1st!!! finally

I think they that Fedorov is the mentor we've been talking about for years. You can never ever be too deep down the middle. Stanley cup winning teams have depth through 4 lines; the caps are on the way!!! Oh man, I'm already excited. BUt I'm also drunk, so thats to be expected. All hail summer!@!

1 year $2.5 million max.

Long as there's room for Huet, Green, Laich, Morrisson, Steckel, Gordon I'm all for it!

Signing Federov, Green, and Laich will be a great move for the Caps. And of course we have to sign Huet if possible (and reasonable). My question, with them signed and Nylander and Clark back in the saddle, who becomes the odd man out? There will be a limit to how many people we can have on offense and still maintain a credible defense.

I think Fed was good for the Caps ... and the Caps were good for him. I hope he sticks around. Even if the money is not right, he sure seemed to enjoy himself.

Dave:
It's his house - if you look at the pictures, it is clear. The boy's room says Carson on the wall, the girl's says Kendall, there is a goalie mask in the office, etc..

Markfromparkville:
You out there?!?

Adding federov is a must especially if we expect to go deep into the playoffs. Give him only a 1 year deal @ 2mil max. He could get 3mil else wear. Just imagine if we had the same team and add clark to the 3rd line and nylander back. We would score all the time. Shorter shift for OVIE. Just imagine if Semin stayed healthy next year

YOUR 2008-2209 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Remember we dont need to overpay for players know. We have created a wonderful enviorment for players to come to. The training facility, OVIE, the uptempo system, great owner, etc.

1st order of business is to lock green up long term.

Boo!,

You don't need any more proof than this:

http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/rp_rewrite/details.aspx?County=16&SearchType=STREET&AccountNumber=10%20%2000858172

Redd:
Well there ya go! :-)

Great to hear that they want to bring Fedorov back. While Laich did a good job centering young guys like Fleischmann and Fehr, Fedorov would be great to have at that spot. Especially if another center is to go down, like Nylander did this year. With no centers in Hershey ready to make their way into the NHL, bringing him back would be great.

I imagine if they do sign Feds (assuming Laich is back), one of Gordon, Steckel and Bradley is gone with Laing to FA or Hershey. Although I think Bradley is up against a Cooke resigning. Another question is whether to keep Fehr at Hershey.

Why did we resign Flash again?

I'd love to have Feds back next year for a full season of mentoring. If they could, I'd sign him to a 2 year deal. I was in awe just seeing him skate out there in a Caps uniform. Maybe he and Semin can anchor our penaly kill like they are for team Russia :)

Because of Sergei's age, you can load up his contract with attainable incentive bonuses. Those would apply to the following season if reached and make it a little easier to fir him into next season's budget. I think the Caps are poised to make a run at the Cup next year and having someone with Federov's pedigree would be invaluable.

Ben,

do you know some people will have to be cut right? Steckel,Gordon,Laich,Fehr,Flash,Bradley, Brashear, Cooke, Federov ,Q Laing also possibly Bourque coming up we need some line trimming since clark/nyls are coming back.........we have to many people and i would get rid of Gordon

Sign Feds to a 2 million dollar contract, with incentives that can get it up to 2.5.

He is an extremely versatile, smart player, great mentor to OV and Semin etc etc. I don't think we'll need to overpay for him because he had fun playing hockey for the first time in a long time once he got traded here. The fact that he is centering Semin and Ovechkin in the worlds certainly doesn't hurt our cause.

@Don-Ald:
Exactly - what a lot of you young pups don't realize is that it is hard for even the best youngsters to win a Cup all by themselves. Experience matters - how do you "overpay" for that? I'd give Feds a 2-year deal at $3 MM per annum - the cat can still skate and his stickwork rules, particularly on the PK.

The good news is becoming too much for me to handle, are we suppose to get use to this?

I'd much rather sign Fedorov than Cooke. Feds can play C, W, D... If he signs with us, I'm going to cave in and buy a Fedorov sweater...

OV/Backstrom/Kozlov
Semin/Nylander/Clark
Laich/Fedorov/Fehr
Brashear/Steckel/Gordon/Bradley/Bourque

I'm so confused...

We signed Flash because of potential. Green stunk last year and now he is considered one of the top 3 or 4 young defensemen in the game. Flash is playing well in the Worlds too, 3a +4 in 3 games.

Steckel isnt a FA until next year. Fehr needs to develop on a scoring line to eventually take Kozlov's spot on the first line. Laing isnt a FA either.

@b.orr4:
I was reading (I think on Japers site) that incentives aren't available to players over 35.(???)

capshockey 98,

I agree about Gordon 100%. He isn't diverse enough for a SC contender. I label him next season's Brian Sutherby.

Oh, that sweater isnt a hockey jersey, its a cardigan...

I was talking this over with my brother (not sure if this idea was posted on here, as I havent been on in a while). But I think Feds should pull a Foresburg (sp).

Decide to 'hold off' on signing with a team until December/January time frame. Then enter the open market... and sign with the caps. He'll have January to catch his legs and hit his stride come February and March when we need him the most.

Plus it gives the younger guys down in Hershey a roster spot to gain some experience and some confidence.

Its a win win for all of us.

Thoughts?

Federov would thrive on a puck control team like the Red Wings, especially with defensemen like Lidstrom and Rafalski. He won't fail to notice that himself as he sits and watches the rest of the playoffs.
He's still spotted in Detroit from time to time and was even mentioned as a possible acquisition at the trade deadline.
He burned some bridges when he left, but all would be forgotten if the prodigal son were to return to the city of his glory years. Not only is he more likely to get his name on another Cup with the Red Wings, that's how the sentimental Russian in him wants to retire and enter the Hall.

I approve wholeheartedly of paying for Feds. We need him to mentor the Young Guns.

Mo sure has a lot to say for someone with his jaw wired shut.

http://www.onfrozenblog.com/2008/05/07/kolzigs-home-a-free-agent-too/

I agree about Gordon 100%. He isn't diverse enough for a SC contender. I label him next season's Brian Sutherby.

Posted by: Mark Tucker | May 7, 2008 11:18 AM

I already labeled him the next Sutherby. Decent player, but just doesn't do enough to stick around. He is the one guy who I think suffered with the coaching change away from the defensive philosophy. But then again, thats why you don't spend 1st round picks on defensive forwards.

@ Jschon, I like your forward lines, except I'd put Fehr on 2nd and Clarkie on 3rd. Fehr is a scorer, he's not a 4th line grinder. I think Bourque starts next year in Hershey and comes up when somebody is injured.

hopefully we can avoid the Laing love-fest, he's a decent player who filled in well, and is a great penalty killer. Nothing more than that. He's a career minor leaguer who will be a great choice to call up for a game here and there. He is nothing more than that, don't make him into some stud just because he works hard.

@ capshockey 98

In: Laich, Fehr, Steckel, Gordon, Bradley, Brash and Flash (those two are alraedy under contract)
Out: Cooke, Laing
Bourque is a longshot.

Steckel/Gordon could be interchangeable but McPhee loves his centers so we probably keep both. That gives us 14 forwards on the roster, including Fedorov. Very doable!

@Go Skins Go...

I like the idea, but it wouldnt happen... especially if Fed's wants to play... Obviously he still does... He's playing in the Worlds...

I've got a better idea...

Lets send T.Poti/Flash/Bourque to MIN for Brent Burns and a prospect or draft pick.

The Caps must re-sign Fedorov. He played too important of a role to let him walk. I agree that in order for a team to win, they need the right mix of young and old(er) and Feds sure fit well into the mix. It seemed as though he was pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoyed the last few months of the season. And after 3 years of playing in hockey hell, I hope he realizes that when you've got it good, you should keep with it.

i dunno if i agree with cooke being out,he seems rejuvinated and is an improvement over pettinger. him and brads may be fighting for the same spot.....as far as bourque and the hershey crew,why not give them a shot?thats the reason we drafted them right? i hope they get a shot. Brash sucked it up,bascially didn't fight that much this season and didn't even thrown down in the flyers series. his "presense" didn't seem to keep Mike Richards off Ao's back ya know?

sorry ben lol i left your name in the " name column"

But because of his age, and since he would likely be the Caps' No. 3 center behind Backstrom and Nylander,

Tarik,
Why do you tag Feds as #3? How about #1a, #1b and #1c centers? That's exactly what they are. Feds seems to be clicking with Kozlov and Ovie, while Backstrom-Semin looked awesome too. In fact, Backstrom was much more productive with Semin than with Ovie in playoffs.

