2009-10 Rink Wrap: Jose Theodore

My expectations for Theo this year were that he would be the backup by mid season, so despite his inconsistent play, he outperformed my expectations (albeit very LOW expectations).

Do I want him back? Probably not, I think I would prefer a more “mentally” veteran who is clear on his role as teacher/backup and not somebody still looking for something to prove or looking for the top spot.

He actually exceeded my expectations a bit in the regular season. Nice record…good but not great stats.

And then there were the playoffs….again.

There is no price he can be brought back at – the team has no confidence in him once the playoffs start.

His numbers and results would have gotten about a 7 from me normally, but to do what he did after all that happened in the off-season…wow.

He would have gotten a 10 had he been able to play well in the playoffs. He would have gotten in against Philly had the Caps gotten past Montreal (Varly did his best, but…)

A class act all the way from his first day here until June 30, 2010. He certainly will be one even afterwards.

He obvioiusly won’t be back. To get a 10 next year if he were: Do what he did in 2009-10, and continue it in the postseason…

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.

Considering the shit he constantly takes from hockey fans everywhere, I think even when he was going through slumps this season, he exceeded my expectations. And there’s the whole 20-0-4 run at the end of the season.

He outperformed my expectations. He didn’t lose us games. I thought he’d be rough enough, especially after his personal tragedy, that he’d never be the same goalie. He shut me the hell up, and as long as he doesn’t go to a team I rabidly hate, I wish him the best of luck.

…is there a price and term at which you would like to see Theodore back next year? How much of Theodore’s success this season would you attribute to the team, and vice versa? What would it have taken for Theodore to earn a 10 rating this year?

No, I see no reason to sign Theodore. As long as Neuvirth works a little on his puck handling skills (lol, small sample size joke), he’s probably the most expendable player on the squad.

Much of Theo’s success is on the team, but at the same time, 33.5 wins is no joke. I also think many goaltenders would struggle in the run and gun we play, but Theo seemed to do ok.

To earn a 10 this year, Theo would have had to backstop us to the Finals. Nothing short of that, in my mind.

Good luck, Jose – class act, and hopefully you seek counseling if you need it. Without being too morbid, I just don’t want to compare you to another situation (Though, outside looking in, it’s not really fair for me to say that.

Nine.

He lost his son. Varly looked to have the top job nailed after last postseason, and certainly got it with his stellar numbers earlier this season before his injury. He faced tons of criticism from everywhere. Tons of pressure.

And…

Theodore started a charity program. He had a historic streak. He was the starter going into the playoffs. He didn’t really deserve to be pulled (only necessary because the team needed to be kicked in the, well, area). He was as reliable as needed, as good as needed to win, which is the bottom line. IIRC his winning percentage was the best since Osgood’s in the mid 90s.

Just wow.

Regardless of recent reports, is there a price and term at which you would like to see Theodore back next year?

No. Time to see Varlavirthby in action.
Well, maybe league minimum. But only something obscenely cheap like that, for the few extra dollars saved against the cap.

How much of Theodore’s success this season would you attribute to the team, and vice versa?

He definitely earned his fair share of wins, including some flat out steals. I think in the regular season he didn’t really blow a game, as far as I can remember, and the same applies for the playoffs. I guess right around the average amount given to a starting goalie, or more especially once his streak started, but not less. That amount is too tough for me to quantify.

What would it have taken for Theodore to earn a 10 rating this year?

Stanley Cup.

A middle of the pack goalie who performed at my expectations. A classy guy but been overpaid for years, I don’t want him back under any circumstances, short of signing for the min.

I would have given him a 10 if he’d put up a SV% north of .930, as that would have been wildly beyond my expectations.

No more Small Goalies !
I just don’t see a tandem of Varly and Neuv making it through an 80 game regular season, injuries injuries …..I do see a Varly / Neuv tandem winning in the Post -season though.
So bring in a Nabakov ( ? ) or the latest " Roloson " … ie ,a veteran with playoff experience ,
Theo was ok, to small…you know the inevitable sense that he will and can be beaten high on the glove / stick side or just plain beaten low due to physically being unable to extend the short legs out any further..lol ..Theo, a multi – millionaire playing the game he loves, good lucks….P.s. did the caps trade Green yet to St louis for Erik Johnson ? lol

After last season, my expectations for Theo were pretty low; veteran backup, playing about 30-35 games. And given the tragedy he suffered last summer, I figured this would be a season he’d muddle through as he tried to get his personal life back together. I never figured he’d end up with maybe his best season since his MVP year. And when the team needed him most after Varly went down, he was just lights out. More importantly, the way he turned the loss of his son into a campaign to save other infants was truly inspiring. Usually I take points off for playoff failure, but I don’t think he played badly in his short stint this year and should have been given a longer leash by Bruce. It looks pretty certain that Theo won’t be back, but if he took a one year, $1.5 million contract, the Caps might consider it. No matter what, my memory of Jose will be that of a good goalie, but a much better man.

