2008-09 Rink Wrap: Jose Theodore
by David Getz on Jun 22, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
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PrintFrom Alzner to Varlamov, we're taking a look at and grading the 2008-09 season for every player who laced 'em up for the Caps for a significant number of games during the campaign, with an eye towards 2009-10. Next up, Jose Theodore.
Jose Theodore
#60 / Goalie / Washington Capitals
5-11
182
Sep 13, 1976
12
Cap hit of $4,500,000 in 2009-10; UFA after the 2009-10 season.
Key Stat: Theodore had a 2.52 goals against average and a .913 save percentage between December 26th and Match 31st and a 3.41 goals against average and .871 save percentage the rest of the season.
Interesting Stat: Theodore's goals against average and save percentage in Caps wins were 2.12 and .924; in losses they were 3.99 and .867.
The Good: As the numbers above indicate, the consistently inconsistent Theodore was good for much of the middle of the season and struggled at the beginning and the end of the campaign. While his numbers from that stretch of quality play are, on a whole, solid but not spectacular, it's important to note that there were a number of times Theo carried the Capitals to victory: one-goal-against performances against the Flyers on January 6th and March 12th, a 23-saves-on-24-shots outing against Boston in January, and a 27 save night against the Red Wings on January 31st among them.
It also ought to be mentioned that Theodore took Bruce Boudreau's decision to start Simeon Varlamov about well as could be expected. Sure he got a little testy with reporters after being asked about the situation repeatedly, but ultimately Theodore's decision to accept his new role as cheerleader let the team avoid a potentially ugly locker room situation and focus on their task at hand.
The Bad: By the numbers "The Bad" of Theodore's season was pretty much October, November, December, and April, stretches that resulted in him finishing 36th of 46 qualifying goalies in goals against average and save percentage. Beyond the numbers there's the question of how much confidence Theo's teammates had in him by the time he was benched in the team's first round playoff series against the Rangers. Of course to those of us who aren't in the locker room it's pure speculation, but as soon as Varlamov skated out to take his place in net in Game Two you had to wonder if it was due in part to a team that didn't have faith in their netminder's ability, a question that became even more intriguing when the team seemed to play looser and more relaxed in front of Varlamov, despite his lack of NHL experience and youth.
The Vote: Rate Theodore below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season - if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.
The Discussion: How actively, if at all, should the Capitals be shopping Theodore this offseason? Is it safe for the team to turn the goaltending reins over to some combination of inexperience and uncertainty with Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth and frailty in Brent Johnson (assuming he can be re-signed)? Or would it be worth it to the team to keep Theodore as an insurance policy? Finally, if the team does decide to try and move Theo, will they be able to find any takers and, if 'yes', who might they be?
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Love the guy…..love his expiring contract more
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jun 22, 2009 7:07 AM EDT reply actions
The bridge needs repair.
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
Yeah, because the alternatives were so much better.
by Bald Pollack on Jun 22, 2009 7:38 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Unfortnatly there are few options that look much better than another year of JT60. Like it or not the Caps are stuck with him another year.
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
two year bridge or not., I still expected Theo’s numbers to resemble something closer to 2.44 GAA and .910 save % that he had with Colorado in the previous season. I know they play a little more defensive, so I had some leeway built into my expectations but he gets a 4 from me for playing slightly below my expectations.
That being said, given the options of theo at the numbers above for 2 years, or Huet for 4 years, 10 times out of 10 I’ll take Theo.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Jun 22, 2009 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Don’t get me wrong, I gave him a 5, primarily because I think it took longer for him to get in sync with the defense than it should have (hence Johnson’s performance early on), but that 2.44 GAA was the first time he saw a sub-3 GAA post-lockout.
by Bald Pollack on Jun 22, 2009 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions
I gave him a 4 because I don’t think late December is how long it should have taken him to get up to speed.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 22, 2009 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions
voting early on is all over the place. i assigned a 3: what i expected (i.e. “good enough”) for much of the season, but then -1 for his late-season drop off and -1 for his game one no-show and subsequent benching. BB surely had a quick trigger in the playoffs, but the bottom line was theo riding the pine for 13 out of 14 postseason games…certainly we all expected more.