Three top centers will give BB the luxury of rotating them whenever the opponent team or top d-men seems to be matching well against one combination.

Feds, Backis and Nyls will be a major headache for any team playing against Caps.

@ Ben (imposter)There can only be one Ben, I was here first!

Cooke and Bradley are the same player and we don't have room for both. My money is on us keeping Bradley.

@ capshockey 98 well that explains it!

Bourque will get a shot in training camp but I doubt he makes it. He is small and offensively inclined - the Flash of centers if you will. Do you see him on the top two lines? No way. Would he beat out Steckel or Gordon for checking line duties? Like I said, longshot.

I have been playing LW most of this season.

# Played in 4 NHL All-Star Games - 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
# Bud Light Plus/Minus Award (Co-winner with Marek Malik) - 2004
# NHL 1st All-Star RW -- 2004
# Art Ross Memorial Trophy -- 2004
# Lester B. Pearson Award -- 2004
# Hart Memorial Trophy -- 2004
# NHL 2nd All-Star RW -- 200

Guess who's accolades those are? Anybody?

Shaggy,
Here's the answer on incentive contracts from the CBA:

PERFORMANCE BONUSES

What players may earn in performance bonuses?

Performance bonuses will only be permissible for the following types of players: (1) players on entry-level contracts; (2) players signing one-year contracts after returning from long-term injuries (players with 400 or more games who spent 100 or more days on injured reserve in the last year of their most recent contract); and senior veteran players who sign a one-year contract after the age of 35.

jschon- chris bourque knows

JSchon...I was pretty sure it was St. Louis, but I had to check before I guessed. :-)

Honed... you've mia... are you ready for this?

@ JSchon: little Marty St. Louis?

@ Chris Bourque: good luck cracking the Caps lineup as a LW!

Tarik, do you think Clark will be healthy and back in the fold come September/October?

Size has nothing to do with talent people. If you can play, you can play...

Now, Im not saying Bourque is St. Louis... but what if he's half?

Similar AHL stats
207Games 62G 97A 159P 147PIMS
95Games 58G 56A 114P 64PIMS

arent we getting a little ahead of ourselves here?

People are talking like the team has already made the playoffs next year and some are talking like they already won the cup.

Seriously, lets put this in perspective.

Feds is not signed
Cooke is not signed
Huet is not signed
Green is not signed

Yes, its may and all this will be worked out but is anyone concerned that this team still needs to prove itself? If they put the same squad on the ice as last year, they will have a WHOLE season together, and a lot of good and bad can happen. Remember, the rest of the league isnt going to lay down and die, they are all NHL players as well.

Carolina should be in better shape next season when they have a few players back, TB should be able to turn things around.
Chicago is going to be very good next year.
Caps will have a lot of competition, so lets stay grounded a bit.

it's way too early to know about Clark, or for that matter Pothier. The hope is that Clark will be ready, but the Caps are worried about him. Pothier's situation is even more murky.

Ready so long as my Finns don't choose today to trash my draft position (i learned to tank from the pens- save it for tomorrow guys!)

Wow, the Caps are going to win 201 straight Cups, starting this year!

-----

YOUR 2008-2209 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Whether or not Bourque cracks the line-up or not at C,RW or LW... doesnt matter...

But to say he can't play because he's small is just plain dumb... He's 21 and playing pretty well in the AHL against a whole bunch of dudes taller than he is.

That's what matters...

@honed

I dont know how the international unspoken rule goes for resting players in this type of tournament.

GER/SVK have a lot to play for. If the FINs lay and egg and SVK wins, then if NOR beats GER by 2... There could be a big stink...

I'd go after Cooke before Bradley. How many short handed chances did Cooke have while on PK? That is what really sticks in my mind from last season. My .02

Can Feds play on the blue line?

@ JSchon: I'm not saying size is the determining factor here. I am, in fact, a small athlete and could write volumes about why size doesn't matter.

If Bourque is good enough to crack the lineup I'm all for it!

I just wonder what he brings to the table that we don't already have, or who he is an upgrade over? You seem to be suggesting he is a top 6 forward. We're not at the stage to experiment with him there, those top 6 spots are pretty much set.

@ larry the goon

Can Feds play the blue line? yes. Do we want him there outside of an emergency situation or power play? No

I like Brads a lot. I think he could be had cheaper than cooke. Cooke has more offensive upside, but assuming we're healthy we don't need cooke for any of the top 3 lines.

I'd rather re-sidn Feds and Brads, with Brads knowing he is a 4th line guy

I am all for resigning Fedorov at the right price. Aside from him stepping in for Backstrom or Nylander if either miss games for injury, he could serve as the third-line center, play regularly on the PK and the second-unit PP. (With Fedorov back next year and Nylander healthy, then the Caps could put out two dynamic PP units - Hanlon's idea was a season too early).

The composition of Fedorov's third-line would change depending on the opposing team. If the opposing team lacked a potent first-line, the Caps's third-line could be a third scoring line, and Fedorov could play with wingers with scoring ability, such as Fehr, Laich, Clark and Flash (if any of those players were healthy and not on either of the top-two lines). If the opposing team had a potent first-line, Fedorov's third-line could be transformed into a shutdown line, with wingers such as Steckel, Gordon and Cooke (if resigned).

One key aspect of having Fedorov on the third line even when the wingers are, for example, Steckel and Gordon: Fedorov gives the third-line a playmaking center that could make it a dangerous unit in the offensive zone. Right now the Caps' checking line can play the cycle game well in the offensive zone, but virtually never get a scoring opportunity because the line does not have a setup guy. Fedorov changes everything.

Remember the checking line of Dahlen, Halpern and Kono. It could score an even-strength goal every other game because Dahlen in particular also had playmaking ability and could set up Halpern and Kono in the slot. Then when Dahlen was replaced with Grier and the line lost most of its effectiveness scoring, some wondered why, but the reason was clear - Grier was a solid player but the line lost Dahlen's playmaking ability and the line regressed to a solid checking unit that could only endlessly cycle behind the opponent's goal line.

Assuming the Caps resign Green and sign Huet, resigning Fedorov could turn the Caps from a upper echelon team to a true Stanley Cup contender because he would give the Caps a true shutdown third-line that could chip in goals regularly, an improvement in the PK (which remained in the bottom third of the league last season) and an insurance policy for Backstrom and Nylander.

George, do it. Do it.

We are just minutes away from the beginning of the last day of preliminary play in the World Hockey Championships, but more importantly, we are 4 games away from determining the draft order for the FHWCT Supplemental draft. It is a battle for last place to see who gets their pick of last roster additions.

The favorite to be the winner, or loser depending if you're a glass half full or glass half empty type of guy/gal, is Jordan. Jordan's team just flat out wreaks of old damps socks in a dark closet. Jordan has 7 players going today that could really screw him, but he wont get any worse than the 2nd pick.

Next in line is jmu_capsgirl, who up until last night was leading the league in futility. She has 5 players going today, but they have combined for negative points. She has a great shot at the #1 pick.

Honed, one of early favorties before play started, has fallen down the standings. She still has a good team but need a good draft to get back into the mix. She has 3 FIN's in her lineup. She could easily lose her 3rd drafting spot.

Jeff DC is looking for the draft to help him too. Picking 4th would be great, but picking 3rd would be better. Jeff has 4 players going today and could also move back if things go bad or good.

oo7 another team highly rated team is looking at picking 5th. At 100 points and having 4 players going today picking 5th could be 7th or 3rd by the end of the day.

Sombrero Guy mad a huge jump in the standings much to his chagrin. He had definite needs going into the draft and would like to tank and have all of his players sleep through the games.

