How Can You Help But Root For Things To Work Out For This Guy?

The latest main stream media news re: Michael Nylander from the Grand Rapids Press is found at this link. Hey, I'm a Caps fan and one of the first guys to point out that he doesn't fit in the Caps System these days. I'll also point out that if GMGM offered him the contract he has now tomorrow I'd be really, really disappointed. But I've always pointed out that I think at the time Michael Nylander was brought to DC, I don't think either of those things were even close to true.

Finally, even though I have mentioned this before, I can't help but do it again. If you check out the article and his quotes, you absolutely have to be impressed with the guy's class and demeanor. A total pro, and a nice guy, you have to be rooting for things to work out for him. This is an awkward situation for sure but so far both sides have been pretty classy and things haven't gotten unprofessional or snarky as oft seems to happen.

Hopefully, there is light at the end of this tunnel and it works out for all concerned.

Hockey Is Back - Sweet; Caps @ Bruins Tonight

So if you read this blog you probably read other blogs that are focused on the Washington Capitals and the NHL as well and you know that Chris Bourque is now part of the dreaded Pittsburgh Flightless Birds organization; that the auction for the Phoenix Coyotes was won by --- no one; that there is no resolution in the Versus vs. DirectTV melee; and a host of other things related to hockey as well. There are also rumours on the Michael Nylander front you are probably aware of as well - ironic since in many ways, Chris Bourque to the Penguins is probably the first "casualty" in the Nylander saga - there will be others if something isn't able to be done to resolve the Nylander saga and free up his $4.875M of salary cap as well. But hey, we have hockey again - praise be!

Before getting to tonight's game and predictions though in case you missed it James Mirtle predicts the Caps will finish first in the Eastern Conference this season - hope that's not a jinx...

And just in case you missed it - Washington IS a Hockey Town - it's gotta be true since the Associated Press says so - and I agree.

For the Capitals and we Capitals fans the regular season begins in Beantown against the Bruins - here's hoping for a Two (2) Point Night for the boys in red.

My guess at the opening night lineup for the Capitals is now:

Forwards:
Ovechkin - Backstrom - Knuble
Semin - Morrison - Laich
Nylander - Steckel - Clark
Laing - Gordon - Bradley

Defense:
Green - Morrisonn
Poti - Jurcina
Pothier - Sloan

Goal
Theodore

I don't really think that Nyls will play but hey given he's making $5.5M, but if it were up to me - I'd play him till he gets traded or placed on LTIR - it's a cold thought but we need the Cap space if he's not going to be on the top two lines, which he isn't and that's the only way we'll get it. Best case is he plays well, showcases his talent and a deal he likes enough to agree to is offered by someone; worst case he plays as well as Boyd Kane would and gets as many minutes...so the third line will be Laing - Steckel - Clark and the fourth line will be Kane - Gordon - Bradley. Also according to the WaPo's Tarik El-Bashir the Defensive pairings will be Morrosonn - Green; Jurcina - Poti and Erskine - Pothier; that said I'm still rootoing for Sloan and Nyls to get sweaters tonight...(I gotta be me!)


Prediction: Caps 3 - Bruins 2. Should be a great game the Caps won 3 of 4 regular season contests last year against the Bruins though two went to Overtime and 1 of the other 2 was decided by a single goal. Fitting given the Bruins finished last season atop the Eastern Conference and the Capitals finished second.

The key to tonight's game for the Capitals - probably Alexander Semin. Take a look at Peerless' prognostication on the game and look at the fact that Semin was a big key in 2 of the 3 games out of four the Caps took from the Bruins last regular season...

The key for the Bruins is probably goaltending and Tim Thomas - again based on the results from last season's meetings between these two teams.

And now it's time for the beginning to begin...

LETS GO CAPS!!!

Michael Nylander - A Good Guy In A Bad Situation That Cannot Be Ignored

A lot of ink and bytes are flying around on the subject of Michael Nylander and the Washington Capitals right now if you following the usual message boards, etc. I've mused openly about the situation with Nylander since late last season but the recent stuff has driven me to revisit the situation and make sure I am firmly on record about a couple of things on this topic. Here they are:



1) When he was signed to his current contract, I don't think Caps Management made a mistake. It was a smart signing given where we were and the situation dictated that if we wanted Nyls we needed to pay what we did to get him. The minute he signed he was not overpaid. The current situation started to arise when the Caps opt'ed to change their style of play to the current system they began to adopt in November 2007.



2) I don't think anyone should feel dismay that Michael Nylander wants to make sure he gets what he negotiated and that he takes care of himself and his family by exercising his NMC. He earned it - why/how? - he did that the minute the Capitals gave it to him. As long as he shows up, in shape, with a good attitude and works at his game like every other player with a contract, he deserves what it says he deserves in his contract. That means, he's here until someone else in the NHL offers a deal to the Caps that they and he will both accept. That doesn't make either him or Caps management stupid, it's just the way things are.

So I pretty much feel like, while it's clear the Caps need to do something if they can to move Michael Nylander and free his Cap Space given they aren't using him as a top line center which is what they are paying him as, - well I feel pretty much like the sentements expressed over at "On Frozen Blog" today:

"Also on the unhealthy front -- and unlikely to heal -- is the Michael
Nylander saga; it simply can't be ignored. As best as I can tell it's training
camp's lone non-health-related downer story. Michael Nylander does absolutely
nothing wrong within this organization except fit poorly in Bruce Boudreau's
system. And in the earliest hours of this camp I personally have felt great
empathy for him watching him move about, expressionless, largely isolated from
gregarious bands of players, seeming so . . . out of place.

The start of a new hockey season is an occasion of so many smiles, so much
laughter within an organization, but Michael Nylander knows neither thus far
this autumn. On Saturday he sat alone at a table by a rink for a terrific while
signing a truckload of Caps' merchandise -- signing longer than any other
Capital. It was an odd sight, and after two days at Kettler and being regularly
confronted by this queer dynamic I can't help but analogize Nylander's situation
to the separation period a married couple endures before a divorce."

All that said it's worth looking at the pertenent facts as they apply to this situation. Michael Nylander, as he pointed out yesterday to the press, has two years left on his contract here in DC. the contract contains a No Movement Clause, and calls for the Capitals to pay him a salary of $5.5M this season and $3.0M next season; his salary cap hit each of those years will be $4.875M. Nyls will be 37 on October 3rd and he has 15 seasons of NHL experience under his belt. Over that span he has played in 920 NHL Regular Season Games and 47 NHL Playoff contensts. He has 221 goals (209 regular season and 12 playoffs) and 492 assists (470 regular season, 22 playoffs). He came to the Capitals as an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2007 after two excellent (20+ goal/50+ assist) post lock-out seasons with the NY Rangers. At the time the Capitals were in the middle of a total team rebuild and few unrestricted free agents looked to Washington as a place to come and have the latter part of your career be highly successful. The Capitals had drafted a 19 year old Swedish Center named Nicklas Backstrom in the first round that year and needed a mentor for him. The fit was relatively straight-forward and complete at the time the deal was made.

