Ranking the Capitals: Recap

by J.P. on Sep 20, 2009 9:04 PM EDT

In an effort to beat the summer doldrums, we undertook to rank - with your help - the Washington Capitals, from Ovechkin to well, see below (only players under contract were considered). The criteria was ~~apparently not so~~ 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? Voters considered age, potential, contract status, organizational depth, etc. and a whole lot of less rational value-defining component. All of the "Ranking the Capitals" posts can be found here."

So welcome Boyd Kane and Michael Nylander to the now-complete list... and start thinking about next year's rankings.

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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I never had to vote for Nyls! I can’t wait until my vindication in next year’s poll.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 20, 2009 9:38 PM EDT reply actions

Are you saying that you want Nyls to do poorly to vindicate his position?

by Moonage Daydream on Sep 21, 2009 7:07 AM EDT up reply actions

No. I’m saying that by the end of the season Carlson, Alzner, Neuvirth and Schultz will have shown to be far more valuable than some of the “proven” players ahead of them. My vindication has nothing to do with Nyls.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 21, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you on Schultz. I think that we will have to wait beyond next season for the others to prove their value

by Moonage Daydream on Sep 21, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions

There is a difference between “having value” and “proving value.” Alzner has a ton of value, though he hasn’t proven nearly any of it yet.

If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.

by Rob Parker on Sep 21, 2009 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Too High:
Brooks Laich
Mike Knuble
Jose Theodore

Too Low:
Jeff Schultz
Michal Neuvirth

Just right:
The Big 4
Circles

This year’s big movers:
Anton Gustafsson (Sinking ship)
Mathieu Perreault (His stock is gonna go through the roof in Hershey)
Chris Clark (I have a feeling he’ll be the feel-good story of the season)

by Tromni on Sep 20, 2009 9:40 PM EDT reply actions

Carlson and Alzner are both too low, as well, but I like where your head’s at.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 20, 2009 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought Carlson and Alzner were each too high actually. I agree with the Just Rights and the too low though. I guess I just didn’t like voting for guys without a lot of NHL/Caps experience before 10 or so.

by HBK on Sep 20, 2009 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions

This year’s big movers:
Anton Gustafsson (Sinking ship)

Agree with the perception, disagree with the reality. Kid’s lost two years of development due to injuries. Predictably, he’s not looking very good right now. And he’s in for a rough year against people his age and older who have been playing the last two years.

He’ll probably have a “terrible” year this year. But watch him in the Spring — if he turns it on, then he may be due for a bounce back year next year. We all need extra patience with that one.

Atta dinnin stick a who!

by Gould Old Days on Sep 20, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t disagree with you too much. I think part of what is working against Angus is that he was 21 overall, and normally you don’t look for a project 3C at that spot. I still don’t think he’s going to be a 2C and I think he’s going to have a tough year this year; if he is a regular in the lineup it’s probably in the ECHL, not Hershey. All of this goes to the perception, as you said. I think he’ll be an NHL player one day (if he shakes the injury bug) but he’s nowhere near the pace (that we’ve been spoiled with) of guys like Backstrom, Alzner, or Carlson; and he’s even behind Johansson already.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 20, 2009 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions

And Steckel too high.

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by J.P. on Sep 20, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Post-season heroics will do that.

by HBK on Sep 20, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Waaay too high! I’m hard pressed to put Steckel any higher than 17 or 18.

by mechanicsville on Sep 20, 2009 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah my bad, for some reason I thought he was listed.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 21, 2009 12:53 AM EDT up reply actions

laich and steckel really do look absurdly high when looking at the list as a whole. i would’ve had schultz and carlson right behind alzner at the 7/8 spots. and i’d like to think flash has that kind of value, but even in light of his contract i’m really down on the guy. overall a fun exercise. i’d rather be a GM than a coach, even if job security wasn’t considered.

by Natty Bumppo on Sep 21, 2009 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions

If Potsie is able to play a full season, he’ll probably make a big jump up the list as well.