JSchon has got to be the most surprised owner of the bunch. Was looking at drafting 4th or higher, now is looking at 7th. Gross.

Steve R knows that he is drafting late as he has a lock at one of the top 3 point totals.

@ben

I have Bourque in my suggested lineup in this thread as a 4th line wing.

"Sombrero Guy mad a huge jump in the standings much to his chagrin."

understatement of the year.

@Tarik,

As much as I like Mo as Green's stay at home guy, isn't the obvious search for a rugged bone crusher on the blueline kind of make Mo potentially expendable? I mean, who would you rather have, Mo, or say, Mattias Norstrom or Brian Campbell?

Assume "both" is not a choice.

I personally wouldn't put Norstrom or Cambell in the "bone crusher" category. Mo had more hits than either...and we know he matches well with Green (or perhaps that should be reversed to read that Green matches well with him).

Given the choice between Mo, Norstrom, or Campbell to pair with Green, I'd go with Mo 'cause he'll probably cost a 1/3 of Norstrom or a 1/4 of Campbell.

In general, money not being an issue, it would be fun to have Campbell and Green getting top 4 D-minutes.

2 other things. 1. I guess if Pothier is gone, then maybe we squeeze both a new guy and Mo into the salary cap.

2. Are we sure Clark is coming back? I know he kept saying he was close, but I also got the sense that whatever the nature of the tendon injury is, its pretty nasty.

3. (ok, three more things) My lines next year:
OV/Back/Koz
Semin/Nyls/Fehr,Laich
Cooke,Flash,Bourque/Fedorov/Fehr,Clark,Laich
Brash/Steckel,Gordon/Brads,Clark

Comment: Obviously, there ae too many parts. But, let's assume there won't be new guys, only removal of old guys. Predictions: If Fedorov comes, Cooke is history, cap wise. I could see Gordon or Steckel not being here next year. If Clark is down on the 4th line, he becomes expendable.

D: Green/Mo or [insert new crusher]
Other of Mo and Crusher/ Poti
Juice, Erskine, Eminger, Lespito, Alzer, Schultz...

I don't actually think the kid will be ready, but we need to thin out that core there. Erskine or Eminger needs to go. Obviously its easier to do if let Eminger fly away, but if not, they should waive Erskine. Personally, given the contract issues, I could see this being a 23/55 line.

Note that Pothier is not part of the equation. Tough luck. We wish him well in his next career and hope for no lasting effects on his day-to-day life.

Campbell has a rep for big hits because of this doozy he laid on Umberger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD03ut-iUzg

After his performance in the playoffs, I'd say Mo' is not only expendable, but necessarily replaceable.

I'm sure Mo's playoff performance had nothing to do with the fact he was playing with a broken jaw and a dislocated collarbone...that couldn't possibly have hindered him.

Federov is a must sign, Ovie, backstrom and semin are all under 24... they need his wisdom and experience to balance out those threes sometimes reckless play.

I'd love have Fed back next year. He's so cool.

I think our first priority should be a rugged D veteran though, even before a good goalie. I'm not sure we can get past the second round with our current defense.

I like the idea of signing Fedorov, because of the inevitable injuries which will occur. He will provide much needed depth, but could render a guy like Boyd Gordon to many nights in the booth.

Has any info gotten out as to the terms of Boudreau's new contract?

Fedorov should be considered, but remember how valuable Brooks Laich was in crashing the net and that he also had a career year this year.

The Caps were criticized in the Philly series for not being tough enough down low, subtracting Laich would make us even weaker.

Morrison is also a key stay-at-home defenseman who can move the puck, I think the Caps must keep these two to continue being successful.

Mo was 10 times better then Jurcina and Erskine both need to go b4 Mo. Jurcina and erskine flopped all over in the playoffs. Mo wont get a huge contract either

fabian, there is no doubt that we are keeping laich and mo, none at all. they arent at the top of the list of priorities for that exact reason, they arent going anywhere.

i completetly disagree, mauree. the rugged d thing has been thrown around a lot, but if you stop and think about it, we dont have a spot for one and we dont need one. two words: karl alzner. if you break it down we have the perfect blend of young and old; offensive and defensive, and those that do both. dont forget we had one of if not the youngest d-corps in the league last year, theyre only going to get better.

We should find a way to make it publicly easier for him to come here for less.

If he believes we're a playoff team he should be interested in incentives - playoff round bonuses, trophy bonuses (which is the "comeback player of the year" trophy again?), face-off percentage(?)...

Then the news would be "Fedorov will earn xyz in Washington if he hits all bonuses" versus "Fedorov denies suitors and takes substantial pay cut to stay in Washington"

Which sounds like a more realistic headline?

looks like the Swiss are going to beat sweden...who's in net for the swedes??

@russington caps

Respectfully:

are you talking about next year? And playoffs? Alzner is way too young. The way I see it, all our D improved their game in the playoffs... but it wasn't enough. Not even close. As a matter of fact, our D costed us the series. Huet was regularly abused with nobody doing anything about it. And more than once our D-men were even pushed on Huet... are you kidding me? Pushed into the goalie??

The thing is, you can either gain all the experience you need in 4-5 years in the playoffs (then we can talk about the SC in 2013) or you can learn much faster by actually having someone that show it to you.

With all due respect... are you watching the playoffs? Can you honestly compare anybody on our D (except Green, but that's just cause he scores) with any other D in any other team? I don't think so. Same D as this year = same outcome next year.

THE CAPS ARE NOT SC CONTENDERS YET
man there is a lot of delusional people on this site. The rest of the league aint goint to roll over for us.We have holes to fill to get to the next level. And a 38year old euro is the key? lol. Are ovie green laich etc all going to have better years? That aint likely. there will be injuries/ We dont even have starting goal tending in place. Yes clark and nyls will help but what are we going to do with kozlov the playoff goal scoring phenom?
Cooke is gone good we need laich more anyway. big hearts beat big names Hpilly showed us that
ENJOY THE SUN

@Wendel

Shut up you idiot.

Funny, Nylander, Backstrom & Feds. 3 top euro centers, perfect chemistry for the CUP. How about the World Cuo?

Laich and Green and Mo have to be resigned first...as does Huet...

Fed's is a nice to have if he comes down in price. Nylander and Feds doesnt make sense if we have to shell out 10 mil a year for the both of them. Feds is filthy rich...he may come down in price to help win another cup, and have fun with his country men.

@ Wendel: No reason the Caps can't contend for the East next year. Are we flawless? No. Are we a top tier team in the East? Yes. Will it help to have Fedorov? Absolutely.

If we lock up Huet that is huge. Yes, we will have injuries. But we have great depth, and adding Fedorov gives us even more. 3 guys who can center the top two lines? That's huge too.

Sombrero, you (un)lucky bastard! THe Swiss upset the Swedes! Ha! I wasn't expecting that.

Im sorry, but I agree with Wendel, to a certain degree.

I dont believe we are contenders for the cup anytime soon. Maybe 3-5 yrs down the line but not right now.

Having young guys and a great minor system was wonderful and all but it is not going to with the team a championship. Ovie isnt going to put up 65 goals every year, we have to face that fact. If he has an off year..for him that would be 30 some goals...who picks up the slack and leads the team?

Right now, I dont see anyone on the team that can lead them as he does.

Hope they can sign Feddy, Huet, Green and Laich. As for the rest of them, I could take them or leave them.

caps are bederov with federov.
so solid. far from done.

"Top tier team in the east"
Top what ?
These past few weeks would indicate top 7 or 8 AT Best. That's nothing to boast over.
Huet will only be as good as his defense: See Kolzig as a prime example.
Huet is required as part of the process, but Defense on this team has been absent for YEARS.

Keep Federov.

Am I the only one out there that's not excited for Nylander to come back to this team?

I don't think his style of play really meshes that well with the direction the offense is taking.......I think we have our best success when we're attacking up and down the ice with a "go, go, go" mentality. It's all the fancy passing and tricky plays that seem to stall out our game.