Had the Capitals bought Nyls out this summer it wouldn't have made any sense due to the impact in the out years (particularly next season when the Caps need to make room somehow for Backstom and Semin's resigning...). According to Capgeek.com - here's what a buyout of Nyls on June 15th of this year would have looked like:


SEASON ACTUAL SALARY CAP HIT BUYOUT SAVINGS BUYOUT CAP HIT
2009-2010 $5,500,000 $4,875,000 $1,416,667 $4,083,333 $791,667
2010-2011 $3,000,000 $4,875,000 $1,416,667 $1,583,333 $3,291,667
2011-2012 $0 $0 $1,416,667 $-1,416,667 $1,416,667
2012-2013 $0 $0 $1,416,667 $-1,416,667 $1,416,667.

Next season, June 15th, 2010 however, things look a wee bit different. Take a look:


SEASON ACTUAL SALARY CAP HIT BUYOUT SAVINGS BUYOUT CAP HIT
2010-2011 $3,000,000 $4,875,000 $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $2,875,000
2011-2012 $0 $0 $1,000,000 $-1,000,000 $1,000,000.

So what's the math above say? To me it says Nyls is likely to spend the rest of this season as a Washington Capital. He may or may not be a healthy scratch often depending on a lot of things including the health and durability of 34 year old UFA pickup, Brendan Morrison. If Morrison returns to the form he had before his last two injury shortened seasons, Nyls could spend a fair amount of time "riding the pine."

However given that the Caps will likely be starting the season without either Tomas Fleischmann or Eric Fehr, there is some room for Nyls though when he signed with the Caps in 2007, I don't think anyone foresaw him as the third line center....

Hopefully this all works out somehow, but it's hard to see how. Right now the only teams with significant salary cap room for a guy like Nyls could be are: the Islanders, the Predators, the Avalanche, and the Thrashers. Would any of those four teams be willing to take Nylander and his $4.875M cap hit for the next two years and would he be willing to go there? Hard to say. I have to think that if somehow a deal could be worked with any of them, and Nyls thought he'd get a fair shake at playing time, he might take it. No premier athlete wants to "ride the pine" even in the back nine of his career. That said, it's hard to see him going to Europe or Russia this year before the Olympics are over either, and from his perspective, why should he?

In any case, the professionalism he's displayed since this stuff started speaks volumes about his character and professionalism. If Nyls continues to be the guy he's been so far throughout these times, and as a father of six children Nyls probably has the patience required to be so, one thing is certain. When it is over, Michael Nylander will have no regrets and will be able to point to these times as a period in his life where he acted like he hopes his children all act when they are facing adversity.

Like I said, I hope it all works out, because right now this is really the only big cloud that's a bit of a downer over the Capitals organization.

Finally! Rookie Camp Starts Tomorrow and I Follow-up On My Thoughts re: What About Nylander and Clark....

Finally...Some Caps Hockey News Is Likely to Start Being Made...

Rookie Camp opens at Kettler Center Iceplex (KCI) tomorrow, the Capitals announced the rosters, 23 players will participate in rookie camp starting tomorrow at KCI with a 10:30 a.m. practice and runs through Friday, Sept. 11, when the rookies visit Vorhees, N.J., for a scrimmage against the Flyers’ rookies at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone. The rookie camp roster as announced is:

FORWARDS

79 BRODA, Joel 6’1” 203 Left 11/24/89 Yorkton, Saskatchewan Moose Jaw/Calgary WHL

88 BRUESS, Trevor 6’0” 209 Right 1/6/86 Minneapolis, Minnesota Minnesota State-Mankato WCHA

67 CASAVANT, Benjamin 6’1” 200 Left 1/21/91 St-Hyacinthe, Quebec Prince Edward Island QMJHL

84 DELLA ROVERE, Stefan 5’11” 196 Left 2/25/90 Richmond Hill, Ontario Barrie/South Carolina OHL/ECHL

72 DUBUC, Michael 6’3” 170 Right 6/29/88 Granby, Quebec Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL

50 EAKIN, Cody 5’11” 187 Left 5/24/91 Winnipeg, Manitoba Swift Current WHL

59 FINLEY, Joe 6’7” 245 Left 6/29/87 Edina, Minnesota North Dakota/Hershey WCHA/AHL

94 GUSTAFSSON, Anton 6’2” 195 Left 2/25/90 Karlskoga, Sweden Bofors Sweden

77 HAUSWIRTH, Jake 6’5” 200 Left 2/16/88 Merrill, Wisconsin Omaha USHL

65 JASINSKY, Ryan 6’2” 205 Right 1/13/90 Richmond, Virginia Victoriaville QMJHL

93 KUGRYSHEV, Dmitri 5’11” 192 Right 1/18/90 Moscow, Russia Quebec QMJHL

76 MITCHELL, Garrett 5’11 185 Right 9/2/91 Regina, Saskatchewan Regina WHL

DEFENSEMEN

74 CARLSON, John 6’3” 211 Right 1/10/90 Natick, Massachusetts London/Hershey OHL/AHL

38 DAWSON, Aaron 6’5” 220 Left 3/11/85 Peoria, Illinois Univ. of Prince Edward Island AUS

66 FLEMMING, Brett 5’11” 178 Right 2/26/91 Regina, Saskatchewan Mississauga St. Michael’s OHL

73 GODFREY, Josh 6’1” 199 Right 1/15/88 Collingwood, Ontario Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL

96 KERR, Ryan 6’2” 208 Left 3/4/89 Lions Bay, British Columbia Portland WHL

86 MESTERY, Eric 6’5” 203 Left 5/28/90 Winnipeg, Manitoba Tri-City/Lethbridge WHL

68 MISKOVIC, Zach 6’0” 198 Right 5/8/85 River Forest, Illinois St. Lawrence ECAC

54 SCHMIDT, Kevin 6’1” 176 Left 2/14/86 Markham, Ontario Bowling Green CCHA

GOALTENDERS

70 HOLTBY, Braden 6’1” 206 Left 9/16/89 Lloydminster, Saskatchewan Saskatoon WHL

30 NEUVIRTH, Michal 6’1” 197 Left 3/23/88 Usi Labem, Czech Republic CAPITALS/Hershey/South Car.NHL/AHL/ECHL

40 VARLAMOV, Semyon 6’1” 183 Left 4/27/88 Samara, Russia CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL.

A couple of interesting notes here. Joe Finley was announced as a forward so it does appear the Caps will try and get him to make the transition from large bruising defenseman to large, bruising, checking forward; a role we saw him play several times earlier this summer in development camp. Caps fans who stop by KCI for rookie camp will once again get to see Jake Hauswirth, Stefan Della Rovere, Trevor Bruess, Anton Gustafsson and Dmitri Kugryshev all work for a roster spot once again. All six of these guys performed well during this summers development camp at times, though Gustafsson appearance was shortened by injury. It will be interesting to see who from this group impresses enough to make which roster (South Carolina, Hershey, and even possibly the Capitals.) The Caps "System" is certainly remains quite full of talent. It's very interesting to me that despite the high powered offense the Caps skate and the pipeline full of talented scorers and offensive threats, the Caps have apparently decided to try and see if Finley can make the transition from the blue line and bulk up the skaters up front.

