Caps Can't Be Finished

Well folks, we've been spending too much time playing Poker online (not for real money, we're using our real names on Facebook) to do much blogging but after the signing of Brendan Morrrissonn yesterday, we felt as though we needed to chime in.

First of all, backing up to the first of the month, the signing of Mike Knuble looks to be a dangerous move for us. While CW says that the Caps need somebody willing to go to the net, is a 37 year old the right guy for that job? Sure he says he's "a young 37" and "a low mileage player" but he plays a high mileage style. Secondly, signing him for two years is a little much in our book. While it isn't as long as Michael "Meadowlark" Nylander's contract, we still haven't seemed to learn the lesson yet. Of the "sensible" free agents we've brought in since the lockout, Tom Poti is the only one even remotely close to providing us with what we expected and even then, Poti could still be classified as a disappointment.

Now adding Morrrissonn to the mix (not to be confused with and no relation to Shaone Morrrissonnn) is real a head scratcher. Yes the Caps lost Viktor Kozlov and Sergei (#3) Fedorov but will Knuble and Morrrissonn really replace those two? General Manager George McPhee certainly thinks so as he climbed to the top rope and dropped a Randy Savagesque elbow on Kozlov with his statement of “We replaced a 13 goal scorer with a 20 goal scorer.”

OUCH!

You don't see McPhee do that everyday though it should be noted that two years ago, we weren’t so much concerned about scoring “dirty goals” or “playoff goals” if you will as we were about just simply making the playoffs. We got Kozlov to get those extra gimmick points we had been leaving on the table to help get us into 8th place in the Conference.

Kozlov never really provided that and now he's gone. So the Caps turned to the reject bin again to try to fix a hole.

Getting back to Morrrissonn, we wonder what the second line is going to look like because we've seen time and again here in D.C., European wingers play better with European centers. Alexander "Slappy" Semin on the first line with A.O. and Nicklas Backstrom is something we've seen plenty of and we've had success with it. But is it really a long term solution? A second line of Morrrissonn, Eric Fehr, and Mike Knuble could work. But Tomas Fleischmann looks to be the odd man out and Meadowlark is just going to occupy roster and salary cap space.

But there has to be more moves to come. First of all Brent Johnson doesn't have a contract, from anybody, right now. It isn't as if there weren't teams looking for backups. We think Jose "Alvin, Simon," Theodore is going to be traded and McPhee has asked Johnson to cool his jets and wait for the trade to be finalized. Furthermore it has been noted that the Caps think that Karl "Malden" Alzner has done all he can do in Hershey, with seven defensemen already on the roster, the Caps need to make space for Alzner. We think Poti, Morrrissonnn, Brian Pothier, and/or Milan Jurcina (only because he could hit a home run in arbitration) could be traded. And this doesn't even take into account John Carlson, a defenseman the Caps would like to get into the NHL for a little bit next year.

So if you're one of those who cringe every time a UFA defenseman signs elsewhere, please understand, McPhee has more work to do before this summer is over.

Now if you excuse us, we have to go get beaten on the river again with pocket rockets by some schmuck with a king-five off suit...

Caps Summer Report Card

And you thought we had forgotten about the Caps....