Jose staying
1) Jose was brought in to be the #1 guy until one of the two young guys could step up. Few ere expecting him to regain his Hart caliber stats of 2002, but most expected he’d at least be an upgrade of what Olie brought most of last year. He wasn’t.
2) Based on the fact that he lost his starters job when the team needed him most(the playoffs) gave him a 3.
3) Easy to say that GMGM should shop him. The alternatives aren’t all that impressive. Can’t go with expecting a rookie to play 60 or so games, and Johnson can’t be expected to be that guy either, coming off major surgery. So its a near certainty that JT60 will be on the caps roster come fall
4) To get a 10 next season he’d have to play consistently well ALL season (including the playoffs) Win 45+ games Have a GAA under 2.30 save % above 920(Basically a Vezina caliber season)
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
Statistically, Olie was 25-21-6/2.91/.892, so he was a slight upgrade. And I’d suggest your 10 is from at least two perspectives, the fact that he’s never going to be Kiprusoff, Nabokov, et al, plus there’s the whole prospect development issue.
by Bald Pollack on Jun 22, 2009 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions
*the 10 is unrealistic (still working on breakfast).
by Bald Pollack on Jun 22, 2009 7:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Theodore also benefitted more than Kolzig did in terms of the offense supporting him. JT had the benefit of a Caps team that scored more goals than in any season since 1993-1994.
If you've read this far...seek help.
I hope the 45+ wins includes the playoffs, because the record for regular season wins is sort just around the corner if a goalie gets that far.
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions
It would be one thing if he had mediocre regular season numbers and stepped up his game in the playoffs (hey, it worked for Chris Osgood, who had worse GAA and SV numbers than JT in the regular season). He didn’t, and in fact he hasn’t in any of his last three playoff seasons, although he did have a good series against Minnesota in 2008. Only once in five tries in his tenure as a full-time starter has he posted a GAA below 3.00 in the playoffs (2004).
If playoffs are all that matters for the Caps at this point, and that’s a reasonable conclusion in my opinion, then it’s an open question whether JT can be the guy. This will be one heckuva soap opera in the months ahead. Can JT find his playoff mojo? Is the Russian phenom still too green? Can Johnny recover from his hip surgery to give the Caps 25 solid games? And what about Neuvirth?
If you've read this far...seek help.
Simply put, I think we should run a tandem of Varlamov and Theodore. If one of them gets hurt, put in Neuvirth and Johnny (if he’s here) alternately to get them both time. Neuvirth’s the real ? mark, here. He’s proven that he can play with the boys (when prepared), and that he’s got next to nothing to prove at the AHL (consistency being the only thing I think of, going into next year). Is he going to balk at being a Bear, again? I don’t see him beating out either Varlamov or Theo, and, frankly, if he did, I doubt he’d make it simply due to his age. At the same time, I doubt he’ll beat out Varlamov, and, if he does, I think Varlamov has earned incumbency, so likely won’t go anywhere, unless hurt.
So i wouldn’t trade, waive, or threaten Theo in any way. I think we still need him.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 22, 2009 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions
I doubt that Neuvirth will balk at being a Bear again – it’s an improvement over this past season. Remember he was supposed to play overseas most of the year? It’s true he’s got very little left to prove at the AHL level, although maybe one more year as a Bear with appearances at the NHL level to get him used to the big time might be good. That way he doesn’t freeze again when thrown in unexpectedly.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
And Neuvirth started in the ECHL, and I don’t doubt he still would’ve been there, hoisting the Kelly Cup, if Johnson was ready to go.