On the defensive side of the rookie camp roster, the most notable area is in the net - in Neuvirth and Varlamov, the Caps have two legitimate liely future NHL #1's and in Holtby, they have a guy who could also one day be "the guy" for an NHL team night in and night out. That these guys will be pushing each other throughout this entire year shouldn't be doubted at all. The blue liners you ask...Carlson, Godfrey, and Mestery are all names that rabid Caps fans have seen before and are looking forward to seeing make the jump to being pros in the Caps System but the other five D-men listed here, especially Miskovic, are all guys I want to see and check out as well. After all this is a pipeline that along with the group in Washington and Hershey that has GMGM and Bruce Boudreau pushing big Joe Finley from the blue-line up to winger.

I'm hoping to swing by KCI tomorrow and sneak a peek and maybe get a few pics in the AM.

Training camp for veterans begins Sunday, Sept. 13, when 48 players, including 32 who played at least a regular season game in a Capitals sweater last season join the rookies at KCI. The announced veteran training camp roster is:

FORWARDS

20 AUCOIN, Keith 5’8” 165 Right 11/6/78 Waltham, Massachusetts CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

19 BACKSTROM, Nicklas 6’1” 210 Left 11/23/87 Gavle, Sweden CAPITALS NHL

83 BEAGLE, Jay 6’3” 208 Right 10/16/85 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

36 BOUCHARD, Francois 6’1” 190 Left 4/26/88 Sherbrooke, Quebec Hershey AHL

56 BOURQUE, Chris 5’8” 181 Left 1/29/86 Boston, Massachusetts CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

10 BRADLEY, Matt 6’3” 201 Right 6/13/78 Stittsville, Ontario CAPITALS NHL

17 CLARK, Chris 6’0” 196 Right 3/8/76 South Windsor, Connecticut CAPITALS NHL

16 FEHR, Eric 6’4” 212 Right 9/7/85 Winkler, Manitoba CAPITALS NHL

14 FLEISCHMANN, Tomas 6’1” 190 Left 5/16/84 Koprivnice, Czech Republic CAPITALS NHL

33 GIROUX, Alexandre 6’3” 201 Left 6/16/81 Quebec City, Quebec CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

63 GORDON, Andrew 5’11” 180 Right 12/13/85 Halifax, Nova Scotia CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

15 GORDON, Boyd 6’1” 201 Right 10/19/83 Unity, Saskatchewan CAPITALS NHL

61 JOUDREY, Andrew 5’11” 185 Left 7/15/84 Bedford, Nova Scotia Hershey AHL

34 KANE, Boyd 6’2” 225 Left 4/18/78 Swift Current, Saskatchewan Philadelphia/Philadelphia NHL/AHL

22 KNUBLE, Mike 6’3” 230 Right 7/7/72 Toronto, Ontario Philadelphia NHL

21 LAICH, Brooks 6’2” 210 Left 6/23/83 Wawota, Saskatchewan CAPITALS NHL

53 LAING, Quintin 6’2” 210 Left 6/8/79 Rosetown, Saskatchewan CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

9 MORRISON, Brendan 5’11” 181 Left 8/15/75 Pitt Meadows, British Columbia Anaheim/Dallas NHL

92 NYLANDER, Michael 6’1” 195 Left 10/3/72 Stockholm, Sweden CAPITALS NHL

48 OSALA, Oskar 6’4” 217 Left 12/26/87 Vaasa, Finland CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

8 OVECHKIN, Alex 6’2” 220 Right 9/17/85 Moscow, Russia CAPITALS NHL

85 PERREAULT, Mathieu 5’9” 166 Left 1/5/88 Drummondville, Quebec Hershey AHL

90 PINIZZOTTO, Steve 6’2” 196 Right 4/26/84 Mississauga, Ontario Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL

45 REID, Darren 6’2” 202 Right 5/8/83 Lac La Biche, Alberta Hershey AHL

28 SEMIN, Alexander 6’2” 205 Right 3/3/84 Krasnojarsk, Russia CAPITALS NHL

39 STECKEL, David 6’5” 222 Left 3/15/82 Westbend, Wisconsin CAPITALS NHL

25 SUGDEN, Brandon 6’4” 233 Right 6/23/78 Toronto, Ontario Hartford AHL

57 WILSON, Kyle 6'0" 200 Right 12/15/84 Oakville, Ontario Hershey AHL

DEFENSEMEN

27 ALZNER, Karl 6’2” 205 Left 9/24/88 Burnaby, British Columbia CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

44 AMADIO, Greg 6’2” 232 Left 5/13/81 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Hershey AHL

62 COLLINS, Sean 6'1" 208 Right 10/20/83 Troy, Michigan CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

47 DENISOV, Vladimir 5’11” 207 Left 6/29/84 Novopolotzk, Belarus Hartford AHL

4 ERSKINE, John 6’4” 216 Left 6/26/80 Kingston, Ontario CAPITALS NHL

52 GREEN, Mike 6’2” 208 Right 10/12/85 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS NHL

43 HELMER, Brian 6’2” 208 Right 6/15/72 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

23 JURCINA, Milan 6’4” 233 Right 6/7/83 Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia CAPITALS NHL

75 McNEILL, Grant 6’2” 220 Left 5/8/83 Vermilion, Alberta Hershey AHL

46 McNEILL, Patrick 6’0” 195 Left 3/17/87 Strathroy, Ontario Hershey AHL

26 MORRISONN, Shaone 6’4” 210 Left 12/23/82 Vancouver, British Columbia CAPITALS NHL

2 POTHIER, Brian 6’0” 200 Left 4/15/77 New Bedford, Mass. CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

3 POTI, Tom 6’3” 210 Left 3/22/77 Worcester, Mass. CAPITALS NHL

55 SCHULTZ, Jeff 6’6” 221 Left 2/25/86 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS NHL

89 SLOAN, Tyler 6’3” 190 Left 3/15/81 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

41 WELLAR, Patrick 6’3” 210 Left 12/4/83 Carrot River, Saskatchewan Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL

