pothier are all also playing excellent hockey as well but most pleasantly surprising to me has been the play of John Erskine. Once again another move by Caps GM George McPhee, the Erskine contract extension this season, looks prescient. The return to the lineup by Brian Pothier has also helped but right now the amazing thing to me last night was it seemed like during the third period almost any of the six blueliners could play together without miscommunication, miscues or hesitation of any sort. Tom Poti had a great, not good, but great series against the Rangers and you can't not mention that. Up front, "the grinders" especially Matt Bradley, Dave Steckel and Boyd Gordon seemed to be pushing for folks to stand up and take notice of them so here it is - great series guys - WOW!

Okay like for the Caps no time to wallow in self-aggrandizement, thanks to a third period comeback by Carolina last night, the Caps will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round. WOW! That one should be a barn-burner. Pittsburgh bested the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in their opening round series. Now the Caps have to put this one behind them and understand as great as last night's victory felt, it was just one down, three to go.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!

Caps 5 - Penquins 2 - YES!!!

It was a decisive 2 point day for the Capitals today. The score sheet tells it all today as far as the game on the ice was concerned. In the stands I was disappointed with how many Black and Gold Penguin Jersey clad fans still managed to get tickets, though many were given a hard time. I didn't see anything untoward but I'm pretty amazed at how many folks wear Crosby Jerseys to Verizon Center and are surprised when they get a bit of a hard time. After all the guy is just such a little you know what - I don't know why there wasn't more bad blood from when he hit Ovie from behind as he was exiting the ice, but suffice it to say, though I'm sure the little gesture that Ovechkin made, a "bye, bye wave" to him after the cowardly move, was off camera the crowd loved it. Of course what should we expect from a guy who so far this season has under-delivered on the ice, and punched a guy in the family jewels - the face of the NHL - today he shouldn't have even been the face of the Penguins, that title clearly was more deserved by both Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin. Personally, I was hoping for an Ovechkin-Crosby brawl the next shift they were out together but it never came. I was rooting for it just so Gary Bettman would have something to get tightened up about. Well anyway, at the end of two periods, the score was Capitals 5 - Penguins 2 and new Penguins Head Coach pulled Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fluery and put in Mathieu Garon after Brooks Laich scored the Caps 5th goal at the 13: 21 mark of the second period.

Before I go much further about the game a couple of points and comments about the atmosphere:

1) Folks continue to shout RED and OH during the anthem instead of singing it respectfully. Too bad, I say, I hope the idea of singing the whole national anthem respectfully catches on before the playoffs, I know I'm rooting for it.

2) To the Pittsburgh Fan in front of my seats with a Crosby Jersey on: a) You come here wearing that shirt on a day when your "boy" gets into with our superstar, expect some ribbing or stay home dude; b) I don't care what you think, the best guy on your team wears #71 these days and "Sid the Kid's" ego is probably costing him $1.3M per year, when the guys stunts and ego continues to do that and Malkin leaves Pittsburgh like Hossa did, I hope you still like the way that Jersey looks; c) We won, you lost "nah, nah, nah, poo, poo" dude; d) While it is true the Steelers did win the Superbowl this year, that is a sport called football, we were at a hockey game and while there are Stanley Cup Banners hanging in the Igloo, the most recent year on them is 1991-1992 so since you were possibly in elementary school at the time it doesn't mean much when you're at an NHL game in 2009; and finally e) Of course you're right you are half my age and twice as mature as me, if the reverse were true, I'd be donating the money to a good cause like helping the homeless instead of buying season tickets, but hey I am an immature, selfish guy who really enjoys giving a hard time to the out of town fans the ticket broker who owns the seats in front of me sells them to, so instead I hope you get a headache staring into the sun while you drive back west on the PA TPKE to Pittsburgh. Oh and one more thing we won - nah nah nah poo poo; and yes I know that's the second time I said that but I'm immature and since it felt sooo good the first time I figured I'd do it again.

3) The crowd was indeed loud and proud, proud of their home team, and that was a great, fun thing to see.

4) I have a suggestion to get EVEN MORE folks in Red and less folks wearing opposing team sweaters - here it is. In between periods, I suggest that only a very few concession stands sell food and beverages to folks wearing opposing jerseys AND they be forced to pay a 50% premium if the are actually wearing the jersey when they pay at the register. I think it would be cool to see all those guys taking those "Crosby Penguin Jerseys" off so they could buy the good beer and pay just the normal $7.50 per beer. After all when it comes to Penguins fans we're talking about a group that in the year after the lockout, they came to "our house" and broke "Horn Guy's" horn.

