Musings of a Caps Fan

Caps Players You Need To Know & 2010-2011 Season Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Editor in Chief) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:47:00 +0000

Well, hockey fans, the NHL season is finally here. Tonight marks the start of the NHL 2010 preseason, while the Capitals play their first preseason game tomorrow night in Columbus. Their regular season starts October 8th in Atlanta. Since all of that is so close, and training camp is coming to an end, here's a quick guide to those players who I think will be either on the opening night roster or see major time with the team this season....

Who You Need To Know
A list of players who you need to know and recognize, with some quick info as well.

Karl Alzner, Defenseman, #27
2010-2011 will look to be a big year for 2007 1st round draft pick (5th overall), as he looks to finally crack the Caps roster full time. With the departure of Joe Corvo, Shaone Morrissonn, and Milan Jurcina, that looks like it will definitely be the case. While Alzner has only played 51 games at the NHL level (30 in 08/09 and 21 last season), he has played top minutes in the AHL for the Hershey Bears, often paired with John Carlson. When the pairing played for the Caps in their Game 7 loss versus Montreal last spring, Boudreau and GMGM praised the duo's performance and said they're ready for the NHL.

Nicklas Backstrom, Center, #19
The super Swede needs no introduction, and after signing a 10-year contract with the Caps following his 101 point (33g, 68a, 4th most points in the NHL) breakout season, Backstrom looks to continue his development into an elite NHL centre. Quite possibly the most irreplaceable player on the team, Backstrom will continue to play with Oveckin on one of the top forward lines in the NHL.

Matt Bradley, Right Wing, #10
Entering his 6th year with the Caps (and last on his current contract), Bradley will be playing a grinder role on the 4th line once again. Looking to fight less with the acquisition of DJ King this offseason, I hope that Bradley instead continues his clutch goal scoring. 10 goals last season (a career high).... 5 game winners. Impressive.

John Carlson, Defenseman, #74
The Real American Hero, John Carlson looks to play his first full NHL season this year. A year and a half ago, Carlson was playing with the London Knights in the OHL; since then, he's played with Karl Alzner on the Hershey Bears' top defensive pairing, scored the Gold-medal winning goal in OT for the US World Junior team against Canada at the 2010 WJC (hence the "Real American Hero" nickname), scored the game-tying goal for the Caps in Game 2 of the playoffs, and scored the Calder Cup winning goal for the Hershey Bears. As Bruce Boudreau put it, "Glory follows him."

Jason Chimera, Left Wing, #25
A speedy left winger acquired by the Caps last December, Chimera will be starting his first full season with the Caps. Chimera has been playing on a line with Mathieu Perreault and Eric Fehr during training camp, and the group has been excellent. Look for this to possibly be the Caps 3rd line on opening night, depending on how the preseason goes.

John Erskine, Defenseman, #4
John Erskine is a big, physical defenseman who will likely compete with Tyler Sloan for the 6th defenseman spot on the roster. Entering his 5th season with the Caps, Erskine has played about 50 games each of the last 3 seasons. Look for that to remain the same, barring any injuries.

Eric Fehr, Right Wing, #16
A 1st round choice in 2003, drafted in front of no other that Ryan Getzlaf (yes, Canadian Olympian and top Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf), Eric Fehr has had a multitude of injuries that have kept him from having a full, healthy NHL season (he played a career high 69 games in 09/10). However, with an injury-free offseason this summer, Fehr will look to continue on his breakout season last year, which saw him score 21 goals. More interestingly, however, is how much he scored with what little playing time he got... according to my lovely Caps 2010-2011 Media Guide, only 3 NHLers scored more goals per 60 minutes of hockey than Eric Fehr: Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Sidney Crosby. Impressive group. It will be interesting to see that, if Fehr gets more ice time, whether his goal total go up with it. After signing a very reasonable contract over the summer (slightly over 2 million per year for 2 years), Caps fans certainly hope so!

Tomas Fleischmann, Center/Left Wing, #14
The Caps have big plans for Tomas Fleischmann this upcoming season, as he will likely start out playing as their second-line center (flanked by Alex Semin and Brooks Laich on the wings). The 2C is a crucial position for any NHL team, and GMGM as well as Boudreau have put a lot of faith in Flash. While it will be his job to loose, the red-haired Czech (acquired in a 2004 trade involving Robert Lang) will have both Mathieu Perreault and Marcus Johansson waiting for their shot at 2C. After having career-highs in almost every category last season (same as most of the Caps), Flash will look to continue his development.

Boyd Gordon, Center/Right Wing, #15
Despite being only 26 (turning 27 in October), Boyd Gordon is the longest tenured Caps player, having been with the team since the 2003-2004 season. Drafted only a handful of picks after Alex Semin, Gordo is a 4th liner for the Caps. Injuries and being scratched resulted in him playing only 36 games last season, but Gordo looks to put that behind and claim the fourth line center position as his own, from the likes of Dave Steckel and numerous Hershey forwards.

Mike Green, Defenseman, #52
Love him or hate him, Mike Green is a crucial part of the Caps' team. The PP quarterback and top defenseman, Mike Green is easily the best offensive defenseman there is today (Caps Media Guide Fun Fact: Mike Green's 76 points would have led 20 NHL clubs in scoring), Green has often been criticized for his defensive play. Despite having good defensive statistics as well last season, Green still was a runner up for the Norris trophy this season, loosing to Duncan Keith after loosing to Zdeno Chara last season. Green looks to prove his is an elite NHL defenseman on both ends of the ice this season, as well as keep his game together in the playoffs. With the addition of players like John Carlson, Green hopefully won't be quite as crucial for this team, allowing him to rest a bit more, as opposed to playing almost half an hour some nights, as he did last season.

Marcus Johansson, Center, #90
MoJo was drafted in the first round (24th overall) of the 2009 NHL draft, and has been playing in the Swedish Elite League since then. However, he has made the jump to North America this offseason, signing an entry level contract with the Caps. Johansson has been praised by the management for his vision and skating abilities, and will look to be a contender for the 2nd and 3rd line center positions and the season progresses. While he may not claim either position this year, Johansson will be a big part of the Caps' future down the middle.

DJ King, Left Wing, #17
DJ King was acquired in a trade this offseason to provide grit for the Caps forwards. Primarily a fighter, King will probably be scratched most nights, but will provide a element to the Caps roster that has been lacking since 2008-2009.

Mike Knuble, Right Wing, #22
Mike Knuble, the most veteran player on the Caps roster and, to my knowledge, the only one with a Stanley Cup ring, will have his 2nd season with the team. Knuble scores most of his goals of rebounds less than a foot or two from the net, and, even as his age increases (he's already 38), his effectiveness will likely remain consistent. With 29 goals in 69 games last season, Knuble will look to break the 30 goal mark for the 3rd time in his career this season.

Brooks Laich, Center/Left Wing, #21
Brooks Laich, fan favorite and tire-changer extraordinaire, will enter his 6th season with the Capitals. Though he is listed as a center, Laich will play most of his time on the 2nd line at the wing. A grinder, Laich has increased his goals and points total each and every season, with 59 last year. Laich will hopefully sign a contract extension some time this season, as his current contract is set to expire.

Michal Neuvirth, Goaltender, #30
Neuvy has played the last 2 seasons primarily in the AHL for the Hershey Bears, leading them to consecutive Calder Cup championships. With nothing left to prove in the AHL, Neuvirth will play with Varlamov as a goaltending tandem this season, in what will likely be a season-long battle to determine the playoff starting goalie. While Varly is the more athletic of the two, Neuvirth has better positioning. Drafted mere picks away from each other in 2006, neither has a clear advantage over the other, and their fight for supremacy in net should not only be interesting to watch, but beneficial for the team as well.

Alex Ovechkin, Left Wing, #8
Capitan, leading scorer, and Russian Machine.... last season, with 50 goals, 59 assists, 109 points, and a Ted Lindsay award for best player as voted by his peers, was a "mediocre" season for Ovechkin. Only the 4th player ever to score 50 goals in 4 of his first 5 seasons (Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, and Mario Lemieux being the other 4), as well as the 6th player to have 4 100 point seasons in their first 5 (Gretzky, Lemieux, Dale Hawerchuck, Peter Stastny, and Crosby being the others), it's scary to think Ovechkin will only get better. After coming in 2nd in league scoring despite missing 10 games, Ovechkin will likely once again dominate league scoring. Caps fans expect nothing less. Also, since becoming captain, the Capitals had a ridiculous record in the second half of the regular season, with 30 wins and around 11 losses. Should that continue (warning: it probably won't), the Caps might have an even better season this year that last year (regular season wise).... and last year they scored 121 points. It's stunning that I can even suggest a 60 win season for the Caps, but who knows.... it's definitely possible.