• So the Caps lived up to the script laid out for them and drafted Anton Gustafson and then came back and got John Carlson in the NHL Draft. It seems rather odd to us to move up not only once but twice to take players in what many are calling the deepest draft in years. We also aren't surprised about the trading of Steve Eminger to Philadelphia. This was a trade that came a few months late and quite frankly, a good move for both teams. Philadelphia needs young defensemen who can move the puck and the Caps needed to get rid of Eminger because it was crystal clear that he wasn't a part of the future plans for this franchise.
• Let's cut to the chase and say that the Caps overpaid for Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green. Sure, the $5.25 million looks like a steal now and likely will moreso in a couple of years but consider that this seriously hampered our chances of resigning Christobal "WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE" Huet and Sergei (#3) Fedorov this season. We'll talk more about UA later but losing Federov could have hurt big time. Here's the leader that the Caps have been looking for and while we agree that $4 million is way too much, these contracts mean that the Caps have ended up maxing out the salary cap for the first time. Furthermore, Green's $5.25 million price tag from another team would have cost them 4 four first round draft picks. There weren't many teams that could afford to spend that kind of $$$$$ and let go of the picks. For a guy who put up those numbers only once in his career. We better hope that Green wasn't a flash in the pan.
• As for UA, all the talk of "wanting to remain in Washington" was just that, talk. After the Caps gave him what he had been asking for all along, he decided to hit the market anyway. So, to the Caps took their sweet time in agreeing to UA's demands, why shouldn't they have? And for UA to pull that kind of bait and switch, well, see ya! Plan B wasn't groveling to Olie Kolzig, but to go with Jose "Alvin, Simon," Theodore. Maybe a little more $$$$$ than we would have liked for a #1 goaltender considering what we're spending elsewhere, but you have to spend the $$$$$ on that position. Two years is a good term as the hopefully the prospects will be ready to step in. If not, wash, rinse, and repeat this whole thing in two summers.
• As for the departure of UA, well, we don't understanding the wailing and gnashing of teeth here. Some have even gone as far as to have said that the Caps chances at the Stanley Cup in 2008-2009 have gone up in smoke over the departure of UA. Quite frankly, we don't understand that "ideology" one bit. First of all those who are crying about that are beginning with a false premise, that the Caps were Stanley Cup contenders in the first place. Sure, based upon the way the team responded and played after Bruce Boudreau took over and hit the gas pedal is very promising. But now there's almost a full season worth of tape on the Boudreau. His system isn't a secret anymore and the question is, are the Caps good enough to overcome the adjustments other teams will make to play them or will Boudreau have to make adjustments on this own, and will those work? Secondly while everybody was enthralled with UA backstopping the team's seven game winning streak, let us not forget that those seven wins came over four teams that did not make the playoffs. Those wins also included an improbable comeback in Atlanta, a gimmick win over Carolina, and a come from behind overtime win against a Tampa team that finished dead last. What UA did down the stretch for the Caps was that he provided a Caps team that was suffering from the below average goaltending of Olie Kolzig (whom we're about to rip) with average to slightly above average goaltending because once UA faced a playoff team in the playoff themselves, he didn't play as well as he did during the streak. While we certainly are not blaming the first round exit on UA, had Koharski and Devorski not gotten in the way, UA also would not have been the reason we pulled off the comeback. Finally, the CW says that in order to be a real Cup contender, the Caps need consistent scoring from the right wing on their top two lines and a defenseman who makes opposing forwards keep their heads up in the attacking zone. The Caps are hoping that Eric Fehr becomes such a right wing and Captain Chris Clark can come back and stay healthy. As for the blueline, the early reviews on Karl Alzner are good but he won't make anybody forget Scott Stevens along with the fact that he's a rookie and not even guaranteed a spot in DC this year. In short the swap of UA for Theodore is nothing more than a even exchange provided that Theodore provides average goaltending. There's nothing that indicates that he won't.
• As for the job of George McPhee this summer, well he used the stockpiled cap space this summer to keep the core of the team together. However, little was added and the Caps came very close to letting go of all three players acquired at the deadline last season. What is disturbing to us is not that the Caps are spending the limit of the salary cap space, it is the almost $2 million ($1.967 to be exact) of "dead money" the Caps are spending this season. While only Ben "What A" Clymer (who was bought out) fits the traditional definition; Alexander Semin, A.O., Brooks "and Dunn" Laich, and David Steckel are all costing the Caps more in salary cap space than they are in actual salary this season. Semin leads that bunch with an extra $800,000 cap hit. Throw in dead weight like John "Coaches Pet" Erskine Bowles and Tomas Fleischmann who combine to waste another $1.275 million in salary and cap space and you're looking at the difference between being able to improve the roster without subtracting anybody like we did last year and having to make parallel move just to clear space to make those improvements. The Caps are hardly in cap jail but are going to have to make some decisions in the coming off season with only some $13 million in cap space opening up (before the increase) and 13 free agents to resign.
• Well, Olie, we hope you enjoy it in Tampa. Though we have to question your decision making process here. You openly signed up to play for a coach who isn't a former goaltender and as we all know how much you despise that. And we of course like how you continue to be the very definition of class by refusing to return phone calls. Maybe you've taken too many pucks to the head because you talk about playing well in Tampa despite a 6-10-1 career mark against the Ning and a 2-4 mark in the playoffs against the same. But seriously, enjoy playing behind a defense where the defenseman have collectively played fewer games than the Caps defensemen (by almost 1,000 games). Maybe you'll realize that retirement isn't such a bad thing because it would certainly be easier than trying to drag that bunch back into the playoffs. You couldn't get the job done here, what makes you think you can do it with another franchise?

