Ranking the Capitals: #18
by J.P. on Aug 19, 2009 9:06 PM EDT
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PrintIn an effort to beat the summer doldrums, we're undertaking to rank - with your help - the Washington Capitals, from Ovechkin to, well, we'll see. The criteria is simple: who at this moment is the most valuable player in the organization who hasn't already been ranked? Put another way, if you could only keep one of the remaining players - because of what he brings on the ice or off it, his upside, what he could fetch in trade, and so on - who would it be? Consider age, potential, contract status, organizational depth, etc. - it's your call. And after you vote and defend your selection in the comments, help us out and suggest a name to add to the next poll. [Note: previous "Ranking the Capitals" posts can be found here."]
Welcome Boyd Gordon to the list, and Chris Bourque to the poll...
If this FanPost is written by someone other than one of the blog's editors, the opinions expressed in it do not necessarily reflect those of this blog or SB Nation.
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why do I find that somewhat disturbing?
Fear the Rebel Polar Bears (trust me, this sig makes sense)
by crabchowdah on Aug 19, 2009 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions
anyone remember their jingle song
“so why eat somethin with nothin in the middle…with nothin in the midlde, with nothin in the middle so why eat somethin with nothin in the middle, when theres so much more in the middle of Oh’s”
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 Aug 20, 2009 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Voting for the puck-moving D-man, even if he is 3rd pair.
Seems to be our best shot against aggressive forechecking teams.
by Knee high to a duck on Aug 19, 2009 9:24 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, it feels weird voting for him this early but I’m with you. I don’t see Osala as a blue-chip prospect with a ton of trade value (I do like him as a prospect of course), and his immediate contributions are likely slim to none even if he shows improvement.
Theo is highly replaceable for cheap.
Pothier’s replaceable, but maybe not as cheaply. Puck movers are hard to find, and the Caps aren’t exactly overflowing with guys that can play that way (Green isn’t a great passer relative to his other skills, he has to skate it out of the zone; Mo, Jurcina, Erskine are all borderline atrocious there, so it’s really just Poti and Schultz I suppose) and play it consistently. Of course this is banking on him not regressing, but his play under Boudreau is probably the best it’s been in a very long time. His future value may not be as high, although who knows, he might fit the bill as a guy that would be kept longer on the cheap if he wants to stay.
He’s 26, and he’s been a member of the top defensive pairing for a playoff team. This time last year we were all huge fans — particularly after we learned that he played a playoff series with a broken jaw.
Sure, he had his ups and downs last year (more downs than up). But I still believe he’s a capable NHL player (though I wouldn’t put him on a top pairing again).
It was a close call, and I came very close to voting for this guy:
related and imminently relevant: what can we expect in return if (when) the caps move shaMO/juice/potsie/erskine?
i’d like to think we’ll be pleasantly surprised. i know i was pleasantly surprised when eminger was enough to get the caps from the 3rd round to the 1st round.
by Natty Bumppo on Aug 19, 2009 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Winterion Game Studios
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by winterion on Aug 19, 2009 9:48 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Fehr and Balanced asked for the Bourque lobby to add some talking points. Here goes.
For what Hershey numbers are worth, his numbers have gone up and up year by year. He’s a great passer and a good stickhandler who can still create scoring opportunities of his own with a hard shot. Chris was injured a couple years ago, but came back from it strong and has not had any revisited issues with said injuries. His value to the team is partially high potential, partially low contract, and partially his talent set.
I will admit, though, it’s pretty much a tie for me between Bourque and Osala, and that being a Bourque fan is what tipped me his direction. I’d understand people voting for Osala over him, but beyond that, I think he’s the most valuable guy who didn’t skate a lot of games for Washington last year and hasn’t already been voted for.
Other points:
Last year, in the AHL, Chris was 12th in points, 5th in goals, including a trip to the AHL All-Star Game. He scored the game winning goal and was the first star in the series-clenching sixth game of the finals against Manitoba, playing all 22 games and finishing fifth in scoring, second in assists. While he wouldn’t likely see much PP time here in Washington, he was also the top assist-earner in the postseason on the power play. I had more facts, but I accidentally clicked the BACK button on my mouse and lost a half-hour’s worth of various stat hunting.. grr. XD
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by winterion on Aug 20, 2009 2:17 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
There’s still talk that his potential is as a top six winger in the NHL. I legitimately buy him as a third-line guy here in Washington. Obviously, our depth at left wing (Ovechkin, Semin, Flash, Bourque?) would lend him to the that side instead of the right side (Knuble, Laich, Fehr/Clark, Bradley) or center (Backstrom, Morrison, Steckel, B. Gordon).