Mathieu Perreault, Center, #85
Standing only 5'10" and weighing only 182 pounds, Mathieu Perreault is not a large player. However, he is a speedy little center who hopes to use his skills to his advantage as he competes for a 2nd/3rd line center position this season. Based on his performance with Fehr and Chimera in training camp, it's entirely likely that he will be on the opening night roster... quite an accomplishment for a 6th round draft pick.

Tom Poti, Defenseman, #3
The other veteran on this team, along with Knuble, Poti has just signed a 2 year contract extension that will keep him in DC until the end of the 2012-2013 season. Poti once was a premier offensive defenseman, but now is more of an all-round player. He'll get time on the 2nd or 3rd defensive pairing this season, and will continue to provide a needed veteran presence on the blueline.

Jeff Schultz, Defenseman, #55
Mr. Nasty is not a flash player. He is not super offensive. He is not super physical. What he is, however, is a solid defenseman, and one who signed a 4 year contract this offseason. Schultz will likely continue to be paired with Mike Green, allowing Green to remain offensive while Schultz takes care of things in the back end. Schultz had a 55 +/- rating last season, good for #1 in the NHL.

Alexander Semin, Right Wing/Left Wing, #28
Semin is a maddening player, as he has the skill set to lead the NHL in goal scoring but not the consistency. What he is, however, is a perfect secondary offensive weapon for the Caps. He doesn't do many interviews, and he doesn't speak English (publicly, at least), but he can put the puck in the net; to the tune of 40 goals in 73 games. After breaking the 40 goal line for the first time last season, Sasha will look to continue improving and remaining consistent, so that he remains in this team's long-term plans.

Tyler Sloan, Defenseman, #89
Tyler Sloan will compete with Erskine for the 6th defenseman spot. An undrafted free agent signing who appeared destined for a career in the AHL and ECHL, Sloan has played 66 games in the NHL so far (all for the Caps). While he isn't an every night player, Sloan is adequate until GMGM hopefully finds another defenseman.

David Steckel, Center, #39
Steckel will be in year 2 of his 3 year contract, and will continue to play on the fourth line in a grinder role for the Caps. Steckel is a faceoff specialist, but is not know for scoring. Not much else to say really.

Semyon Varlamov, Goaltender, #1
The Russian sensation for the Caps in net during the 2009 playoffs, Varlamov was off to a great start last season before getting injured (and only ending up playing 26 games). Varlamov, after changing the spelling of his first name during the 2009 offseason, has switched his number to #1 this offseason. Though he has played with this number before, it could also be a hint to Neuvirth showing, literally and perhaps figuratively, who the number 1 really is in DC. Varlamov will compete with Neuvy in a battle for the 1 goalie spot, and it should be quite interesting to watch.

Quick Musings of a Caps Fan Predictions
- Ovechkin will score 50+ goals this season.
- Backstrom will once again have 100+ points.
- Semyon Varlamov will have 30 wins, and Neuvirth will come close.
- Fleischmann, Johansson, and Perreault will all get time at the 2nd line center position.
- Eric Fehr will get more playing time and ramp up his goal scoring even more.
- Carlson will be a contender for the Calder trophy (Rookie of the Year).
- The Caps will win the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference.
- Mike Green will finally win a Norris trophy.
- GMGM will make some move at the trade deadline.

How Much Are Teams Spending On Goaltending?

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:41:00 +0000

Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi, who led the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup, looks on during Game 4 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Not long ago, the common practice in the NHL was to sign successful goaltenders to long-term, high-paying deals to ensure that they would be able to lead their teams to championships for years to come. And for a long time, this worked; goalies such as Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur won numerous Stanley Cups for their teams. Others such as Evgeni Nabokov, Dominic Hasek, Roberto Luongo, or Tomas Voukon were cornerstones for their franchises, leading (or expect to lead) their individual teams to Stanley Cup glory in the playoffs.

However, this past season has lead to many questioning that model. This season, if anything, proved that you don’t need a Vezina-caliber goaltender to be successful in the regular season or the playoffs. Some teams, such as the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks, showed that, if you have an excellent defense, the goalie matters very little. Another team to prove this was the Philadelphia Flyers, who managed to make it to OT in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals with a goaltending tandem consisting of Brian Boucher and Michal Leighton, neither among the top-10 goaltenders in the NHL today. The playoffs proved that, when your defense is lead by excellent defensemen, such as Chris Pronger, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, or Kimmo Timonen, the person protecting the net is not crucial. Perhaps the biggest testament to this is that out of all three Vezina trophy finalists (Ilya Bryzagalov, Ryan Miller, and Martin Brodeur), none of them managed to make it past the first round of the playoffs, falling to teams lead by Jimmy Howard, Brian Boucher, and Tuukka Rask.

Goaltending is become less important in the NHL than before, especially as the salary cap limits teams spending. Teams must choose what is most important to their success, and they are not choosing to put money and precious salary cap space towards goaltending, as evidenced by the decreasing percentage of the cap that the goaltenders’ salaries take up. Take a look at total cap hit of all the teams goalies for that season (all salary cap information from nhlnumbers.com). All numbers include player bonuses.

Team	2008 - 2009	2009 - 2010	2010 - 2011
Washington	5.661 million	5.644 million	1.643 million
Atlanta	4.531 million	4.565 million	3.000 million
Tampa Bay	4.335 million	3.854 million	3.700 million
Florida	6.250 million	6.949 million	6.900 million
Carolina	3.299 million	3.587 million	6.825 million
Pittsburgh	5.849 million	5.561 million	5.600 million
Philadelphia	4.756 million	2.802 million	2.475 million
NY Rangers	7.600 million	7.574 million	7.750 million
NY Islanders	5.484 million	8.400 million	7.000 million
New Jersey	6.218 million	5.700 million	6.700 million
Boston	5.592 million	8.237 million	6.250 million
Buffalo	3.884 million	7.298 million	6.850 million
Ottawa	5.320 million	5.003 million	5.213 million
Toronto	6.199 million	6.551 million	7.350 million
Montreal	3.065 million	2.975 million	1.000 million*
Chicago	12.626 million	6.468 million	5.600 million**
Detroit	2.201 million	2.151 million	2.133 million
St. Louis	4.881 million	4.314 million	5.050 million
Columbus	4.456 million	2.105 million	2.105 million
Nashville	2.306 million	2.475 million	3.400 million***
Colorado	1.500 million	3.101 million	3.062 million
Minnesota	3.837 million	7.272 million	7.200 million
Calgary	6.462 million	7.090 million	6.333 million
Edmonton	4.916 million	4.865 million	4.550 million
Vancouver	7.810 million	7.323 million	6.233 million
San Jose	6.108 million	5.925 million	2.550 million
Los Angeles	2.604 million	2.584 million	2.550 million
Anaheim	7.319 million	5.973 million	5.035 million
Phoenix	5.018 million	5.254 million	5.250 million
Dallas	6.214 million	7.567 million	4.200 million
League Average	5.210 million	5.306 million	4.784 million

*Montreal has yet to resign goalie Carey Price, so this number will go up.
**This is only counting Christobal Huet, who will almost certainly not be on the team when the season starts. This number will change.
***Nashville has yet to sign anyone to back up Pekka Rinne, so this number will go up.

Here is a graph of all the data above. While some teams are spending more on goaltending this season, generally, most teams are lowering their goaltending expenses, as evidenced by many of the lines pointing down.

As shown by the graph above, teams are starting to take notice that high-priced goaltending is not the key to success, and as a result are spending less and less to fill that position. Many teams have started to adopt a goalie tandem, where two capable goaltenders fight each other for the starting spot; examples include Atlanta with Ondrej Pavelec & Chris Mason, Washington with Semyon Varlamov & Michal Neuvirth, Tampa Bay with Dan Ellis & Mike Smith, Philadelphia with Michael Leighton & Brian Boucher, and San Jose with Antero Niittymaki and Thomas Greiss. In most cases, having two capable goalies as opposed to one starter and a backup allows teams to save money, and quite possibly do better. In cases where there is a clear #1, many teams would suffer if that goalie went cold or was injured. Vancouver or Montreal really don’t have good, long-term alternatives to Roberto Luongo or Carey Price. However, with a tandem you can ride the hot goalie to wins, and then switch when that goalie falters. Possibly the biggest test to this system will come next season with the Capitals, who hope that the tandem of Varlamov and Neuvirth, both 22 and drafted only 11 spots apart in the 2006 NHL Draft, can lead them through the regular season and the playoffs to a Stanley Cup championship. Time will tell.