Farewell to Kolzig

It's been almost a week now since Olie Kolzig, to the surprise of no one, announced that he does not plan on returning to the Capitals next season. He's closes the book on a 17 year career with the team that drafted him and held onto him through thick and thin. In the process, he's established just about every Caps Goaltending Record that a goaltender who appeared in 711 games for the team, 442 more than the nearest competitor, should hold.

His famous temper prevented him for many years from reaching his potential. This is why in the early parts of his career many thought that the Kolzig would be nothing more than a backup goaltender in the NHL. He was loaned out during his AHL days to make room for other goaltenders in the Caps system and when he did make it to the NHL full time as a backup; the Boston Bruins selected Jim Carey over Kolzig in the Adam Oates trade because of the belief that Kolzig would be nothing more than a backup goaltender.

Of course, we all know that exactly seven months after that trade was made; Bill Ranford took a puck to the man region in Toronto and Kolzig was pressed into action. Kolzig took the #1 goaltender spot that night it was almost 10 and half years before somebody would seriously challenge Kolzig for the #1 goaltender spot in Washington, D.C. (Ironically, Ranford left Washington in a huff after that season ended) But in that time, Kolzig took the Caps to their first and, to date, only Stanley Cup Finals appearance. He won the second Vezina Trophy in Franchise history and is second to none in not only appearances, minutes played, wins, shots faced, saves made, shutouts, and save percentage in Caps history. Kolzig became the face of the franchise and was the last of the players from that 1998 squad still on the team. Kolzig also became a large part of the community as well with his Olie and Idiot's Great Saves Program raising $$$$$ year after year for Children's Hospital in addition to his work with Athletes Against Autism (as opposed to Athletes For Autism...)

However, we can't say we're too surprised at the way Kolzig broke the news because this isn't the first time he's aired his dirty laundry in the media this season. To his credit, Kolzig waited until after the second round of the playoffs were over before he aired this dirty laundry, but what can you say about a player who tells a reporter his intentions for next season before he tells his bosses? Kolzig's biggest complaint is the lack of communication from General George McPhee about his future in Washington after the acquisition of Cristobal "WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE" Huet at the trade deadline. (A trade that NOBODY was expecting to happen including McPhee himself who had told Kolzig prior to the deadline that he would be the guy to carry the team the rest of the way.) Because Kolzig's bosses found out about his intentions through media reports; Kolzig himself loses some of the moral highground he's been busy trying to claim in our book.

We understand that Kolzig remains an emotional guy. There's nothing wrong with that and there's really nothing wrong with an athlete who thinks they're still capable of competing at a high level when the stats along with their performance say otherwise. It was clear that Kolzig could no longer handle the load that he had been accustomed to in his 10 year run as a starter. Kolzig was no longer taking the morning skates on the days he was starting and before the trade was giving up more starts to Brent Johnson in an attempt to improve is performance.

Kolzig's better days are clearly behind him and it is our hope that he decides in the coming days and weeks to retire. We do not see a situation where he could go to another franchise, take over as the #1 goaltender, and seriously compete for the Stanley Cup. The only team even remotely close is Ottawa but they're a franchise in disarray right now and we cannot imagine a worse move for a player like Kolzig. Furthermore, should Kolzig go to another franchise, he'll betray his often stated goal of playing with one team for his entire career and could only win the Cup as a backup goaltender.

