Thursday Caps Clips
by J.P. on Sep 9, 2010 6:39 AM EDT
in Caps Clips
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PrintYour savory head-of-the-year breakfast links:
- In what should be celebrated as an annual holiday by all Caps fans, today marks the 28th anniversary of the Caps trading Ryan Walter and Rick Green to Montreal for Rod Langway, Craig Laughlin, Doug Jarvis and Brian Engblom. Read up, young 'uns.
- Back to the here-and-now, the guys out at Kettler chat about being back. [Caps365 (video, where the Varly intro never gets old)]
- Catching up with Mike Knuble. [CSN Washington]
- Bruce Boudreau had this to say of Tomas Fleischmann trade rumors: "I think you can faithfully put all of them to bed." Sweet dreams! [SportingNews (with Bruce on an Eric Belanger deal as well)]
- If some of you find yourselves needing some more uplifting news after reading that last bullet, here it is: "Comcast SportsNet, the local rights-holder for both the Wizards and the Caps, will produce all its regular-season games for both teams in HD this season." Welcome to 2010. [D.C. Sports Bog]
- A Caps-centric look at Los Diablos... [Masisak]
- ... and a glimpse at the defending Eastern Conference Champs. [KOL]
- If the over/under for John Erskine's 2010-11 NHL games played is set at 56, which are you taking? [Peerless]
- Five huge questions facing the Caps (actual hugeness of questions may vary). [Turner Sports Desk]
BravoLifetime has Tim Gunn; the Caps blogosphere has Kevin Bryant. [JtG]- Flash and David Steckel go back to school (and for some reason this story gets its third consecutive day of coverage here). [Gazette]
- Joe Corvo, reflecting on his tenure as a Cap: "Really, the whole Washington situation was such a short period of time where it almost feels like I was never there." It pretty much looked that way, too, Joe. [ESPN]
- Olie Kolzig vs. Dale Hunter: who owns the 30's? [RtR]
- Because a FlipVideo of someone's TV is a bit crude, Alex Ovechkin's Capital One ad in HD. [Alex Ovetjkin]
- Dmitri Orlov: "I’m an offensive defenseman. But even if I like joining the rush, shooting and jumping into opportunities, I surely don’t forget about the defense." Talk is - how you say - cheap? Let's hope another year in Russia helps his game at both ends of the rink. [The Hockey News]
- 30 in 30... Sean Collins? [Red Line Station]
- "The Hanged Man isn’t necessarily a 'bad news' kind of card when face-up. The man is hanging by his foot, not his neck, so it’s not like he’s being executed here." Awesomes. [Capital Spirit]
- Metro is making no friends among the Caps faithful (if it had any remaining at this point, that is). [Peerless]
- As the season nears, Bryan Helmer is still in search of a deal. [TVOS]
- Finally, happy 44th birthday to Kevin Hatcher, and happy 57th to Nelson Pyatt.
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Metro isn’t making any friends among the Redskins faithful or the DC United faithful either since the Redskins also have a game at Fed Ex field (and apparently DC United is home as well).
Rocking the Red since 1975
Metro isn’t making any friends every holiday/3 day weekend these days. At the same time, as a Metro rider, I understand that Metro needs these repairs. A can’t win situation, but any time you close down a station, let alone multiple stations, plenty of people are going to be more than a little inconvenienced.
Metro isn’t fun anymore. :(
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
The fun part for me—maybe since going to games is the exception, not the norm, for me—is trying to crowd into the red line to Metro Center right after a game.
by red army line on Sep 9, 2010 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
No, the only friends they had left died in the crash.
Too soon?
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
by iwearstripes on Sep 9, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
That one left the park in a hurry.
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
I mean anything travels that far oughta have a damn stewardess on it, don’t you think?
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t understand the need to shut down stations for a weekend in a non-24-hour system. If trains are running all night, that’s one thing, but as every station is closed for five hours every day, I’d like to think they could do something about it then.
(Not to mention that their escalator “repairs” never seem to take, so I can’t imagine how terrible they are at actual track work.)
Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.
They were working on the same escalator at Archives/Navy Memorial the entire time I was posted down there (three monfs).
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions
I’ve worked near Archives since the beginning of May, and there’s always one out. They did a rotation of “repairs” at Van Ness (home base for me) and the escalator that started the rotation (in April/Mayish) is out again. If it takes three months of repairs to have it going for less than three months, just leave them as stairs and I’ll lose some weight.
Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.
It’s always either the one in the middle is being worked on, or the ones going down are a staircase, and that’s a LONG stair case to go down. I think one day they were ALL down, because I remember I fell.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions
The overnight hours is how they do maintenance/minor repairs. Major repairs/upgrades likely cannot be completed in the overnight hours, it’s a very small amount of time.
It’s a major headache, no question, but looking at things realistically, sometimes major work needs to be done. In terms of closing on holiday weekends vs closing on weekdays, while it inconveniences people either way, I believe it probably does inconvenience fewer people on the weekends.
Last weekend (Labor Day weekend) 5 Red Line stations were closed all weekend. One holiday weekend, it was National Airport. Now that was insane, IMO, to close the airport station on a holiday, but the other option is on a workday and that wouldn’t work either.
Grrr, I’m not a friend of Metro, but here I am defending the organizational decision. Now, the latest fare craziness, no defense (and OT).
a while back, the Post had a big article, complete with graphics, of everything that goes into a switch repair. It’s an absolutely insane amount of work. I wish I could find it. Honestly given the choice between a 3-day shutdown vs. the old way of single tracking for 3-4 consecutive weekends, I’ll take the shorter shutdown every time.