If the salary cap continues to increase by a similar amount as it will this season, it will be interesting to see whether goaltender salaries will continue to drop while GMs use the extra cap space adding forwards and defensemen, such as what is happening now, or whether goaltending salaries will rise with the cap. Part of this will be how well these lower-priced goaltenders do in the regular season and playoffs; this season will show, hopefully, whether last season’s formula for success of great defense and decent goaltending was a fluke, or is a new trend in the NHL.

At the end of the day, however, what wins Stanley Cups is what will be the strategy of most GMs going forward. And you cannot argue against the fact that, for now, cheap, decent goaltending wins Stanley Cups. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

How did the players get here?

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:44:00 +0000

The latest Caps 1st round pick, Evgeny Kuznetsov, at the 2010 NHL Draft in LA. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

In a prior post, I made my guesses for who I though would be on the Caps opening night roster. I though, seeing how GMGM and Ted Leonsis are preaching the growth from within, it would be interesting to see how all those players actually ended up in the Washington Capitals organization. Were they drafted by the team, were they acquired as prospects, were they traded for, or were the signed as UFAs?

First, here’s a quick review of my opening night roster predictions (and please do check out the original post).

Forwards

Alexander Ovechkin

Nicklas Backstrom

Mike Knuble

Alexander Semin

Marcus Johansson

Brooks Laich

Eric Fehr

Mathieu Perreault

Tomas Fleischmann

Jason Chimera

Dave Steckel

Matt Bradley

Andrew Gordon

Boyd Gordon

Defensemen

Mike Green

Jeff Schultz

John Carlson

Karl Alzner

Tom Poti

Tyler Sloan

John Erskine

Goalies

Semyon Varlamov

Michal Neuvirth

THE DRAFT PICKS

Much of the opening night roster consists of players that have been drafted by the Washington Capitals. In fact, this comprises a vast majority. Take a look.

Player	Age	Overall Draft Pick, Year
Alex Ovechkin	24	1st overall, 2004
Nicklas Backstrom	22	4th overall, 2006
Alex Semin	26	13th overall, 2002
Marcus Johansson	19	24th overall, 2009
Eric Fehr	24	18th overall, 2003
Mathieu Perreault	22	177th overall, 2006
Andrew Gordon	24	197th overall, 2004
Boyd Gordon	26	17th overall, 2002
Mike Green	24	29th overall, 2004
Jeff Schultz	24	27th overall, 2004
John Carlson	20	27th overall, 2008
Karl Alzner	21	5th overall, 2007
Semyon Varlamov	22	23rd overall, 2006
Michal Neuvirth	22	34th overall, 2006

In total, 14 of the players I think will be on the roster come opening night have been drafted by the Washington Capitals, all since 2002. Out of those 14, 11 are 1st round picks (!), along with 1 2nd rounder, 1 5th rounder, and 1 6th rounder. Not bad. The only 1st round picks the Caps have had since 2002 that aren’t on this roster are Steve Eminger (12th overall, 2002, currently with the NY Rangers), Sasha Pokulok (14th overall, 2005, currently in the ECHL), Joe Finley (27th overall, 2005, looking to crack the Hershey Bears roster after playing in college and having some injury issues), Anton Gustafsson (21st overall, 2008, played in Sweden last season and will likely play in Hershey this season), and 2010 1st round pick Evgeny Kuznetsov. Finley and Gustafsson may very well play with the Caps some day, and Kuznetsov will almost certainly as well.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED AS PROSPECTS / YOUNG PLAYERS

Most of the young players who weren’t drafted by the Capitals (i.e. Fleischmann & Laich) have been acquired as prospects, mainly during the fire-sale period prior to the drafting of Ovechkin.

Player	Age	Trade Info
Brooks Laich	27	Traded from Ottawa Senators for Peter Bondra in 2004
Tomas Fleischmann	26	Traded from Detroit Red Wings for Robert Lang in 2004

THE REST

Almost all of the remaining players, with the exception of Jason Chimera, were signed as free agents.

Player	Age	Acquired in
Jason Chimera	31	Traded from Columbus Blue Jackets in 2009
Matt Bradley	32	Signed as UFA
Dave Steckel	28	Signed as UFA
Mike Knuble	38	Signed as UFA
Tom Poti	33	Signed as UFA
John Erskine	30	Signed as UFA
Tyler Sloan	29	Signed as UFA

Looking at all this, GMGM has obviously been very good at developing draft picks and acquired prospects into full NHL players. None of the players on my opening night roster that have been signed as free agents, with the exception of Mike Knuble, will likely ever play higher than the 3rd-4th forward line of 2nd-3rd defensive pairing. The ability to have almost an entire NHL roster of players that have been developed by the organization is, in my opinion, impressive. Well done.

An early look at the (potential) opening night line-up

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:46:00 +0000

Marcus Johansson, Mathieu Perreault, and Michal Neuvirth are among the players who are looking to secure full-time positions in DC this season. (Jersey visualizations from the NHL shop)

What are the Washington Capitals going to look like come opening night on October 8th in Atlanta? One thing is for sure: this will be a somewhat different team than the one that lost to Montreal in the playoffs. Many veterans and trade-deadline pickups, such as Scott Walker, Joe Corvo, Brendan Morrison, and most likely Eric Belanger will not be with the Capitals anymore. Other players that have had longer tenures in DC, such as Shaone Morrisonn, Jose Theodore, and Milan Jurcina will also not be there. Instead, many, if not all, of the holes left by these departures will be filled by younger prospects that have spent their last few seasons developing mainly in the AHL, with the Calder Cup – winning Hershey Bears. Players such as Michal Neuvirth, Andrew Gordon, and Mathieu Perreault hope to crack the Capitals roster full time. Also in the mix is 2009 first round pick Marcus Johansson, who has spent the last few seasons in the Swedish Elite League, and is considered by the management to be ready for NHL action. However, many of the key players from last season, such as (obviously) Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom (who recently signed a new 10-year contract), Mike Green, Semyon Varlamov, Brooks Laich, Alex Semin, and the recently-resigned RFAs such as Eric Fehr, Jeff Schultz, and Boyd Gordon. The only real question mark is Tomas Fleischmann, a RFA who has not yet agreed to a new contract. An arbitration hearing will be held at the end of July if a deal cannot be made until then.

Next season will truly be a test of the Capitals’ long-term strategy. While many teams do succeed with players they have drafted, few teams have a roster that will be composed almost entirely of players drafted by the team they’re playing for, such as the Caps will have. What the Capitals are doing is unconventional, but it makes it easier to build a great team while avoiding (hopefully) a huge salary cap crunch like the one that has struck Chicago this off season. While they did win a cup, and that makes it all worth it, Chicago has had to let go of many players from their championship roster, and will likely not be nearly as good next season. I at least don’t think they will be a top-4 team in the NHL like they were last season; they could conceivably not even make the playoffs. When having a roster full of drafted players, the Capitals can have great talents playing for them on entry-level deals or have players, such as Backstrom, who have resigned with the team for far below market value. This strategy does involve its own risks, but those can also have huge rewards. (For example, are John Carlson and Karl Alzner ready? If they are they could be great, or they could be only ok. What about Marcus Johansson? Is he ready to be a 2C? He could not be terribly good. Or he could end up like Backstrom, excelling on a top line. You never really know.)

With all that in mind, here is my very-early guess of what the Capitals’ lineup could look like on opening night in Atlanta.

Forwards

Line 1	Ovechkin	Backstrom	Knuble
Line 2	Semin	Johansson	Laich
Line 3	Fleischmann	Perreault	Fehr
Line 4	Chimera	Steckel	Bradley

Scratches

A. Gordon, B. Gordon

For next season (or at least opening night) I don’t expect the top line of Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – Mike Knuble to change. They were effective last season, and barring the replacement of Knuble by either Brooks Laich or Eric Fehr, I think the unit will stay intact.

The second line, which was made of Alex Semin – Brendan Morrison – Brooks Laich last season, will just end up getting a new center following Morrison’s departure. The team essentially has 4 options to fill that role (Laich, Fleischmann, Johansson, Perreault), and I personally think that, should Johansson be good during rookie and training camp, it is his for the taking. I hope that he has success similar to how Backstrom did when paired with Ovechkin on the top line; it would definitely help the team a lot.

The third line, which last season was Eric Fehr – Eric Belanger – Tomas Fleischmann / Jason Chimera, will also be getting a new center, as Belanger will likely not return. This center will probably be Perreault, though it could conceivably be any of the players also in contention for the 2C spot. Should Fleischmann not return, even though he has arbitration rights, Chimera or maybe Andrew Gordon will fill in next to Fehr and a center. Hopefully Eric Fehr gets more minutes this season…

The fourth line, which essentially is the players who aren’t on the top 3 lines, could have any combination of Jason Chimera, David Steckel, Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon, Andrew Gordon, or whoever else comes up from Hershey. I have it as Chimera – Steckel – Bradley with both Gordons as scratches, though this could really be anything – whatever ends up working best.