24 YEO, Dylan 5’11” 210 Left 6/16/86 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Manitoba/Victoria AHL/ECHL

GOALTENDERS

31 BACASHIHUA, Jason 5’11” 175 Left 9/20/82 Garden City, Michigan Lake Erie AHL

35 FORD, Todd 6’4” 176 Right 5/1/84 Calgary, Alberta Victoria ECHL

60 THEODORE, Jose 5’11” 182 Right 9/13/76 Laval, Quebec CAPITALS NHL.

For anybody who still might be wondering if the rebuild is complete, just take a look at this talented group, their ages and their statistics from last season. The Caps finished the regular season with the 4th best record in the league before loosing in the second round of the playoffs, in a 7 game series, to the eventual Stanley Cup winner. Their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears won their league's championship - the Calder Cup and their ECHL affiliate - the South Carolina Stingrays - won their league's championship - the Kelly Cup. Additionally, if you look at this summer's few pickups by Capital's GM George McPhee, this years team is stronger then last year's and you have talented, young players who have had success at the AHL and ECHL level fighting hard for the few roster spots available "on the big club."

This will be an interesting camp for the Caps, us fans, and the season should be a great one too. All of which leads us to the next topic...

What about Nylander and Clark?

While to some degree both have some similarities, these are two entirely different stories and may very likely end in two entirely different outcomes. So you need to look at them one at a time. We'll go in order of salary cap hit..

Michael Nylander, Center, age 36. Nylander will be the second highest paid Capital this season with a salary of $5.5M and a cap hit of $4.875M. That's a big number, especially when you consider what's been going on with him and his role on the team since they've transitioned from a puck control team playing the trap under Glen Hanlon to an agressive open style forecheck under Bruce Boudreau. Right now, if he has a good camp and plays well Nylander might realistically expect to get a sweater every second or third game here in DC. He has a no trade clause, and that's not his fault, the Caps gave it to him and it's his right to make sure that under any deal that might get cut this season or next neither he or his familiy suffer. That said right now, from a salary cap management perspective, he is a big challenge for the Capitals. On his side of things, the lack of playing time he has been getting is a big problem for him. He's genuinely a nice guy and I hope things work out for him. However, his future here in DC seems basically non-existant unless, there are a few guys who can't play early this season for some reason AND he changes his game and syle of play somewhat, a daunting task at age 36. To be sure, he isn't making the contribution you'd expect from a guy who is tied for the 59th highest paid hockey player in the NHL (ref nhlnumbers.com) No doubt, if the Caps Management can do something to move Nyls that makes sense they will, and if it is something that doesn't hurt him too much, he'll likely take it. That said don't expect the Caps to buy him out this season, the numbers don't make sense - next season might be a different story. However, it's also clear the Caps are looking to make a big move up this year and they won't play Nyls at the expense of wins and the team just to make it possible to move him either.

Chris Clark, Right Wing, age 33. Clark, the team captain has the 8th highest salary cap hit ($2.63M) and 8th highest salary ($2.65M). That salary puts Clark in a tie for 235th in the league this season; that's probably a fair number for a team captain, IF he can regain his form (with a performance closely approximating his 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons) AND stay healthy. Unlike Nylander, a healthy Chris Clark can and does fit into the Capitals "look" and style of play under Bruce Boudreau. It's not hard to see a healthy, gritty Chris Clark playing right wing on a regular third line shift and netting 15+ goals, playing solid two way hockey and being the team leader the Verizon faithful know him to be. If that happens then there's probably not an issue for him and the Caps will be a better team for it. If on the other hand he has another injurey shortened/marred season like the last two, well it's hard to earn your money confined to the press box because of injury even when you're not the team's Captain.

All the above said here's the reality of things - this season the Washington Capitals have $7.5M of salary cap space tied up in Clark and Nylander. Next season, if nothing changes over the next 12 months, they will also have that same $7.5M of salary cap space tied up in them for the 2011-2012 season. It's unlikely that regardless of how either of them play this season, GMGM will want to go into the summer looking to have to resign RFAs Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Boyd Gordon and Eric Fehr, as well as UFA David Steckel with ~13.2% of the teams salary caps space tied up in both Nylander and Clark. So something is likely to be done with at least one, if not both these guys. Regardless of how much, the fans and management like Chris Clark, unless he turns it around thsi season and then even if he does, it's 50/50....

Look at the rest of the other 7 of the top 8 teams in the league and their 5 top paid forwards:

1) San Jose: Thorton, Marleau, Michalek, Clowe and Cheechoo;

2) Boston: Sevard, Bergeron, Ryder, Kreji, and Strum;

3) Detroit: Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Filppula, and Hudler;

5) New Jersey: Elias, Rolston, Zajac, Zubrus, Parise;

6) Chicago: Hossa, Sharp, "Babyface Nelson" Kane, Boland and Versteeg;

7) Vancouver: Daniel and Henrick Sedin, Demitra, Samuelsson, and Brenier;

8) Pittsburgh: Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Kunitz, and Guerin.

In all those cases nobody else has two guys who are not clearly part of their top six forward/top two lines that are two of their top five paid forwards. That would say that something probably has to give on the Caps roster with Clark and Nylander - it's probably Nylander if Clark has a ~20 goal season; it's probably both if he does not. Even teams that have similar salary distributions between Forwards, Defensement and Goaltenders as the Capitals (Pittsburgh, San Jose, Vancouver (sortof since they have six defensement making between $2 and $4M), and Boston; all have at least 4 of their top five paid forwards on their top two lines.

So what's the point of this ramble - the battle for every spot on lines 3 and 4 and the final 2 defensemen will be a battle amongst a large group of talented young players in the Caps system - ALL SEASON LONG. Among other things. that means both Clark and Nylander who haven't really been earning their full salaries relative to the rest of the team will need to turn things around to even get ice time. Me - I'm not betting against Chris Clark and I wouldn't risk too much coin betting on Michael Nylander at this point.

Should be a great 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.

Are The Caps Shopping For A Goaltender? Does A Deal Make Sense?

Last week there was some chatter started that indicated the Capitals might be looking at making a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks to trade Michael Nylander and some considerations for Nikolai Khabibuhlen. One might ask, would such a deal make sense? For myself, analyzing the situation I come up with a very definite ... well, maybe. The first thing one has to do to assess the viability of the deal is ask, would such a deal have the possibility of making both teams better. On this aspect the answer is a definite probability.

