It looks like it'll be a tough year to break into the Caps roster even with Fleischmann and Fehr likely to both still be out when the season opens.
Well the Washington Capitals are 2-0 in the preseason, normally that's not something you care about and if anything being the worrier, I might point out that to date it sure doesn't look like either of the top 2 forward lines have played a shift together against an opponent. Also, probably not been often that a normal defensive pairing has taken a shift together either. However last night from what I can tell looking at the statistics against the Chicago Blackhawks, it sure seems that the Hawks skated a pretty solid lineup against the Capitals. The Capitals on the other hand on seemed to skate one of their top six forwards, though to be fair, the blue line corps in front of Michal Neuvirth was composed of 5 of the likely top six defensemen on the current depth chart. Despite that fact, and the fact the Capitals started the game "sluggish" they managed to come back, win in overtime, and out shoot the Blackhawks 30 to 26. All in all a pretty good night, especially when you realize that despite what they've been doing with the lineup, through the first two pre-season games, the Capitals penalty kill unit is 10 for 10. This from a team that had the 17th "best" penalty kill unit in the NHL last season.
So what's it all mean? Well today there were a few more guys sent out of the Caps Camp and one would suspect to Hershey's camp which will open soon. That should make some room so over the next game or two the coaching staff should be able to give enough ice time to the guys on the bubble to thin the herd further and still have the final two preseason games left to let the "normal" first and second lines get enough shifts to hone their timing back to shape by opening night. However, it also means it's unlikely that many of the top six forwards will skate tonight when the Caps take on the Sabres at Verizon Center. I also wouldn't count on seeing more than four of the likely top six defensemen play tonight either. We should get to see starting goaltender Jose Theodore for at least half the game though who knows, perhaps the coaching staff will want to alternate between Varly and Neuvy for another two games before Theo takes the draws to get ready for the season opener.
One thing is for sure, the "bubble guys" aren't making it easy for the coaching staff to decide who to put where on the depth chart. Several veterans are also looking good and ready for the start of this season as well. In that regard both Pothier and Clark are looking solid. Though last night wasn't his best outing as a Cap, the first pre-season game by Pothier was solid. Clark has shown he is working hard to get his timing back, and Brooks Laich's two "post hits" last night show he is honing his "nose for the net" as the the regular season approaches. The bubble guys making an impact so far when they get on the ice seem to be: Tyler Sloan (5 blocked shots); Jay Beagle; Alexandre Giroux; Mathieu Perrault; and Kyle Wilson. I expect both Beagle and Chris Bourque to get a fair amount of ice time tonight to show what they can do. I also expect Sloan. Jurcina, Alzner and McNiel to get a fair shot of ice time on the blue line tonight as well. Up front, I wouldn't be surprised to see at least three of the top six forwards take the ice tonight, but I don't expect them to log too much more than 17:00 TOI tonight, yielding ice time in favor of letting the guys battling for the last three or four forward slots on the roster skate more.
Welcome to the preseason, post - rebuild.... Now lets all get out there and
ROCK THE RED
so the team knows how glad we all are that the hockey season is near at hand.
LETS GO CAPS!!!!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
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:
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.
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.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sept 12 2009 - A Good Day Goes Into The Books ....
So yesterday was a pretty good day here in scenic Northern VA, despite the mediocre weather. I spent two hours at KCI watching the Washington Capitals Veterans report to training camp; got a haircut without having to wait since all the usual folks got theirs last week before the return to school; watched the USMMA beat our rivals USCGA in D-III football 33-27 in double OT; and then had a call from our son whose ship arrived in China last night. So all in all I ended the day knowing: a) the start of Hockey Season is just around the corner; b) my Alma Mater is on track to a good football season and to winning the Secretary's Cup overall from the USCGA this year; c) I once again can look okay for a couple of more weeks and d) most importantly our son is safe and well and seems to be enjoying what he's doing. So that means I can once again self-centeredly retreat inward to my musings about hockey without feeling guilty - right? 
Like others I took some pics at KCI yesterday which I'll post here. Before that let me say I love the slogan the shirts the guys had on their backs yesterday: "Get Ready" ... "Its Our Time." Everybody I saw looked like they were showing up ready. The Defensemen all look in great shape - like they know everyone is watching them and they will be competing with each other for playing time. Jeff Schultz seems to have bulked up in the upper body area, Mike Green looked in great shape, and Shaone Morrisson and Milan Jurcina both looked liked they were muscled up, but lean and mean as did John Erskine. Those were the guys along with David Steckel and Matt Bradley I got good looks at off the ice. Steckel and Bradley also looked very ready to play as well. As others noted Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Smin laced up their skates and played around a bit on the ice - and all I can say is WOW! Even when these two guys are clearly just fooling around you get glimpses of their awesome talent. Semin can put a puck from one side of the Kettler Ice surface all the way out of the other end, above the glass - using pretty much just the strength and muscles one uses to make a wrist shot. No wonder, the guys wrist shot is like a laser. When OV just skates normally you can see the power in his stride in a manner that is totally unmistakable. It was just great seeing the guys on the ice and knowing that in less than a month we'll be watching hockey again at Verizon Center. Here's my pics:
The banner at the Ballston Commons Entrance...
Alexander Ovechkin taking to the press...
Alexander Semin on the practice ice....
Ovie taking a slapshot from one end of the ice to the othe where a waiting Alexander Semin will snap it back ....
The two Alexes just passing the puck back and forth, even just fooling around you can see the form, skill and talent these two guys have ... it was another good day to be Alex Ovechkin....
Can't wait for the season to start...
"Get Ready - It's Our Time"
LETS GO CAPS!!!!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Isn't It A Great Time To Be..
Isn't it a great time to be a Caps Fan?
If you don't agree look at what some Ottawa Senators fan with a great imagination and too much time on their hands did - it is quite good and really funny if you don't get offended by foul language....being a "sailor" that's not a problem for me... as we say on the interwebs - ROTFLMAO...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnE_cBLPYJI
Dany Heatley -- Hitler reacts to news that he has turned down a trade.
Source: www.youtube.com
If you don't agree look at what some Ottawa Senators fan with a great imagination and too much time on their hands did - it is quite good and really funny if you don't get offended by foul language....being a "sailor" that's not a problem for me... as we say on the interwebs - ROTFLMAO...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnE_cBLPYJI
Dany Heatley -- Hitler reacts to news that he has turned down a trade.
Source: www.youtube.com
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