The Dearly Departed
by J.P. on Jan 22, 2009 2:26 PM EST
Email
Print
Whomever said "parting is such sweet sorrow" (some guy named Bill, I think) obviously didn't have 2007-08's Matt Pettinger on his roster.
Picking up on where this morning's wildly successful post didn't take us, after the jump is a brief look at a handful of guys who played for the Caps last season but are no longer with us (in the hockey sense) and how they're doing this year.
Matt Cooke
#24 / Left Forward / Pittsburgh Penguins
5-11
205
Sep 07, 1978
First year of 2 year/$2.4m deal
Cristobal Huet
#38 / Goalie / Chicago Blackhawks
6-1
205
Sep 03, 1975
First year of 4 year/$22.5m deal
Matt Pettinger
#24 / Left Forward / Tampa Bay Lightning
6-1
205
Oct 22, 1980
Third year of 3 year/$3m deal
Anyone you're dying to have back?
43 comments
|
Add comment
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
The 2nd that became Cristo, no less.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Olie!
Lordy but is he stinkin’ ’em up or what? Only 8 games in the whole 1st half, too. Olie, my bud, time to hang the skates up.
“Anyone you’re dying to have back?” I wouldn’t call it dying, but I do kind of regret saying bye to Christo-Ball.
You know what one of the key signs is that a GM is good at what he does? When he lets a player go, they don’t blow up and become stars on their new team. As the above list shows, nobody who GMGM has given up on has turned out to be an undeveloped gem (and I don’t count Huet who snuck out of town like the Colts moving vans). You know what’s also a good sign of a GM who knows what he’s doing? Players who were on another team’s scrap heap and then develop into solid starters for their new team. How about a list of the guys who McPhee picked up for a song that are now important players for the Caps?
The Caps gave Oduya plenty of time to show to show his stuff. They drafted him in 2001 and they let him go in 2006. I think most teams would have given up after that amount of time. And it’s not like his 12 goals in three years with NJ is causing Caps management to lose sleep. He’s a good serviceable defenseman, but then again most defensemen in the NJ system seem to do well. I don’t know how he’d do with the Caps run and gun offense.
We drafted him in 2001. Never offered him a contract or anything.
I have as many wins in a Capitals uniform as Michael Belhumeur does.
Oduya
…was a victim of bad timing and the NHL’s new 50-contract limit. After he came to the Caps’ rookie camp and stuck it up pretty bad, he made a serious effort to radically change his game to be more in tone with the new rules. However, the Capitals had their first wave of prospects come in for contracts that year, and Oduya qualified more as an older prospect who still would need some developmental time at the NHL level than a journeyman mentor, which was what the Caps were looking for. With the 50-contract limit, the Caps decided they needed to spend that elsewhere, and Oduya signed an entry-level deal with New Jersey, who desperately needed defensemen. Oduya was sent down to the AHL level after training camp, but after an injury, he was recalled and stuck.
But I wouldn’t call Oduya someone who “blew up and became a star.” He’s a good defensive player on a team that plays a very conservative defensive style of play. If that’s the worst player-who-got-away for McPhee, then he’s doing pretty damn good.
Honestly wouldn’t mind having Cooke back. Partially, so the Pens wouldn’t have him. Partially, because I wish we had a little more grit.
Football's boring. Get over it.
I’m throwing cap numbers out the window. At that hit, likely not. But if mo’s making 1.9 mil, and emi’s making 1.2, (Knowing they aren’t the same position or play style) I think Cooke is worth around 1.0 mil.
Salary cap causes nothing but problems, sometimes.
Football's boring. Get over it.
$1.2m is a bargain for a first-line winger these days. :)
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Cooke replaced Ruutu and so far has two less suspensions this season. He’s mis-cast in his sure to be brief stint as a 1st liner, but he does have 10g, 20a per year in him.
Bradley’s contributions are not nearly as quantifiable on the stat sheet
season to date, Jose and Olie have identical save percentages. Not that I’d rather have Olie back, and Jose is certainly trending up but just pointing it out.
Jose is an upgrade though, he had a slow start but it seems we have the true Jose we wanted now. Olie couldn’t adapt to Boudreau’s system, Jose has and Varlamov is growing up in it. I’m a huge Olie fan, but I am a fan of winning and I just don’t feel Olie could get the job with this team.
by CapitalsKremlin on Jan 22, 2009 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
We’re all big Olie fans but he was done like dinner at about this time last year. Career = over. What he’s putting himself through now is a crying shame. And entirely unnecessary.
Joe-Zay appears to have some mileage left in him, in my opinion. [knock on wood, rub the rabbit’s foot, nuzzle the four leaf clover, etc.]
I would take Cooke back, mainly because I do feel like we would benefit from one more ‘sandpaper’ guy in the lineup, but there’s no special affinity towards Cooke. A role like that could easily be addressed and filled by someone else.
I have as many wins in a Capitals uniform as Michael Belhumeur does.
Cooke
I wouldn’t mind having Cooke around. He adds some toughness, some grit, and is a pretty good penalty killer. He also gives an honest effort every shift. He’ll never be a 40 goal guy, but guys like him can be integral parts of a Stanley Cup team. He’s pretty much the same player as Kris Draper in Detroit…
Speaking of Detroit
How is Brad Stuart? I saw him go head first into the boards in front of Kris Draper. It looked pretty bad.
Football's boring. Get over it.
by Whiter Mage on Jan 23, 2009 10:27 PM EST up reply actions
Something to say? Choose one of these options to log in.
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
54 | 26 | 17 | 11 | 63 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
57 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
54 | 24 | 24 | 6 | 54 |
|
Carolina
|
56 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 51 |
(updated 2.12.2012 at 8:46 AM EST)
The Vault
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Shut up about asterisks and Red Wings’ NHL home wins record chase
- The Phoenix Coyotes continue to complicate everything by winning
- As West playoff race gets tighter, Kings’ scoring woes far from disappearing
- Evan Trupp scores behind the net goal, stuns Las Vegas in ECHL (Video)
- Saturday’s Three Stars: Another Malkin 5-spot; Price spoils Sundin night
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
