Monday Caps Clips
by J.P. on Mar 9, 2009 6:43 AM EDT
in Caps Clips
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Let's hit the links:
- WaPo recap and blog; WaTimes recap and blog.
- GDub on "Today in Sidney Crosby bashing." [Puck Daddy]
- Is Ted Leonsis talking about corporate America or Michael Nylander's contract? [Ted's Take]
- For some there's "Five Hole: Tales of Hockey Erotica." For others, there's Habs Eyes on the Prize. [NY Times (h/t dezlboy)]
- "The funniest part I think is the questioning of Cherry's credentials as a fountain of knowledge on hockey. Taking a look at his career he's basically Bruce Boudreau." And if Bruce Boudreau was given five minutes every week to spew jingoistic, xenophobic crap to an entire nation, it would be equally ridiculous. [PPP]
- "Since 1996, every Stanley Cup champion has finished among the top five in the regular-season standings." The Caps had better hold on, eh? [About.com]
- Yes, it's pretty much mid-March already, but one last reflection on Alex Ovechkin's fantastic February. [USA Today]
- If you don't want to read career projections that "look a fair bit more optimistic for Crosby than for Ovechkin," don't click on this link. [Globe and Mail]
- The Caps are Steve Holt. [Ms. Conduct h/t PD]
- Luckily for AO, he has a day job that he's pretty good at. [DC Sports Bog]
- Is a Michael Nylander buyout imminent? [TFP]
- Remembering the garbage-in/garbage-out days of yore, on this date back in 2006 the Caps traded Jeff Friesen, traded for Kris Beech (ok, not exactly) and claimed Rico Fata off of waivers.
- Finally, happy 45th birthday to Phil Housley, who had the lowest single season points per game of his career for the 1997-98 Caps.
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3 things
1) Yes, they better hold on to a top-5 spot, although I’m not expecting a cup this year. And I think they will, hopefully yesterday afternoon was a turning point in this mini-slump of theirs.
2) I find it very hard to believe Ovie will never score 50 goals again, or reach 100 points after this year. Which is the projection by Ryder in that G&M article. Maybe he’s right, but I just shook my magic 8 ball and it said, “Not Likely”.
3) All this Nyls buyout talk…that doesn’t seem like it’s a very smart thing for ownership to be leaking, if true of course. Why buyout Nyls and have “dead” cap space? They shoulda learned that no-no from the smoothly running organization over in Landover. If he can be incorporated into the roster he’s probably more valuable than $2M of nothing. We already have that, it’s called Shaone Morrisonn. Look for a trade, if not just keep him.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 8:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree that the buyout talk is premature. I mean, this team was hamstrung a bit by Ben Clymer’s relatively tiny buyout – I’m not sure there’s a need to voluntarily play with a significantly lower salary cap than your competition.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 9, 2009 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can't believe I'm suggesting this
Might it be a better idea to have Nyls as the first line center? He could certainly contribute there, and we know that Nicky and Le Lapin can work well together on the 2nd line. Maybe it’s safer to put Nyls up top where he can work with Ovie? Just an idea.
Much rather trade him though.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
in theory, not bad. but that would mean a holy heck of a lot of ice time. no thanks!
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 9, 2009 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Nyls is terrible with Ovi, personally. He seems incapable of playing at Ovi’s pace, and it’s been awful when he’s played the wing with 8 and 19. I don’t think he’s much better with Semin, but not as bad.
I think he’s worth buying out after this season. $2m in dead cap space is bad, but $4m is worse. But hey, I’ll keep an open mind.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was going with centering Ovi, not playing the wing. I think that experiment was f’n horrible.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Understood. I just don’t think it’ll make a difference whether he is centering or on the wing. The problem is that he doesn’t go up and down the ice very well, and that’s what you have to do on Ovie’s line. He might be able to make good outlet passes, but the same would have been true with him when on the wing. He is a boat anchor on that line.