My problem with Nylander is that he's just the opposite. He's gonna get the puck, slow down, cirle around, circle around and circle around stalling out the flow of play while looking for that perfect pass.......he has a tremendous amout of skill, I just don't think it gells with the way we play. In fact, I think Federov serves the 2nd line center role much better than Nylander does for this team.

It's too bad his trade value is way down right now due to his injury from last season, otherwise I'd say we should package him together with Jurcina/Erskine/Etc for a solid, veteran defenceman to add some stability and experience to the back lines.

Maybe I'm delerious, maybe I'm drunk, but that's what I think about that......

GO CAPS!

@old time hockey

Honestly would rather see erskine or emmi in there than schultz. I still don't see how the coaching staff likes him. If he used his size it would be another thing, but he doesn't. Emmi is better with his speed and offensive ability. I know we have green for this, if he resigns, but caps could also use emmi. I like erkine because of how physical he plays. He does lack speed though.

Without Jagr, Nylander is nothing.

Chief is in rare form.

I think a healthy Clark is a 2nd line RW. He can score, dig the puck out of the corner, and do the dirty work up front. Fehr and Flash need to earn time on a top two line.

If the Caps can resign Feds, he should be paired with Semin to mentor him and be there as a great two way forward.

Nyls can be on a sick third scoring line, he also plays great two-way hockey (the injury was an abberation). The question is besides Laich, who should be there with Nyls -- Fehr and Flash still have a lot to prove.

Let the fourth line be the checking/cycling line.

without his moms basement, chief is homeless

"These past few weeks would indicate top 7 or 8 AT Best"

Not sure what you're referring to here Chief. The past few weeks of the Caps not playing hockey? The past few weeks where Philly has proven to be a playoff beast, and we took them to 7 games, and were one box of doughnuts from beating them? The past few weeks of the regular season, in which the Caps won 11 of 12 and their last 7 in a row? How about the past few months, under Boudreau, where we played at a 108 point pace? How about the past entire season, where despite injuries to key veterans Nylander and Clark, our young guns produced?

"Huet will only be as good as his defense: See Kolzig as a prime example" Funny you mention this, as it directly contradicts your point. With the same D, Huet played lights out and Olie couldn't surpass the .900% save percentage barrier. I would argue that your defense is only as good as your goalie. Or do you think we should just sign a couple back-up goalies, and put those extra millions towards a 25 minute-per game defenseman?

@Thomas,

Yeah, on the one hand if we lose Brads, then I see the need for Erskine. We need that middleweight enforcer to back up Brash. I just don't think Erskine is the right guy for the 6 spot. I see him as a walking 2 on 1 on the other way.

Eminger and Schultz both have their strengths and weaknesses too. They also make less glaring boo-boos. Schultz made his share, but they didn't strike as bad as Erskine. Eminger gets graded on a curve for lack of playing time. Schultz is faster than Erskine, and that makes a world of difference in today's NHL. I agree that he needs hit more.

Also, let's not forget that with Erskine, its WYSIWYG, whereas Schultz is young and can still develop further.

Sounds like everyone agrees we need Fed back. Semin doesn't speak any English. Give him another Russian to talk to and someone who cares about his development.

How Laich is not an auto-resign like Green, I do not understand. He is a must. He has heart, drive, integrity and talent. A MUST.

Even as a huge fan of Hershey, I don't care to see Gordon or Steckel back. Fehr and Flash show potential. Cookie is a toss up.

Whoever we sign, I can't wait for the negotiations to begin!

I would agree that more focus needs to be placed on improving our defense. Pothier sounds like he's finished, and sorry, but Jurcina / Eminger and others are lower tier.

We need some strength and grit in that area - Alzner will grow into a strong defenseman, but it will take time.

I guess it's just how fast the Caps want to compete for the Cup. The Flyers have proved it doesn't take years and years (as the Caps would have us believe) to become a contender. It takes money, a plan/vision and a bit of luck. McPhail is missing item #2 on that list.

Until then - sure Fedorov at the right price wouldn't be a bad thing, but priority should be shoring up the defense.

Jaymagz.

PS - Very sorry to hear about Halpern injuring his knee - wish him a speedy recovery and great season next year.

Nylander IS talented.
His "agenda" has never been connected to winning a Stanley Cup championship.
This guy could care less.

Oh, here's my $.02 on the Washington Stanley Cup run next year. We did go to game 7 against one of the teams in the finals, so I guess we're as close as any Eastern team to winning the Cup. Which, I think once the Red Wings or Dallas plays Pitt (probably), we'll see isn't very close at all.

There's a lot of good on our team. There's just a lot better in the other conference. Our goal should be conference finals next year. I would call that a success.

How about a D-Man that falls down every time he takes a big slap shot ?

@Chief

Buddy...did you watch any Caps hockey after Thanksgiving? They had the third or fourth most point in the entire league after Bruce took over. Why is it a stretch to assume that if they sign Huet and Fedorov they could repeat that and be a top team in the east?

I agree with OTH:

Schultz looked better as the season progressed, starting to play a bit more physical and anticipating plays

Eminger can skate very well and is learning to play within his limits

Erksine is tough, but very limited in what he brings -- he doesn't really seem to have a chance to improve. He's slow and tends to overplay the body at the expense of playing the puck. He isn't very good at getting the puck up ice. Not terrible, but limited.

I look forward to seeing what Azner can do at camp. Next year might be too early, but who knows? He almost stuck around this last year.

@JSchon -
If I would have been more patient asking about FEDS this morning on the previous blog, I would have gotten my answer - did you see my question to you? Weird almost crazy I was questioning FEDS and they posted the interest. Should have waited a bit longer!?? I'm still interested in what you think we will have to pay?? I'm thinking 2 million a year - what do you think??

@ Chief: Wait a minute...dad, is that you?

sombrero

It's not a stretch for the Caps to repeat.
Repeating a first round exit seems to be exactly what this franchise is known for.

Winning percentage that BB gets to keep for now is not realistic next year, nor is it realistic to expect the same from OV.

There are far bigger holes on this team than you would think, until it's exposed (by the opposition), that's when the Reactive MIDGET goes into "save my job" mode. It's a broken record.

@DCwho

I've heard a few folks say that Laich could develop into the next Captain. He's a solid player, good upside, great with the media (and the ladies, according to his 'mates), and an all-around positive influence. I could see that in 3 to 5. But, in the interim, we just may not have the room for him. I would rather keep him, but you can't always get what you want. (But if try real hard, you just might get what you need, like a starting goalie and a good #1 and #2 defenseman.) (Try singing that!)

Does anyone here honestly believe that the Caps couldn't have destroyed Montreal they way Philly did?

Philly had a lucky series against the Caps, with two lucky OT winners. The Caps were only outplayed in Games 2 and 3. The Caps were the much, much better team overall in the other 5 (excepting the second period of game 1).

But luck was enough to get Philly the win. I'm not even that pissed off about the officiating anymore, but I am sick of people pointing to the series and going, "See?! They suck!" because it's just not true.

The Defense was absolutely stellar in the stretch leading to the playoffs. If they can continue to play that well, I'm not worried about Huet's numbers. I'm also not worried about how they will react next year, as they will have had this experience to teach them how to play with terrible reffing and excessively rough players.

Except for the penalty kill. Now, I think a lot of this comes down to luck, but our PK was generally awful. Either that, or their PP was generally amazing.

But I'm sick of everyone saying that the Flyers showed us how bad of a team we are. I'd say the exact opposite. The Caps showed their innocence at first, and their talent/ability to bring Game 7 to DC.

And Montreal was awful. It's amazing they beat Boston in the first place.

Chief has a voodoo doll of GMGM with pins stuck in it. It would be nice to know what he did to make Chief cry and hold this grudge.

drinking

Philly BLEW a 2 goal lead on the road to the Caps in game 1.
The only opposition to the Flyers were themselves (Philly), otherwise it was a lost cause for the Caps.

Make no mistake, this team was "designed" by people that know, NOT a MIDGET.

The 8th seed is in the Conf. Finals
If your team is clicking and your goaltending is stellar, you ALWAYS have a chance to win the SC. Timing is part of it, being hot at the right time, but personnel in place is too.