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
And Johnson played well in the playoffs
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I gave him a 4 solely based on my expectations of his performance. I actually cheered and was very happy to see him signed as a FA instead of Huet, although primarily because the drastic different contract numbers, I thought performance wise they would be the same goalie. It became very hard to defend Theo during the early part of the season, he was flat out lousy. Here are some other numbers, Johnson, Neuvy and Varly were a combined 18-7 with 2.41gaa and .908sv, 2 rookies and guy playing with a bad hip. I was expecting Theo to produce top 10 numbers on this team and he was no where near those numbers. Theo was 34th in the league in GAA with goalies starting at least 30 games and was 34th in sv%. That’s just not good enough. We did finish the season with 50 wins and a record in season points but Theo wasn’t the reason why.
6
I think for the most part Theo has served his purpose, and will continue to serve it next year. He wasn’t brought in to win the Vezina again, he’s a glorified placeholder.
"And next year it will be ours."
For that contract, though, I’d expect better numbers and more “stolen games,” personally. It was tough to rate him as highly as 4.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 22, 2009 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Right, not nearly enough for that contract.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 22, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions
How do you rate if you had no idea what to expect? I would have preferred fewer soft goals, and a few more stolen games (not to mention a decent showing in the playoffs), so: 4.
I’d like to see Theo traded in the off season. I’m curious to see what BJ could do with a healthy hip (especially with Theo’s cost), and Neuvy and Varlamov both need playing time in the NHL next year. With 4 goaltenders and 2 slots I think the aging, expensive, underperforming veteran should go, but most general managers aren’t stupid, so it won’t be easy.
Who would be your potential targets?
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 22, 2009 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Crappy teams with tradeable assets looking to shed salary. Looking quickly at NHLNumbers, there are some pretty decent UFAs on teams that will probably be pretty bad next year
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jun 22, 2009 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
I have to think that Theodore’s trade value, given his inconsistent play over a number of teams and a number of seasons, is relatively low, and moreso given his performance in the playoffs. I’m more in favor of keeping him as a veteran backup to Varlamov this coming year, and playing next year by ear.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Guidelines for the rating system “four”-ced me into the grade I gave him.
Coming into this season, I did not expect much from JT. I expected an upgrade from Olie, and even from Huet, but I did not expect him to falter as much as he did when we needed him most. Now, I don’t know if it is fair of me to dock JT for his game played vs. NYR in the playoffs, since I didn’t agree with starting Varlamov in game 2… The question will always remain, would JT have bounced back.
Either way, I think he will be valuable to this team next season. The league learned a lot about SV40 in the playoffs, maybe too much, and I’m worried about what may happen if we rely on either Johnny or Varlamov for 60 games next season.
I’m curious to know how many times he gave up a goal on one of the first 3 shots or within the first 5 minutes of the game. That seemed to happen frequently in the beginning of the year especially.
I won’t blame him for April – the whole team took that month off.
I think at one point Joe B and Locker were commenting that the Caps had done it 8 times over the course of the season in November
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions
He got a 4. About what I expected, Three-or-More was the appropriate nickname. He was brilliant in a few games, and I was happy with his play in shootouts (looks like I only saw his 4-1/.846 home shootout record, not 0-3/.556 away). And the one year left on his contract is the best part.
But he needs to be a contributor next year, as I just don’t see Johnny coming back. I agree with DMG that he handled his playoff demotion with class, and frankly I could see the same role for him (majority of regular season, little to no playoffs). Would keep our young goalies fresh and uncharted.
Lowered Expectaaaaatiiiooooooooons
Theo did what he was brought in to do. I expect him to be shaky, considering the new system and young defensive corps in front of him, and falter at some point under the pressure he was under.
Pressure? Yes. He was brought onto a team that some have dubbed the most exciting team in hockey, and asked to hold the line long enough for the team to mature and move forward in the post season. I think, all in all, he handled himself well. Never expected him to be a top tier Goalie.
Gave him a 5, only because i couldn’t give a 4.5 (due to playoff meltdown).