I have as many wins in a Capitals uniform as Michael Belhumeur does.

by marky narc on Sep 20, 2009 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Probably not, since he’s a pending UFA.

by LSF76 on Sep 20, 2009 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I have to disagree with your evaluation of Knuble. Agreed, Knuble doesn’t hold much long term value to the team, but his potential impact right now is huge. He fills a role that this team didn’t fill last year, and couldn’t fill internally this year. Might Alzner have more value in the long run, I bet so, but if Knuble steps in, pots 30 goals and produces in May & June, his spot on the list will be accurate.

by Sct112 on Sep 21, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Chris Clark (I have a feeling he’ll be the feel-good story of the season)

If he stays healthy and has a decent year, you’ve got to consider him a prime candidate for the Masterton. Hey, it’s not the award one looks to win, but he’s the definition of perserverance.

by gfcaps fan on Sep 22, 2009 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Now about these rankings...

I kid.

It is fun to speculate but for me the rankings bring more questions than answers.

by S h a g g y on Sep 21, 2009 12:54 PM EDT reply actions

Couldn’t we have just left Nylander off of the list completely?

by thehoagster07 on Sep 21, 2009 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

Part of me wants to think that we’re being too hard on Nylander. In some ways I really feel sorry for the guy, who is obviously on the wrong team at the wrong time. Having said that though, and as I look down the list, I’m not sure where else I could have put him.

Is it safe to say that I really hope to be completely blown away by Nylander this year? With a paycheck like his and injuries as common as they are throughout the season, there’s little doubt in my head that he WILL see playing time, even if he starts the season sitting in the press box. I’m hoping that instead of playing an uninspired, “I’m pissed off at my team and coach” brand of hockey that he actually goes out and tries to prove he deserves a starting spot in the rotation. Keep in mind that this is a man who at one time was regarded as a talented hockey player.

(ducks to avoid showering of rotten tomatoes).

by PaintDrinkingPete on Sep 21, 2009 2:03 PM EDT reply actions

It would be nice, but given that BB has said Nyls will “potentially” get into a pre-season game I don’t think he dresses unless BB is forced to.

If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.

by Rob Parker on Sep 21, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s not that we hate Michael Nylander – by all accounts he’s a good guy and a talented hockey player. He just hasn’t been showing off that talent for us, or it just doesn’t fit with the system and players that he’s working with. Add in an immovable contract and no teams willing to take on that contract and he’s a nearly $5 million millstone on our cap space. That’s pretty freaking substantial when your team is a legitimate contender.

by Knee high to a duck on Sep 21, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I know he’s doomed to count against the cap, but if the team has zero intention of playing him right now, is there no way to prevent him from counting against the 23 roster spots?

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by winterion on Sep 21, 2009 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions

With his NMC, I don’t see how. Best you could do is probably fake an injury and put him on IR, but the league will be very upset if they can prove it’s fake.

by LSF76 on Sep 22, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I am betting on an injury, real or otherwise, before the deadline….

by Boodgiesdad on Sep 22, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I’d be surprised if he gets hurt without playing and there not going to fake one.

by David Getz on Sep 22, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

There’s no way they fake an injury and even if they did, they would deserve to get caught. Cheating in that way is in no way, shape, or form acceptable and it taints everything you might have accomplished.

Besides which, not only would the NHL go apes__t, the NHLPA would go bonkers too. Can you imagine the contract carnage if teams could force a player onto injured reserve with a fake injury in their contract year? There’s no way either end of the league stands for that. Nor should they.

by Knee high to a duck on Sep 22, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions

While I agree with everything you said, it’s not Nyls’ contract year. Also, can anyone see Ted condoning such behavior? The values of this organization start at the top and while I can see Ted accepting Nyls being benched, there is no way he would make the organization lie about an injury.

If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.

by Rob Parker on Sep 22, 2009 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I know. I was just using it as a for-instance of abusive behavior if it were allowed, not trying to imply that it’s Nyl’s contract season, or that Ted would engage in it.

Ted’s been nothing but a stand-up guy in every instance I can recall, there’s no way he would condone it.

I don’t believe that everyone in the NHL is lily-white, though. Someone, somewhere would abuse that.

by Knee high to a duck on Sep 22, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe that’s why PHI kept rushing Briere back…

If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.

by Rob Parker on Sep 22, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Ha, nice.

by Knee high to a duck on Sep 22, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

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