Defense

Pairing 1	Green	Schultz
Pairing 2	Carlson	Alzner
Pairing 3	Poti	Erskine

Scratch

Sloan

Last season’s top defensive pairing, consisting of Mike Green and Jeff Schultz, will probably stay together for the time being.

The next pairing, I think, will consist of the two new rookie defensemen, John Carlson and Karl Alzner. They have been paired together in Hershey and also played together in Game 7 of the Capitals – Canadiens series. I think that they will be paired at least to begin the season.

The third line will then consist of Tom Poti and one of John Erskine or Tyler Sloan, unless GMGM either makes a move to sign a defenseman or any of Dmitri Orlov, Joe Finley, Zach Miskovic, or Patrick McNeill prove to be ready for this position. Orlov will probably stay in the KHL, and Joe Finley missed last season with an injury and will likely compete for a spot in Hershey. This leaves Zach Miskovic and Patrick McNeill as alternatives to Erskine and Sloan. If anybody, I’d say McNeill has the biggest chance. He already has some AHL experience, and most recently scored 2 of Hershey’s goals in Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals, a 4-0 win for the Bears. Carlson and Alzner happened to be the other two scorers that time, funnily enough. Perhaps we will have 3 Bears as full time defensemen with the Caps, but it will likely end up being one of John Erskine or Tyler Sloan that plays alongside Tom Poti.

Goaltending

Next year the Capitals goaltending will almost certainly consist of a Semyon Varlamov – Michal Neuvirth tandem in net. It has been confirmed by GMGM, and I’d be surprised if anything else was to happen. The only question is who is the #1, and who is the #1a goalie…. a question that will be answered only in training camp.

For next season the Caps look like they’ll be as strong as ever. A few small question marks remain, such as who will step up to be the 2C, who ends up as the 6D, and which one of our two young goalies ends up being the starter. All these will hopefully be answered during training camp. Other than all that, the core remains mostly intact, and the Caps look forward to another great season (hopefully) cumulating in a Stanley Cup championship. Now we just have to wait until October!

Olli Jokinen returns to Calgary and other tales from free agency day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:02:00 +0000

Olli Jokinen photo link, Calgary Flames logo link

Stories from NHL Free Agency Day #1…

Olli Jokinen is coming back to the Calgary Flames, after being traded away just a few months ago… when does Dion Phaneuf become a UFA? [NHL]
The Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils completed a UFA signing swap, with Pittsburgh signing New Jersey’s UFA defenseman (Paul Martin), New Jersey signing Ottawa’s UFA defenseman (Anton Volchenkov), and Ottawa signing Pittsburgh’s UFA defenseman (Sergei Gonchar). [NHL] & [NHL]
Meanwhile, Dan Hamhuis has signed with the Vancouver Canucks. [NHL]
Goalies on the move: Martin Biron fills the backup role for the New York Rangers [NHL], former NYR backup Alex Auld heads to Montreal to backup Carey Price [NHL], Antero Niittymaki finally gets his chance at a #1 spot with the San Jose Sharks [NHL], Dan Ellis goes to the Tampa Bay Lightning to replace Niittymaki [NHL], and Chris Mason signs as the #1 goalie in Atlanta. [NHL]
Saku Koivu signs a new 2-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. [NHL]
Martin St. Louis signs a 4-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning. [NHL]
Check the official NHL website for other news!

And the Washington Capitals? They did……. absolutely nothing.

Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting for GMGM and the Caps.

Meet the Prospects

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:25:00 +0000

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft has come and gone, and the Capitals drafted a total of 5 players from 4 different countries. Say hello to the newest members of the Washington Capitals organization!

Evgeny Kuznetsov (Forward, Russia) Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Stanislav Galiev (Forward, Russia) Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Phillip Grubauer (Goalie, Germany) Photo by Tyler Brownbridge, The Windsor StarCaleb Herbert (Forward, USA) Sorry, couldn’t really find a good photo…

Samuel Carrier (Defense, Canada) Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

With the 26th pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals pick….

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:11:00 +0000

EVGENY KUZNETSOV! (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Meet Evgeny Kuznetsov, the latest addition to the Washington Capitals organization. A little info on Kuznetsov first:

Evgeny Kuznetsov, born May 19, 1992 in Chelyabinsk, Russia (age 18), currently plays for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL. Kuznetsov has played both centre and right wing. In his first professional season with Traktor Chelyabinsk in 2009-2010, Kuznetsov scored 2 goals and 7 assists in 35 games. He also scored 1 goal in 4 games during the KHL playoffs. Internationally, he has played for Team Russia in both the 2009 & 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championships as well as the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championships. In the 2009 U18 championships, he scored 6 goals and had 7 assists in 7 games for Team Russian, and in 2010 he had 5 goals and 7 assists in 7 games for Team Russia. In the 2010 WJC he scored 2 goals for Team Russia.

Going into the 2010 NHL Draft, Kuznetsov was ranked 3rd overall among European skaters. However, the fact that he still has a 2 year contract with his KHL team most likely drove other teams away. However, Kuznetsov is still an excellent player, and may end up being quite the steal for GMGM and the Caps at 26th overall.

Some scouting reports:

“He is fast, skillful and talented. He is also a leader on the ice, he was captain of the Russian Under-18 team and he had an excellent tournament. He is very skilled.” - Scouting report from the NHL Director of European Scouting, Goran Stubb

"A very smooth puck handler who can beat defenders one on one, Kuznetsov requires very little time or space to score goals and can do so off the rush or with his very good shot from almost anywhere in the offensive zone." - International Scouting Services 2010 NHL Draft Guide

"He really has that high-end Russian skill. I don't want to say (Ilya) Kovalchuk or (Alex) Ovechkin because that's not right, but he is that style of player.” - A scout, quoted in The Hockey News Draft Preview 2010

"Very dynamic skill level. Extremely quick, soft hands. Controls the puck like he's got it on a string and holds onto it for an extra split second, giving linemates time to cut to open ice for his decisive feeds. Superb patience around the net - outwaits goalies and always forces them to make the first move. Tremendous natural sniper who buries his chances." - Red Line Report 2010 Draft Guide

Overall, this guy sounds very good! A high-end Russian skater, good at scoring, good at passing, a leader on the ice... this is excellent. Should the Capitals have unearthed another Russian talent in the mold of Ovechkin, Semin, and Kovalchuk, the rest of the NHL should be worried. Especially if this guy will play center; I can already imagine a super-super-super talented Russian line of Ovechkin – Kuznetsov – Semin.

Now for some thoughts from GMGM (sorry if the video takes awhile to load, its from the NHL Capitals team video center):

Video notes:

- GMGM hints that the Capitals are less hesitant to pick Russian players in the draft because they have Ovechkin playing in Washington; therefore, Russian players are more likely to want to come and play for the Caps. Hmmm... interesting. Hopefully this works to the Caps’ advantage over time.

- GMGM and his group were “unanimous” in their choice to draft Kuznetsov.

- “We think he can play center ice.”

- GMGM says he hasn’t ruled out Kuznetsov playing in DC next season, and he’s probably talented enough, but its probably not going to happen.

- The Caps actually considered moving up to pick Kuznetsov; that didn’t happen, but they still got their guy!

Anyway, Kuznetsov will be in DC for Capitals development camp later in July, so you can go check out our latest Russian talent then.

Let’s end with another picture.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

A Look at the Capitals’ UFAs and RFAs

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:15:00 +0000

Eric Fehr playing during the Montreal Canadiens – Washington Capitals playoff series. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft tomorrow and the free agency period approaching on July 1st, the madness of trading and rumors about what players are staying and what players are leaving each team in the NHL has begun. The Washington Capitals have their own crop of UFAs (unrestricted free agents) and RFAs (restricted free agents), as well as a player or two who could be trade bait. Let’s take a look.

UFAs

The Capitals have a few UFAs, most of who were acquired in trades during the last season. Here’s a list with current contract talk statuses as reported by Tarik El-Bashir (Capitals Insider)...

Player	Position	Current Status
Eric Belanger	C	Discussions for contract extension
Quintin Laing	LW
Brendan Morrison	C	Will not be back
Scott Walker	RW	Will not be back
Joe Corvo	D	Will not be back
Milan Jurcina	D
Shaone Morrisonn	D	No discussions for contract extension yet
Jose Theodore	G	No discussions for contract extension yet

RFAs

The Capitals also have a good deal of RFAs, many who are or may become very important to the team. Here’s a list with current contract talk statuses as reported by Tarik El-Bashir (Capitals Insider)...