Unsure about next season. The BJ hip surgery really troubles me, in regards to how consistent a backup he can be. Meh. GMGM will figure it out :)
Gave him a 6. I expected him to be terrible. A lot of the time he was. Some of the time he wasn’t.
This is the 2nd guy that I have to say the only way for him to be a 10 next year is to be playing for another team giving the team some cap relief.
by HateOffSeason on Jun 22, 2009 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions
At least you expected nothing from him. I, on the other hand, still have the recurring image in my head from the first game of the year in Atlanta where any shot from the right circle was going in. There were some nights when I thought the other team was shooting at a soccer goal.
And speaking of Atlanta, I still have a recurring image in my head from sitting in section 427 on fan appreciation day and having a perfect view of him missing the shot attempt at the empty net and handing in front to an Atlanta player for an empty net in OUR end (my are eyes rolling while I type this).
LOL – I remember watching that from 429 and shouting THEO!!!! at the top of my lungs (with a lot of other people). Fortunately, it didn’t matter.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
at least all you yelled was “THEO!!!!!!!!!!!” I let loose with “For fuck’s sake!” not realizing there were kids behind me. Whoops!
5
He was a streaky and inconsistent player coming in, and he was just that all season long. He does bring some good things to the team in that he is a good team guy (when he was benched he didn’t get upset until the media got all over him about it… ) You could see him talking and offering advice to Varly during the playoffs and when the Caps eliminated the Rangers, Theo was a part of the celebration. He is also a good guy in the community and he doesn’t cause problems in the locker room.
That said, his consistency is a big issue on a team that needs stability in the net. With the firepower the Caps have up front, the job of the goalie is to not lose games, not necessarily win them. Make the saves you’re supposed to, make the occasional brilliant save, and keep the team in the Game. He did that from mid-December through March and did it well. Once April came about, that was gone.
As for getting to a 10 next year… he would have to win the starting job in camp (unlikely) and produce a 2002 like season again (very unlikely). Of course, he might do that with a different team. The Caps should try to shop him around. He does have some value, and a team with a young starter looking for a veteran back up might be interested, esp. a team with a low cap number… LA might be a good fit as they have a young netminder in Quick who has a lot of promise. Theo may not be consistent on the ice, but off it, he is a top-notch teammate who will do whatever is needed for his team to win.
And from what I could see, he has his priorities in life straight. After the loss in Game 2, I was at dinner at Mortons in Tysons for my daughters 21st birthday, and Theo was there too with his family and his two young daughters, smiling and laughing as they enjoyed dinner together. Having a bad game 1 of the playoffs and being benched for game 2 was completely on the back-burner for him, as it should be.
Let's go Caps!
As I said above, Theo’s inconsistency will make his trade value relatively low.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Hey, even if the Caps only get $1 for him, the freeing up of $4.5M of Cap room is a good thing for someone who is likely to be (at best) a back up.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Jun 22, 2009 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions
The inconsistency doesn’t matter…the 4.5 million expiring contract does, and that matters much, much, much more than Theo’s play
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jun 22, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Hey, even if the Caps only get $1 for him, the freeing up of $4.5M of Cap room is a good thing for someone who is likely to be (at best) a back up.
The question becomes what the Capitals can do with that money. With the cap expected to drop after next season and Backstrom and Semin needing new contracts, they won’t want to spend it in free agency. They could go get a different guy with one year left on his contract but finding a guy like that, at a position the Caps want someone, one a team that’s willing to deal him for a price the Capitals would be willing to pay it a whole other issue.