Should Kolzig play for another team though, he'll make himself into another Peter Bondra in our minds. Bondra hung on too long in the NHL and in the end tarnished his legacy in Washington with his antics after the lockout. While Kolzig is making it clear he isn't looking to return unlike Bondra, Kolzig has caused plenty of problems for the franchise during his career like Bondra did. While Kolzig never held out or publicly demanded a trade like Bondra did on more than one occasion, but Kolzig did phone in the remainder of the 2003-2004 season after being one of only two veterans to survive the firesale. (Why do you think Matthew Yeates made five starts at the end of that season?) Kolzig's play was completely uninspired once the firesale began. Unlike Brendan Witt, Kolzig did not demand a trade after the lockout but did insist upon "competitive improvements" with his soon to expire contract extension. Some could say that it is wrong that now that those improvements are in place, that Kolzig is being moved out, we prefer to look at it as ironic. There's no way that the Caps would have made the playoffs this season had the Caps not had UA fall into their lap. Kolzig was standing in the way of this team reaching its goal of making the playoffs this season and had to be replaced in order for this team to continue its improvement.

There is of course always the possibility of Kolzig returning to the Caps next season. Stranger things have happened and should the Caps fail to come to an agreement with UA, Kolzig may be the only viable option out there. But we don't think that's very likely. The best thing for not only Kolzig but for the fans and the Caps franchise is for Kolzig to retire. For Kolzig to sign with another team and come back into the Phone Booth and play against the Caps is something that nobody but hardest of hardcore Kolzig backers want to see. We would bet on Kolzig playing the game of his life should that happen and he'll have to with the lineup he'd be facing. A player like A.O. would chew up that notorious short side hole over his blocker.

What we would like to see though is for Kolzig to announce his retirement and join the Caps broadcast crew. Kolzig is a natural in front of the camera and with a microphone. While we're in no rush to dump Craig Laughlin or create a three man TV booth, we think he would be the perfect compliment to Steve Kolbe in the radio booth. Ken Sabourin can only do home games and Kolzig could be there to shut Kolbe up for all 82 games. This isn't likely either with Kolzig's roots back west but we can always dream right?

Caps @ Thrashers 2-13-2008 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times: stolen point, contract for Tomas Fleischmann. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Lehtonen leads, trade talk, ticket hike. Thrashers.com.

Final Thoughts:

I have to say I can't understand why Fleischmann was not only given a two year contract but a raise that comes close to doubling his salary. I could understand another one year contract but a two year deal makes no sense. He has no incentive to "break out" now and we're all seeing how the two year contract for John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles is working out for this team. Though I don't know what's worse, the fact that Tom Poti was injured in the first period last night or that I didn't notice his absence. Steve Eminger should get back into the lineup but after what happened on Tuesday with Sami Lepisto, who was actually only here long enough for cup of coffee, there's no guarantee of that. You have to think that Erskine Bowles' two year contract has had a lot to do with the scuttling of Eminger this season.

58 down, 24 to go, Magic Number to clinch the division (shared with Carolina and Atlanta, so it won't move tonight no matter what Carolina does) is 47 because of the tiebreaker working against the Caps.

Looking Ahead To The Offseason

No, I'm not writing this year's campaign off even though the playoffs are unlikely; since the Caps don't have another game until Sunday afternoon, I'd thought I'd take a look at the Caps roster/salary cap situation heading into the offseason to help kill some time.

Since the beginning of this season, General Manager George McPhee has taken Alexander Semin and A.O. off of this upcoming summer's RFA market. McPhee bought some of A.O.'s UFA years but Semin's extension was for only two years and he'll be in his last year as an RFA when his contract expires in 2010.

However, there are other RFA's that the Caps will need to deal with in the upcoming offseason. Eric Fehr, Brooks "and Dunn" Laich, Boyd Gordon, Tomas Fleischmann, Steve Eminger, Shaone Morrrissonnn, and Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green. Only Jim Traficant's illegitimate son will be in line for a major raise. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Fleischmann be invited to tryout without a contract again in training camp and Eminger could very well not get a qualifying offer and be allowed to walk away as a UFA.

As for the UFA's we'll be dealing with Mr. Donald Brashear, Matt "Omar" Bradley, Quintin Laing, Frederic Cassivi, and Olie Kolzig. Now Mr. Brashear and Laing are likely candidates to stay but I doubt that they'll see anything other than minimal raises (though Laing should insist that they have a picture of him to put on the videoboard). Bradley could be an odd man out but would only get a minimal raise should the Caps decide to keep him. Cassivi is likely to be squeezed out of Hershey by incoming Michal Neuvirth and Simeon Varlamov and end up elsewhere.