Player	Position	Current Status
Eric Fehr	RW	Talks of multi-year contract
Tomas Fleischmann	C	Talks, but “not close”
Boyd Gordon	RW
Jeff Schultz	D

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Looking at the tables above, it seems that the Caps that could be returning next season are Laing, Belanger, Jurcina, Fehr, maybe Fleischmann, Gordon, and Schultz.

Quintin Laing & Boyd Gordon: I’ve grouped these two together because they have a similar place on the team. Both players are fourth-line wingers, and that’s about all they’ll ever be on the team. Yes, I’m sure it wouldn’t break the Capitals bank to bring them back, but couldn’t call-ups from Hershey such as Chris Bourque and Andrew Gordon be just as effective, if not better? Gordon did well in the AHL last season, as did Bourque; Bourque even won the AHL’s playoff MVP award. These players are both probably ready to be in the NHL, and the only way to do that is to drop some current players; ones such as Laing and Gordon.

Verdict: DROP

Tomas Fleischmann: Tomas Fleischmann is a pretty much offense-only player, usually playing wing on the 3rd line; center is an option, but his faceoff percentage is somewhere around 40% – not quite good enough. Fleischmann can score, as evidenced by his 23 goals this past season. However, 12 of those were scored prior to Dec. 19th. Fleischmann also was nearly invisible in the playoffs. Fleischmann is a quality winger, and could be a good fit with a team in need of wingers, such as Pittsburgh; but, on a team with Ovechkin, Semin, Knuble, Laich, and others, he is just a little redundant. Also, his agent has compared Fleischmann to Tomas Plekanec – the Tomas Plekanec who just signed a 5 year, $30 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens. Fleischmann is worth nowhere near that for the Caps, and it’s probably better just to trade his rights (being a RFA) to a team in need of wingers for something such as a draft pick.

Verdict: DROP

Eric Fehr: Eric Fehr is just good at scoring goals, evidenced by his 21 goals while only averaging about 9 minutes of playing time each game. He is a power forward, and could very well replace Mike Knuble on the top line with Ovechkin and Backstrom in a year of two (Knuble isn’t getting any younger). Fehr had a breakout season last year, with 21 goals and 18 assists, while only playing 69 games and playing on the third line for most of the year. Fehr, with more playing time and better line mates, could really blossom into terrific scorer. While he isn’t quite there yet, a multi-year contract with a decent salary cap hit would be perfect.

Verdict: KEEP

Jeff Schultz: #1 +/- rating in the NHL last season (+55). Need I say more? He played in the top d-pairing last season with Mike Green, and was the defensive-defenseman compliment to Mike Green’s offensive-defenseman. While he might not be on the top pairing next season (if the Caps sign a top defenseman), he is still a very good defenseman with a good future.

Verdict: KEEP

Milan Jurcina: Jurcina was traded by the Caps to Columbus last season along with Chris Clark (for Jason Chimera), and then was traded back at the deadline for a draft pick. Jurcina was injured, and did not make it back to play in the playoffs; he was brought in at the deadline to be a depth defenseman that would play in the later playoff rounds. Jurcina should be inexpensive, and will probably be a better option as backup than Tyler Sloan.

Verdict: KEEP (but it must be cheap)

Eric Belanger: Eric Belanger was brought in at the trade deadline to serve as the third line center. He was great at the position, and probably will continue to be good at that position. Belanger is cheap, and can be easily kept by the Caps as long as the contract price remains about the same. If Mathieu Perreault and Marcus Johansson make the team, he can also serve as a backup. However, he is no second line center.

Verdict: KEEP (but it must be cheap)

Coming soon: a look at the available UFAs on the market... and Alexander Semin’s future.

Hershey Bears Triumphant!

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:07:00 +0000

Goalie Michal Neuvirth celebrates shortly before the final buzzer! (Photo by Sean Simmers, The Patriot-News)

The fantastic Hershey Bears, AHL minor league affiliate of our Washington Capitals, have once again won the Calder Cup, the AHL’s championship trophy. This is the second year in a row the chocolate-and-white have captured the trophy, and the first time in over 20 years they’ve won it at home (and the first time in GIANT Center)!

Lead by a shutout effort by goalie Michal Neuvirth and goals by defensemen John Carlson, Karl Alzner, and Patrick McNeill (2), the Bears won Game 6 of the finals 4-0 against the Texas Stars, completing their roaring comeback from a 0-2 series deficit.

The Bears have been to the Calder Cup Finals four times in the last five years, and have won the Cup in three of the last five years. Incredibly, all three wins have come under different coaches. This time, first-year coach Mark French (hoisting the cup to the right) lead the Bears to their 11th championship as well as the best regular season in AHL history (Photo by Sean Simmers, The Patriot-News). The Bears are the oldest continuously operating AHL franchise, and are also the most-winning, with a record 11 Calder Cups won now.

Many of the players with the Bears this year will likely have big roles with the Capitals next season. Goalie Michal Neuvirth, who has been in net for both championship runs, will likely earn a spot with the Caps next season. The Caps are not in contract talks with Theodore, and I’d love a 1A / 1B pairing between Varlamov and Neuvirth. Both are only 21 years old.

Another pairing that will likely see a spot of the Capitals roster (GMGM promised it) is the defensive duo of John Carlson and Karl Alzner. John Carlson is only 20 years old, but has been very good defensively and is an incredibly clutch player. Bruce Boudreau, following the Capitals’ Game 7 defeat at the hands of the Canadiens, commented on how fame seems to follow Carlson; it very much does. In just the last 6 months, goals scored by him have won both a World Junior Championship gold medal for Team USA (he scored the OT winner against Team Canada) as well as winning the Calder Cup for the Bears (he scored the first goal in the shutout victory). Karl Alzner is a bit older and more experienced at age 22, and have been in and out of Washington for the last two seasons. Hopefully next season he will claim a permanent spot along with Carlson.

Hershey also has many other players that are probably NHL ready, such as Chris Bourque, who won the playoff MVP award this season. Time will tell who gets a spot on the Capitals roster.

After their sweet, sweet victory, the Bears will go into hibernation once again for the summer, bringing an end to hockey in North America for a few months. Now, however, is a time to celebrate once again in chocolate town, home of the 2010 (and 2009, and 2006….) Calder Cup winning Hershey Bears!

The Bears! (Photo by Sean Simmers, The Patriot-News)

Check out more great photos at http://photos.pennlive.com/4503/gallery/hershey_bears_win_11th_calder_cup/index.html

Congrats

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:33:00 +0000

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Hershey Bears come back in a big way to win Game 3

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:02:00 +0000

Photo by Ralph Barrera, AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Yes, Washington Capitals hockey has been done for over a month now (I think). However, our AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, are still playing; Game 3 of the AHL Calder Cup Finals was just last night. A quick recap of the playoffs for the Bears up to Game 3……

The Hershey Bears roared into the playoffs, and took rounds 1 (4-1 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers), 2 (4-0 against the Albany River Rats), and 3 (4-2 against the Manchester Monarchs) to emerge as the Eastern Conference champions for the 4th time in the last 5 years. In their 3 visits to the Calder Cup Finals in the last 5 years (not including their current trip), the Bears won 2 Cups, increasing the franchise total to 10. This year, the Bears are facing the Texas Stars, who are affiliated with the Dallas Stars. The Stars took Games 1 & 2 by only 1 goal each; however, things were a bit different in Game 3….

The Bears started Game 3 very poorly, and seemed to be falling apart on the ice. By the first intermission, the Bears were down 3-1 to the Stars, and simply weren’t getting chances. They were also taking too many penalties; they just didn’t have momentum. However, that all changed midway through period 2, as the Bears’ offense exploded. The Bears scored 5 unanswered goals, 4 of which were in about 15 minutes of each other. The Stars were shocked, and the Bears continued their dominance until the final buzzer, setting an excellent tone for Games 4 & 5, both of which are in Texas.

Anyway, no team has EVER come back to win the Calder Cup after being down 2-0 in the series. However, this Bears team has already done things other teams have never accomplished…… to use the NHL’s 2010 playoffs motto: “History will be made.” You can be sure that hockey fans in the Washington DC area sure hope this is true. After all the disappointments the Capitals have had this season (playoffs, Olympics, World Championships, individual trophies….), perhaps our farm team to the north can bring in some award.

I sure hope so.

Capitals Update

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:35:00 +0000

Some recent Caps news...