Theo
Great games this season against Detroit, Philly, Pittsburgh and the Av’s , etc

I’m really hoping I’m not just blinded by how I feel about him, because it’s no secret he’s one of my favorites. But I have to say, having put this Wrap together…it was really hard to find something bad outside of the basic “yeah, his numbers weren’t the prettiest compared to other goalies”. I’m not the biggest believer in numbers telling the whole story anyway, but no goalie on this team in this high risk style of play is going to have Brodeur-like numbers. They’re just not.

After last year and despite my affection for him I didn’t expect 30 wins. I didn’t expect only 7 losses, or that amazing run at the end of the year. I didn’t expect him to steal a lot of games or to bounce back from what must have been a horrific offseason. And I didn’t expect him to put together a season that was actually one of the best of his career.

The fact that he improved as the season went on is a big plus for me. I remember when he first started to turn it on, early 2010, and a lot of people (myself included) were waiting for the inconsistency to kick in again. He’d win two, three in a row and we’d be waiting for that next loss that never seemed to come. To go undefeated in regulation for that long is amazing; that’s 48 points in a 120-point campaign right there. As WM mentioned above, he didn’t lose us games – in fact, he won us a fair number, something he hadn’t done last year. He bounced back really well from the few bad losses he did have and performed admirably in relief when called upon.

I’d love to have him back, partly because he’s a classy guy who loves the area and is loved by his teammates and partly because I’m still not sold on Varlavirth as our tandem next year. Not at anywhere close to what he’s making now, mind you – love him to pieces, but no way is he worth $4.5mil/year – but I could see him as a veteran mentor backup for a one year, $1-1.5 million deal. And I think Theo and the team had a very co-dependent relationship, which is really what you want; sometimes he stole a game for them, sometimes it was the other way around. You don’t get to that many wins and that many points unless everyone’s playing a role.

I find it interesting that a lot of people are saying a Cup would be required for a ‘10’ rating…it’s not a standard I’d hold any other player on the team to in order to earn that rating so I’m reluctant to say that for Theo. A 10 for me would have been 35-40 wins, a better first half and a firm statement that he could carry the team in the playoffs, however far they went.

Theodore was slightly better than I expected, especially given his ridiculous run to end the season.

I’m giving him a point for performing quite well in the face of tragedy. I can’t see giving him a 9, but props to Becca and others for offering explanations.

To get a 10, he’d have to a have a repeat of his Hart/Vezina season. I don’t consider the Cup to be the ultimate criteria for a player to earn a 10.

He absolutely exceeded my expectations with this stellar stretch in Calendar year 2010. Never thought he’d climb above the mediocre range but for most of the second half he was either average or above average and put up numbers that were better than what he’d done most of the past 3-4 seasons.

The playoffs I don’t blame him for as much. He let in two goals and was yanked. One of them was bad, the other was a tough play. While I don’t necessarily blame him for the playoffs, it certainly doesn’t help his cause.

There’s no way we can bring him back next year. There are too many other needs to address and too little cap room to spend on an unspectacular goaltender given the organization’s depth at the position. Nice guy, wish him the best and will always root for him, though.

Waffling a bit — I nicked other peoples scores pretty handily for the lack of playoff performance but since this was his last year I can’t be that critical. I had low expectations coming into this year and he blew them out of the water, easily. The Detroit game was something of a masterpiece and he had a solid season altogether. Never figured him to be competitive with Varlamov, but there he was.

For a 10 next year I want him to be with a team that appreciates him and gives him a chance at a start. He’s a quality guy and I don’t think he’ll be around with the Caps any longer so I just hope he gets the chance he is due elsewhere.

For the past few seasons I was left with the impression that it wouldn’t matter who we had in goal. Our own D-men screening the goalies, deflecting shots into their own net, giving up jolting blitz odd-man breaks after dominating offensive zone time for long periods, failing to clear the zone, and generally being disorganized (remember when we thought Fedorov could mentor our D men?). Watching these breakdowns and miscues I often thought it was best not to have sprung for some high-priced netminder, whose numbers would take a beating with the Caps and would probably leave (or stay) frustrated and beaten. And we’d all point and talk about free-agents just being interested in money/no heart.

Our D has improved, or at least matured some, and whether you like or dislike Theo’s numbers, I believe they are not lower than they are this season because of that maturation. So I’m thinking I will consider it like some have treated forwards who have improved the play/scoring of other forwards on the team: I will temper his stats comparative to last season with the understanding that the D in front of him was better this year.

He certainly exceeded by quite a bit any expectations I had for him after last season. But, then to learn what he went through over the summer, I expected it would be a terribly difficult season for him and that he would have trouble performing well.

As the season began, I was pleasantly surprised at his performance. Then the sorrowful slump hit, as it was bound to. I have to admit that how he dealt with that probably has affected my rating, because I was so impressed with his ability to go to the coaches and tell them he was suffering and needed to pull back (as I recall).

After that he talked about it publicly, then came back with a vengeance that I did not expect. That stretch run of stellar performances goes a long way. Even though he was pulled in the playoffs, I think he would have played more (and I would have expected well) had we gone on.