Wendel, Chief et al: Getting on a roll is key to having a chance to win, and many teams in the past have won the SC because of such rolls. Anyhting can happen when you get to the playoffs.

"But, in the interim, we just may not have the room for him [Laich]"

WHOA THERE. Are you effin's serious? A 24-year old with great speed, great character, positional versatility, and a finishing touch turns the corner and we don't have room for him? Is there a glut of speedy and skilled leaders on this team I don't know about? Please, enlighten me.

@ NJ

Which 8th seed is in the conference finals?

The conference finals in the ECHL?

Cause it sure isnt the NHL.

I think we could really benefit from Fed next season. I think Fed could really benefit from the Caps next season. He may get more money somewhere else, but it seems that he is bonding with our young guns. I can see the posters and T-shirts now. Four Young Guns and one older Sheriff.

I am one of those that is in the camp that Laich could wear a letter on his sweater. Think here that it would be an A vs. a C, but only because I think it is pretty clear who will get the C when it is available. However, Laich stepped up not only in his play, but also in his presence in front of the media. Even though he is not much older, there is also so much value to the mentoring he may be providing to the young ones like Green. The fact that he is absolutely adorable is just a bonus.

Oh, and my .02, I really hope that we can keep Matt Bradley.

you guys are nuts if you don't think that most of the RFA's are going to be brought back. Laich, Mo, Green, and Fehr will all be back. Not sure why everybody is freaking out. Emmy, who knows, but is it that big of a deal if he doesn't? Trade Jurcina for a bucket of pucks, they don't even have to be new ones. Not sure why everybody is giving up on Schultz already, he looked outmatched at first, but played pretty well towards the end of the year. He's only 22 people. I think Alzner makes the team right away, they considered keeping him last year, and he's not had an extra year to grow. He won't be a stud right away, but he'll make the roster. Keep Erskine as 7th d.

Look, I want Huet back too but considering all of our options it would not mean the end of the world if he goes elsewhere. The Bryzgalov situation proved that. The sky did not fall when we didn't get him, and starting in net is so mental anyway at this level that other options must be considered. With this core of young players, a diamond in the rough could be more of a benefit than commercial off the shelf. Just my two euros.

Alzner rocked Juniors last season. If he doesn't start with the Caps next season, he'll be a mid-season call-up.

For the record, I think our blueline is fine and we have the right pieces, plus talent in the pipeline.

We can afford to dump one or two of Jurcina/Erskine/Eminger. My money is on Eminger being most likely to stay.

@BernieFan

The Bryzgalov situation was only a situation because we at the top of the waiver list because of the record at the time. Do we really want us to be at the top of that list next year? Better to have a good goalie and a good record then a plastic shooting traget and a good waiver wire choice.

Fedorov is the best possible first line center we could have. His presence takes a ton of pressure off of Backstrom and Nylander.

I would still like to see the Caps get a bigger center but Fedorov is a great mentor and player to have on the 1st line.

I think part of the success we had over the last 4 months of the season can be attributed to the surprise element. Nobody expected us to do what we did so we caught them by surprise. Next year, we will not have that.

I also believe the team grew as a cohesive unit into understanding what it takes to win through the playoff series so I think they will be ready for the increased intensity from day one next year.

Do I think they will win the SC next year? Wow, that would be great, but I think it is a tall order. I believe they will make it to at least the Conference Finals though and have the SC within the next 2-3 years. Once they get the first, I believe they can win 2 more in the next 5 years afterwards. They are built for longevity.

Good times!

@oldtime,

My point exactly! Just because we have this so called situation does not mean we have to fall all over ourselves to pull the trigger.

When Bryzgalov was available it seemed like us bloggers thought it was a do or die, when I just wanted a change, period.

All I'm saying is that there no such thing as "a must sign". Of course Ovie was the exception but not the rule. Hopefully July is not approached anxiously in that way, by GMGM.

Was Nylander's +/- worst in the league, or was it only Close to the worst in the league (even when he was scoring points) ?

It would be interesting to see who Nylander was playing with when he had such a terrible +/- rating and see how Fedorov and Semin did when teamed with the same people.

The younger players have grown and the coaching has changed, but something was definitely wrong with Nylanders +/- long before the rotator cuff problem set in.

(I meant Beackstrom as center, not Semin)

Interesting interview with Huet at the world championships. Last line seems to be a good start...

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/new-challenges-for-huet.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=187&cHash=9dbda7c302

Icebat,
I'm looking into it...

lol jmu you like databases huh?

I wonder if the Oilers still want Nylander as badly as they did before?

How about we give'em Nylander, Erskine and Jurnica and we'll take Nilsson and Souray......

Seriously, remember how badly K-Lowe wanted Nyls before the season started, threatening with lawsuits and such......geeeesh!

yep!!!
Alright, Nylander ranked 556 of 556 forwards in +/-, at -19. Below him? Briere, St-Louis, B. Richards, Radek Bonk is lowest at -31.

Alright, of the 6 games that Nylander was below -1 (1W, 5L; 2G, 4A): Not his linemate, but Green was most often on the ice at the same time. Then, a pretty dense concentration of different guys: OV, Petti, Semin, Flash, Koz, Backs. Add in the D: Mo, Juice, Poti, Pothier.
Nineteen of 40 games Nyls was a - player. 7 games he was +. He was even or + in 11 of the first 16 games. But he was + or even in only 7 of the next 16, including the 2 games he was -3.

My numbers may be slightly off, but I'm pretty confident in them.

sorry, that should be 556 of 566. I should have previewed...

Amazing that he was able to accomplish so much in so little time.

Curious. Were most of Nylander's - games before or after his shoulder injury?

If the majority were after, then could also argue the need to have someone like Fed in your lineup that can be more comfortably moved up as a #1 or #2 Center in case of injury.

The 16th game was Nov. 8. I was under the impression that the shoulder nagged him for a while before he said something. However, somebody who's been watching in depth longer than I have will have to check me. I didn't get Caps-crazy until after Thanksgiving.

another example of the bandwagon DC fan

Didnt get caps crazy till after TG

When did the team start performing?

after TG

Bandwagon

Who cares when someone started watching the Caps. Fans have to start somewhere. I did not get into Caps hockey until college either.

Something tells me JMU is going to be a fan for a long time. And from what I have seen, a very knowledgeable one.

I am so glad that there is actually going to be hockey on tomorrow night. Have not been able to watch the Worlds, and have suffered through baseball and some of the worst television ever.

Watched American Idol for the first time with my daughter last night. OMG. I would watch the NBC Special of 1001 Sidney Crosby highlights from this season's games of the week before I will ever watch another American Idol episode.

Oh, and does anyone else care that there might actually be a quarterback or coaching controversy in Redskins Camp this summer?

Actually, a big d-man with a heavy shot from the point is crucial. It wouldn't matter so much if he fell down after shooting it, provided it went in the net 50% of the time.

For example I'd much rather have that type of a player vs. someone thrown out of the game a lot.

Thanks Kim!

To anon:
My first Caps game was a 5-2 loss to Montreal. My second game was a loss to Carolina. I been watching Caps games on TV for three years now. Call me bandwagon if you want, but the Caps are compelling and stole whatever affection I had for other teams in the past 3/4 of a season. Attending a game, regardless of how well they were doing, was what really made me a Caps fan. I will be a Caps fan (barring anything awful) for the rest of my life. Would I love it if they won the Cup? What fan wouldn't? But I'm not going to stop watching them regardless of how they do in the postseason.
How many fans honestly (unless they were raised watching the team, which I wasn't) start watching a team in the middle of a bad season? Not many go out and say, "Oh, look, the Capitals are doing awful. I guess I'll support them!" I know nothing about you and my mother taught me manners so the only thing left to say to you is that I will continue to be a Caps fan long after your hairline finishes receeding. Go hang out with Yankees fans.

bandwagon

At least JMU identifies herself ...