In case you haven't heard, the Washington Capitals will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. The game will be on Jan. 1st, 2011 and will take place in Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Caps have confirmed that they'll definitely be wearing throwback jerseys, as expected!
In a suprisingly side announcement, the NHL said that the Capitals will HOST a Winter Classic in the next few years.
Ted Leonsis, by the way, has already said playing the game on the National Mall will definitely NOT happen, sadly.
In player news, GMGM said that the Capitals will not re-sign pending free agents Joe Corvo and Scott Walker, both aquired at the trade deadline from Carolina.
Reports also suggest that the Capitals will not be in the running to sign Russian defensive defenseman Anton Volchenkov, to the dismay of numerous fans.
It looks like GMGM is really making room to sign a good 2nd-line center (Patrick Marleau, anyone?), unless he is willing to gamble with someone like Marcus Johansson in that position...
Finally,the Hershey Bears are once again in the AHL Calder Cup finals, for the 4th time in 5 years. They lost Game 1 tonight by a score of 2-1 to the Texas Stars, but they hopefully can recover and win the Cup for the 2nd year in a row.

2011 NHL Winter Classic Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Sat, 29 May 2010 01:58:00 +0000

Looking ahead: Is a SE Division Renaissance coming? (from more musings of a caps fan)

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:35:00 +0000

Editor’s note: once again, I wrote a nice long article for more musings of a caps fan, and then felt it was good enough and relevant enough for posting on Musings of a Caps Fan. The question: “Is a Southeast Division Renaissance Coming?”

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Southeast Division, comprised of the Washington Capitals, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers, is widely considered to be the worst overall division in the NHL. While the Capitals had the best overall record in the NHL, the other four SE Division teams all finished out of the playoffs. While the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes have both won Stanley Cups recently (2004 and 2006, respectively), the Atlanta Thrashers have made the playoffs only once in franchise history, and the Florida Panthers consistently have been missing the post-season as well. What is astounding about the Thrashers especially is the amount of talent that has been there recently, including Marian Hossa & Ilya Kovalchuk.

In the 2009-2010 NHL season, these 4 teams all came extremely close to playoff contention at points in the season. Had there been more than 82 games, the Hurricanes likely would have managed to qualify for the playoffs after digging themselves into a hole to start the season. Numerous injuries cost the Florida Panthers their playoff hopes, even with star Czech goalie Tomas Voukon in net. The Tampa Bay Lightning simply weren’t consistent enough. A similar problem lead to the Atlanta Thrashers missing the post-season yet again.
However, the one good thing about finishing in the bottom of the NHL is a high pick in the draft. Prospects and trades can turn a bottom-feeder into a Stanley Cup contender – just take a look at the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks lost in the 2002 Western Conference quarterfinals, and did not make the playoffs again until last season, when they made it to the conference finals. This year, they are heading to the Stanley Cup finals, just 2 seasons removed from being a team that missed the playoffs. While I dislike the Blackhawks’ development style, and feel that they have a very small window of opportunity, I cannot deny that their system works well. They are, after all, the 2010 Western Conference champions.

How does this relate to the Southeast Division? Well, with four SE teams being in the bottom of the standings, they will likely gain many good prospects, and we could see some success by those four teams very quickly, a la Blackhawks. In fact, the Florida Panthers recently hired Dave Tallon, the former Blackhawks GM who was fired this summer, and the architect of the Blackhawks’ rise to power, as their new GM. It is entirely possible that, in a few seasons, the Panthers will be “Blackhawks SE”.

In another big announcement, the Tampa Bay Lightning said Tuesday that they have hired Steve Yzerman, longtime Red Wings player, Stanley Cup champion, member of the Red Wings organization, and the GM of the gold-medal winning Canadian Olympic hockey team, to be their new GM. Yzerman knows what is needed to make a good team, and it is also very possible that the Lightning, who already have several talented players (headlined by the Rocket Richard – winning Steven Stamkos and Swedish defenseman
Meanwhile, the other two teams (Carolina Hurricanes & Atlanta Thrashers) are currently in very different positions. The Hurricanes are definitely a playoff-ready team, and they only missed the post-season due to their poor start. This season, the Hurricanes started to become younger, beginning with the selection of Eric Staal as team captain. The ‘Canes will be dangerous next season, and are very possibly going to make the playoffs.

The Atlanta Thrashers, on the other hand, always fall just short of the playoffs. Starting a rebuilding by trading goalie Kari Lehtonen and star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, the Thrashers just need a good GM and a bit of luck to become a playoff team in the next few years.

Add to all of this the Washington Capitals, expertly constructed by GM George McPhee to remain a contender for years to come. The Caps have a fantastic team right now, and they also have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. They Caps also draft very well, picking up players such as Mike Green, John Carlson, Semyon Varlamov, and Michal Neuvirth with late first round and early second round picks. The Caps have their core duo (Alex Ovechkin & Nicklas Backstrom) locked up for the next decade, and the team looks to be in a good position for a long period of success.

Will all of this going on, how long will it be before the Southeast Division rises from the title of “worst division in the NHL”? Looking at the track records of some of the new GMs, as well as the teams themselves, I predict that, within maybe 5 years, all 5 SE teams will quite possibly be playoff-caliber teams. This is both an exciting and unpleasant though for Caps fans, as a good division means more competition, but also a harder time making the playoffs. Regardless, the next few years will be interesting for the SE Division, and I can’t wait!

Ovechkin loses again (from more musings of a caps fan)

noreply@blogger.com (Editor in Chief) — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:12:00 +0000

(Photo by Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)

In what seems to have become a common theme for the Capitals this year, a group of capitals failed again to win a championship. This time, the Capitals' Russian threesome, comprised of Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Semyon Varlamov, joined the Russian hockey team playing at the IIHF World Championships in Germany. Other NHLers who played included Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Pavel Datsuk. Team Russia was the gold-medal winner in the last two world championships, and seemed primed for a repeat until the Czech Republic team, lead in goal by Tomas Vokoun, took down the Russians in the gold medal game. The Russians were devastated. Though they retook the #1 international ranking from the Canadians, their ultimate goal was unfulfilled. The only redemption was that they handily beat the Canadian team there, 5-2, to send them to a 7th place finish; fellow Capitals teammate Brooks Laich was a member of the Canadian team. Team Sweden, for which Nicklas Backstrom did not play, finished with the bronze.

So, once again, Ovechkin goes home without the big prize; the big trophy. This year, Ovechkin will not win the Olympic gold for hockey, the Stanley Cup, or the IIHF World Championship gold; and he will not receive the Rocket Richard or Art Ross awards either.

Hopefully, the Capitals can gain the drive needed to do whatever it takes to win, and to play 60 minutes of hockey every single game. The Capitals have the talent, the skill, and the depth to win championships; they just need the drive. By failing to win a single major award or trophy this year, the Capitals are now on a mission. Or at least they should be.

"The night is always darkest before the dawn."

Editor's note: This was originally written by me for more musings of a caps fan, but I though it was good and important enough to merit publishing on Musings of a Caps Fan

Follow Musings of a Caps Fan on Twitter: @musings_tweets

Introducing.... more musings of a caps fan!

noreply@blogger.com (Editor in Chief) — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:43:00 +0000

more musings of a caps fan (all lowercase), is a side-operation of Musings of a Caps Fan where I can post all the other hockey stuff I have that is either too short or really has nothing to do with the Capitals. Check out more musings of a caps fan at http://moremusingsofacapsfan.blogspot.com

Backstrom & Johansson Sign New Contracts

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:44:00 +0000

Photo by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Today, the Washington Capitals announced that they had signed two players; 1st-line center Nicklas Backstrom, who was signed to a contract extension, and 2009 draft pick Marcus Johansson, who was signed for a three-year entry level contract. Both are Swedish, and both play center.

Nicklas Backstrom recently came off a career-best 101 point season, where he had 33 goals and 68 assists. His 101 points were good for #4 in the NHL, behind Henrik Sedin (112 points), Alexander Ovechkin (109 points), and Sidney Crosby (109 points). Backstrom has almost always played as center for Ovechkin, and the two are great friends. Together, their 210 points are the highest total points for a pair of players in the NHL.

Nicklas Backstrom’s new contract is for 10 years and $67 million, with a very reasonable salary-cap hit of $6.7 million a year. With this decade contract, the Capitals ensure that they will have both Backstrom and Ovechkin playing together until the 2020-2021 season, when Backstrom’s contract expires. Backstrom could have easily gotten $7+ million a year, but with this good deal, he allows the Capitals to keep the team together more easily. Also, having Backstrom at 6.7 million a year is a good indicator for whatever contract Alexander Semin might receive; with Backstrom getting an average of 6.7 million a year, Alexander Semin, who gets fewer points but more goals, could, at most, get the same amount… but possibly less. Whether or not a long term extension their works out remains to be seen.