Watching the O’s try to use strategy is like watching Mike Green trying to figure out the difference between "your" and "you’re"--Terpgrrl
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
From DCist:
There’s sports games, concerts, and a lot more people in town that weekend who will want to get around. Plus, there are a large number of Washingtonians who work in offices in the center of town who just don’t take Columbus Day off and would normally use Metro to get into and home from work on Monday.
Oh, right, and the World Bank’s annual meeting is also going on that weekend. Oops.
It appears that WMATA didn’t take into consideration the World Bank’s meetings in their decision to close the Farragut West station. (It certainly wasn’t in their press release announcing the closures.) We can imagine several people would probably like to use Metro to get to the annual meeting, considering that it’s but a short stroll from the site of the meetings at 1818 H Street NW. Anyone who’s lived here long enough can tell you that the annual meeting of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are a massive deal, and draw a boatload of people to the World Bank’s headquarters — including large numbers of foreign journalists, protestors and civil society representatives who are unfamiliar with the city and might not know that our subway system will be shutting down operations for maintenance work.
The worst part? Sources tell us that the dates for the World Bank conference were announced last year. It’s mind-boggling that Metro would totally blank and close such a large, centralized portion of the city’s mass transit system during such a massive event.
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
by Bald Pollack on Sep 9, 2010 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s almost like Metro doesn’t know what the hell they’re doing.
Oh, I know what’ll solve it! More money!
/DC’d
by David Getz on Sep 9, 2010 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
If only it were that easy.
Signed,
K. Payne (/OT)
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
by Bald Pollack on Sep 9, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
eh, sometimes you’re limited to how long you can put off closures. On top of that, as infrastructure ages it becomes exponentially more difficult and time consuming to maintain it because of spare part and knowledge scarcity.
It is what it is and there isn’t really any ideal day to do major maintenance and you can’t put it off forever.
If you don’t want such major delays in the future, get MD and VA to raise their taxes so they can pay what they owe WMATA/DC. Until then, expect major outages every year.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
the annual meeting of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are a massive deal, and draw a boatload of people to the World Bank’s headquarters — including large numbers of foreign journalists, protestors
Conspiracy!
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
The Caps dressed 10 defensemen last year who started the year in the organization. Three of them are gone. If I had a more comfortable feeling about who the 7-8-9-10 defensemen were in the organization, 56 would be way high. But who are those defensemen? You would think that one of them (perhaps two) aren’t even in the organization at the moment (who would push Erskine and Sloan into the press box or off the parent roster), but the Caps do not seem to be in any rush to make that happen.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Erskine’s path to 56 games likely requires a) him to be healthy, b) guys ahead of him not being healthy, and/or c) the Caps not acquiring anyone that pushes him down the depth chart prior to the deadline (if at all).
Of those factors, I only see (b) being likely. I think I’d take the under, but I admit that that might be wishful thinking on my part.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
A bit more stream-of-consciousness: Currently, he’s #6 on the depth chart without a single move and perfect health all around, you could envision a 50/30 split b/t he and Sloan, respectively (let’s give those other two games to someone from Hershey). Every time one of the five guys in front of him gets a ding, Ersky moves up the depth chart. The only thing that moves him out of the top 6 is an acquisition, and even then, he’s right back in any time one of those top five misses a game (and the top three that were all NHLers last year – Poti, Green and Schultz – missed more than 25 of them last year), or if, heaven forbid, one of the kids needs a trip to Chocolatetown.
Likely the only thing that keeps Erskine from topping 56 games, then, is his health (or multiple D acquisitions). Playing the style he does, he’s susceptible to injury, and he missed 16 games last year due to four different injuries and 25 the year before (most coming on that 22-game post-concussion layoff).
I think I’m sticking with the under, but it’s a tough call.
But 56 is a big number.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
As you noted, right now, he’s the number six guy on the depth chart (and that assumes Karl Alzner has passed him, which is not a certainty). He missed those 16 games to injury last year. But I don’t assume that any of the five defensemen above him will play more than 75 games, and he’s going to get some of those. This defense isn’t as deep as last year’s and he got 50 games. All other things being equal (and he’s been in the low 50’s the last three years), his durability might the only thing keeping him from playing more.
And that is why the Caps’ defense right now is a mess. It’s too young and too thin.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Yep, there’s a lot of hoping going on there, and hope ain’t a plan.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
If Mike Green misses any meaningful stretch of time, this team might be cooked. Think Green doesn’t play defense? The guys who move up the depth chart (Erskine, Sloan, the rookies) are going to be getting 2-3 extra minutes a game, and the team won’t be able to hide them away from top-line personnel.
If you've read this far...seek help.
How cooked is cooked? Green could miss regular season time and the team could survive. If he misses playoff time, however, as he has the past two seasons, the results will likely be similar.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Given the way the team is put together, Green occupies a spot that is more critical than I think folks give him credit for. The forwards have scoring in depth; it is where having more than one of the same kind of player works to their advantage. But Green does things on the defense that no other defenseman can do in his absence. If he is missing, there are all those minutes that have to be filled by other defensemen. Someone (Poti? Carlson?) has to man the right point on the power play. He is the best defenseman at carrying the puck out of the defensive zone on his own (now I’m pre-empting the next preview). I think his absence puts more pressure on the goaltenders, not because he is a sturdy at-home defender, but he can work the puck out of trouble better than the other Caps defenders; there could be a lot more time-of-possession in the Caps’ end without him. Are the young goalies ready for that?