The Blackhawks style of play is probably even better suited for Nylander than the style of the Bruce Boudreau Capitals and the average age of the top 4 centers in Chicago is 23 years old. Further the 44 games of NHL playoff experience that the 36 year old Nylander has could be to the Blackhawks what Sergei Federov was to the Capitals these past two seasons. The only players on the Chicago roster with significant playoff experience are 27 year old Martin Havlat and 35 year old Kahbibuhlen. So Nylander would probably help the Chicago front line attack with his mature steady hand. However, the whole Christobel Huet/Nikolai Kahbibuhlen "deal" continues to befuddle. So far this season as #1 and #1A goaltenders the Chicago goaltenders statistics look like this:

Khabibuhlen: 10-1-4 with 1 shutout; a GAA of 2.44 and a save % of 0.922;
Huet: 8-5-3 with 1 shutout; a GAA of 2.38 and a save % of 0.916.

Over their careers Kahbibuhlen has a save % of 0.908 (652 games) in the regular season and 0.922 in the playoffs (57 games), while Huet has a save % of 0.918 (199 games) in the regular season and 0.918 in the playoffs (13 games). So why trade down from Khabibuhlen who has a Stanley Cup ring now when they are only trailing the Red Wings by five points and they have a game in hand on Detroit? On the season the Blackhawks have played 31 games so far and have 114 goals for and 82 goals against. They also have two experienced defenseman in Brian Campbell and Brent Sopel - in short other than one or two more experienced forwards they have what they need for a playoff run and they do indeed have an extra number 1 goaltender. However, the goaltender with the most playoff experience is Khabibuhlen and while he does indeed become a free agent at the end of the season, does it make sense for the Blackhawks to count on Huet who has only 13 games of playoff experience to drive them deep into the playoffs this season and next? Of course, based on signing Huet to a four year contract, the Blackhawks have probably already made that decision. Assuming the Blackhawks trade either Huet or Khabibuhlen, they will be counting on either 25 year old prospect Corey Crawford or 25 year old prospect Antti Neimi to step into the void and provide a solid backup to their number 1.

Would having Khabibuhlen as a Cap make sense and make the Capitals better? Could the Caps make such a deal work? The Caps have Jose Theodore and Brent Johnson. So far this season both have done adequately, Johnson probably more so. However, both are now battling back from hip injuries and neither have had the success of Kahbibuhlen either this season or consistently over the length of their careers. So far this season their numbers look as follows:

Theodore: 8-6-1 with 1 shutout; a GAA of 3.26 and a SV % of 0.883;
Johnson: 10-5-2 with no shutouts; a GAA of 2.55 and a SV % of 0.916.

Over their careers Theodore has a save % of 0.908 (462 games) in the regular season and 0.914 (47 games) in the playoffs; while Johnson has a save % of 0.903 (243 games) in the regular season and 0.931 (12 games) in the playoffs. While Theodore has a Vezina and Hart Trophy to his credit, he doesn't have any Stanley Cup Rings and the deepest he has been in the playoffs is 12 games. Johnson becomes a free agent at the end of this season, Johnnie's salary cap hit this season is $812K. Theodore is signed through the end of next season with an average salary cap hit of 4.5M. Kahbibuhlen is a free agent at the end of this season, his full season salary cap hit to the Blackhawks this season is $6.75M. Michael Nylander is signed to a contract with the Capitals through the 2010-2011 season that has a salary cap hit of $4.875M and a no movement clause. Another factor, though doubtful will be that Kahbibuhlen might be willing to take something more on the order of what the Caps could afford next season for their number 1 goaltender - say $4.5 to $5M and accept a two or three year deal, to play on a team with Russian countryman like the Alexes: Ovechkin & Semin, even if Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Federov do not resign, and to be the mentor to Caps 20 year old prospect Simeon Varlamov. That assumes that somehow the Caps resolve the issues such a deal would create with Theodore as well. That Khabibuhlen would be a fair to great mentor for Varlamov shouldn't be in doubt; just the fact someone with Khabibuhlen's NHL experience could coach the protege' without having to battle a language barrier has to be a plus. The bigger issues are who back fills Nylander until everyone is healthy and what do the Capitals do with Jose Theodore if they decide that neither he nor Brent Johnson are likely to be the goalie to take them deep into the playoffs this spring. Also what has to happen to make the salary cap numbers even begin to work this season? The Capitals basically have no Cap room right now and Khabibuhlen's cap hit is a prorated $1.9M larger than Nylander's. Clearly there has to be another player or two involved to make the numbers work and with the Capital's injuries to date, it's very hard to figure out who that might be.

So to me everything about this discussion looks like a definite maybe.

Capital Leaders Review

[ed note: No post on the Caps - Islander's game as I didn't get to see it since I had a prior social commitment - it's that time of year....by all accounts it was an ugly win, but I'm glad they don't have to give back the two points ....]

The season is 32 games old for the Washington Capitals - 50 games to go before the playoffs begin - the Capitals have picked up the pace again here in December so far going 6-2-0 since the beginning of the month (0.750 hockey). Washington is now 8 points ahead of second place Carolina in the Southeast Division standings; third in the Eastern Conference both by virtue of being the SE Division Leaders and on straight points; and fifth overall in the league 3 points behind the NY Rangers but with two games in hand over them. The Washington Capitals have arrived, last night they proved that not only can they be dominant over most on their good nights but they can still eke out an ugly win over at least some NHL teams when they are having a bad night. The change has been gradual but in the end the Caps have built themselves into this sort of team by having a core of players - not just one superstar, though there can be no doubt that the Caps have at least one superstar and who that player is.

A look at the overall league leaders and the stars of the month in October and November easily confirms that the Capitals - like the leagues other solid stable teams - are not "one trick ponies." As of this morning a look at the statistics for the leagues leading skaters - the top 50 statistical leaders for each of the major categories shows the following.

Goals:
#3: Alexander Ovechkin - 19 (30 games played);
#14: Alexander Semin - 14 (20 games played).

Assists:
#6: Alexander Ovechkin - 23;
#9: Nicklas Backstrom - 23 (32 games played);
#34: Alexander Semin - 17.

Points:
#3: Alex Ovechkin - 42;
#14: Nicklas Backstrom - 33;
#18: Alexander Semin - 31.

+/-:
#1: Alexander Semin - +20;
#17: Mike Green - +13 (21 games played);
#29: Alexander Ovechkin - +12.

Points per game:
#3: Alexander Semin - 1.55;
#5: Alexander Ovechkin - 1.40;
#28: Nicklas Backstrom - 1.03;
#42: Mike Green - 0.95.

Defenseman Points:
#10 Mike Green - 20.