And the whole ice time thing would be a problem too, IMO. I wish there were a way to utilize him better but I just don’t see it. He’s useless unless he plays on a scoring line and he’s even been useless there this year.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
he was also basically a PPG player as Ovie’s center last year till he got hurt.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
… under Glen Hanlon’s system, mostly.
Big difference.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 9, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I understand
I’m just throwing it out there…still trying to make lemonade.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Amen to that.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 9, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
All this Nyls buyout talk…that doesn’t seem like it’s a very smart thing for ownership to be leaking, if true of course. Why buyout Nyls and have "dead" cap space? They shoulda learned that no-no from the smoothly running organization over in Landover. If he can be incorporated into the roster he’s probably more valuable than $2M of nothing.
The logic to buying out Nylander and having dead cap space is that, since his buyout hit would be 1.45 million, the team might be able to use the 3.525 million they’d save more efficiently than keeping Nylander around. I don’t know that it’s that cut-and-dry per se, but 3.5 million will get you a pretty good player.
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely
You can get a mighty fine player for the $3.5. You can also get one for the $1.45 you’re throwing away. I don’t think the Caps are in a position where they can just have that money on the books for 4 years and not have it contribute to anything. There will be too many re-signings that need to happen to keep this core together to let that cash go to waste.
Trade him or play him…you don’t have to trade him for anything really, just get him off the ledger.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am willing to bet that the team has tried trading him for absolutely nothing to any team that he’d waive his NMC to join. Hopefully during the summer he’ll be easier to move when teams have more open cap space, but I just don’t think any sane GM will take on that contract.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m sure they did try. And I’m sure that they’ll try again over the summer hopefully. I think that there are some systems out there that Nyls would be pretty damn good in…Hitchcock and Lemaire come to mind…but the cap hit is big and Nyls NMC is an uber-PITA.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
but why trade for him when you can wait for the caps to buy him out, then sign him at a cut-rate price?
especially considering nyls’ NMC, a trade is only different from a free agent signing in that you’re not signing him on your terms.
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 9, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You can get a mighty fine player for the $3.5. You can also get one for the $1.45 you’re throwing away.
I guess the question is whether the 3.5 in space over the next two years is worth more than the $1.45 the two years after that. I’d expect the cap to remain essentially stagnant next year, then decrease slightly, then rise higher than where it is now, so that’s a factor too.
Although I haven’t given too much thought to how the Capitals cap situation will look next year, I do think they should be able to keep Nylander around and buy him out at the end of next season, in which case they’d only have to deal with a very manageable 500,000 dollar hit for the next several years.
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You definitely want to avoid any dead cap space at all. The Leafs will still have $1M tied up in Tucker’s buyout and will have it for the next three seasons. $1M might not seem like much but it’s definitely more than most people make it out to be.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Mar 9, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s about $1M more than people make it out to be, it seems…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 9, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s not even the 2 years prior I’m worried about. Nyls would either be here, or he’d be bought out. But those next 2 years are just freakin’ killer when you’re a team trying to bring up young talent under a salary cap, and have $1.45 on the books for nothing. Think about the young guys in those 2 years…Carlson, Alzner, Varlamov, Neuvirth, Osala, Bourque, shit @ the end of those 4 years Mike Green will be an RFA again…do you really want that dead space hanging over your budget?
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
“The funniest part I think is the questioning of Cherry’s credentials as a fountain of knowledge on hockey. Taking a look at his career he’s basically Bruce Boudreau.” And if Bruce Boudreau was given five minutes every week to spew jingoistic, xenophobic crap to an entire nation, it would be equally ridiculous.
That made me laugh outloud… thanks PPP
As for Nyls skating on the first line, no thanks… One sure way to ensure that Ovi doesn’t get 50/100 next year is to put him on the same line as Nyls.