Green’s absence could ripple as hard and as fast through the team as, perhaps, that of an Ovechkin or a Backstrom. It could force young guys to grow up faster, or it could discombobulate the team.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Green’s absence could ripple as hard and as fast through the team as, perhaps, that of an Ovechkin or a Backstrom.
Agreed. And I think the team could survive during the regular season without either of those guys for a stretch, too.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
And Schultz is still recovering from mono, it may not serve the team best to run up his minutes right away.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
You mean mono is recovering from Schultz.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Sep 9, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Dude needs to stop making out with Phil Kessel.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
It’s not gay if the guy only has one ball right?
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i’ll take the under as i suspect someone will be acquired at the deadline at least. so while erskloan might split time before then, i think it’s nacho time after that with the exception of what should be some maintenance games for the big minute guys prior to the playoffs.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
Erskine’s path to 56 games likely requires a) him to be healthy,
That’s as far as I go. If you ask John Erskine to play 56 games, odds are pretty high he’ll get hurt and miss a bunch. He’s an effective NHL defenseman in his role, but he’s not an everyday player and his performance suffers when he’s asked to be.
By the way, I think people are largely ignoring one of the ways that the 6D situation may be resolved: On the last week before the season, a lot of fairly good players are going to be waived. McPhee has shown himself to be more than willing to ply the waiver wire. A Staffan Kronwall-type would be very welcome on the Caps’ depth chart right about now. And a “free” acquisition like that could clinch the “under” for Erskine
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions
If you ask John Erskine to play 56 games, odds are pretty high he’ll get hurt and miss a bunch.
But he’s cleared 50 games in each of the last three seasons and was healthy-sratched plenty.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Fair point, but I still have the sense he’s going to get hurt if he comes into the season with increased expectations. I hope not.
By the way, I have no problem with Erskine at 6. Sure, the team can do better, but we’re talking about 6D. Obviously, the bigger problem is that any injuries to the Caps’ blue line push him up to 5 or 4, and he definitely ain’t the right guy for those roles.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh, I agree, as pointed out above – he’s not particularly durable at all.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Last year was one of his more durable at missing 16 games to injury. He’s missed 87 over four seasons in that fashion.
If you've read this far...seek help.
What worries me a bit is the 22-games he missed post-concussion two seasons ago. Another knock in the mellon and he could be out long-term again.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
....
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Breakout season, baby!
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
All that will take is for him to actually do some dirty work in the corners, win 50% of his faceoffs and be more responsible defensively, while maintaining his 50+ points.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
I’m actually somewhat optimistic for Flash. (I hope this doesn’t get me banned around here). He’s never gone into a training camp as a center. All he really needs in my mind is to firm up his defense, and I think he’s probably capable of that.
For this team, I would happily take a center who is adequate defensively, beats 45% on the dot, and scores 50 points. I think with a year of working on faceoffs, Flash can probably break 45%, and there’s no doubt he can manage the 50 points. If he just learns to play the position defensively, he may be all right.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Assuming Laich-Flash-Semin, the entire second line is UFA and looking to get paid at the end of this year.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Knuble as well. And the players in the pipeline closest to being ready are Perreault, Eakin, Andrew Gordon, and Kugryshev. It’ll be an interesting offseason next year.
(Brooks Laich ain’t going anywhere)
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I think you left the two most ready prospects off that list: Mackan and Kuznetsov.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Mackan I was thinking of as already here. Kuznetsov sounds like a stud, but color me very skeptical that he could be ready next summer.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
MP is the only guy that might be more ready than Kuznetsov next year. Gordon will be more developed and should be on the NHL team, but he’ll be a grinder.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Depends on what you mean by “developed.” I think Eakin and Kuznutz may be about even, but I’m pretty sure Kugryshev will be much closer to what he’ll eventually be than either of those.
Now, what Kugryshev will eventually be, I’m not making any guesses about that.
Gordon is probably pretty close to what he’s going to be – Matt Bradley with some more upside (maybe even all the way up to Brooks Laich)
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
For this team, I would happily take a center who is adequate defensively, beats 45% on the dot, and scores 50 points.
I’m with you (bregrudingly on the faceoff number… a bit low for me) until the last part, because it seems regular season-focused. I have little doubts that Flash can be productive during the regular season. But until I see otherwise, I have my doubts about his playoff-readiness.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Sep 9, 2010 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
aye, there’s the rub
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
No... there's the rub:
And now the circle is complete…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Sep 9, 2010 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
ahhhhhhhhhhhh… it’s good to be "The Flash"
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
[Nylander joke.]
"Hockey is my life, wine is my passion." -- Igor Larionov
by Scott in Shaw on Sep 9, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
I wouldn’t worry about play-off readiness before the season starts. Going into the season with this much cap space, combined with the incredible talent available this time-round on deadline day, I imagine GMGM will make moves that put Corvo, Walker, and Belanger to shame. (well more shame)
Who's your Padre?
Problem is, if Flash has a big regular season GMGM won’t trade him despite his glaring playoff flaws, and if he sucks he’ll have no trade value.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Good point. Perhaps GMGM might be aware of his glaring play-off flaws and err on the side of “we need a fucking cup this year” and go all out at the deadline
Who's your Padre?