Now back to the game...

The following guys had solid games for the Penguins: Evgeni Malkin; Brooks Orpik; Sergei Gonchar and Maxime Talbot, though none of them controlled the tempo of play for any extended period like an entire shift. Mathieu Garon was flawless stopping 14 of 14 shots but the damage was done before he got into the game.

The following guys had great games for the Capitals:

1) Sergei Federov - entirely deserving of the first star he got. 1 goal, 1 assist; +2; 50% (6/6) in the faceoff circle; 12:41 of ice time. He is a great catalyst for both a solid, energetic second line and the power play; and that's "all" he did this afternoon. Last year this time he may have been "unwanted in Ohio" but this year he is proving he remains one of the most elite players in the NHL of all time. The future hall of fame center is a key ingredient to this year's successful Washington Capitals team.

2) Alexander Ovechkin - second star of the game. 1 goal, 1 assist; 9 shots, 5 hits, 2 takeaways in 18:36 of ice time. He owned Crosby and during the second period when it looked like the real best player on the Penguins - Malkin - might get some room and come alive, Ovie put the body on Geno to keep him in the family of us mere mortals. That seemed to jolt the backliners like Morrisonn to life and make them play a more physical game with Malkin the rest of the game.

3) Alexander Semin - third star of the game. 1 goal, 1 assist, +2; 4 take aways. Semin had 15:21 TOI including some really excellent short handed play during 2:26 on the penalty kill. The "other Alex" clearly wanted to make a statement and show he deserved being listed as an elite player in the NHL and did so today.

4) Tom Poti - 21:16 TOI including 8:04 on the Penalty kill; 1 assist and +1 on the afternoon; Poti was NOT on the ice for either of the Penguin goals and also had 1 hit and 4 blocked shots.

5) Mike Green - Once again led the Caps with 24:04 TOI including 5:32 on the penalty kill time. "Game Over" also had 1 assist, 5 shots, 3 hits, and 2 takeaways.

6) Jose Theodore - A save % of 0.939; came up with several big saves to keep the momentum going the Caps way; a solid effort by the former Hart and Veznia winner.

7) Nicklas Backstrom - Twenty-four (24) shifts, 20:23 TOI including 4:45 on the penalty kill unit, 2 assists, 4 hits, 45% in the face off circle. Another solid game for the sophomore, he too had a couple of solid plays and looked good when matched up with Crosby, though it's hard to compare the two since I've never seen Backstrom whine, ever.

Well next up will be the ever tough Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday Evening at Verizon Center. I had planned to go but now I have to be out of town on business so I'll either swap my tickets with Tom for Thursday or give my tickets to someone in the office. I'll be listening though probably a little distractedly as I'll be in South Florida...

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!

Bummer .... Kings 5, Caps 4

Too little too late? Not really, how about too little early? Headlines elsewhere will probably say things like Kings Edge Caps 5-4 but that seems a little misleading... Let's recap, it was a "no point night" - only the third home "no point game" of the season for the Caps. Another interesting point is that the LA Kings, San Jose Sharks and the Columbus Blue Jackets are the only teams to "blank" the Caps so far this season. Coach Boudreau summed it up in the post game interview, the first two periods were as bad as the Caps have played all year. Nobody looked sharp. As good as the third period was, there was no reason that the Caps should have ever been down 4-2, the Caps really didn't play well at all during the third period.

The Caps special teams were mediocre, Theodore's goaltending wasn't horrible, but it sure seemed like there were a couple times when his glove hand wasn't where it was supposed to be and he got scored on. Brooks Laich had a solid game, but overall it wasn't until the lines were jumbled by Coach Boudreau in between the second and thrid periods that the Capital's offense came alive. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov and Jonathan Quick did indeed take advantage of the openings the Caps gave them tonight but, with the exception of Quick, they also pretty much had their way with the Capitals the last time the two teams met. If anybody could have screened Jose Theodore better than Jeff Schultz did in the first period when the Kings scored, it would take a lot of work and some luck. The two quick goals the Kings scored at the beginning of the second period were the "Cap Killers" though. The game was a very different game then it could and would have otherwise been. However, to say the Caps lost may not be giving Quick, who had 41 saves or the Kings Offense who scored , 1 power play, 1 short handed and 3 even strength goals against the Caps in front of another sellout crowd at Verizon Center.