I think that they can keep him around, and they’ll need too, but there needs to be some soul searching by both sides to make it happen.
by Sct112 on Mar 9, 2009 9:44 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Except of course for the fact that Bruce was actually a pretty good hockey player, even if it was in the A; while Cherry, well, was not.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s more a comparison of their evolution from AHL player to AHL coach to Jack Adams winner.
And if Bruce Boudreau was given five minutes every week to spew jingoistic, xenophobic crap to an entire nation, it would be equally ridiculous.
I actually had a sentence about how if Boudreau stops being able to speak English in 20 years while on NBC’s intermission show then the comparison becomes even more apt.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Mar 9, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Q. What’s the difference between Phil Housley and a road cone on the ice?
A. You have to skate around the road cone.
by MikeL-Caps on Mar 9, 2009 9:47 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yeah that Arrested Development analogy link was fantastic.
by Sombrero Guy on Mar 9, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
To be read while humming “The Final Countdown.”
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 9, 2009 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1 because that started playing in my head as soon as I saw GOB’s picture.
Very appropriate today since last night I was wondering there was some way I could work Mr. Bananagrabber into this blog somehow. Oh, what the hell….
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can’t hear that song without thinking about GOB
by Sombrero Guy on Mar 9, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can't believe there is even any consideration
Is a Michael Nylander buyout imminent? HELL YES. Does anyone thing this guy is suddenly going to get better?
Over the four year buyout period you are saving cap space, $3.4M each year in the first two years and then you are dead for 1.4M in the final two years. That’s a net of $4M saved in cap space over the four year buyout.
And really, is the $4.875M over the next two years not dead space?
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Mar 9, 2009 3:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yes it’s more total, but timing is important. The Capitals shouldn’t have trouble getting under the cap next year: Fedorov, Morrisonn, Kozlov, and Brashear are all likely out the door or re-signed for less. On the other hand, once you hit 2011 things get pretty hairy.
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wouldn’t it be nice to have banked cap space next year instead of being up against it come trade deadline? Without Nylander and Clark bought out, they are near maxed out. I am assuming no Mo and resigning Kozlov near 2.5M and Fehr near 1.0M, with Pothier playing at 2.5M.
Things do get pretty hairy in 2011, but that is also a year we save 3.4M against the cap. That would buy us an extra year to figure out how to fit all the key pieces in and for (cheap) replacement parts to be available from Hershey.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Mar 9, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
When I said 2011, I meant the 2011-12 season (my bad for not clarifying).
The team has about 10 million in cap space next season. So if they get Flash, Fehr, Schultz, and Gordon signed for $5 million (total) and a backup goalie for about a million, and a couple of guys like Beagle, A. Gordon, Bourque, to fill out the roster, they’re probably still 2-3 mil under the cap, which would give them the flexibility to afford just about anyone at the next trade deadline.
(note: these are all quick calculations, so I may be missing something)
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Flash is signed for 725k.
Gordon – 1M?
Fehr – 1.25M?
Schultz – 2M?
Sounds like 5M. Ok, that should get us 2-3M under the cap. Now what do we do about the fact that Nylander and Clark will actually have to play?
I will give Clark one more shot, but he better not take the ice until he’s healthy. Nylander though…is old getting older, slow getting slower. Others have opined that he actually made Ovie/Backstrom worse when he was on that line. And he’s going to be our 2nd line center?
Buy him out and we can spend that money getting a decent 2nd line center, leaving us with Steckel, Gordon, Laich, et.al. to man the 3rd/4th line.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Mar 9, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m with you 100% on this one Mac. I’d rather have to deal with the consequences of the buyout in the future than waste Nylander’s contract money the next two years when the Caps are really in their ideal cup window (aka before push comes to shove with Semin and Backstrom). That extra cap space could go a long way in getting a real 2nd line center – maybe not someone with as many career points as Nyls, but someone who fits the system and will play with the energy the rest of the roster does.