I doubt that McPhee is as attached to Fleischmann as some other players on the roster. The team’s history with Flash in terms of contract negotations says otherwise.
Whether or not Fleischmann stays or goes depends as much on how other players on the roster are performing. If he continues to increase his offense as he has the past couple of years, he becomes a more cap-friendly back-up plan for secondary scoring than, say, Semin (who has had his own playoff struggles).
If both Semin and Flash leave, then the team’s primary secondary scoring rests on the surgically repaired shoulders of Eric Fehr. I doubt Kuznetsov will be ready to go next season, and I really don’t see a ton of offense from the prospects who are close, like A. Gordon and Perreault.
I don’t know that the contract negotiations really say much about what GMGM thinks of Flash. Flash still got a very nice deal, and the hold up may have been just as much from Flash’s agent asking for a ton of money as it is GMGM lowballing Flash. I bet GMGM isn’t attached to Flash as BB, but I also don’t know how much pull BB has with regards to what they do with Flash. I’m sure he lobbies hard for him and will do so even more if Flash starts off hot.
I do agree that Flash’s situation is dependent to an extent on the performance of the rest of the team. But if Semin and Flash leave that opens up a huge chunk of change to go outside the organization to find a good player to play with Fehr on the second line. Those guys being gone doesn’t completely cripple the second line unless GMGM doesn’t do anything to replace them.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that signing Schultz and Fehr early and nearly going to arbitration with Fleischmann shows how the organization regards all three players in terms of where they fit in future plans. Schultz and Fehr are seen as second tier core players, while Fleischmann is a complimentary piece that is expendable. Fleichmann had to play for his first pro contract in training camp/preseason after rejecting his qualifying offer, then he signed a near-league minimum two-year deal, which fits for a low-cost complimentary player. They’ve really never shown a committment to Fleischmann, unlike the investment they have in Fehr (for his recovery from various health issues) or in Schultz (4 years on his first non-entry-level deal).
Except the actual roles on the ice of Fehr and Schultz don’t give them much leverage. Fehr actually plays lower on the depth chart than Flash and his numbers thus suffer (thanks BB!) while Schultz plays a very ordinary looking (but effective) defensive style that doesn’t lend itself to big arbitration awards. Flash has the type of game that is perfect for getting big arbitration awards – flashy numbers and unquantifiable flaws. He had leverage to drag out negotiations that Schultz and Fehr didn’t have. I doubt Flash would have gotten a higher salary than Fehr if he was really seen as expendable.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not sure you’re correct on how their on-ice roles caused them to sign early, especially considering that Schultz could have gone to arbritation with a better performance in the same type of role that Morrisonn had a couple of years ago, while Fehr had a breakout year similar to Flash’s (especially with more consistant high rate production given his limited icetime) and could have had a good argument at arbritation. The only real difference between Fleischmann’s and Fehr’s numbers is that Flash sees more special teams time, while Fehr is only on the second unit PP (and he produced in the playoffs). They were willing to gave Schultz four years and nearly a million more than Morrisonn got in arbritation, while Fehr received two years even though he’s a player with one good season and a bad injury history, which is more than he would have gotten in arbritation. The team was willing to commit to those players in that manner; they were not willing to do so with Fleischmann after his one good season and no-show in the playoffs.
The Capitals’ walk-away number was reportedly not that far over what they wound up with (McPhee said that if it was beyond that number, they would have walked away, and that they were “comfortable” with Flash’s new contract). This was after reports that the two parties were far apart in negotiations. Considering that Fleischmann’s contract is only slightly under $600,000 more than Fehr’s contract, that the Capitals let it drag until the night before arbritation, and only settled on one year at that “comfortable” number…sorry, I just don’t see how the Capitals are committed to Fleischmann as a core player in any stretch, including compared to Schultz and Fehr.
And yes, I see the one-year deal with Semin the same way.
Comparing Schultz to Shamo? Yeah, they played a similar role, except Schultz did it much much better. That’s why Schultz got more money and more years. I’m not sure what the comparison is supposed to say, obviously they value Schultz more than Shamo. But I don’t think what they did with Schultz says anything about what they did for Flash. Completely different players with completely different types of leverage.
Fehr had a nice year, but he still didn’t even break 40 points. Sure, he produced at a high rate, but past arbitration results suggest that the most important thing is raw scoring stats. He may have had the same numbers as Flash if he got the ice time, but the team can then turn around in arbitration and say his lack of ice time shows he doesn’t play as important of a role and thus doesn’t deserve as big of a raise. They can also refer to his injury problems and when you consider all that Fehr wouldn’t have nearly as good of a case in arbitration than Flash would.
I don’t believe pretty much anything GMGM says about contract negotiations. Of course he is gonna say he’s comfortable with the deal. I’d agree the Caps don’t consider Flash part of the core, but that’s never what I said. I don’t think they consider Fehr part of the core. Everything you’ve assumed from the negotiations can be just as much a result of Flash’s agent playing hardball as the Caps lowballing Flash. There is nothing conclusive you can draw from the contract negotiations.