You'd be smiling and laughing too if
you had over $9 million guaranteed for 2 years regardless if you screwed the pooch or not. Unlike Osgood, who was sent home during the regular season in a crazed funk at one point, Washington could not ice the ironclad defense that Detroit did. This is why goalies can be average or middling during the regular season with Detroit because they are going to be protected
by S h a g g y on Jun 22, 2009 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
He does have some value, and a team with a young starter looking for a veteran back up might be interested, esp. a team with a low cap number…
This sounds like it will be us come fall…
We have a veteran goaltender option who doesn’t have a 4.5M cap hit in Brent Johnson. If the Caps can resign him, then Theo is definitely going to be shopped around or bought out. Buying him out would reduce the Cap hit to 1.5M over the next 2 years, an improvement, but still not 0.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Jun 22, 2009 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions
You’re not worried about BJ’s hip surgery? Or the fact that he hasn’t exactly been able to stay healthy over the last couple of seasons?
Johnny’s hip injury is an issue, but he can still provide advice and stability to Varly from the Injured List. If he gets hurt, Neuvirth or Machesney can be the back up for awhile.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Jun 24, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
5 - I'll try to make this short and sweet
Came in expecting nothing special. Didn’t know too much about him other than his reputation to play well only in contract years, and his trophies.
For the beginning, he was more or less a disaster (4), but what goalie would truly shine behind that defense (7). After that fiasco of a game in NY, he really shined (for the most part) (7), but he fell apart in Game 1 against that same team, when it mattered most (3).
Yes, he was nothing more than a bridge, but he’s a bridge that you expected experience out of come big games – especially considering his no-overall-first-round-losses record (still intact!).
So overall he gets a 5 – a 5.25 if you want to get specific.
I have no emotional attachment to the guy. Varlamov and Neuvirth are clearly the answer. Keep Theo? Well, I’m not a fan of the idea – I say shop the hell out of him, but I won’t go crying if he’s still around next season. My preference is Varlamov/Johnson with Neuvirth and occasinally Holtby getting callups for injury. 55/27 or 50/32 would be a good split.
Who will want Theodore? I have no idea, but it’s a contract year, and that’s one hell of a selling point. Bag of pucks or a picks – it’s all fine.
Now that it has been asked, maybe we should think of who the best suitor might be for Theo’s Contract Year Blue-light Goalie Special? I’ll admit that I couldn’t dissect the league to that level of detail, but Atlanta pops in my head for some odd reason. Lehtonen always seems to be injured and only plays well against us for some reason, perhaps they’d take him off our hands?
OK, let the big brains on this board pick out a more suitable suitor here! IF you think moving JT60 is in the Caps best interest for ‘09-’10 (and I personally think we can get better production at 3.5 million less if you know what I’m sayin’… keep Johnny!).
by war_capitals on Jun 22, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Atlanta’s feasible but I also think that the Thrashers could probably get a better return than what the Capitals would want to give up (including not having to take on salary they don’t want) should they decide to move Lehtonen.
I could see Jose going to LA, personally, both for the lifestyle, and for the team. He’d be another bridge goalie for… crap, can’t remember the kid’s name, Bernier? He may already be the starter over there, though. I can’t remember. I think he’d be a decent fit out there, also because he seems to play well against the West.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 22, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
You’re looking for Jonathan Quick. I keep getting him and Jonas Hiller (the Ducks’ young goalie) confused somehow.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Even after Hiller’s outstanding postseason?
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Atlanta is one team dumb enough to move Lehtonen. If I were their GM, I’d wait for another few years, since Lehtonen has had one or two good seasons, and has been banged up for the others.
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
If memory serves. In the case of Atlanta, it likely doesn’t
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think moving Lehtonen is a dumb move per se. They have Ondrej Pavelec waiting in the wings and Lehtonen can’t stay healthy but would fetch a pretty solid return.
Well, depends on what they can get for him, but every team needs a solid goalie, and Lehtonen has shown he can be that guy.
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Looking at nhlnumbers.com....
(Here’s the page I’m looking at.)
I don’t know. ATL has a ton of cap room right now and might be looking for something to fill it with. They’re currently at $30 million with 17 players signed for next season (13 starters and 4 callups used this year). Who’s their AHL affiliate? I’d be curious to see what’s floating in their talent pool right now that could come up.