Defenseman Goals:
#4: Mike Green - 8;
#47: Tom Poti - 3 (21 games payed);
#51: Milan Jurcina - 3 (32 games played).

Defenseman Points Per Game:
#3: Mike Green - 0.95;
#29: Sami Lepisto - 0.57.

Face Off Leaders (Face Off Won %):
#5: Boyd Gordon - 58.2% (29 games played - 335 faceoffs);
#12: David Steckel - 55.6% (29 games played - 333 faceoffs);
#58: Nicklas Backstrom - 48.9% (32 games played - 444 faceoffs);
#59: Michael Nylander - 48.6% (31 games played - 288 faceoffs).

Shooting % Leaders:
#7: Alexander Semin - 23.0% (averages 3.0 shots/game);
#39: Tomas Fleischmann - 16.7% (averages 2.1 shots/game; 29 games played).

Shots/Game Average:
#1: Alexander Ovechkin - 5.9;
#25: Mike Green - 3.3;
#47: Aleaxnder Semin - 3.0.

Hits:
#3: Alexander Ovechkin - 107;
#59: Milan Jurcina - 57.

Isn't nice to talk about real, meaningful statistics and facts instead of the obscure ones that used to get flashed up on the jumbo-tron during the "rebuild"? Remember things like: "Over the last 20 games Jeff Halpern leads the league in goals scored after his former high school in Potomac, MD's basketball team wins a game"?

Next up - the Saint Louis Blues on Thursday Evening at Verizon Center. Please keep "Rockin' the Red" - I know I will be.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!!

Wow! What a Game; Caps 5, Canucks 1

Wow - what a great two (2) point night tonight was. It was simply a totally dominating performance by the Capitals tonight. The Caps out shot, and basically totally out played the Canucks tonight. Overall the Caps out shot Vancouver 35 - 10 tonight, however, throughout the first two periods the Caps out shot them 25-3 and out scored them 5-1 during the first two periods. Once again nobody had a bad game, and it really was nobody. Brent Johnson had a save percentage of 0.900 on the ten shots he faced; more importantly he came up big on the two or three times he needed to.

The Caps forwards crashed the net all night long; and seemed to especially relish doing so during the first two periods while Roberto Luongo was in the net. It will be interesting to see who Brooks Laich passes the "Hard Hat" too. My vote goes to Alexander Semin, not for his 2 goals, but for his great hustle and unselfish play. The coming of age of "the other Alex" could be personified tonight when at 9:30 into the third period, with two goals under his belt, and the Caps well ahead (in fact four goals ahead), Semin instead of trying to bull his way through three defenders and going for the "hat trick", the 24 year old Russian born left wing dished the puck off to Milan Jurcina who was at the point and in position to unleash a great shot at the Canucks net. If not Semin then there are several other candidates including Federov for his solid defensive play 1 assist +3, 25 shifts, 20:25 TOI. David Steckel who did "yeoman's work" at both end of the ice with relentless forechecking and backchecking. There were at least three instances where it was Steckel's backchecking that kept the slot in front of Johnson clear. Steckel was also 8-4 for a face off won percentage of 67% tonight. Finally, another great candidate for the hard hat award has to be Michael Nylander. Nylander may have played his best game since returning to the Caps at the start of last season. Nyls was +2 with a penalty shot goal and 2 assists for 3 points, had a respectable night in the faceoff circle, had 3 takeaways and more importantly was a force to be reckoned with during the 14:32 and 17 shifts he played. During his time out on the ice Nyls seemed to be in the thick of things all the time, he also refused to be pushed off the puck and had no giveaways. More coming in the morning but for now, it's just time to enjoy the auora of a second two point night in a row. This kind of fun could be habit forming.

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!

Winding Down In Bristow After A Busy Week -

Still Waiting for News on Caps Signings Though

It's been a good but busy week for those of us at ICx Technologies these past 5 days. The team I'm part of and the teams we work with have spent the past week "moving the ball forward" on four large new business projects we've been working on. Yesterday, we submitted our team's proposal for an operations & maintenance contract of advanced CBRNE sensors at the Pentagon. It's a competitive proposal and several other companies are also bidding on it,so now it's wait and see on that one. It's always a hectic time right before you submit a proposal and Friday was certainly no different. On Wednesday Afternoon and Thursday, I was in New Jersey at one of our operating units where a large proposal which we are a key subcontractor was audited by the Government accounting folks as part of the normal proposal review and selection process they go through. On Monday and Tuesday I worked on getting ready for those two items and on two other new business capture/start up efforts we have in process one smaller effort working with the Department of Defense to do a "Joint Concept Technology Demonstration" for the next generation of integrated force protection technologies and the second was preparing answers to questions on a very large proposal we have in process for an integrated, modular CBRN sensor "kit" for military reconnaissance units. It's all good, all the time and I enjoy being busy, time flies and it's very easy to stay totally, mentally engaged. Of course, we didn't start all these things at the same time and had believed they would finish in sequential or at least somewhat staggered fashion so we could more easily "focus & finish". However, that doesn't necessarily appear to be the case so a burst of frenetic activity in the early summer is called for - something in common between our management team at ICx Technologies and the management team over at Kettler Center and the Capitals.


While we at ICx have been busy and have driven a few things to conclusion this past week, unfortunately the Caps management didn't manage to sign any of their Restricted or Unrestricted Free Agents this past week. While the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals and it Hockey World Championships were exciting; and the 2007-2008 NHL Awards were fun to watch, so far the roster maintenance and enhancement efforts by the Caps have been, thankfully, moving at a deliberate uneventful pace with no surprises. I had hoped a few things would break this past week but since there's been no bad news about any key players they need to re-sign, I've taken a "no news is good news attitude.". I have found the current speculation as to whether the Pittsburgh Penguins will be able to hold together their tremendous, youthful team core is interesting as well. Surprised about the speculation are you? Perhaps its that after this season, the Penguins have 15 players who will be Unrestricted Free Agents and 10 who will be restricted free agents in their system per NHLSCAP.com and now, not next year might be their time since they already had a 2007 - 2008 payroll of ~$44.5M. The other thing that's exciting and interesting to me as a Caps fan is the speculation on what Tampa Bay's new ownership will do to improve the team, other than resign Vincent Lecavalier, to bolster the lineup around he and Martin St.Louis. The rumors are running wild.


While the machinations of the Pens roster and the rumours in Tampa are of interest,even greater interest to Washington Capitals' fans was a story posted on the Washington Capitals website earlier this month where there was a discussion of the 3 unrestricted free agents the Caps picked up at the trade deadline. It seems like all three might not mind wearing Caps red, white and blue again next year. That also seems very unlikely, particularly Matt Cooke due to the salary cap challenges the Caps will also likely find themselves dealing with. The salary cap and salary budget issues, along with Washington's return to the playoffs this past season are two more real signs that, "the rebuild is over." Of course, Alex Ovechkin and Bruce Boudreau's hardware from this past season are a few other visible, undeniable signs of the same thing.