I think Flash and Semin both got 1 year deals because their agents wanted them to be paid on talent and potential and the Caps wanted to wait and see. I don’t think either contract suggests the Caps see those players as expendable. They are more wait and see contracts, and I think GMGM (with some prodding from BB) would hold onto Flash for the playoffs if he produces in the regular season. If he doesn’t produce he’s not gonna have the trade value to bring the Caps what they need. That was my point, it’s a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation with Flash.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Considering the contracts that secondary scorers like Mike Comrie and Lee Stempniak have been signing of late, I’m not going to lose much sleep if Flash asks for $3m and GMGM shows him the door. The list of players who can approximate his production for much less money is pretty long.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Stempniak might be a good compariable for the Capitals playing hardball with Fleischmann next season. Stempniak was widely seen as a failed prospect who had a great 18 games with his new team, so the market for him was smaller than his agent probably believed. Fleischmann has some big faults, but he has had a steady improvement in his offense over 3 seasons. It’s possible that the Caps let him test the UFA market while they try to sort out Semin or other additions.
But the contracts for Comrie and Stempniak are not the norm for secondary scorers; they’re late off-season deals for flawed players with baggage, and even that’s not predictable: Frolov got $3 million on his desperation deal. The list is long, but I think you’re seriously underestimating how much those free agents will cost.
But the contracts for Comrie and Stempniak are not the norm for secondary scorers; they’re late off-season deals for flawed players with baggage, and even that’s not predictable: Frolov got $3 million on his desperation deal. The list is long, but I think you’re seriously underestimating how much those free agents will cost.
This is playing out every offseason. Comrie, Stempniak, Frolov, Zherdev… The list goes on and on. Yes, each of these guys has baggage and flaws, but so does Flash. Every single offseason, there is a glut of secondary talent on the market – guys who aren’t good enough to get snatched up right away, but are too old to be on the radar of rebuilding teams. They sit on the market until September and then take way less than they “ought” to get.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Every single offseason, there is a glut of secondary talent on the market – guys who aren’t good enough to get snatched up right away, but are too old to be on the radar of rebuilding teams.
However, there’s also a glut of secondary talent that’s snatched up at the beginning of free agency. If they’re dependable secondary line producers, they’ll be signed before August. Like Lombardi, Cullen, Whitney, even guys like Ponikarovsky (signed July 27). And for the most part, you’ll pay for those guys (Poni with his two low 20-goal seasons got $3 million). Guys with bad reputations (Comrie, Frolov), shaky performance histories (Stempniak), or health/age question marks tend to be the ones who wait until late August or September, because they’re risks and they have low leverage.
And Zherdev was signed in early July…mostly because he agreed to $2 million after playing a season in the KHL.
It’d be cool if this season Flash has a great 18 games with his new team.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
On Flash, he hasn’t exactly been at the top of his game on the health front the past two years. He’s had to deal with two major physical problems: the pneumonia in early 2009 and the deep vein thrombosis problem. I’m sure the former sapped him of much stamina and the latter didn’t exactly help for conditioning.
While I think Flash is the most logical forward to trade among our cast of characters, we haven’t exactly seen Flash 100% healthy
Rocking the Red since 1975
The second actually let him bulk up more than usual, especially in upper body strength. He couldn’t skate, but he worked out more than usual.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Orlov update: His KHL team Metallurg Novokuznetsk lost the final game of the exhibition season – to their own farm club.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Didn’t that happen to the Flyers a couple years ago?
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 7:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Indeed it did…. heh.
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Sep 9, 2010 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
To clarify, CSN may “produce” the games in HD but unless they’re shot in same, it doesn’t make a lick of difference.
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
produced = shot. what they cant control is whether the distributors (comcast, fios, etc) will open up a high def channel for those games. i think i read yesterday that that was the case with all the major cable providers…but check your local listings!
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
produced = shot.
No it doesn’t, there’s a difference between upconvert and native. If you look at say the Rangers (or Florida) games vs. a lesser market, there’s a difference in quality because of how it’s shot at the time.
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
As I forget how to use blockquotes.
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
… but remember how to set people straight.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
my understanding of the issue last year were not whether the games were shot in hd (they were) its that csn didnt have agreements in place with the local arenas to carry the games in HD (for example, when they played in western cities they dont usually visit). csn doesnt bring their own camera’s to visiting cities, they are at the mercy of the local arenas, which i’m willing to bet are all affixed w/ hd cameras.
so when they say they are produced in hd, that would mean that the they are going to provide the hd feed to the local outlets. pretty sure that wont be upconverted crap and will be true hd.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
Considering that pointy ball season is starting tonight, I’m waiting and seeing to see what the local press does with the Caps, be it TV or dead tree. It’s a nice announcement, but let’s not get all breathless about it until it actually occurs in execution.
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
Well, if it’s anything like Steinberg lately, get ready for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of Haynesworth coverage.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Hey, that’s your colleague you’re talking about…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Sep 9, 2010 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions 9 recs
It’s not Steinberg’s fault. The market is what it is.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s better. We’ll make a company man out of you yet!
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I mean, as much as I want things to be diff-
/electrical noise
DONOVAN MCNABB! HAYNESWORTH! WILL THEY START SUNDAY? DALLAS! CHRIS COOLEY! WHO’S PLAYING WIDE RECIEVER? CLINTON PORTIS! LARRY JOHNSON!
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions
I for one welcome our new Redskins overlords!
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Sep 9, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Go Eaglez!
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
No, really, Go Eagles!
/grew up in Philly
"Hockey is my life, wine is my passion." -- Igor Larionov
by Scott in Shaw on Sep 9, 2010 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Can you blame him? The Skins drive sales, web traffic and everything under the sun. That’s why I’m closer to believing that the Caps games will all be in widescreen and it being touted as “produced in HD.”