All that said, I have to say this - didn't you just love Sergei Federov's save of an empty net insurance goal by the Kings. The guy is hands down the easiest guy actively playing the game today that you can say the following about - "future hall of famer." Alexander Ovechkin scored his 200th goal - as was repeatedly pointed out by "Joe B" on Comcast SportsNet, Ovie is just the fourth player ever to reach the 200 goal plateau in 4 seasons. So a three game winning streak ends and now the Caps need to move on. Next up the Florida Panthers on Saturday at Verizon. The Panthers are 6-2-2 in their last 10 and just finished beating the NY Islanders 3-2 in regulation tonight. The Cats are also now in second place in the Southeast Division and Eighth Place in the Eastern Conference with 56 points, 14 back of the Capitals. Saturday will be a tough game the way the Panthers are playing.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!

A Look At Where The Caps Are....

Today the Caps sit atop of the Southeast Division leading the second place Carolina Hurricanes by 6 points. They firmly part of the "second tier" of the NHL, by my accounts. The first tier being those teams that now have 40 or more points and are averaging 1.5 or more points per game: San Jose (46 points/27 games - 1.70 ppg), Detroit (42 points/27 games - 1.56 ppg), and Boston (42 points/28 games - 1.5 ppg). The second tier being those teams that are averaging 1.20 or more points per game: New York Rangers (40 points/31 games - 1.29 ppg), Montreal (37 points/28 games - 1.32 ppg), Vancouver (35 points/29 games - 1.21 ppg), Anaheim (35 points/29 games - 1.21 ppg), Washington (35 points/29 games - 1.21 ppg), Philadelphia (34 points/27 games - 1.26 ppg), Chicago (33 points/26 games - 1.27 ppg), and New Jersey (32 points/25 games - 1.28 ppg).

Extrapolating the Caps season to a logical conclusion based on the current average ppg puts them at 99 - 100 points. Given the Caps injury situation and relatively grueling schedule in November, that forecast is likely a conservative estimate. Per Tarik and Corey it is possible that two more important Caps may return to the roster tomorrow night - Sergei Federov and Mike Green. As more of the Caps opening night roster returns to the line-up, and the travel schedule and number of back-back nights lessens, the Caps should start to improve their road record and continue to maintain their solid home ice record. Overall, it is possible to see the Caps to a solid 100+ point season and a second consecutive Southeast Division championship though there are still 53 more games to be played "on the ice" by the Capitals before that happens. However, 28 of those 53 games will be at the Verizon Center where so far this season the Capitals have an 11-1-1 record; while only 25 of the games will be on the road where the Caps have a 5-9-2 record. The Caps also only play 7 of their remaining 53 games against Western Conference teams who the Caps have a 5-6-0 record against so far this season; while 46 of those games are against Eastern Conference teams who the Caps have a record of 11-4-3 so far this season.

Bottom line, is it's still a fun year to be a Caps fan.

Next up the Ottawa Senators at the Verizon Center tomorrow evening at 7PM.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!!!!!

Here They Are ... Your Washington Capitals

The latest from Kettler per Tarik and Corey, the Caps' walking wounded are looking better. Per Tarik with Mark's Musings added as noted below...

Tarik's Blog Today: "* Tyler Sloan said he's ready to play and is expecting to be in the lineup."
[Mark's Musing: I'm shocked a 27 year old rookie who has his best shot ever at sticking in the NHL is driving hard to get back in the lineup and on the ice quickly. I love this guy, he has heart, he's big and strong, and so far he's played with his head not over it. I hope he's doing the same thing here. Only his next two games will tell though.]

Tarik's Blog Today "* Mike Green said he's "90-percent" and wants to play. But he's going to see how he feels tomorrow morning before declaring himself ready. So I would say he's questionable to doubtful."
[Mark's Musing: Here's a guy who needs to be at least 90% to play "his" game. If he comes back at just barely 90%, I hope he takes it easy and plays himself into the lineup over 2-4 games else re-injury is a real possibility as is the possibility of him getting caught up ice on one of his "patented, super fun to watch" end to end rushes into the offensive zone. That said, he and Poti can't return to the line-up soon enough for my preferences.]