Marcus Johansson was chosen by the Washington Capitals with the 24th pick in last year’s NHL Draft; he is a 19-year-old Swedish center. Johansson hasn’t exactly lit up the Swedish hockey leagues, scoring 10 goals and 10 assists in 42 games in his most recent season; however, in the 2010 World Junior championships, he served as captain for Team Sweden, and scored 1 goal and 5 assists in 5 games, as well as getting 29 penalty minutes. Whether his performance in the World Junior championships was a fluke, or his teammates in the Swedish leagues aren’t at the same level…. Johansson will play in Hershey next season. Should he show promise, he could very well be a 2nd or 3rd line center with the Caps sometime in the future; of course, so could Mathieu Perreault (a Canadian center currently playing in Hershey) or Anton Gustafsson (another Swedish center, loaned to the Swedish league from Hershey so that he could get more playing time). The center position is currently the weakest for the Caps, and having at least 3 prime prospects for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th line centers as well as the option to use players like Eric Belanger, Boyd Gordon, or David Steckel gives the Capitals plenty of players to fill those positions.

3rd Round Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Sun, 16 May 2010 19:28:00 +0000

Photo by Dave Sandford / Getty Images

Round 3 of the NHL 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs start today. The conference finals are the last stop before the Stanley Cup Finals, and 4 teams are battling for 2 spots in the Stanley Cup Finals. Thankfully, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 2, so I really have few grudges against any of these teams…

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia Flyers (#7) vs. Montreal Canadiens (#8)

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (#1) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (#2)

And here are the Musings of a Caps Fan 3rd Round playoff predictions….

Eastern Conference

Montreal Canadiens in 6

Western Conference

Chicago Blackhawks in 7

Jaroslav Halak & Co. have faced the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal and have not flinched. The Philadelphia Flyers, with goalie issues (regardless of how well Michael Leighton has been for 2.5 games) among their problems, simply are not in the same class as the Capitals or the Penguins. Meanwhile, Chicago is just more deep than San Jose… but the series could go either way.

I hope I do better in this round….

2nd Round Predictions – In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Sun, 16 May 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Photo by Elsa / Getty Images

Alright, the second round is done. Round 3 begins today. How did the Musings of a Caps Fan 2ndround playoff predictions fare?

Here were the predictions, and the results (1 point for winning team, 1 point for games played)….

Picks	Winner	# of Games	____ out of 2
*Eastern Conference*
Montreal Canadiens in 6	Montreal Canadiens	7 Games	1 out of 2
Boston Bruins in 6	Philadelphia Flyers	7 Games	0 out of 2
*Western Conference*
Detroit Red Wings in 6	San Jose Sharks	5 Games	0 out of 2
Chicago Blackhawks in 7	Chicago Blackhawks	6 Games	1 out of 2

FINAL SCORECARD

2 out of 8 possible points

So, in total, I guessed 2 out of 4 winners correctly, and never guessed the amount of games played in a series correctly. Eh, it was ok. The Flyers came back from a 0-3 series deficit, which has happened all of 3 times before in major sports. The Sharks finally had Joe Thornton and the top line wake up, somewhat. But, I did get the Canadiens right!

Stay tuned for round 3rd round picks….

Playoff Update (5/13/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Thu, 13 May 2010 19:52:00 +0000

Photo by Dave Sandford / Getty Images

Series Standings…

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (#4) vs. Montreal Canadiens (#8)	Canadiens win 4-3
Boston Bruins (#6) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (#7)	Tied 3-3

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (#1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (#5)	Sharks win 4-1
Chicago Blackhawks (#2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (#3)	Blackhawks win 4-2

The Musings of a Caps Fan 2nd round playoff predictions….

Eastern Conference

Montreal Canadiens in 6 Montreal Canadiens in 7

Canadiens win 4-3

Boston Bruins in 6

Bruins tied 3-3

Western Conference

~~Detroit Red Wings in 6~~ San Jose Sharks in 5

Red Wings lose 1-4

Chicago Blackhawks in 7 Chicago Blackhawks in 6

Blackhawks win 4-2

The following teams have been eliminated from the playoffs....

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins, eliminated in 7 games by the Montreal Canadiens

New Jersey Devils, eliminated in 5 games by the Philadelphia Flyers

Ottawa Senators, eliminated in 6 games by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres, eliminated in 6 games by the Boston Bruins

Washington Capitals, eliminated in 7 games by the Montreal Canadiens

Western Conference

Vancouver Canucks, eliminated in 6 games by the Chicago Blackhawks

Detroit Red Wings, eliminated in 5 games by the San Jose Sharks

Colorado Avalanche, eliminated in 6 games by the San Jose Sharks

Nashville Predators, eliminated in 6 games by the Chicago Blackhawks

Los Angeles Kings, eliminated in 6 games by the Vancouver Canucks

Phoenix Coyotes, eliminated in 7 games by the Detroit Red Wings

Yesterday’s Scores

The Montreal Canadiens vanquished the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 with a fabulous 5-2 win in Mellon Arena.
The Philadelphia Flyers forced Game 7 with a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins.

The Montreal Canadiens Strike Again

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Thu, 13 May 2010 19:43:00 +0000

Photo by Dave Sandford / Getty Images

Two weeks to the day after stunning the Washington Capitals, 2-1 in Game 7 to win their first round series 4-3, the Montreal Canadiens, Les Habitants (or Habs) as they are sometimes known, stunned yet another crowd, this time at Mellon Arena is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Canadiens vanquished the reigning Stanley Cup champions, 5-2, and left the Pittsburgh Penguins stunned. For the second time in a row, the Habs came back from a deficit in their series and won the crucial Game 7. This is no fluke. The Canadiens just are this good.

The Montreal Canadiens did it all. Their goalie, “Client” Jaroslav Halak, was a brick wall when it mattered. The defense simply shut down Sidney Crosby, who only managed 1 goal and 4 assists through 7 games. The Habs scored enough to win, and the Penguins’ Marc-Andre Fleury continued his ho-hum play from the regular season.

What does this win mean for the Washington Capitals? Well, first of all…. some of the harsh criticism of the Caps is unjustified. After the Caps loosing Game 7, there was a feeling that they lost to a far inferior opponent, that they didn’t try to win. Now, with the Montreal Canadiens winning another series the same way, perhaps….. the Montreal Canadiens really just are this good. I find it impossible that both the Caps and the Pens choked.

Anyway, this now raises the question…. “Which team did better in 7 games against the Canadiens?” I will definitely answer this question…. in a bit.

In a final note: This was the last Pittsburgh Penguins game that will be played in Mellon Arena. The Pens will move to the brand-new Consol Energy Center starting next season. Funnily enough, the first game played a Mellon Arena by the Penguins, in 1967, was a 2-1 Montreal Canadiens win. The final game played there by the Pens was a 5-2 Montreal Canadiens win, in 2010. There’s something poetic about that…..

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same….

Why the lack of posts?

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:15:00 +0000

Photo by Richard Wolowicz / Getty Images

Hello fellow hockey fans and readers of Musings of a Caps Fan, I realize that there has been a drought of posts recently. Well…. I’m taking a step or two back considering that the Capitals have been eliminated. Once we get closer to the draft and the awards, I will hopefully find more Capitals-related stuff to write about…. but, for now, I am taking a short break. However, the Musings of a Caps Fan Twitter page, Musings_Tweets (LINK) is in full force will commentary from me. Follow or subscribe to the RSS if you wish!

Here is the latest in what’s been going on in the world of hockey…

Series Standings…

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (#4) vs. Montreal Canadiens (#8)	Tied 3-3
Boston Bruins (#6) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (#7)	Bruins lead 3-2

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (#1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (#5)	Sharks win 4-1
Chicago Blackhawks (#2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (#3)	Blackhawks lead 3-2

The Musings of a Caps Fan 2nd round playoff predictions….

Eastern Conference

Montreal Canadiens ~~in 6~~ Game 7 Thursday

Canadiens tied 3-3

Boston Bruins in 6

Bruins up 3-2

Western Conference

~~Detroit Red Wings in 6~~ San Jose Sharks in 5

Red Wings lose, 1-4

Chicago Blackhawks in 7

Blackhawks up 3-2

The following teams have been eliminated from the playoffs....

