While the eyes of the hockey world are still on Turin, most of the NHL that remained on this side of the pond for the fortnight is back to work today, and that includes your nation's Capitals. In case you've forgotten how the team is doing, Dave Fay has a decidedly pessimistic article about what looms ahead for the team:

What started as the great experiment to rebuild a team after the massive salary dump of 2003-04 has sputtered to a crawl. The club, already woefully thin in experienced players, has been decimated by injuries and at times let down by performances by veterans.

It has been a trying season, and it is about to get worse.

Sweet. We missed you too, Dave!

On a much more positive note, the Toronto Star believes that Alex Ovechkin might already be the world's greatest player (there's always room for one more on the AO bandwagon, so welcome aboard). In the article, the Star asks Wayne Gretzky his thoughts on the matter and though he seems to have misconstrued the question, he responds that "Right now, there's no question he's the most exciting. When he wins four Stanley Cups, I'll put him up there." Gretz was behind the opposing bench when Alex scored "The Goal" and was in the press box yesterday when AO knocked Canada out of the Olympics, so he's had a pretty good look at what Alex can do. For now, I'll take "inarguably the most exciting" from the Great One.

Finally, I'd like to debut a new feature in the Roundup, unabashedly ripped off of the "Fan Post of the Day" over at Abel to Yzerman. So, without further ado...

Thread of the Day: Poll: How Do You Feel About The Heward & Muir Contracts?