Per Tarik's Blog Today: "* Alexander Semin came off early and only shrugged his shoulders when I asked him if he was ready. I would say he's questionable/doubtful. But Keith Aucoin appears to have been sent back to Hershey. (The team has not confirmed the move, but he was the only packing up a hockey bag). If he has in fact been demoted, based on today's practice, that would make the second line Fleischmann-Nylander-Semin. That, of course, is assuming Semin is ready. But we probably won't know that until tomorrow."
[Mark's Musing: Another guy who can't come back soon enough, but one who apparently learned last season of the pitfalls of trying to play through too many injuries. Sasha is just awesome, can't wait for him to come back and once again bring that "Sidney Who" attitude and world class skills to the ice.]


Per Tarik's Blog Today: "* Tom Poti practice(d) at full strength for the first time today, but said he's going to wait until tomorrow before deciding whether to suit up. "
[Mark's Musing: can't wait till he's back, the call ups have been fairly good but Poti's steady presence and minute munching are as missed as Mike Green's; having the two of them back is the difference between hoping for a win thanks to good games from young, green players and expecting a win from "THE Washington Capitals."]

*Eric Fehr came off after only a few minutes and Boudreau said he doesn't expect him to be ready.
[Mark's Musing: I'm still not sold he'll ever reach his potential, but for his own sake, he needs to get back into the line-up as soon as he can and show he has the "grit" to play through some injuries. I know his shoulder was "filleted" in the injury but it's just a fact of life at his level and this juncture of his career, that's what he needs to do. Professional sports athlete is a very "Darwinian," dog eat dog profession. Right now, his absence is giving plenty of other guys from Hershey a chance to show the Capitals fans what they can do. You have to wonder for example if Qunitin Laing had taken that same hit and had the same injury if he wouldn't have still suited up and played through it on Sunday.]

Per Tarik's Blog Today: "* Alex Ovechkin was taking a "maintenance" day, but will be ready to go tomorrow."
[Mark's Musing: Here's a guy who maybe should take a game off but there's no way he won't be on the ice against the conference leading Bruins. Also maybe someone should tell him that while he's in his current condition, there's no need for him to make a run at leading the team in hits; not that it'll make a difference. Does Ovechkin even have a gear that's 3/4 speed? We DC Metro Area Hockey fans should just be thankful for every day he plays here and every game we get to watch him. Now we know what it was like being a hockey fan in Edmonton from 1983 - 1988 and watching Gretzky and Messier in their primes.]

Per Tarik's Blog Today: "* Sergei Fedorov worked out yesterday, Boudreau said, and reported being sore this morning. So he was held out of practice. He doesn't appear to be all that close."
[Mark's Musing: This impact is subtle but looking at the face offs won% last game - that part of me wants him back on the ice... However, he's not a kid and since we need his leadership and experience for the end of the season and the playoffs, I don't want him back before he's healed fully. Remember the impact of Semin's high ankle sprain in a 24 year old guy last season. ]

Per Tarik's Blog Today: "* John Erskine is up and down but hasn't been on skates in a while. "
[Mark's Musing: I know lots of fans don't think this is that big a deal; I do and can't wait for him to come back. When you look at his stats he's actually having a "mini-breakout" year and is also a lot of grit in the line-up. ]

Next up - Boston at the Verizon Center tomorrow night.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bruised & Battered, Caps Return To DC For Next Two Games

Well assuming you are reading this because you are an avid Washington Capitals fan, it's likely you already know: a) the Caps now have as many at least eight players on their roster who are injured and working to return to the roster: 1) Sergei Federov, 2) Mike Green, 3) Alexander Semin, 4) Chris Clark, 5) Jeff Schultz, 6) John Erskine, 7) Chris Clark, 8) Boyd Gordon and 9) Brian Pothier; and b) only six Caps have not missed games this season due to injury: 1) Alex Ovechkin (who missed a couple to travel to Russia for personal reasons), 2) Nicklas Backstrom (who played several games at the start of the season nursing an injury from the pre-season, 3) Tomas Fleaischmann, 4) Brooks Laich, 5) Milan Jurcina, 6) Matt Bradley. The recent five game road swing, perhaps the most grueling road trip of this year's schedule behind them, the Caps find themselves i) juggling their roster to deal with the injures to: a) one of their best forwards who is their current leading goal scorer, b) three top four defenseman, c) potentially their Captain, and d) arguably their most versatile player - a future hall of famer, and e) yet one other defenseman and one of the solid defensive grinder forwards ii) still off to their best start and in first place in their division.