@jmu- F anonymous.We got your back.

markfromparkville!!! Been looking for you - rumor has it that there are two of the seats that you are looking for available ...

ive identified myself

im anon

happy?

Thanks guys!
Looking forward to the supplement draft tonight. Naby & Lund? Too bad I don't need a goalie...

JMU:
What time is the draft? Will there be commentary?

BOO- Left a message for my rep yesterday about a different matter. Haven't heard back yet. I will definitely call back tomorrow. I would love to go logeing.

markfromparkville:
Are you talking to sales or guest services? I would suggest going straight to guest services - they seem to be more on top of this stuff than sales. I literally heard there was a pair free (on the correct end) today. Good luck!! :-)

Boo!,
I'm trying to figure out the same thing. I think 10 or 10:30. I imagine with only 2 players dropped then 2 added, someone might be able to run commentary.

Boo- Thanks for the tip.I'll try that tomorrow.Not sure who I was talking to,but I'll get to the bottom of it.
Those seats are sweet-in my opinion the perfect level to watch a game. Have a good night.

I'll take Pronger with 2 suspensions (last post season), 1 Stanley Cup & won't look back.
As opposed to a player that keeps their emotions in check, most likely your a Euro lover driving a Golf.

http://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-championship/news/news-singleview-world-championship/article/new-challenges-for-huet.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=552&cHash=ede704ec88

Let's talk about the future. You were just a short time under contract in Washington. What are your plans for next season?

Cristobal Huet: I don't know yet. We'll have to wait for July 1 to talk about it. But I would like to stay in Washington.

Boo,

Draft in 10 minutes

Steve:
Great! So is it true what they say - is it lonely at the top? ;-) Speaking of, are you picking or passing?

Hey 828!
Interesting ... do you think they will come to terms?

Picking Boo, my D is weak. Not drafting early enough to get a good goalie. I'm getting pulled back to the pack

I'm excited with the #2 pick...

OK, GMs - what's goin' down?

Boo! - I def think they will sign Huet and Feds and Cooke.. Everyone wants to play in Washington...

Boo,

007 is up. Nabokov to Jordan, Markov to jmu

828:
Ya know, I have been thinking the same thing - who wouldn't want to play with the Caps for the next several years? They've got some serious talent, they are overflowing with even more potential, and they look like a real 'team' that is having A LOT of fun! Especially with Ovie signed for 13 years - who wouldn't want to be here?

Steve:
Thanks for the update. So who did you get?

Leafs fired Maurice today. You'd think they'd fire their team first!

I'll weigh in on the possibility of getting Feds in here next year.

Sounds like a winner to me. We'd have three tough lines to try to match against, and a 4th that will grind you into the ice.

I liked Cooke, and his numbers as a Cap far outshine anything he did as a Canuck. Half his point production came in the 16 (give or take a few) games as a Cap. One can only imagine what he'd do as a full-time Cap. We did good on that trade.

Though I loved what Laing did when he came here, he's really an AHL'er. He proved what he can do, and he does it incredibly well - block shots. He also gave a lot to the Caps in terms of work ethic. The Caps learned a lot from him. It would be nice to keep him around close-by to bring up from time to time when the regulars get lazy.

Gordo, Flash, and Brads are on the bubble. Steckel and Laich have earned a spot, but they'll have to keep fighting to get ice time.

We still need D-men. I'm still not convinced that Pothier will ever play again. That's one position to fill. Mo was consistent if not stellar. We needed a guy to let Green roam, and Mo fit the bill pretty well.

We still need at least one more, possibly 2 more D-men. I say 2 more because of my favorite D-man in the whole wide rink - Schultz. He's a mamby-pamby player. He may have size, but he doesn't project it at all. Eminger was much better than he was.

Juice is another that's on the bubble and could lose out to a kid from AHL. No loss by me.

I'm dogged tired now. I'll look tomorrow at possible D-men to come in.

as if I'd take anybody not Russian with my first pick... :D

@ Greg S.

I feel a little more excited about Laich then some others. I thought that he really came into his own, and showed potential to be a 25-30 goal scorer over the next few years. He was always up for interviews, and seemed to have confidence to be a leader over the next few years.

He showed grit in the Philly series, got in front of the net, and is what I think is a 2 mil a year guy over the next 3-4. I want him as a cap. He is only 26. He can be a Chris Clark type player.

Am I a little too excited about his play?

@boo

One thing we dont talk about to from a playing in D.C standpoint...Kettler is huge. They used to live and practice in Olney which was awful for a young kid trying to enjoy his life and career at the same time. The move to Arlington was huge for player moral.

As far as the fan base...maybe FA's were not thrilled, but we showed that a winner will pack the house around here.

Tommmy

My bad - the Flyers played like an 8th seed but were 6th...My point is that teams with better than average personnel and a hot goaltender can get far into the playoffs, and when that happens, good things can happen. It has happened before

I hope Feds stays. He brings so much to the team, one of his most useful assests is his versatility. The fact that he can play any position (short of goalie) very well is a player any NHL team would want. He could center any of the lines we have and could also provide some punch as a wing with Semin and Nyles. There are so many options.

Welcome back to these familiar surrounding, where just last we held the FHWCT Draft here in the blog. Today we bring you the FHWCT Supplemental Draft, otherwise known as, Oooops I screwed up the real draft so lets draft some more draft. The rules of this draft are simple, 2 players dropped and 2 players chosen to fill the roster spots vacated by the dropped players; a goalie for a goalie, a forward for a forward. The order of the draft is determined by the current rankings through Preliminary play.

Drafting first will be...

Jordan [73.00]
jmu_capsgirl [92.50]
oo7 [106.00]
Sombrero Guy [106.50]
Jeff (DC) [108.25]
Honed [113.75]
JSchon [113.75]
Steve R [119.75]

There was tie between Honed and JSchon, the tie breaker was a bootiliscious rump shake down to a Master P song, JSchon did not participate, so Honed claimed the 6th spot and JSchon drafted 7th. Reverse order in the second round.

Welcome back to these familiar surroundings, where just last week we held the FHWCT Draft here, in the blog. Today we bring you the FHWCT Supplemental Draft, otherwise known as, Oooops I screwed up the real draft so lets draft some more draft. The rules of this draft are simple, 2 players dropped and 2 players chosen to fill the roster spots vacated by the dropped players; a goalie for a goalie, a forward for a forward. The order of the draft is determined by the current rankings through Preliminary play.

Drafting first will be...

Jordan [73.00]
jmu_capsgirl [92.50]
oo7 [106.00]
Sombrero Guy [106.50]
Jeff (DC) [108.25]
Honed [113.75]
JSchon [113.75]
Steve R [119.75]

There was tie between Honed and JSchon, the tie breaker was a bootiliscious rump shake down to a Master P song, JSchon did not participate, so Honed claimed the 6th spot and JSchon drafted 7th. Reverse order in the second round.

Let the Daft begin...

Jordan drops Kari Ramo G, FIN and selects with the 1st overall pick...

Evgeni Nabokov, G, RUS...

Whats a Daft?

Very nice pick up here by Jordan, as surefire a #1 pick as any.

Why did he have Kari Ramo anyway? Is he even on the roster for FIN?

Next is jmu_capsgirl...

Her first drop in Evgeni Medvedev, D, RUS and her 1 pick is...

Andrei Markov, D, RUS

There havent been more transfers of Russians since the hay day of the KGB.

We added an Evgeni and dropped one in 2 picks. Medvedev is no Nabokov, or Markov for that matter...

Andrei Markov, free from his obligations with the Habs, will fit nicely in jmu_gals mostly Russian lineup.

One the clock is oo7...

Where is he?

We are getting word that oo7 is line at the Tysons Corner DMV trying to register his car without proper identity. He'll be with us shortly.

This is Sway from MTV here with the artist formly know as Master P.

Sway: How are you homie?

Master P: Good, you herd may!!!

Sway: As you know, the difference between drafting 6th and 7th this year was a "shake down" to "Holla if you hear me".

Master P: Yeah little shawty Honed did her thang, that busta Jschon just gavit rite to'er.