Problem, though: Lehtonen according to this is an RFA. Are they going to let him go? I don’t remember Hedberg being all that.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Who’s their AHL affiliate? I’d be curious to see what’s floating in their talent pool right now that could come up.
THis guess is probably immature, but to celebrate the All-Day Bill Murray marathon that was on TV yesterday, I’ll guess “BABY RUTH”?? hehe
by war_capitals on Jun 22, 2009 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know. ATL has a ton of cap room right now and might be looking for something to fill it with. They’re currently at $30 million with 17 players signed for next season (13 starters and 4 callups used this year). Who’s their AHL affiliate? I’d be curious to see what’s floating in their talent pool right now that could come up.
If Atlanta wants to fill up cap space, I don’t see why the wouldn’t just tender and re-sign Lehtonen and then move him at the deadline, although I guess they run the risk of him being hurt next February.
Their AHL affiliate is Chicago.
Atlanta’s probably giving a long look to Ondrej Pavelec too to see if he can cut it.
by Bald Pollack on Jun 22, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
A few teams that might consider bringing in Theo….
Colorado: A known quantity, and their goaltending got noticeably worse without him. Would they take him back at 4.5? Who knows….
Edmonton: Roloson is a UFA this year, so they have a need. No clue if they intend to re-sign Rollie the Goalie or not, but Theodore could be looked at there.
NY Islanders: Might need a dependable backup plan given the chronic injury history for dipietro. But would they be willing to spend 4.5 on that backup plan?
Toronto: A bit of a dark-horse pick, but Toskala has been inconsistent and/or injured, and they just hired the uber-guru of Butterfly goalie coaches (Francois Allaire). Maybe they decide he’s worth the gamble?
I think Edmonton last year was juggling three goalies, and all were playing well. With Roloson a UFA, that leaves two I think.
NYI has Joey MacDonald, right?
I think Toskala could be a top-10 goalie if he has a good team in front of him, especially considering he was “raised” under Evgeni Nabokov in San Jose.
I want PIT to take Theodore as Fleury’s backup.
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
alas, Pittsburgh’s cap situation won’t allow it. They’re going to be stuck with filling out their roster with guys who make less than Tyler Sloan, but without the benefit of sticking them in the A. (although you probably already knew that and, like I, would just like to see what happens when notorious two headcase goalies are on the same team)
Re: edmonton, 2 of their 3 (Rollie and Sabourin) are UFAs…the other guy played in 10 games and his numbers weren’t great (4-3, 3.33 GAA, .901 SV%).
MacDonald is a UFA I believe. But yeah, they could re-sign him for a lot cheaper than acquiring Jose. Of course, his numbers were pretty crappy last year (granted, playing on a crappy team): 14-26-6, 3.37, .901
Agreed on Toskala, that’s why I look at them as a very dark-horse candidate to be interested. It would be awesome if we could ship Jose there as part of a package for Kaberle though.
he gets a 5 from me
Sorta the low end of expectations. My expectations were not very high, and I thought he performed right around or just below them.
Regarding his future on the Caps, I would love to keep him as veteran insurance that plays perhaps half the games…except for that salary. We could really use the cap relief, so if we could somehow move him and bring in a cheaper veteran like Johnson or (gulp) cup-curse Conklin at around a million, that would be preferable. I do NOT think we want to go into the season with just Neuvy and Varly though, we need a veteran as well.
Why are you scared of the rookie tandem? When you look at it, I think between the two of them they can at least manage
finishing 36th of 46 qualifying goalies in goals against average and save percentage. Hell, with our web producer in the wings, we should be fine.
by HateOffSeason on Jun 22, 2009 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I just want to see them both get a slightly longer audition (and have success) at the NHL level without necessarily having to be counted on to be “the man”.
And I also want them to get large amounts of ice time, so I think their development is better served rotating as the starter in hershey/primary backup in DC, rather than both up here splitting time.