Looking at the actions the Caps have taken relative to issuance of qualifying offers to their five (5) Restricted Free Agents, it sure appears they intend for all of them to start next home season "Rocking the Red." Of course, as Washington Times writer Corey Masisik points out, if another team offers one of them a stupid offer then the Caps will need to rethink things. It also seems like Caps star Alexander Ovechkin would really like to see the dean of Russian NHL'ers, Sergei Federov, come back and finish his NHL career in DC. What this all means no one knows. The salary cap next year will be $56.6M, the Caps currently appear to be using just under $39M of that. They have 8 RFAs and 8 UFAs (including Olaf Kolzig) to either resign or replace on the roster. There has been a lot of banter in the main stream media as well as on blogs and bulletin boards about what should and shouldn't be done by the Caps with minimal consensus on anything other than they need to manage the current situation smartly and if they do they will be a force to be reckoned with the next couple of seasons.

Like any other rabid fan, I want the Caps to somehow figure out how to do it all - resign Huet (I prefer Huet over Theodore and think the Caps have a far better chance of signing the native of St-martin-d'hères, FR then Jose), resign Cooke and Federov, even though I know Cooke is almost certainly a luxury we can't afford, lock Green up to a nice contract for five years, ditto for Brooks Laich (I don't think Laich's performance last year was an exception and believe it will be the rule going forward) .... and my wish list just goes on and on. The reality is that my wish list and Mr. Leonis as well as "GMGM's" wish list are all probably a lot alike and all equally implausible. The most sentimental and also I think one of the more questionable ones is the return of Sergei Federov. Last year, Federov made over $6, 500,000; it's very unlikely the Caps will be able to offer him more than two years at anything over $2,500,000 - my guess is Federov finishes his career over in Russia for a lot more money. If he decides, he'd rather finish his career in the NHL though I'd put his chances at being a Cap and "Rockin' the Red" at 65% for/35% against, and thank the presence of both Ovechkin and Semin on the roster for that. Personally it's something I'd love to see but the presence of Nylander and the terms of Nylander's contract make the Capitals being able to offer Federov a salary that is overly appealing to a guy who made over $6M last year exceedingly difficult. Michael Nylander will make $5.5M and his current contract has a No Movement Clause (NMC) through 2011; even though I think Federov's style fits Boudreau's system better, under these conditions Nyls has to be either the first or second line center whenever he is healthy.

In any case, both for us at ICx Technologies and for the Washington Capitals, these are the kind of problems and issues you like to have to grapple with - it's all good and what's not to like? Still can't wait for next season - LETS GO CAPS!!!!!

The end of another crazy, good week

Well the hectic pace of my week continued through last evening so by the time I got home and sat down the first period of the Caps - Canes game was already underway. I did get to the Caps game on Wed. evening - a colleague of mine from ICx Technologies, Rob went to the game with me. Rob is with ICx's Solutions Division in Sales & Marketing, and also a big hockey fan. Rob grew up in the SF Bay Area and his dad was a STH of the California Golden Seals. Rob is also a very sports minded guy having played Division 1 College football at BYU and then professionally as part of the Kansas City Chiefs organization. It's back to always being fun to watch the Caps since they have returned to the hard working team we have come to know. I myself wouldn't be a STH if I wasn't a huge fan but I find games even more fun to go to when you are with other fans or if you are introducing someone new to hockey. In Rob's case he isn't a new fan and is knowledgeable, but since he now lives in San Diego it'd been a while since he'd seen an NHL game or even a minor league game now that the Gulls have halted operations. This was the first time ever he saw either the sudden death OT or the shootout. So there was novelty in that, additionally we both agreed: 1) the game was well played; 2) the ice surface was horrible - you could see it visibly -in EVERYBODY's skating at one point or another and even how the puck moved throughout the entire game; and 3)there was one part of the third period (from about 7 min - 12 into the session) where the Caps seemed to break down a little and need to regroup. More on that coming.

First and foremost before I whine about a) the officiating and b) the five minute stretch of the third period where there was confusion I want to talk about my overall feelings about everything else Wednesday evening. Primarily, Wednesday night's game, even though a shootout loss, is in general and in specific reasons why I think everyone should pitch in and get Caps season tickets if you live in the DC area. The game was exciting to watch, well played by both teams (even though, perhaps because) they are in the SE division of the NHL and a great sports entertainment value. As I've started to say over and over, Alex Ovechkin, is a special player to watch, even if the rest of the Caps had bad nights (which they did not, in fact it was pretty much the opposite - I thought everyone had pretty good nights from my vantage point in section 103), Ovie's athleticism is something special to watch and his creative play and power bring it all home. Olie the Goalie and - unfortunately for us Caps Fans looking for two points - Tomas Vokoun's performances were also singularly worth the price of admission, last Wednesday. Were mistakes made and noticeable yes sure (when your team's star D-man fans two times a shot and critical pass it's hard not to notice and have that tinge of frustration but I'm sure the ice surface also contributed to things like that - sorry Tom Poti). Were there some general bad breaks for the Caps - like having two of last year's best scoring forwards out of action for an 11 shot shootout - sure; but the things I take heart in even though I saw that 5 minutes of less than the rest of the 55 minutes; it was clear this team wasn't giving up or going away. Call it struggling with a new system; call it struggling with a little fatigue because of a hectic recent schedule combined with skating in molasses instead of on ice; call it whatever you want they didn't give up, they just let the Panthers in their own end a little too much and didn't get quality shots for five minutes. Also, since the Panthers are an NHL team too, and have driven guys like Zednik and quality guys with fire in their belly guys like Jokinen, maybe it wasn't the Caps lesser play for those five minutes, maybe it was the Panther's greater play. If you watched the game, you know the Panthers earned the win, the Caps didn't give it to them. Hopefully, the Caps will use Wednsday nights OT loss as fuel to capture two points from the Panthers tonight at BankAtlantic Center, I believe they will. Yes my optimism persists.

Pet peeves, whines and kvetches will now begin.