While looking ahead at the start of this month's schedule it appeared November was probably the most important gauge that would for tell how the Caps' 2008-2009 season would go, it can probably now be said that because of the injury situation, as the end of November approaches, that "make or break" period has to be extended through the next 17 games through the end of December as well. In particular, between today and December 13th (a 19 day period) the Caps have another 10 games. Of the 17 games between now and December 31st, 15 are against Eastern Conference opponents of which 3 are against Southeast Division rivals. To be sure, both the Southeast Division opponents and the Caps' traditional rivals will look to these games to capture some standings points against the injury depleted Capitals. It is probably for that reason, that the character the Caps showed in trying to come back and capture a win against Minnesota last night after going down 4-0, is so important.

Once again Coach Bruce Boudreau's familiarity with the Capitals' player development pipeline, and the fact that the Hershey Bears, under Coach Bob Woods, play the same system as Boudreau's Capitals will need to be relayed on to make up for the holes in "the big club's roster." Will it be enough? Who really knows? We won't be able to tell until much until mid-December has come and gone. Further complicating putting solutions in place to address the challenges injuries create for the Caps over the next four weeks are two things: i) the current lack of salary Cap space the Caps have and b) the CBA requirements which mean that once a player plays 10 games on an NHL team's roster, he has to clear waivers to be put back down onto a club's AHL associates' roster. What's that mean? Well in the likely event the Caps call up someone like Sami Lepisto or Karl Alzner up to fill in for Jeff Schultz over his projected 4+ week period on injured reserve, who ever they decide to send down to Hershey to make Cap room for Schultz when he returns will have to clear waivers. Right now it's very possible that any of the Caps likely choices for that trip could get picked up by another NHL team. All three of the development pipeline players: Tyler Sloan, Sami Lepisto and Karl Alzner, as well as the Caps third defensive pair of John Erskine and Milan Jurcina all have various attributes that could easily make them appealing to other NHL clubs. [ed note: I stand by that comment despite what some others might be saying about Erskine and Jurcina, at times.]

As far potential back fills for any required call ups in the ranks of forwards, once again the Caps could face the same situation, loosing a good player in the pipeline when they need to send him back down to Hershey. Even if say, Quintin Laing is recalled to back fill for Boyd Gordon, just because he cleared waivers at the start of the season, doesn't mean he would again. Such would be especially true, assuming he once again makes the best of the opportunity to shine again on the NHL stage, like he did last season. As for the current sharpshooters in Hershey who are lighting the red lights behind their AHL opponents goals with regularity lately, the likelihood of one of them getting picked up as they need to clear waivers is probably even higher. What does that all mean - it probably means that Caps' manager George McPhee and Coach Boudreau will make even more moves then they might otherwise shuttling some additional players back and forth between Giant Center and KCI then they might otherwise to make sure they don't subject some of those prospects to the risk of being claimed by others off the waiver wire.

So if any of us are lamenting the pressures and problems we have to deal with in our day jobs, we'd do well to appreciate the pressures and challenges that McPhee and Boudreau will be dealing with over the next 36 days. Add the fact that they have to do what they do under the glare of media and being routinely challenged by professional journalists, TV analysts and commentators and numerous bloggers and fans and if you're like me you're glad that you don't have their day jobs. Final thoughts: 1) as Capitals fans aren't you glad that from what we all could tell, by and large the Caps came into the start of the season in much better physical condition this year then last? Sure seems like they figured out they weren't going to "sneak up" on anybody this year and lots of teams would be gunning for them, especially on the road. And. 2) If you felt strongly that Bruce Boudreau deserved the jack Adams Trophy last season, what will you think if the Caps stay on track for 104+ points this season over the next 30 days?