I just want to see them both get a slightly longer audition (and have success) at the NHL level without necessarily having to be counted on to be "the man".
I agree with this.
Nightmare Scenario A: JT is gone (somewhere) and Varley is the starter, backed up by Johnny. Varley pulls a JIm Carey and tragically transforms in to a person for whom the crease is an alien and dangerous place and who (furthermore) enjoys lying on his back on the ice and watching pucks fly by over him and into the net. [shudder] Or maybe it was the mesmerizing red light behind him, whatever . . . it was awful. Anyway. Enter Old Johnny. Johnny promptly gets hurt again. Neuvy is not ready for prime time just yet.
GMGM now looks like a chump for getting rid of JT prior to the year that may have been the best chance for the Parade.
JT is insurance. Expensive as hell but you have to have it IMO. His behavior after he was benched was outstandingly professional and astonishingly team-first. There is no reason to believe that he couldn’t play a similar role, or more likely a more partnership role, during the regular season.
How actively, if at all, should the Capitals be shopping Theodore this offseason? Keep him.
Is it safe for the team to turn the goaltending reins over to some combination of inexperience and uncertainty with Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth and frailty in Brent Johnson (assuming he can be re-signed)? No.
Or would it be worth it to the team to keep Theodore as an insurance policy? Yes. You can never be certain that any goalie isn’t going to blow up on you, but I will feel slightly better about Varley after another year as an apprentice. He needs his chute and JT is it.
by Uncle C on Jun 22, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I gave him a 6.
I expected around 2.4, .902 on the season. He came pretty close. I did not expect him to steal some games, but I also did not expect him to blow so many.
His 6 is as a result of how he handled himself in a backup role. Being a Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy winner as well as a starter everywhere pretty much, he probably carries himself with pride, yet he swallowed it and supported the starter, whether it be Johnson or Varlamov. Varlamov even said that he was truly surprised by how supportive Theo was of him in a CSN interview.
For a 10 next year:
60 GP, 2.3 GAA or less, .920 SV pct or higher, 40+ wins.
On a team like the Caps, a good, healthy goalie who plays 70 games should even be able to break the wins record at 49. I think Theodore if he’s solid all season round could do that if Varlamov hadn’t proven he can compete in the postseason (the coaches will want to keep him sharp).
There are no goalies in the Caps system that I want playing 70+ games….frankly there are only what…3-4 in the entire league that play 70+?
4 guys played 70 or more games this year:
Kiprusoff
Turco
Backstrom
Lundqvist
Marty Broduer usually does, but obviously he didn’t this year because of injury. Luongo has done it a couple of times. Those two, and the 4 above, are the iron men of hockey. I keep seeing their names pop up at the top of the GP list year after year.
(Theo’s never played 70. Olie did it for three straight seasons a while back.)
Patrick Roy never played 70 games or 4,000 minutes in a season. Didn’t seem to hhurt him much. Just sayin’
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jun 22, 2009 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
oh, I know. Just sayin’ that goalies who play 70 games are exceedingly rare. I would actually find it surprising if a Caps goalie was to play 70+ games. I think, ideally, a team is looking for a guy who can play right around 60 games a year as starter. If you luck into an iron man goalie who can carry that sort of workload and still win night in and night out, hey, more power to ya, but don’t bet the farm on it.
I was shocked to see Turco on the list this year, given his season, but I guess that just speaks volumes about how little confidence the Stars have in their back-ups.
Well once in a while a guy who can does come along in the draft. Wasn’t Lundqvist like a 4th rounder or something? I’m just saying the stats will pile up IF the goalies stay healthy.
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
On a team like the Caps, a good, healthy goalie who plays 70 games should even be able to break the wins record at 49.
I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. The Capitals aren’t the best team in the NHL, let alone a historically great one.