"#DCU is like senior prom. A bunch of people standing around waiting for a 17-year old to score."
I don’t blame him at all. It’s one of the fun things about this here particular area (and pretty much other area that has a big time NFL team).
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
(I learned to read tarot long ago.) The Hanged Man when right side up is a reference to Odin on the Tree of Wisdom, among other things. It’s usually a card of patience, of waiting, of sacrifices made for wisdom. It can often mean a situation in limbo. I think it’s a pretty apt choice.
Fantasy Teams: Baby Got Backstrom (Ladies of Twitter) and All's Fehr in the Crease (Six Beers Too Many)
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Sep 9, 2010 7:47 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I really enjoy reading Tarot. The symbolism on those cards is so powerful and at the same time so ambiguous, it’s no wonder that almost every reading feels perfectly apt.
I always read the hanged man as taking a new perspective and refusing to play by the rules. As the sense that precedes that “aha” moment when you realize that you don’t have to do things the same way they’ve always been done, but instead come up with a clever solution to the problem at hand.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s an interesting take on the Hanged Man – never seen that. Which decks do you read usually?
Fantasy Teams: Baby Got Backstrom (Ladies of Twitter) and All's Fehr in the Crease (Six Beers Too Many)
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Rider-Waite. Why fool around?
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Sep 9, 2010 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions
This Clips worries me J.P. Tim Gunn left Bravo when Project Runway moved to Lifetime. He hasn’t worked for them since ’08.
"The most important thing - to get to the playoffs and move on." Evgeny Kuznetsov
Me not knowing that is probably a good thing.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Sep 9, 2010 8:02 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Can’t beat the opening of this article:
It’s the same thing, year after bloody year.
It’s like the swallows returning to Capistrano, except in this case it’s Leafs Nation being expected to swallow a load of crap.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I feel like I just read an article that made a Capistrano reference, but I can’t remember where it came from.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 8:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Wow! You’d think with all the vitriol that was written by a regular over at PPP, not a guy who gets paid to write about sports by the Sun. On second thought since he works for the Sun…
"The most important thing - to get to the playoffs and move on." Evgeny Kuznetsov
I was about to ask you what the difference was, but maybe I shouldn’t.
Fantasy Teams: Baby Got Backstrom (Ladies of Twitter) and All's Fehr in the Crease (Six Beers Too Many)
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
I thought it was the salmon of Capistrano?
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Only in BC
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory
by Rather Bengt on Sep 9, 2010 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Last night, I dreamt that the Caps traded for Nikolai Kulemin.
It was very disturbing.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Jiri Tlusty wasn’t available?
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Sep 9, 2010 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions
If some of you find yourselves needing some more uplifting news after reading that last bullet, here it is: “Comcast SportsNet, the local rights-holder for both the Wizards and the Caps, will produce all its regular-season games for both teams in HD this season.” Welcome to20102004.
A Caps Fan in Italy
by The Great Bradsby on Sep 9, 2010 10:11 AM EDT reply actions
To be fair, hockey games in HD in Fall 2004 were something of a rarity.
by Wheeler on Sep 9, 2010 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
hell, in 2004, I was still living in a place where there was no HD service, let alone HD TVs for sale.
Watching the O’s try to use strategy is like watching Mike Green trying to figure out the difference between "your" and "you’re"--Terpgrrl
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
I had comcast HDTV in 2004. Network TV primetime and some news shows were in HD, PBS, and a few nature channels. That was it. The signals were very choppy and watching sports was hard because though a great picture, it would pop out to black every once in a while.
Pretty soon we’ll be having the conversation about 3-D. I’d love to see a 3D hockey broadcast, just for the novelty of it.
I had comcast HDTV in 2004.
Me too. “24” in HD (and it was Fox’s less-than-true HD) was about the only thing I watched in HD on my plasma besides movies. Oh, and I think “The West Wing” was in HD now that I think of it.
"Hockey is my life, wine is my passion." -- Igor Larionov
by Scott in Shaw on Sep 9, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Is anyone else happy that Belanger is no longer part of the picture? I’d rather see MP or Mackan up full time this year.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
I’m not going to believe he’s no longer a part of the picture until he signs with another team. Given how many folks were sniffing around him earlier this summer, and the reports from reliable sources that he’s signing here, I’d be surprised to see him sign elsewhere.
by Wheeler on Sep 9, 2010 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Belanger I think would only prevent both of MP/Mackan being in DC, not only one. Both IMO is pretty unlikely.
by red army line on Sep 9, 2010 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Take your pick of any three and the odds are there is not a #2C among them (yet, in the case of the latter two).
The Caps seem willing to push all their chips to the middle of the table and bet on “youth,” thinking that they have a royal flush in Carlson, Alzner, Perreault, Johansson, and Varlamov.
Better be “royal,” and not just a season of just “flush,” because if it is, those unemployment figures are going to be revised upward in these parts.
If you've read this far...seek help.
I think GMGM is waiting to see what happens during the regular season before he makes any huge moves. First of all, there weren’t very many free agents to sign that would be significant improvements over what the team already had. Second, the talent available later this season is on a whole other tier relative to this summer. GMGM will, hopefully, see what the youth movement lacks and make some moves/ ultilize the cap space available to bolster the team
Who's your Padre?
Brad Richards’ name gets thrown around here quite a bit as a possible trade deadline pickup. Paying only a quarter of that $7.8 MM for the playoff push and cup run would be pretty good.