He’s a talented and beautiful young man and I wish nothing but the best for him and his family. I was more than happy to support his cause (thanks, Red Birdie).

I am a big Theo fan, and I expected him to take the majority of the starts during the season. I bumped him up for that amazing streak. The guy is a pro through and through, and his presense will be missed.
I hope (and believe) he will be paid handsomely in the FA market, and Dallas seems like it might be a nice fit for him. I am looking forward to heading into next seaon w/ Varly and Neuvy, and I’m hoping that they stay healthy and one of them gets hot at playoff time (they are both capable of a deep playoff run).

I expected him to gradually give way to Varly as the season went on; that didn’t happen as he got stronger as the season went on instead. Thought he got shafted in the playoffs by never getting back into the lineup.

The Discussion: Regardless of recent reports, is there a price and term at which you would like to see Theodore back next year?

Don’t want him back. Too many other places we need to spend the money, and I think we are in good shape with Neuvy and Varly.

How much of Theodore’s success this season would you attribute to the team, and vice versa?

Bit of both. Obviously, to post a 2.81 and still have the stellar record he did requires that your team do a lot of scoring. But he also came up big a lot of times when hung out to dry by defensive breakdowns.

What would it have taken for Theodore to earn a 10 rating this year?

To earn a 10 this year, he would have had to play in 2009 like he did in 2010, plus lead the team on a deep playoff run.

Most of you know that Theo is probably my favorite Cap, so I had a lot of trouble grading him because I don’t want to be biased. But I really thought he had a fantastic season considering what he went through. I expected him to lose his focus much more than he did (which wasn’t much, save for a rough patch in November/December). Although I thought there was a small chance he would be able to start the playoffs this year, I did not expect him to be “the guy” from January on out. He had some great stats from January on (23 straight games without a regulation loss, anyone?). I’m really not judging him based on his short playoff performance, because to me, pulling Theodore was an absolutely inexcusable move. No way can you do that to a goalie who has been playing his heart out for 3+ months, especially after you tell him he’s got a longer leash. I thought the Theo v. Montreal excuse was pretty lame, and I honestly think he was pulled to shake up the team rather than because of his poor play. I don’t think he’ll be back next season, but at a cheaper price, I would do it (no surprise). Finally, he was as classy as they come. The way he treated Varly in the playoffs, his attitude troughout the season (both with fans and his team), his charity, and his award nominations reflect what a great team guy he is. I’m proud to say that he’s been a Cap, and I’ll admit I never thought he’d become my favorite when he first signed here back in the summer of ’08. Thanks for everything Jose.

I expected very litte from Theo this year. After last year’s playoffs i expected a goalie with little confidence and that he would be resigned to backup duty if not being shipped out at the deadline in favor of the kids.

so yeah, he exceeded my expectations….but for some reason i always had a bit of a nervous feeling when he was on the ice…like he’s just one bad goal/period from being bad theo.

i would have given him a 9, but the fact that he couldnt take the bull by the horns in the playoffs (rightly or wrongly) gets him knocked down a peg w/ me.

I heard the comments at the beginning of the year about how he “shows up” for contract years, but after reading what happened to his family in the summer, my expectations had dropped to nil when the season started. And after he struggled in Oct/Nov, I anxiously waited for Neuvy to join Varly up in the ranks. But then Varly got injured, Neuvy struggled at the start, and the team had to rely on Theo. And how did he take the responsibility? A 20-0-4 run, including the 14 game win streak, something I never would have predicted. And that Detroit game, well, that sealed it for me.

The Discussion: Regardless of recent reports, is there a price and term at which you would like to see Theodore back next year? How much of Theodore’s success this season would you attribute to the team, and vice versa? What would it have taken for Theodore to earn a 10 rating this year?

It’s time for Varly and Neuvy to fight it out, so unless he wants to become a permanent backup and take an enormous hometown discount (and I wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t – he’s good enough to start for several teams) I don’t expect him back.
I think the success was symbiotic. The way Ovi and others would talk about him after games made me think that the team really liked having him in goal, like they felt safe that he would keep them in the games so they could do their thing on the other end. For a 10 his GAA would have to have been to be closer to 2 than 3, and he would have needed to win a series in the playoffs. But like others have said, he was a class-act all the way, and I wish him and his family the best.

I’m with those who are blown away by how much Theo contributed to this amazing season, and that he brought that so much class and professionalism to the ice, day in and day out, whether he was in net or cheering from the bench. And this has come while he’s grappled with personal tragedy, and started a charity to help others.

I wouldn’t have expected to become my favorite Cap when he came to town. I agree with b.orr4

No matter what, my memory of Jose will be that of a good goalie, but a much better man.

I was expecting him to be a suitable starting goaltender, especially behind the offensive powerhouse that is the Capitals. He definitely exceeded those expectations during the regular season, with the winning streak and whatnot. That would have garnered him a 9, but his less-than-spectacular post-season play dropped him to a 7.

To keep him next season, he would have to agree to a much lower contract and cap-hit, and expect to be the backup.