That’s me hoping somewhat, but keyword is good. The offense can carry them most nights. Goaltending needs to not lose games and win a few. But considering that they played like crap for half the season and racked up 50 wins, and assuming they play better overall than last year (D, goalies, and game-to-game), I think it’s a real possibility. But do I think it’ll happen? No.
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Brodeur’s Devils were not the best team when he did it, and neither were Nabby’s Sharks (I can’t remember if he broke it too or not).
by red army line on Jun 22, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d argue that while NJ has never been an offensive juggernaut the Devils have had, for much Marty’s career, one of the (if not THE) best defensive strategies/defense in the NHL.
4—and that’s generous considering what a tremendous dissappointment JT really was. He had no business takling as long as he did to get “comfortable”—for crying out loud, he walked into camp as the clear #1—and the goal-on-the-first-shot crap just isn’t #1 NHL goalie stuff; it’s not even AHL backup stuff.
I have no reason to believe in Theo, but as next year is a ‘contract’ year for him, maybe he’ll pick up his game, but I doubt it.
from the house that Red Jesus built
I wish 4.5 was an option
I keep going back and forth. I guess I was hoping for the second half of the 07-08 season for a full season in 08-09. Clearly we didn’t get that. Sometimes he was downright horrid, other times on fire. Cripe, the same goalie who could give up four goals in less than half a game is the same one who could shut out Montreal, when they were still a team that could actually win (Thanksgiving). I think he should have been an upgrade over Olie’s last season on the theory that he’s younger and the team as a whole had more experience and shouldn’t need the goalie to have to bail them out all the time. What I think we got was marginally better, for less money.
So now that I’ve worked it through, I guess he gets a five.
I can’t justify trading him — I just think the kids need another year of development before either one is thrown into full-time NHL duty.
I gave Theo a 6. I cried a little when we signed him. He ended up being decent enough to give the Caps a good seeding. I’m also happy he bombed out in Game 1 instead of a game 7 or something.
There is no way the Caps would have made it as deep as the did without Varly so Theo bombing in game 1 really helped the Caps.
He gave the Caps a 2 seed: That’s good.
He was pulled after one game in the playoffs: That’s bad.
His contract expires this year: That’s good.
His contract has potassium benzoate: That’s bad.
by Bald Pollack on Jun 22, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
He gave the Caps a 2 seed: That’s good.
I think that’s generous. If anything, we took the 2 seed in spite of him.
from the house that Red Jesus built
Hey now, Theo always made games slightly more interesting. One always find herself (or himself) holding their breath whenever the puck is within 80 feet. Plus, he provides some pre-game betting exercises: “I’ve got $10 on Bad Theo showing up tonight.”
I think that’s generous. If anything, we took the 2 seed in spite of him.
Does ANYONE not remember old Simpsons episodes anymore?
by Bald Pollack on Jun 22, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
That guy the website is named after does.
by Gould Old Days on Jun 22, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I gave him a 5. He did exactly what I thought he’d do, give up the reigns because of inconsistency. Unfortunately, Johnson was born under a bad sign. The season was his to take. He played very well until his injury, and came out of the gates fighting, and winning. Bad luck combined with an offense that at times (often?) left him facing odd man rushes. He made those saves when it counted, and I was happy to see him succeed.
The Caps should shop Theodore. He is what he is. Most importantly, the team lost faith in him. They played better, to my eye, in front of Varalmov, Neuvirth and Johnson. That says something important. The Caps play much better when they have faith in their goalie. Theodore is on the career path to back-up. He has a reasonable contract for a goalie, one year, though the tag is high. Johnson should be resigned so that he can split time with Varlamov and Neuvirth. Neuvirth just earned his shot, in my opinion. Varlamov got to come up though both played equally well in their call ups. Facing that, he won the championship and played brilliantly. He played like a #1 goalie at a very young age. Hats off. It may be too much to go with Varlamov AND Neuvirth. Its ballsy. I want to see what happens with the blueline before endorsing such a tandem, but I definitely wouldn’t bet against it happening.
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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 3:50 AM EST)
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