Wednesday Caps Clips

It was so painful, I had to bail out on it. I suppose it’s the thought that counts.

I was going back to the discussion yesterday about how some people just don’t like Green / Schultz in that thought. To me, it all depends on what comes out on the ice this season. Remember, the Green / Mo pairing completely fell apart from season to season last year – it’s hard to tell what will happen. Who can say that Green / Schultz will work this year like it did last year?

I’m not too worried about chemistry either – I’m just pointing out that there’s always risks with a FA no matter what position or injury status. I see no reason not to go for it.

This is a very valid point. Since BB doesn’t do line matching and doesn’t believe in it, that’s probably a good thing for this team. I’m actually hoping that the addition of Carlson means that Green will spend less time on the PP this season (or at least not be out for the entire 2 minutes!)

Great points, Peerless. Green’s ES partner doesn’t necessarily have to get a lot more ES time than the other D.

Good nose, FD. Willie Mitchell is one of the best examples of how Qcomp stats lie. By either the Corsi-based measure or the on/off measure Mitchell doesn’t rate as very difficult competition. But you look at how he plays, how his team uses him, how the pundits and fans value him (which is not necessarily meaningful at all), and basically at how well he is regarded within the sport and you can’t really conclude that Mitchell is easy competition. Brian Campbell is rated as much, much more difficult competition than Willie Mitchell, but I know which guy I’d rather have AO on the ice against.

If the formula is GAON/60 – GAOFF/60, and the result is a negative number, doesn’t that mean that the team allows more goals when the player is off the ice, and indicate that the player is a net-positive defender?

If the team allows two goals per 60 when you’re on the ice and three goals per 60 when you’re off it (net minus-one), it means you’re better than your teammates.

I’m reading as GAOFF/60 – GAON/60, rather than GAON/60 – GAOFF/60.

I think its still a very strong possibility, because he’s the best fit, but there’s not really a way to do it before more important players get signed.

I agree about LeBrun, and Tom Awad certainly has more credibility than ESPN as a whole. But just in reading that first blurb (no way I’m paying for anything from ESPN) I’m not buying the claim. Of course Niemi is going to have a higher GVT than Varlamov or Neuvirth. It’s not a rate stat and he played in almost as many games as the two of them combined in the regular season (39 for Niemi, 40 for Varlavirth) and way more games in the playoffs.

Throw in the differences between the Washington and Chicago defenses and any comparisons between Niemi and the Caps goalies based only on numbers has to be taken with a huge grain of salt.

I can’t see what is behind the ESPN wall of commerce, but I really — and I mean really — don’t like the idea of Niemi in a Caps uniform.

I believe it was BSH that called Lebrun the hardest working journalist in hockey this summer, and it’s hard to disagree.

I think it’s probably because the webmaster was on vacation, and no one has yet pointed out the omission. Guess that will change now.

Yet, coming into the season, Niemi only had 3 games of NHL experience.

If mentions here count, you are spot on.

So I guess the advice is that if you’re an NHL coach, rent don’t buy?

Bruce was hired on Thanksgiving 2007. By Thanksgiving 2008, he was the longest tenured coach in the Southeast Division.

On a Nicky Backstrom goal. Heh.

Wait. A plus-77? Good gravy.

From what I can tell, the cheapest asking price is around $300 ea. Some look as high as $1,000.

Weird, isn’t it? I wonder how many of them will sell. I’d also expect their purchase price to be lower than ours, as it replaces a home game in their season ticket package, but I could be completely wrong.

What are the sections for Caps fans? I want to make sure I buy in the right section.

FWIW – I think the prices will come down. People will decide not to go for any of a variety of reasons. With 70K plus tickets, anyone that really wants one will be able to get one, although no guarantee of cost.

How much are tickets up there? I think I want to try doing a road game somewhere and that seems like a fairly non-intimidating place (relatively speaking) to attempt it.

Or, you know, I could look it up myself and NOT be a lazy ass. :)

you’re very generous with ted’s money! i would imagine it would be tough to insure that contract given his recent history. but i would agree that for a reasonable sum and short term, it would be a good risk.

Or, as Vogs suggests, just bank the cap space and see how the kids do. Mitchell isnt likely to accept an offer that wouldnt eat up the majority of the Caps remaining $4.4 Million in cap room. Let someone else run the risk of Mitchell relapsing after a hard hit – I wish him nothing but the best, but cap space is such a luxury now, and injuries are so unpredictable, to have that flexibilty is almost worht more than the actual $4.4 million, if that makes sense.

Not exactly – it’s doubtful that the Caps would insure Mitchell’s contract (either through the League insurance or separately), since it’d be so cheap and short-term (presumably). Interesting read on the topic, generally, here.

It seems too cursory for real analysis.

would you prefer to see Nicky in the Sex and Love are the Future t-shirt? Or ripped jeans?

Kenney’s salary last year was $635,000, so the 750 would have been a nice little raise for him.

Well, it’s a difference of paying $167K this year (and next) versus paying $1M this year…so it’s more than a $250K spread.

I agree with your point about trading him, which I covered in the “mismanagement of an asset” critique at the end of my post.

After Karl Alzner had to stay in Hershey rather than playing in DC due to $12.5K in cap room that just wasn’t there, I have no issues with a team scrimping on cap space.