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I like the argument and I like what Borque could bring. I love the fact that he worked his tail off to move up the organizational depth chart. Everyone knows that if he were two years older he would have been on the Caps squad before AO and Backstrom were on the team, but now he’s kinda squeezed out. The problem with Borque, IMO, is that I think he is going to be a third line guy. He could be a good third line guy, but I’ve been pretty clear all along that I just don’t value 3/4 line guys that highly because they are so easily replaceable. He’s a nice story, and a great example/message to other young prospects about working their way up the organization, but I don’t think what he is going to be able to contribute at the NHL level is going to be that valuable to the Caps long term.
See, that’s exactly why I like him – not that he’s easily replaced, but that he’s a motivated, hard-working third liner. I think that sets an awesome precedent, and if it becomes infectious, I can only imagine how much better our third and fourth lines would be if they were all skating with his motivation.
If he could make the transition to right wing, or Flash could, I think a Flash – Steckel – Bourque third line is downright slick.
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As to who to put on the list next?
I keed I keed, please don’t kill me.
"And next year it will be ours."
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, it’s ok…there’s nothing wrong with…
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Aug 20, 2009 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I can see Osala here, but I’m leaning on the goalie who’s coming to camp as the #1, irrespective of perceived value.
Here’s to Irbe coaxing a great serviceable year out of him.
from the house that Red Jesus built
oh, and how about some rank love for Tyler Sloan? I liked the kid the moment he crushed, CRUSHED Daymond Langkow. He seems pretty steady.
related: Orlov sure seems to rock the old school hip check, along with having a nice game for a teenager. If Braden Holtby is finding the range here now, so should this kid.
from the house that Red Jesus built
Good call on Orlov. I think his value as a prospect is higher than both Bourque and Osala. I might have even voted for him now if he was up there.
He’s not under contract, hence won’t be considered (we had to have some neat and tidy cut-off and that was it), but I agree that he’d be up there if he was.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Much as I wanted to vote for Theodore to give F&B a stroke, I voted for Oscar:
Bouchard/Perreault next?
http://wewintrophies.com/ - 12 major trophies in national and international competitions. Be a part of the next one.
On an off-topic note, I was reading NHL.com’s “30 in 30” on the Rangers, and they drafted Chris Bourque’s younger brother Ryan, another small forward who’ll play for the Remparts in the QMJHL next season.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I think I’ve been voting for Brads since like the 10 or 11 position on these posts, and I am appalled at how he STILL hasn’t made the list. Instead, we’re debating about an unproven kid (Osala) and a goalie made of swiss cheese. I guess games five and six against the Rangers were a distant memory for most people on this site. Mainly game five…
Jose’s easily the best player left on the list, and, at this point, there isn’t likely much reason to keep him off. He’ll be good for us, again, and will likely get 40-50 games. As much as we all love the Czar, it’s unlikely that he’s going to win the #1: Theo will be plenty motivated this year, which maybe was missing at the beginning of last year.
by DrinkingPartner on Aug 20, 2009 10:30 AM EDT reply actions
I voted for Oscar. Still like the idea of the big forward with a nose for the net. He’s not the most valuable of the bunch on the list for this upcoming season in particular, but he is the one guy on the list I would be most bummed if we lost.
I say add Perrault next.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
Is this mercy voting for the guy we know is going to be in net a lot this season?
Theo is not worth much in a trade and his stats relative to others in his position tend to indicate if we lost him off this “theo”-rhetical list we could find a replacement that wouldn’t be much worse (or better)
The votes really don’t seem to match the talk here…
Whenever his name is mentioned so far it’s “poor Theo, but I voted for [other name]”
Theo-retical
Zing!
Love it.
"My face is my mask."
by Jake Shapiro on Aug 20, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
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