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Sep 9, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Anyone else load up Ticketmaster for the ‘presale’ about an hour ago only to laugh a hardy chuckle when they expected me to pay $130 a pop for nosebleeds at the home opener? Shoot once corner no less.
Come on now Ted – every time you do this, a Stubhub employee gets its wings.
I saw that…is this just the “presale” price or is that the going rate these days? If the latter, I fear I might have gone to my last Caps game for a while….
…at least until I find employment.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
by SeattleCapsFan on Sep 9, 2010 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
You can check out what prices are supposed to be before taxes & service fees on the Caps’ seating page:
http://www.channel1media.com/capitals/seatviews/
Seems the prices are the same on Ticketmaster, but they add in a lovely convenience charge for each ticket, plus taxes, plus shipping. I’m surprised they don’t ship the tickets separately and charge you twice as much.
I literally laughed out loud in my cube and said oh HELL no when I saw those prices. Considering I have to fly to DC that weekend for the game, it’s Stubhub all the way.
by funkyceili79 on Sep 9, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
I picked up one game with the $20 of ticketmaster fees for two tickets, but wow to those premium game prices!
Perhaps some stubhub season ticket sellers are unaware of the premium face values and selling for what a normal ticket would go for?
Oh, and after adding all the fees, the cheapest ticket in the arena (upper corners) is now $50.
And that’s a NON premium game.
Remember when you could get 4th row seats on the Thursday Student special for $25 a pop?
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
by SeattleCapsFan on Sep 9, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I remember deciding to go to the then MCI Center at 4pm, rolling down there and getting $10 seats easy-peasy. Then moving down after the first period.
by funkyceili79 on Sep 9, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
DJ King
I was looking through the Caps Snaps album yesterday, and DJ King had #17 on the back of his helmet. Can anyone confirm this?
Mon dieu! Il y a un hache dans ma tête!
by OvechKING on Sep 9, 2010 11:51 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Confirmed with the release of the training camp rosters:
# 17 KING, D.J."
Caps Snaps - Washington Capitals News and Photography
Confirmed by me further down the page in my huge scoop of the day.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
No Flash deal, no Belanger signing…ah, well.
I have to think that at least one FA signing on D will transpire, and perhaps, as Peerless notes, a waiver-wire transaction is in the cards.
Flash at 2C, MP/MarJo at 3C, and away we go.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Erskine is good enough for the regular season, hell, so is Sloan. There’s plenty of time to wrangle a defenseman at the trade deadline, hopefully one that can live up to the precedent Corvo set while here.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
idk, i would just feel alot more comfortable with another decent defender to eat up some minutes
Who's your Padre?
True story. Green has a habit of not being in top form going into the playoffs, and another minute munching defender could help him stay healthy.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
by SeattleCapsFan on Sep 9, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Erskine and Sloan getting minutes isn’t ideal, but the larger problem right now is depth. You need 10 defense to get through a season, by and large.
The Caps have 7. Who are the other three guys?
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
And how many teams win a Cup by adding a top-four defenseman at the trade deadline?
If you've read this far...seek help.
Highly doubt the team adds a top-4 D this year at any time.
I’m wondering if the FO looked at the Montreal series, looked at the personnel on the club, then looked at the FA types out there, and decided that this year was going to be a development year for Alzner, Carlson, MP, MarJo, Varly and Neuvirth?
The club gets more info about how legit those guys are, and then can pick which ones stay and which ones go, and tools up for a run next year?
/grasping at straws
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
How many teams won a Cup with a guy like Niemi/Huet maintaining the pipes? The league doesn’t exist in a vacuum. No team will have the same combination and adding a late top 4 D rental doesn’t preclude them from winning.
It isn’t ideal, but what is out there? Guys that aren’t a significant upgrade over Slowskine or, I can’t think of anything to malign Sloan. If there was an option out there, I’m sure the front office would have jumped on it. They’re not exactly ideal even at the part of the barrel with the scrape marks.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
In case you’re wondering, the answer is “one.” Detroit in 1998 (Mark Stuart). As for the defense, no Cup winner since the lockout will go into the season with less experience — playoff and regular season — among the top-four defenders than this year’s Caps. Add to that a goalie rotation that starts with fewer than 75 games — regular season and playoff — between them, and it is a really bad recipe for success.
If you've read this far...seek help.
should have said “less experience among the top four defenders than any of their chief competitors.” Chicago had less experience (regular season) last year in winning the Cup among the five Cup winners since the lockout.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Maybe I’m misreading your point, Peerless, but it feels like a “correlation does not imply causation.” I’d guess that experience on the blueline is generally correlated with being good, plain and simple, too. At some point being good wins. Maybe neither Alzner nor Carlson can step into top-4, in which case the Caps need another defensemen—one who’ll likely be plenty experienced—but if Alzner can step in and perform well I’m not going to worry about inexperience on the blueline.
At this point it looks like ANA 2007 > DET 2008 > CHI 2010 > PIT 2009 > WSH 2011 (?) > CAR 2006 in terms of top-4 (Pittsburgh and Washington might be switched by season’s end assuming no personnel change). I really see that as a lack of being really good rather than inexperience, at least before this upcoming season starts.
by red army line on Sep 9, 2010 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions
At that level of play, all the teams are talented and/or just on a roll. But the common denominator among the winners is their experience, and the Caps don’t have it. Hoping that both rookies elevate their game AND adding another defensemen late is really a roll of the dice, especially since teams just don’t add top-fours late and win (sure didn’t work for the Caps last year).