I strongly believe the first star should have been Vokoun instead of Weiss. This is probably a petty pet peeve but it seems the shootout winner gets credited with a GWG and the first star of the game but the real game winner (if there is one since the "loser" still gets a point - and IMHO should do so) is the Goalie. In any OT or shootout loss the Goalie had to play well enough to keep his team in a tie (arguably at least as well as the other guy on the ice you'll compare him with - the opposing goalie) always a pressure situation in any sport with goalies, and then make one more save then the opposing team's goalie in a head to head competition with the opposing team's shooters. How does that mean Tomas Vokoun is the third star for the Panthers on Wednesday evening, Weiss only had 14:25 of playing time, was +/- 0 in regulation that ended in a 1-1 tie, and was not on the ice for the Zednick goal in regulation is the first star. I respectfully disagree - I know I'm partial to goalies everywhere - they're generally cool, eccentric, intense people - like my son, and I'm partial to cool, eccentric intense people.

I know I'm a Caps fan and biased. There's probably a Canes fan who was at last night's game at RBC and a Panthers fan who watched Wednesday game with the diametrically opposed feeling to what I will say next. I also know officiating professional sports can't be easy. (Disclaimers that I'm a rational, usually level headed guy out of the way). However, why is it in 3 out of 4 games I watch live (attend), I always feel the Caps get the worst of the missed or wrong calls. I don't consider that when watching games on TV since you have no chance of seeing the behind or ahead of the play moves and efforts by the folks outside the field of view of the camera so I can't comment on the whole of the possibilities for last night's game. Wednesday evening of course was no exception and others have discussed it in more length (in addition to their feelings about the officiating last night at RBC) but the missed/not made call at the back side of the OT was particularly disappointing - our Caps could have used that point and the unit on the ice was working very hard for it. Another man advantage would have been helpful.

I know that others are looking at things and making points that strongly support an opposing view to what I will say here next. I continue to believe the following the team is better served by NOT having Ovie and Nylander on the same line at even strength. My onion may change after Coach Boudreau's system is fully in place but so far here's what I see and why I say the prior statement. 1) Ovie and Nylander have different styles of play. Ovie doesn't need Nylander to carry the puck into the zone and make time for Ovie to get free, at least from what I see. So far it doesn't seem that opposing teams are having to play in a way that let's either of the two get open or better shooting lanes more often from my vantage point in Sec 103. Of course that's not a vantage point that in any way really qualifies me to make these judgements. 2) The Ovie-Kozlov combo has been working well and it let's the Caps first and second lines be on par with many team's first lines, as well as let's them play a different, and again from my vantage point (the love seat in our rec room for away games and a lower bowl corner seat at the VC) faster, tempo game thorough the periods two and three. 3) I continue to believe it's better to let Backstrom mature more before moving him to line one or two and he is the one bringing the secret sauce to lines 3 and 4 that has caused them to elevate their level of play lately as well (why is this pertinent - cause it's all interrelated in some way isn't it?) Oh and awesome move in the shootout on Wednesday Nicklas - thanks!

Verizon Center's ice surface quality hit a new low on Wed. evening and something needs to be done. No bones about IMHO it truly affected how the teams played the game, in a very adverse way. Having grown up in Philadelphia watching Wednesday evening's game reminded me of how much the poor playing surface at the Vet affected the Eagles - from how they and opponents played to being able to get quality free agents to sign. Even if the poor ice surface doesn't have quite as much impact re: injuries and potential for injuries as the Vet's poor surface did in the NFL, if this continues there will be no doubt in any players mind it slows the game down considerably. If you like slow, soft ice I guess you'd be more inclined to come play for the Caps but my guess is that most pros don't like it and prefer hard ice where they can adjust things to fit their style of play more effectively by the way they have their skates sharpened and the way they handle the puck. Even a lesser NHL'er has pretty quick hands. We need something to be done about this quickly. Hopefully, the landlord can be worked with to work this out and improve the surface and the ability for the folks at VC to make a better surface faster soon.

I've rambled a lot, so I'll wrap up quickly since most of the rest of the news from here in Bristow is either impressions of last night's game from my rec room love seat vantage point or of lesser interest, generally. Other goings on are.

The week was crazy but productive for me at ICx, a group of us met and clarified our team's product development plans and initiatives for 2008. Always a number of things it seems 1) intense and not allowing time to do much else since it somehow becomes an pretty all consuming effort when it pertains to intellectual capacity; 2) an exercise that really builds the team (if done even half right) and 3) one where everyone gets even more then they thought in the way of give and take communications when you have a group that truly respects each other's ability to contribute to the team (which I'm very happy to say we do).

Last night's game - what can I say the other reports and bloggers haven't already posted. The Canes won, we lost; it was another well played by both teams and another fair step back up to respectability for the Caps. Japer is: up on Poti (so am I); down on Pothier (I disagree); down on Nylander (for me the jury is still out some games he earns his 5.5 mil some games not so much so leaning the way Japer is now); still down on Jeff Shultz (me too but not as much, he's just a big kid after all but I miss Ben Clymer - anybody know what Coach Boudreau thinks about him?); way up on Mike Green (me up on him but not as much still gets a few questionable PIMs but he is quickly growing in to a top 2/3 D-Man); and really happy that the average SOG is up under Boudreau - ME TOO - kind of hard for the other guys to score on you when their goalie is blocking shots. CapsChick is: a little perplexed (me too always); amazed and happy about the consistently high level of Ovie's play these days (me too CC - it's gonna cost you chief - just sign him to the league CBA max deal now Ted/GMGM; no doubt someone else will offer it to him now); thought the Fleischmann-Backstrom-Semin line clicked (no opinion here on that one since I often get distracted when I'm in the rec room and my mind was still thinking about some of the discussions we had re: using WCF in a particular manner for internal messaging in our in-development products); Laing's debut was successful because of his PK efforts (again thinking more about messaging constructs to have a strong opinion); and finally Seidenberg is public enemy number 1 (ME TOO BIG TIME - and he didn't even get a penalty? Can you say slashing, how about intent to injure (please watch the replays Colin Campbell) - it was a "two hander" - I can but apparently the refs last night - not so much. dmg's thoughts are: all the breaks went the Canes way (everyone I really saw did but I maintain you make your own luck and the Canes did that too); the refs and officiating were poor and he was really nappy with the way they called the Green Hooking penalty - NOT (me too); makes a good point about overstating things by the Caps Broadcast team and misspelled intimidating (I think) (no comment other than Laughlin does say some pretty interesting bloviations from time to time but he was a great Cap so cut him some slack - the other half of the broadcast team (Joe B.) - please not so much); LaRose and Kolzig are both class acts (me too); Ovie should be a little more careful and tone done the celebrating lest he hurt himself (after last night's game ME TOO - we need you every game and fully healthy great 8, especially when other guys are going to two hand your Russian buddy's ankle and not even get a two minute penalty.)

If you got this far you must really appreciate my mediocre writing - thanks I'll try my best to do more frequent, therefore shorter posts the rest of this new month. Oh and LETS GO CAPS!!!!!!!!!