Next up Division foe Atlanta Thrashers, tomorrow night at Verizon Center. I'll be driving to Myrtle Beach to spend the holiday with family for at least the first and probably second periods. But, I swear I'll be "Rockin' the Red" in my Caps Sweater while I do so.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Look Ahead to Tonight's Caps - Rangers Game

Tonight at the Phone Booth (aka Verizon Center, Washington DC) the Washington Capitals take on the Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers. Both teams won their last game on Thursday Night. The Caps defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in a nail biter; the Rangers soundly defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 in a game they dominated from start to finish. [ed note: I'll be watching the game on Comcast Sportsnet as my STH partner Tom grew up a ranger fan and he has both Ranger home games. Tom's loyalties may be divided, mine will be firmly with the Caps.] The Rangers have gotten off to a blistering start this season. After winning their first two games in Europe against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers have continued to romp through the first month of the season and have amassed 23 points while compiling an 11-4-1 record and sit firmly atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Washington Capitals have collected 14 points while compiling a 6-4-2 record and sit just in playoff range at eighth place in the conference. Tonight's game is a chance for the Capitals to make up two points on a conference foe and another step back to where many felt they would be before the season started - firmly in control of their own destiny this year.

This game is another real character test for the Capitals. The Caps longest winning streak so far is 3 games. Tonight would be the second in a row against a Conference opponent/foe; winning these sorts of games in November make March and April much less stressful. However, the Rangers are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games while the Caps are 5-3-2. Tonight's match-ups shape up as follows.

Forwards: If Sergei Federov plays the Caps lines will probably be similar to Thursday Night's which you'll recall were: 1) Ovechkin-Federov-Semin; 2)Laich-Backstrom-Kozlov; 3)Fleischmann-Nylander-Clark; 4) Brashear-Gordon-Bradley. That said as of yesterday both Federov and Shoanne Morrisonn are potential scratches in which case there will be a recall from Hershey. The recall is likley to be Tyler Sloan. Additionally, given the Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin line was on the ice for the Caps last two goals Thursday, that could very well be the first line. There could also still be some more shuffling in lines 2 and 3, it wouldn't be too much of a streatch to see Eric Fehr in the lineupin which case 2/3 could look something like 2) Fleischmann-Nylander-Fehr, 3) Laich-Kozlov-Clark. The energy line looked pretty solid Thursday night and with the Rangers heaveyweights you'd have to bet that Brashear-Gordon-Bradley will be together once again. The Ranger's scoring is fairly balanced and as of their last game they have 5 forwards with 5 goals each. They also have five forwards and defenseman Dan Girardi with 10 or more points. The Caps have 3 forwards and Defenseman Mike Green with 4 or more goals, even though they have played 4 fewer games than the Rangers. They have 4 forwards and Mike Green with 8 or more points. The only key scoring threat on either team off his pace from last season is Alexander Ovechkin who continues to seem ready to breakout every game. Call this aspect of the game even right now, if Ovechkin continues to get more success like he did Thursday AND Tomas Fleischmann has one of the better outings he has shown himself capable of about 2/3rds of the time so far this season, the Caps might have a slight edge. If they don't you have to give a slight edge to the Rangers because of their balanced attack.

Defense: With or without Morrisonn in the lineup, you have to give the edge here to the Rangers. Call Wade Redden & Mike Green a wash; the Michal Rozsival - Tom Poti "matchup" goes at least slightly to Rozsival; then the comparisons start to really go to the Rangers as you get further dow the depth chart. Even if he's playing and playing well the Shoanne Morrisonn - Dmitri Kalinin comparison goes to Kalinin. Next down, the Jeff Schultz - Paul Mara is pretty even though in a tight big game you have to give the edge to Mara with his 9 seasons of experience. Next spot on the Caps depth chart is a toss-up between Milan Jurcina and John Erskine but let's take Erskine for comparative purposes since he was just resigned to $1.25M per year for each of the next two seasons. John Erskine - Dan Girardi has to go to the guy who was +/- 0 through 82 games last season as oppossed to the guy who was +1 through 51 games last season and who has never played more than 51 games in a season - slight advantage to Girardi. Finaly comparing Milan Jurcina - Marc Staal you have to call it a draw based on last season with a slight edge to Staal based on this season to date since Staal has 1 goal, 2 assists and is +/- +2 and Jurcina has 1 goal, 0 assists and is -3.