If you've read this far...seek help.
Although my feelings may change by season’s end, I am very confident in the current top-four (Green, Schultz, Carlson, Alzner). Poti is a decent 5, even. What really has me troubled is 6-10, or the lack thereof
Who's your Padre?
Poti is more than a decent 5, and I have trouble putting either Carlson or Alzner ahead of him at this point. But Poti still isn’t a bad 3.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
He needs at least a half a season under his belt before we can make that kind of statement, imo.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
In most circumstances I would agree. . .but in this case, i see one rising and the other falling; which, makes it easier to jump to my conclusion
Who's your Padre?
.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Sep 9, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Nope. Poti gets maligned by a lot of people here (myself included) for his play on the PK, but his ability to play big minutes and be very effective at even strength is very valuable to the Caps. Carlson definitely has more upside, and may very well pass Poti by the end of the season (Alzner too), but right now I’m giving the edge to the guy who has proven repeatedly that he can provide 20+ solid minutes a night over the course of a full season.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
How very reasonable of you. Seriously.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
by SeattleCapsFan on Sep 9, 2010 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks, I try. I’m as excited about Carlson as the next guy, but we have to try to temper our expectations a bit and realize not every blue chip prospect is going to storm the league like AO or Backstrom (or Doughty to throw a D in there).
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Fair enough. I guess I’m getting ahead of myself at this point. If you have Poti higher on the depth chart that Carlson and Alzner, what do your defensive tandems look like?
Who's your Padre?
I wouldn’t mind seeing BB play around a bit with the pairings to see what works. Pairing based on depth doesn’t make much sense to me since the Caps have a clear #1 then 4 guys who are 2nd pairing guys. Maybe give Alzner a shot with Green, Schultz-Poti and Carlson-Erskine. At even strength the minutes should be relatively even, and Carlson can pick up more time on the PP and PK. If that doesn’t work you can swap Carlson and Schultz (although I don’t like the mobility of a Schultz-Erskine pairing), or you can try putting Carlznerson together and go with Poti and Erskine. Then you always have the fallback of going to pairings that worked last year and have Green-Schultz and Poti-Carlson as your top 4.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Those pairings definitely work. And i guess what is what the regular season is for, trying to find the best fit for the team. In the end; however, I’m still pretty skeptical of only having 7 defenseman. Everyone will have most likely skated wayyy too many minutes by the end of the season
Who's your Padre?
For sure. I’ve definitely been hoping the Caps would bring in another defenseman to at least push Erskine out of the top-6. I would like to put Alzner and Carlson with partners that give them a better chance to adjust and succeed in the NHL.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I can’t help but think they’re going to pull someone up from hershey to play D. Most teams have 9 or 10 Dmen. . .we have 7
Who's your Padre?
Most teams definitely DO NOT have 10 D-men. They usually carry 7 on the roster and rely on call-ups from their farm team, just as we’ll do this year.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Yeah, teams use 10 D throughout the season, but that is different from carrying 10 NHL D on their roster. The Caps aren’t in terrible shape now, and if they can push down Erskine and Sloan to 7/8 they will be in good shape for D depth.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Sep 9, 2010 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions
There will be callups. Brian Fahey, Sean Collins, Patrick McNeil, and Zach Miskovic are all guys who could see a cup of coffee in Washington.
Fins!
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Hope my cup of coffee has plenty of whiskey in it…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
That is a really, really uncomfortable thought if that group is the 8-9-10 pool. 15 total games of NHL experience among them (all by Collins).
If you've read this far...seek help.
It’s part of the reason that it’s sad that the Caps are wasting contracts on guys like Godfrey and Finley and can’t afford to bring in people like Helmer on a two-way contract.
Am I correct in that the Caps have 46 contracts? Maybe they’re holding a couple open for late signings…
If you've read this far...seek help.
They’re at 46 (use the resources available, people!), but that will be 45 once Eakin is returned to the WHL and 44 if MarJo goes back to SWE. So they’re really not all that close.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Rob Blake in 2001?
I don’t know if his absence would have affected the outcome for the Avs, but it certainly didn’t hurt to add him to the D-corps which already had Adam Foote and some guy named Ray Bourque.
Turner's Huge Questions
While nothing new for the folks around here, his questions are certainly dead on. The most frustrating aspects for me are the Caps inability to show up/close series out, and poor play on home ice. I have now seen three straight game seven home series losses and one major no-show. Brings back very bad memories from the Cap Centre days.
Btw, I’m hearing… King will, in fact, wear #17.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
One last solitary tear for the former Captain Clark (who has a job and a nice paycheck, at least this year)…then chin up and time to look ahead to a flying-fisted future.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Caps announce rookie/training camp rosters. Discuss ’em here.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
If you’re so inclined, talk about the rookies a bit more in today’s QotD.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Not sure if anyone ever saw this article, I was on vacation during this time and so I didn’t catch it, on Brendan Morrison. He reports that the PP never made any adjustments during the Montreal Series.
waiting for the trade deadline now
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
53 | 28 | 21 | 4 | 60 |
|
Florida
|
52 | 24 | 17 | 11 | 59 |
|
Winnipeg
|
55 | 25 | 24 | 6 | 56 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
52 | 23 | 24 | 5 | 51 |
|
Carolina
|
55 | 20 | 25 | 10 | 50 |
(updated 2.9.2012 at 9:25 AM EST)
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