Kolzig however is the interesting case. What if any raise do the Caps give him and how long of a contract? Kolzig is over 35 so his contract is going to stick on our salary cap no matter what happens unless we trade him. Kolzig currently occupies $5.45 million of cap space. This is the only team Kolzig has played for in the NHL and I don't think he'd be willing to move but I can't see him agreeing to much of a salary cut. Kolzig might be willing to agree to one year contracts but any bonuses we offer Kolzig that he earns will count against the cap in the year after. It will be negotiating Kolzig and Green new contracts that will prove McPhee's mettle and could make or break his tenure in Washington.

Now I'm sure you're worried about the salary cap over all for next season. After all, with A.O. now occupying $9.538 of cap space, how will the Caps fit all these guys under the limit? Well, as I pointed out in my plea to Henrik Lundqvist, the Caps have plenty of room. The situation laid out at the bottom assumed that A.O. would get a $10 million cap number (which he didn't, hometown discount). So the Caps have an extra $400K of space to work with in addition to the space they already have. Don't listen to the folks who are saying that the Caps won't be able to add talent to the roster this summer. There was a reason why Ted Leonsis and George McPhee left so much room under the cap.

As for summer 2009 well; only Milan Jurcina and Jeff "Sergeant" Schultz are RFA's and at this point in time, neither will be breaking the bank. Though if they improve, they should bring a good enough return in a trade that the Caps won't mind making so they can get Karl Alzner onto the NHL roster. The UFA's are Viktor Kozlov, Matt "Princess" Pettinger, David "Bolt Cutter" Steckel, John "Coach's Pet"Erskine Bowles, and Brent Johnson. Some of those players will be let go/replaced and those that stay won't be getting large raises. Throw in Ben "What A" Clymer's contract running out (though I could easily see him being bought out this summer and hanging onto our cap at half price for the next two seasons) and again, there's room to offer guys raises and make smart offseason acquisitions.

Those once again folks, let's applaud Ted Leonsis and George McPhee for setting this team up in such good position. Don't listen to the doomsayers complaining that A.O. made a huge mistake taking the contract from the Caps that he did. We've still got over $13 million in cap space to play with, that should be plenty of $$$$$ to make this team better.

Not Going Anywhere Anytime Soon

As I said earlier today, it isn't very often that TSN/RDS get something wrong, and while they were wrong on the details, they were right that A.O. was signing an extension today. Ted Leonsis, ever the showman, held onto the news about the extension until the start of the Season Ticket Holder Meet the Team Party. As you can imagine, the news went over rather well with the STH's in attendance.

First and foremost, let's give credit where credit is due, Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee got this done and got it done at a level I think the team can live with going forward. The next big fish they have to worry about in their own pond is Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green, but like A.O., there is plenty of time to take care of that situation.

The contract is odd too in that according to the TSN report, it is backloaded in $$$$$. Most of the monster contracts we've recently seen have front loaded $$$$$ which of course creates "dead $$$$$" in the out years of the deal. The Caps will have some $500K of "dead $$$$$" for the next six seasons but will get some "extra space" in the last seven years. This is good work by the Caps management.

The nature of the contract of course means that A.O. could very well be a bargain in the out years. A.O. will also be 35 when it ends so the Caps have bought 8 years of his unrestricted free agency too. That alone could very well save the Caps a significant amount of $$$$$. Whether or not A.O. will get a raise is also something we won't have to worry about for another 13 years.

It also means that we get to listen to Larry Brooks and his ilk moan and groan for the next 13 years about a talent such as A.O. being in an NHL backwater like Washington, D.C. The funny part will be that there's nothing these clowns can do about it as the length and cost of the contract will also make it almost impossible for the Caps to move A.O. for the next decade. (So much for Rumor Boy and his fantasies of A.O. ending up in Nashville.)