Sway: She surely did, with her rump shaking, she wins the 6th position and hopefully takes everyone that Jschon wants just like in the first round. P, any advice to the GM's?

Master P: Take Kobe before Shaq.

Sway: This is Sway from MTV News, back to you RC...Holler if you hear me. Forshizzle.

We now have word that oo7 is in line at the Anaconda Roller Coaster at King Dominion on a Sat in June. He'll be right with us.

Oh goodie! MOre draft commmentary and analysis!

Ok, unfortunately oo7 is on his way to Dewey Beach the Friday before Memorial Weekend at 5pm, he'll call us when he get there.

We have decided to draft for oo7 since he seems to be not here. Looking over his roster, he seems to have a deficiency at goaltender.

We drop the injured Tim Thomas, reluctantly, and select...

G, Henrick Lundqvist, SWE

Very nice move here, it just could've happened 20 minutes ago.

The way we see it, Nabokov and Lundqvist were far and away the best goalies in the Supplemental draft.

Next we have Sombrero Guy.

Sombrero Guy, drops Eric Ersberg, G, SWE and selects...

Robert Muller, G, GER

I hear there is this young goalie...Peter something...he ain't bad either. He's definitely better than Lundqvist or Nabokov!

Wow, Sombrero Guy got hosed by the injury to Thomas, missing out on the best 2 goalies and having to settle on Muller from GER.

Muller will get him points, but GER has to play CAN, USA and LAT. I see only 1 win there.

Moving along... Jeff (DC) has the next pick and drops D, Dennis Seidenberg, GER and takes with the 5th pick...

D, Michal Rozsival, CZE

It would have been nice if Pronger had made himself avail to be drafted in the worlds.. But then again he might have caused an international incident with an elbow.

Not a bad selection here in Rozsival, the CZE have a really good team and Rozy should contribute.

Honed is up... With the injury to Yeremenko, she decides to drop him like a deadbeat boyfriend and takes @ #6...

G, Jan Lasak, SVK

I guess if you really need a goalie here, Jan is one of the few that will get some points. Where is Ron Tugnutt when you need him?

Hey Tugnutt....TUG ON DEEZ NUTZ!!!

JSchon is up...

JSchon, citing horrible Forward production, drops F, Marco Sturm, GER and takes....

F, Saku Koivu, FIN

Probably the best F in the supplemental draft one would argue. He definitely need it, his highest scoring F in Hyvonen from FIN, who got him 25 penalty minutes.

Steve R owns the last pick in the 1st round... What will he do?

Steve R drops Tim Gilbert, D, USA and selects...

D, Marek Zidlicky, CZE

He already has 4 points in the tournament and is a plus 2, he is an upgrade for sure on Gilbert who has managed to be a -3 in 3 games.

So holding out on the rump shaking didn't hurt Jschon, I really thought that move was gonna bite him in the rump. Koivu is a great pick up.

Ya herd may!!!!

Here starts the 2nd and last round of the SD... Back to the beginning... Jordan is up.

Jordan drops Daniel Widing, F, SWE and takes

another SWE

Patric Hornqvist, F

2nd in the tournament in goals with 4, a solid pick here. Going with proven talent instead of new blood.

jmu only has 2 picks to fix her team, it may be 4 picks to few... lets see what she does...

jmu cuts ties with, Juris Stals, F, LAT and takes...

another SWE?

Fredrik Warg, F, SWE

6 points in 3 games? A very good start for him and SWE should contend for a medal. Again a non-NHL'er taken.

oo7 is next... Oh wait, something just came in... oo7 is waiting for the cows to come home before he drafts the next player.

S we will draft for him again... oo7 will drop... D, Karel Rachunek, CZE, who hasnt played and he will add...

D, Fedor Tyutin, RUS

With a Jordan Leopold on the board, why would he take a RUS named Tyutin?

Sombrero Guy is up... He took a goalie the first... What now?

Sombrero drops, an injured Semen Varlamov, G, RUS and selects...

G, Robert Kritan, SLO

Desperate times call for desperate measures... SLO and SVK will slug it out in the relegation round.

Jeff (DC) is on the board here at #13...

Jeff (DC) drops F, Sam Gagner, CAN... and selects...

F, Tomas Plekanec, CZE

I like this pick. I just wish he was still on the board for JSchon. Ooops, did I just type that?

Feds was outta gas by the time play-offs rolled around and next year his tank will hold even less and let's not forget that now all of our "young" players have play-off experience so is the presence of a "veteran" as important next year as it was this year?? I don't think so - let's bring in players that can go the distance without requiring oxygen tanks.

JSchon is up...

JSchon, after must deliberation with himself, drops Anze Kopitar, F, SLO... and takes...

Andrei Kostitsyn, F, BLR

Getting Kostitsyn here isnt a bad consolation prize for missing out on Plekanec. Kostitsyn is the only BLR player drafted.

Honed is ready for her pick.... She drops Jason Chimera, F, CAN and takes...

Juraj Kolnik, F, SVK....

4 points in the tournament, but is only guaranteed 3 more games, a risky pick.

Bummer to drop Anze, but his guys just can't seem to end up on the + side of +/-

And the last pick in this supplemental draft goes to Steve R...

He drops D, Keith Ballard, USA and takes...

D, Jonas Frogen, SWE

+5 and 2 points isnt bad at this point in the Tournament.

That concludes the Supplemental draft, thank you reading or ignoring the post, either way jmu_capsgirl doesnt care.

@ Steve R

Yeah, I hope I didnt make a mistake with Anze. His fellow teamamtes are pretty lousy.

and he's in relegation and con only play 3 more games.

I battled over this for hours.

@Greenie

Sorry for not responding to your post... my bad!!!!

I have grown to like the idea of having Fedorov around, there is money for him, unless he wants $3M+, which I dont think he wants or needs, he's made $61M in just salary alone in 17 years playing in the NHL.

I'd give him 2yr 2M per with incentives that arent too hard to get too. Play 50 games, get 25 total points, wear 50 different knit caps... things like that.

Agree with JSchon on Feds on the 2-2.5 range. Between the faceoffs, being a seasoned pro, and being able to play anywhere on the ice in any situation, I'm sure hoping that we can resign him.

I also agree with Greg S on Cooke. It would be interesting to see what he could do in a full season with the Caps wide open system.

Jordan and I are going to have to start paying off tournament organizers so we can get a Russia-Sweden final.
Why don't I care who reads?? (Besides anonymous people of course)
I like Feds--the incentive add-ons to a lower payrate are solid. Although I'm not sure if he would wear a different touque/knit cap/beanie. He adds a lot, and with a reduced salary, doesn't have a whole lot of anything in the minus column.
I liked Cooke too, but Brads may be my favorite Cap not named Alex, Nicklas or Brooks. Not sure who I'd go with if its a matter of either/or. Maybe a rousing game of eenie, meenie, miney, mo?
This summer is going to be great!

In sad times such as these for Olie, I believe a song is in order. And what better than a melancholy country song:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VjVpoVY9f7M

Home for sale
That's much too large
Too many rooms
Big ole empty yard
Far more space
Than the owner needs
Price includes
All memories

Home for sale
Restored like new
Just a place
Two lives outgrew
A change in heart
Forces move away
Would like to keep
But just can't stay

Listen close and you might
hear the sound
Of what you think is rainfall
leaking down
The roof is fine
Set aside your fears
It's just a few remaining tears

Home for sale
Not all that old
A family's dream
Stands dark and cold
Scenic views
That go for free
Of all the love
That used to be

Home for sale
That's much too large

@JSchon (no problem!!)
I thought 2 mill was about the right price I'm just glad to see everyone sees value and hopefully room. I wanted it from week one, he is a good fit for us, wish he was about 5 years younger!!
@Steve R
I'm all about Feds, and not as hooked on Cooke, but it would be interesting to see what he could muster up in an entire season, would like to see more consistency from him, but again I do realize that takes time getting use to line mates which he didn't really have.

I still think we need (2) "D" for next year - Jurcina needs to go and I don't think Pothier will play again - I think he is done.