And allow me to say that I would love nothing more than to see Cammaleri on that 2nd line. Probably a dream, though.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
….I think I’ll have to pass on the guy going apeshit in his UFA year as he looks to break the bank. Isn’t he a wing anyway?
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Mar 9, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wing, center, what’s the difference? Admittedly I didn’t realize that he was doing so well this year, I just think with his wheels and his hands, he could wreak havoc in BB’s system.
Point is, there are a lot of guys out there that could fill that 2nd line C role a lot better than Nyls could with a better cap hit. And if the Caps actually were able to get involved in free agency, they might find that guys really want to come play in DC.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oops…wing/center comment definitely needed a sarcastic emoticon.
And as for FAs, I think the guys that will want to play in DC the most are exactly the kind of guys that will thrive in BB’s system.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He is going apeshit
However, he’s got pretty good stats over his entire career. Certainly good enough for a 2nd line C. It’s not like he’s suddenly become a good player. He plays wing with Calgary, I’m not sure if he played C or not when he was in LA.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i appreciate what he is doing right now, but i don’t see the caps remotely interested in signing a guy who is probably a better wing than center, 5-9 and a buck-eighty-five, for $4-5M+ a year. disagree?
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Mar 9, 2009 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, don’t really disagree. More of a pipe dream. But I do think there are plenty of options out there better than Nylander for $3-4m. When I have some time I’ll take a gander at that list and try to come up with some.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
sorry…continued….
the problem with FA is you generally have to overpay for the marquee guys. we need someone out there with potential, but who has shown enough in the past. diamonds in the rough. easier said than done i guess, eh?
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Mar 9, 2009 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Diamonds in the rough are certainly the way to go. But there is a reason you have to pay for the marquee guys, they’ve proven themselves.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Mike Komisarek
Greg Zanon
Dmitri Kalinan
Rob Scuderi
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think Bergeron, Komisarek or Zanon would be diamonds in the rough.
I’d vote Vernon Fiddler and Kurtis Foster.
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m just picking…assuming a ~Mo-like salary or less.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thinking more of “value” than the “diamond in the rough” ideal. Mainly because my big problem with Mo is that he’s a poor value @ $2M. So I’m looking for guys who seem to earn their salary.
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You can thank the arbitrator and whatever he was smoking that day for that.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Mar 9, 2009 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Komisarek’s getting 4.5-5.25 a year as a free agent.
I stand with Fiddler and Foster.
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well he ain’t getting it from my team. He’s really gonna make Mike Green money?
by wittcap79 on Mar 9, 2009 8:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think if you look at what the free agent market where Hainsey got 4.5 mil/year, Commodore got 3.75 mil/year, Orpik got 3.75 mil/year, and Jeff Finger 3.5 mil/year, I think Komisarek will be very well paid. My initial thoughts were in the 4-4.5 range but I’ve heard people speculating he’s going to get over 5, so I’ve sort of adjusted upwards.
But if approaches Green, it’s mostly because Green is probably the most underpaid player in the NHL, aside of guys still on their entry deals.
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Do you think the imending flattening/falling cap will have any effect on these contracts? Granted, every time NHL GMs start talking about fiscal responsibility they spend like there’s no tomorrow, but I really wonder how many teams are going to be looking at big money deals this offseason.
Good point about Green. His play this year has made GMGM look like a genius, yet again.
by grapejoos on Mar 9, 2009 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s ridiculous how far ahead of other defensemen Green is in terms of offensive production.
I think the cap will temper things a little but I also think Komisarek is going to be the second most sought-after defenseman this offseason, after Bouwmeester. All it takes is one general manager out there who decides a guy is the solution to all his problems or to overvalue someone for them to get a crazy contract (ex: Redden; Finger in the NHL, Alex Rodriguez in baseball).
by David M. Getz on Mar 9, 2009 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 22 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
|
Atlanta
|
12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 13 |
|
Florida
|
14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 11 |
|
Carolina
|
15 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 7 |
(updated 11.7.2009 at 9:10 AM EST)
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