This contract also makes Mary-OH! Lemieux and his Penguin Scum look like Pikers for the contract that they gave Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby. Not only is A.O. going to have a higher average salary, he's also locked into the Caps for longer than Cindy is locked into the Penguin Scum. The Penguin Scum didn't buy any of Cindy's UFA years and it speaks volumes to me about their faith in their new arena to generate revenue. They're going to need that new building to generate revenue to pay Cindy come 2014 because I don't she'll be willing to take her jersey number as her average salary again.

The contract however is not without risk. A rollback in the salary cap could very well put the Caps in trouble. The cap won't be going down next season and it could be awhile before that drop occurs. A.O. could also turn into Jaromir Jagr on us. A.O. is going to outlast just about everybody in the organization save for Ted and the equipment manager. But I don't think that will be the case. A.O. is showing loyalty to this organization by signing a 13 year extension and this organization is showing him loyalty by making him one of the highest paid players in the league. It would be a real shock to see A.O. start pouting and poisoning the locker room.

Finally for you nattering nabobs of negativism, Ted and GMGM have once again shown that they are committed to building a winning NHL franchise here in Washington D.C. Yes, there is a long way to go but all these thoughts that the Caps were now gun shy after the Jagr fiasco should be put to bed. The Caps are still willing to pay great hockey players to play hockey here in Washington D.C. Let's start giving the Caps credit for that because this contract would have never been offered if Dishonest Abe Polin were still owning this team.

False Alarm Folks

Originally TSN.ca was translating from their French version, RDS.ca, that A.O. had agreed to a six year, $54 million contract extension with the Caps. However TSN.ca now says that negotiations are ongoing and nothing has been finalized yet.

Had it gone down like RDS had initially reported, it would have been a nice story to trumpet at tonight's Season Ticket Holder Party. But let's all at least admit that this is a much better story to discuss than the "Please Come Play Here A.O." stories and the infantile rumor mongering from, well, infantile rumor mongers. Furthermore, it isn't like TSN/ RDS to get a story wrong like this so something has to be afoot. Whether it is good or bad is up in the air because General Manager George McPhee does a good job of keeping these things on the down low.

Though for those who enjoy bashing Caps management, nothing that gets done in this department will ever satisfy them, but we do know that good faith progress is being made.

The Glen Hanlon Watch Day 16/ The Interim George McPhee Watch Day 1

Shows how much I know...

Well, today was the day that the trigger was pulled and Glen Hanlon was relived of coaching duties. Hershey Head Coach Bruce Boudreau takes over on an interim basis and that begins the Interim George McPhee Watch. I originally missed this because I was busy peeling baked sweet potatoes for my Jack Daniels Sweet Potato Casserole.

I said earlier this week this would happen (the GMGM watch starting that is) if Boudreau took over for Hanlon. I do not think trading one minor league coach for another is a wise move. By all accounts Boudreau's strengths are also Hanlon's, so I fail to see how this is nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

However, I will reserve the right to end the Interim GMGM Watch if somebody else is named as head coach. However should the interim tag be removed from Boudreau, the interim tag will be removed from the GMGM Watch. We need a coach who knows not only how to make the playoffs in the NHL, but win in the NHL playoffs.

Yes, the playoffs aren't happening in D.C. this year however in the 1981-1982 season (which we've seen comparisons to this morning in terms of point totals after 21 games), Gary Green was fired in early November, then GM Roger Crozier took over on an interim basis and then hired Bryan Murray (who was in his first season as Head Coach of the Hershey Bears). Murray didn't get the team into the playoffs until the next season but the foundation had been laid. Whoever ends up taking over as head coach of this hockey team will go a long way to determining just how much longer GMGM stays in Washington. (It should also be noted that Roger Crozier stepped down as GM at the end of the 1981-1982 season, leading to the hiring of David "Bud" Poile as GM)

However, in the interim, Boudreau has his work cut out for him. We'll see exactly how the team reacts in about 24 hours.

Sutherby Traded

With Alexander Semin coming back tonight, the Caps had to make room on the 23 man roster and the odd man out is Brian Sutherby who has been traded to the Anahiem Thug Ducks for a second round pick in 2009.

And so ends Sutherby's run in Washington. A former first round draft pick of the Caps (26th overall in 2000), Sutherby was once touted as a future captain of the team. As a matter of fact, he was given an "A" despite not being close to being a regular player on the team at the beginning of this season.