That's depressing. However, I would like to point out that sometimes people sell their house and move across town. Maybe they just want a house that fits better with their growing kids' changing needs?

@jmu_CAPSgirl

I am sorry I did the fire-and-forget on my thoughts on how bad Nylander's +/- numbers were and how we need to figure out the cause if we don't want that to happen again next season.

That was really cool of you.

It sounds maybe from what you found that Green wasn't getting stay-at-home support from Mo at that point in the season.And I'm not sure old-man Nyls would've been able to get back fast enough to cover for Green when he jumped up either.

On Huet - great bridge until Lord Varlemov and Nuevirth are ready.

Kolzig - I'd love to have seen hime stick around as a #2 (or 1b?) and see his sacrifice pay off. If he doesn't want to be anything but a #1 or a retired #1 I gotta respect that. He's made his $$ and it's not likely worth his while to go anywhere and be a #2 especially since that doesn't seem to be his desire here.

Federov - I think he had way too much fun here not to be able to reach a deal on part of Jagr's old salary hit.

Cooke - That guy has a real Philly kinda style (tough agitator that suddenly becomes a skill guy if you let him sneak behind your D even just a little and Goalllllll) and if the Penn State teams are going to be the one's we gotta worry about moving forward, he's a keeper.

We will have Nylander back and I really hope things come together for Clarkie. That's going to put us in a position where there are about 12 guys for the 3rd & 4th lines. Maybe that will help us trade for some D talent if the UFA crop doesn't get us what we need. After the obvious choices at forward (AO, Backs, Semin, Brash) I'm not sure who I'd keep - so many other guys do their job but are maybe too plentiful and not indispensible... Brads, Brooke, Gordo, Flash, Fehr, Laing, Kozlov, Steckle. I'm not expecting GMGM to ask for my input, so luckily I don't have to choose.

Sergei Feds will work for "Vodka and Women"

Can we help him with that?

icebat,
I barely ever saw Green with Mo during that time (once). I'm not completely sure when that stuck permanently, but for most of it, he was with Poti, Pothier, or on the PK with OV, Semin, Backs, etc.

@jmu_capsgirl,

Of course it is! Its a country song.

Not all of the lyrics fit exactly with Olie's situation, but songs are that way many times. You can relate to part, but not all of it.

Anyway, overall its probably a sad situation for him and given the overall theme and mood of the song, it just seems apropos.

FOX Sports just ranked the top 10 worst franchises in sports. Only one hockey team, the Bruins, in 6th place.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8098378/Top-10:-Worst-franchises-in-pro-sports?MSNHPHCP>1=39002

Also, should he sign with us, we need to hang this in the locker room. Or recreate it.
http://www.sportsposterwarehouse.com/warehouse/fedorov92cos.htm

that must be it jamu girl, the walls on that 6600 square foot house must have felt like they were closing in on them.

I like Federov with a pay cut. 1-2 years, $2.5-3.5 mil.

Brads is right up there as one of my favorite Caps as well. There is just something about him and the way he plays his role that I like. I am still deciding on my new red jersey but it is between Green, Laich, and Bradley. Will have to wait until July to get it I guess.

I am not 100% sure, but think that the Green/Mo pairing was a BB thing.

The whole Olie situation just makes me sad. I am still processing everything, but can't help but feel like both sides may end up wishing they had handled things differently in the end.

I am enlov with fedorov and would like to see him back next season.

Between Cooke and Bradley...I could go either way. Part of me prefers Bradley because he drops the gloves and would probably be $500K cheaper. Not that $500K is a HUGE amount in the grand scheme of things...

I think Laich HAS to stay and is due for a raise. He made all of $725,000 last season, so i think 2 years 3 million would be a fair amount.

And Laich isn't 26 like someone else said, he's 24 (25 in June)

I wish I knew how to quit you blog.

What the Caps really need are defenders in the mold of Scotter Pie & Rod. The offense is there but not the physical defense like in the 80's.

"One of the premiere offensive defensemen in hockey." -Announcer about Green, who just scored for Canada.

The Caps DO need more D. Probably 2 more. One to replace Pothier and another to replace Juice and give Schultz something to fight for. Or at least TRY to fight for something! He needs to get a LOT more physical if he's to survive in the NHL.

If Feds would take a 1-year 3-3.5 OK. I don't think we'll need him much more than one year.

I would rather have Cooke than Bradley. I think there's more scoring up side on Cooke than for Bradley, and Cooke is pleanty tough enough.

Feds will stick for $2.2 + the fans spell his flippin name right.
Fedorov. Fed. Or. Ov. 1 e, two o's, some Stanleys and some Selkes. Fedorov.

cooke is not the answer he disappeared in the playoffs then had a period then disappeared again aint worth the money
federov is a real gamble for a whole year and the playoffs at his age
huet did not walk on water to get to Dc
3 other gms let these guys go? is gmgm smarter than the other 3? lol
package flash kozlov and a dman for a power forward

cooke is not the answer he disappeared in the playoffs then had a period then disappeared again aint worth the money
federov is a real gamble for a whole year and the playoffs at his age
huet did not walk on water to get to Dc
3 other gms let these guys go? is gmgm smarter than the other 3? lol
package flash kozlov and a dman for a power forward

Caps IIHF news for the day:
Green had a hand in both of Canada's goals today. He put the first goal in himself and fed Rick Nash for the second one. 2-1 Canada.
Backs had an assist and two PIM as Sweden killed Denmark 8-1.
Flash plays @ 7, SUI-CZE.

Wendel,

Fed-or-ov, only one "e", and two "o's".

Power forward? Who do you have in mind?

I like Cooke too, and wish that we could keep both he and Bradley. Cooke definitely seemed to fit in to the team and acted like he really liked it here.

I do not think that we need Bradley's line to score goals(except for in the shootout of course). If things continue, we should have plenty of that from our first three lines. I realize that there is more to offense than just goals, but was pretty impressed with Bradley's line at the end of the season. In many ways I think Bradley also brings more leadership. I liked Cooke's fire, but am a little concerned that his fiesty play will earn some untimely penalties. Guess I am just biased when it comes to Bradley.

maybe wendel you'd like this line-up

OV/Backstrom/Laing
Semin/Nylander/Laing
Laing/Gordon/Laich
Laing/Steckel/Laing

Laing in goal...

JSchon,

Laing can center as well.

He's been working on his game?

You mean he just can't play left wing and block shots anymore?

@jsclong
finally u r making sense

Did anyone read Tarik's article about Kolzig? He's gone ...

weak sauce!!!

he doesnt deserve it to end like this!!!

greatest goalie in caps history...a lifer...deserves a curtain call...a jersey in the rafters...a farewell tour...and a stanley cup ring!!!

i declare this Olie Kolzig Day!!!

Olie Kolzig Week!!!

@Boo!

I just read it, thanks for pointing it out. I'm not sure why he doesn't want to play for the Caps anymore... it seems he's taking it personally that he wasn't used in game 4, and for that reason he quit the Caps?

After all these years...

This is really sad...it's as if he doesn't even want to find out if the Caps want him back or not. He's already made up his mind even before the plaoyffs started. What if the Caps wanted to negotiate with both him and Huet? What if the team wants him to be the starter next year and Huet backing up? I guess we'll never know now.

Maybe he was tired of not being in control? By making this decision now, he got to call the shots - his fate was not in someone else's hands.

great article on kolzig
how gutless is it that gmgm hasnt even talked to the man face to face yet
ABSOLUTELY CLASSLESS
hope all u george mcclasseless fans read the artcle

Apparently, ESPN is trying to help us forget Kolzig.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=467

His reason for leaving is not because of not playing in the playoff game four, and it's not because of wondering if the team wants him back or not. Olie knows. It's the same thing gmgm and Dick (not Les Patrick, just the lesser) Patrick has done to all of the established respected players in this organization. Screw them and the end! Why does everyone worth value in this organization have to leave to finish their career in another city? Why does this organization have No ex-Capital (or valued ex-NHL caliber) players in their Front Office? Who else has to leave before Ted and Richard F. wake up? Tarik, is Dave Prior