Eastern Conference

New Jersey Devils, eliminated in 5 games by the Philadelphia Flyers

Ottawa Senators, eliminated in 6 games by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres, eliminated in 6 games by the Boston Bruins

Washington Capitals, eliminated in 7 games by the Montreal Canadiens

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings, eliminated in 5 by the San Jose Sharks

Colorado Avalanche, eliminated in 6 by the San Jose Sharks

Nashville Predators, eliminated in 6 by the Chicago Blackhawks

Los Angeles Kings, eliminated in 6 by the Vancouver Canucks

Phoenix Coyotes, eliminated in 7 by the Detroit Red Wings

THE MONTREAL CANADIENS STRIKE AGAIN…

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz / Getty Images) Yes! The Montreal Canadiens, who vanquished the Washington Capitals in 7 games in the first round, are on the brink of doing it again. The Montreal Canadiens, with a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, are going to be playing another Game 7, this time in Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, with a trip to the Eastern Conference finals at stake. Honestly, I will say that this success by the Habs lessens the questions that the Capitals went without a fight; the Montreal Canadiens really are this good. Or at least Jaroslav Halak is. By the way, Alexander Ovechkin’s 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) against the Canadiens in 7 games look a whole lot better than Sidney Crosby’s 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) against the Canadiens through 6 games. In fact, Crosby had a 7-game goal scoring drought that he snapped Tuesday night…..

GO HABS GO!

So, follow Musings of a Caps Fan on Twitter, and the posts will be back…. sooner or later!

Playoff Notebook (5/4/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:35:00 +0000

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Series Standings…

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (#4) vs. Montreal Canadiens (#8)	Tied 1-1
Boston Bruins (#6) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (#7)	Bruins lead 2-0

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (#1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (#5)	Sharks lead 2-0
Chicago Blackhawks (#2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (#3)	Tied 1-1

The Musings of a Caps Fan 2nd round playoff predictions….

Eastern Conference

Montreal Canadiens in 6

Canadiens tied 1-1

Boston Bruins in 6

Bruins up 2-0

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings in 6

Red Wings down 0-2

Chicago Blackhawks in 7

Blackhawks tied 1-1

The following teams have been eliminated from the playoffs....

Eastern Conference

New Jersey Devils, eliminated in 5 games by the Philadelphia Flyers

Ottawa Senators, eliminated in 6 games by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres, eliminated in 6 games by the Boston Bruins

Washington Capitals, eliminated in 7 games by the Montreal Canadiens

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche, eliminated in 6 by the San Jose Sharks

Nashville Predators, eliminated in 6 by the Chicago Blackhawks

Los Angeles Kings, eliminated in 6 by the Vancouver Canucks

Phoenix Coyotes, eliminated in 7 by the Detroit Red Wings

Yesterday’s Scores

A late rally by the Chicago Blackhawks allowed them to beat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-2, to tied up the series heading to Vancouver.
The Boston Bruins once again slipped by the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, to claim a 2-0 series lead heading to Philadelphia.

Tonight’s Action

San Jose Sharks – Detroit Red Wings, Game 3.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Montreal Canadiens, Game 3.

What went wrong?

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:35:00 +0000

Photo by Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

Well, its been about 5 days since the 2009-2010 Washington Capitals had their season tragically cut short in a Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. I’ve had time to reflect on the loss, read some interesting opinions as well as interviews from players as well as GMGM, and I’ve managed to calm down and add some perspective. It has become apparent truly how improbably Montreal’s victory was, and how just the slightest sliver of luck could have drastically altered this series for the Capitals. While there’s little we can do anymore but look toward the future, to next season…. here is my analysis of what went wrong for the powerhouse Washington Capitals….

Quite simply, a horrible case of bad luck.

In this series with the Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals scored only 1 goal for each of the last three games. Quite ironic for the league’s best offensive team, but it was also incredibly improbable. How improbable? Well, according to Mike Vogel, author of the blog Dump ‘n Chase, the last time the Washington Capitals went 3 consecutive games with only 1 goal each game, was in 2003. Back in 2003, Alexander Ovechkin was not yet a part of the Capitals organization, and the team was lead by such talents as Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig. In fact, the only person on both that team as well as the current roster was Boyd Gordon. Since then, the Caps have gone a full 479 NHL games without such an occurrence…. until the Caps – Habs playoff series. That is, without a doubt, plain bad luck.

Also, the Capitals powerplay went something like 1-for-33 this entire series. That is simply never likely to happen. A powerplay that has hummed along at about 25% for a few years now…. to suddenly drop to a 3% conversion rate is unthinkable. Somehow this occurred, but most of the time, it would not.

I believe that one of the reasons that Washington Capitals lost their first round series was horrible bad luck at the worst possible time. These things happen…. and, sadly, there is little one can do about it. Sometimes everything is clicking, and the puck seems to effortlessly go into the net – such was the Capitals’ play during their record 14-game win streak. Other times…. try as you might, the puck simply doesn’t go in. Too bad.

Jaroslav Halak would not budge.

It seemed that, throughout the series, individual players did not have much of an effect in the final outcome. I cannot pinpoint a single Montreal defenseman that shut down the Caps; and, argue as you might, you cannot pinpoint the Capitals’ offensive woes to a single player. In my view, the only individual who, without a doubt had an impact in the final outcome of this series was Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak.

Jaroslav Halak was simply outstanding in Games 5-7 in this series. In those games, he faced a combined 134 shots (44.6 shots per game), and incredibly, managed to stop 131 of them, good for a .978 save percentage. That is sensational, and is rare to see over a number of games. Somehow Halak did it, and I give him credit for him. Yes, the Canadiens blocked about as many shots as they allowed to the Caps, and yes, the Capitals could have perhaps shot better…. but still, you cannot diminish the impact that Jaroslav Halak had on this series.

The Capitals couldn’t adjust.

My last reason for the loss was that the Capitals just could not adjust to the Canadiens’ system of play. Montreal clearly choked the sides of the ice along the boards, which was usually where the Capitals would enter with the puck. At the slightest sign of offense, Jaroslav Halak would drop down and block the bottom of the net. Even though these were clear parts of Montreal’s game, the Capitals kept on entering on the sides, and kept on shooting down low on Halak. In Game 2, where the Capitals managed to get 6 goals on Halak, most all of the goals were scored by taking the puck down the middle and shooting to the top shelf on Halak…. and he didn’t have a chance. One would figure that this style of play would have continued for the Caps in later games, but for some reason it did not. Would have an adjustment in play have saved the Caps this series? Perhaps. But there’s no use in crying over spilled milk.

Coming up next: What should we do now?

Playoff Notebook (5/3/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Netty) — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:37:00 +0000

Photo by Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Series Standings…

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (#4) vs. Montreal Canadiens (#8)	Tied 1-1
Boston Bruins (#6) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (#7)	Bruins lead 1-0

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (#1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (#5)	Sharks lead 2-0
Chicago Blackhawks (#2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (#3)	Canucks lead 1-0

The Musings of a Caps Fan 2nd round playoff predictions….

Eastern Conference

Montreal Canadiens in 6

Canadiens tied 1-1

Boston Bruins in 6

Bruins up 1-0

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings in 6

Red Wings down 0-2

Chicago Blackhawks in 7

Blackhawks down 0-1

The following teams have been eliminated from the playoffs....

Eastern Conference

New Jersey Devils, eliminated in 5 games by the Philadelphia Flyers

Ottawa Senators, eliminated in 6 games by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres, eliminated in 6 games by the Boston Bruins

Washington Capitals, eliminated in 7 games by the Montreal Canadiens

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche, eliminated in 6 by the San Jose Sharks

Nashville Predators, eliminated in 6 by the Chicago Blackhawks

Los Angeles Kings, eliminated in 6 by the Vancouver Canucks

Phoenix Coyotes, eliminated in 7 by the Detroit Red Wings

Yesterday’s Scores

The Montreal Canadiens, lead by Jaroslav Halak and Mike Cammalleri, beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-1, to even their series at 1-1.
The San Jose Sharks, lead by Joe Pavelski, beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead. Playing on the Detroit tradition of throwing an octopus onto the ice before playoff games, a San Jose fan threw a shark with a baby octopus inside its mouth onto the ice Sunday. Epic.

Tonight’s Action

Chicago Blackhawks – Vancouver Canucks, Game 2.
Boston Bruins – Philadelphia Flyers, Game 2.

Montreal Canadiens in 6 Montreal Canadiens in 7	Canadiens win 4-3
Boston Bruins in 6	Bruins tied 3-3

~~Detroit Red Wings in 6~~ San Jose Sharks in 5	Red Wings lose 1-4
Chicago Blackhawks in 7 Chicago Blackhawks in 6	Blackhawks win 4-2

Montreal Canadiens ~~in 6~~ Game 7 Thursday	Canadiens tied 3-3
Boston Bruins in 6	Bruins up 3-2

~~Detroit Red Wings in 6~~ San Jose Sharks in 5	Red Wings lose, 1-4
Chicago Blackhawks in 7	Blackhawks up 3-2

Montreal Canadiens in 6	Canadiens tied 1-1
Boston Bruins in 6	Bruins up 2-0

Detroit Red Wings in 6	Red Wings down 0-2
Chicago Blackhawks in 7	Blackhawks tied 1-1