Goaltending: Regardless of who starts for the Caps, Jose Theodore or Brent Johnson, assuming Henrik Lundqvist starts for the Rangers, the edge goes to the Rangers. Though either Theodore or Johnson have the ability and talent to put together a game night performance where they basically "steal one" for their team Lundqvist, with 9 wins, a save percentage of 0.928 and a GAA of 2.00 so far this season seems to make games like that a habit whenever the Rangers are a little "flat". Of course the minute you make this prediction then Theodore or Johnson has one of those nights "steals the game" and Lundqvist looks like a mere mortal. If that happens it wouldn't break this Caps fan's heart at all.

Intangibles: Solidly goes to the Capitals. The Rock the Red crowd will be out in force for this weekend match up, though there will no doubt be a contingent of "blueshirt" fans as there are for all Caps - Rangers games. The Caps are coning off a confidence building win and generally raise their level of play against better teams in general and the Rangers, Devils, Flyers in particular.

Prediction: If the Caps keep their forecheck up towards the relentless level they are capable of and continue to get excellent 0.915 save percentage or higher goaltending, then the Caps win 3-2 in Overtime or the Shoot Out.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A 1 Point Night - Caps Come Up "Just Short" In Ottawa

Well first the good news, any time you get points, or even one point on the road is good news. The second is the Caps played pretty solid hockey for the entire first period, didn't take cheap penalties and even though they were out shot, the defense, especially Goalie Brent Johnson held. At the end of the first period the score was tied 0 - 0. Also the statistics show that the Caps time on ice for this game was much more close to the types of line and defense pairing distribution that was much closer to the ice times the Caps played down the stretch last season.

As for my predictions well - not so good. Johnnie had a save percentage of 0.955; however Alex Auld had a save percentage of 0.963. While not making my prediction totally incorrect, surely my sense was that a 0.955 save percentage would have/should have been good enough for a two point night. Also even though the Caps out hit the Sens 27-20, and won 54% of the 63 faceoffs, unfortunately the Senators out shot the Caps 44 - 27. The Caps got solid play out of the "second" line once again; Alexander Semin and Thomas Fleischmann were beasts and Michael Nylander was an excellent pivot for them. Ovechkin had a solid night as did Nicklas Backstrom, however Vicktor Kozlov still didn't look entirely on his game and by the second half of the third period it looked like Coach Boudreau was trying to find a different right wing to fill out the first line. Despite being on the ice for the goal by Thomas Fleischmann that tied the game up Jarkko Ruutu had a solid outing with 13:07 of TOI on 14 shifts and had 2 hits, 2 takeaways and 1 giveaway. Rookie defenseman Nick Foligino played 14 shifts as well and had 12:09 of TOI and was solid taking 2 shot and giving out 2 hits. Segei Federov had an up and down night. Federov took the previously mentioned double minor and gave up the puck to Alfredsson on the play that led to Heatley's goal in regulation; however he was also otherwise very solid and during the last 5 minutes of regulation was the catalyst for the plays that resulted in the two solid scoring chances where the only thing that kept Ovechkin and Semin from scoring the game winner was great saves by Alex Auld. So as far as prognostications, my musings were pretty close to the mark but could have never foreseen just how solid a game that Alex Auld was going to have.

The Senator's owed their victory to Alex Auld who made 3 really big saves that "robbed" Alexander Semin twice in Regulation and Alexander Ovechkin once; and to Mike Fisher whose primary assist on the Heatley goal was a beautiful outlet pass and whose finishing shot after the feed from Daniel Alfredsson in overtime was basically unstoppable. The other thing that didn't happen that needed to happen for the Caps to win was that the Caps failed to shut down Alfredsson and Heatley. Heatley scored the Senators first goal during regulation, a play on which Alfie started and had a secondary assist. Alfredsson also had the primary assist on Mike Fisher's game winner. The aspect of the game the Caps failed to control was the penalties. Yes, they were much better than prior games but they still took five minor penalties, including a double minor on Sergei Federov that he surely regretted, to one minor penalty by the Senators. Fortunately the penalty kill was perfect however, the one Senators goal in regulation came from a breakaway by Dany Heatley after he got a great feed from Mike Fisher right after he exited the penalty box and crashed the net.

Next up, the Carolina Hurricanes who blew a three point lead before finally beating the Maple Leafs in overtime on Thursday Night at the Phone Booth. I'll be there Rockin' the Red in Section 103, I had hoped to have "my usual/best wingman" with me but that might not be the case so we'll see who comes with me.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!