Sutherby isn't afraid to mix things up so he should fit in well with the Thug Ducks. However, the Thug Ducks are already going to have a nightmare with RFA's this coming offseason and Sutherby only adds to their list of RFA's after this season. That 2009 second rounder Anaheim gave up could be very close to the first round.

So there's a possibility that Sutherby could return in the offseason, but I wouldn't count on it. It makes you wonder though just what is going on that the team can continue to struggle as much as it has but young guys like Sutherby and Steve Eminger can't crack the lineup but John Erskine Bowles and Donald Brashear can.

Signs of a Shake-Up

The Caps have recalled Chris Bourque from Hershey and the son of Ray Bourque is expected to make his NHL debut tonight in Atlanta. No word yet on which (if any) of the Three Injured Amigos; Captain Chris Clark, Tom Poti, and Alexander Semin were sent to the IR to make room on the roster for Bourque.

I would also expect Brian Sutherby to be scratched tonight in order to make room in the lineup for Bourque on the fourth line. Sutherby and Bourque play a similar style though the Caps could instead sit Tomas Fleischmann who has yet to find his niche on the team.

With the current skid showing little end and the return of the Three Injured Amigos uncertain, it was clear that the lineup was going to be changed at some point. Whether or not Bourque is the answer they're looking for remains to be seen, but in the interim he'll provide energy to the lineup which is never a bad thing.

Schultz Recalled

As noted by Tarik earlier today Jeff "Seargent" Schultz has been recalled and Alexander Semin heads to the IR retroactive to October 7th.

Tarik also notes that John Erskine Bowles is heading to the Press Box to allow Schultz to play this time. That's about the only way the recalling of Schultz would make any sense. It did him no good to be a healthy scratch for three games.

Schultz Finally Sent Down

As I first saw from JP this morning (I had work to catch up on which is why I didn't get around to this sooner), Jeff "Sergeant" Schultz was sent to Hershey which is where he belongs if John Erskine-Bowles is going to play every night. And with the team at 3-0 and only giving up 2 goals on the season to this point, there's really no argument to change the lineup.

While Erskine-Bowles is no favorite around here, as long as he keeps his game simple and does not go running around looking for the big hit, he's ok as a 6th or 7th defenseman and nothing more. (Plus it is fun for the time being to point out that a hack like him is currently leading the reigning scoring champ from last year, Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby)

This also gives the Caps the ability to bring Steve Eminger off of IR if and when they chose to do so. Though again, here's another kid who needs to play if for no other reason than to showcase his talents for the trading market.

Eminger to IR Klepis Not Signed

Per Tarik

That my friends gets you down to 23. What the blue blazes Steve Eminger's injury is, is any body's guess.

Though it might explain why he hardly played in the preseason.

Clymer Demoted

The opening night roster is coming into shape as the Caps resigned Fleischmann and now we learn that Ben "What A" Clymer has been demoted to Hershey. Jame Pollock also was reassigned to Hershey too.

I don't expect Clymer to last long down there. Either a younger player will flame out after the regular season starts (don't be too surprised if it's David Steckel or Fleischmann) and Clymer will return or the Caps will outright trade him somewhere else. I don't think the Caps will let him sit out a two year $2 million+ contract in Hershey.

Flash resigned

In a move that should surprise nobody, the Caps have resigned Tomas Fleischmann to a contract.

Tarik El Bashir had the drop on this story 10 days ago. Though I have to wonder how much the injury to Eric Fehr played into this. I don't think Flash would have gotten the chance on the top line with A.O. and Viktor Kozlov had Fehr been healthy at the start of camp.

Now Flash will have to carry his preseason play through the entire regular season.

Thanks Ted!

As usual, the Caps Promotional Schedule is out now that training camp has arrived. And while J.P. is all over the Mullet wigs (which really would be more appropriate when the Penguin Scum arrive); I'm a fan of the scarves on January 13th and I'm obnoxious enough to take credit for the suggestion. Though what's the deal with the Mr. Potato Head giveaway?????



In personnel news, the Caps were dealt a blow when Eric Fehr failed his training camp physical (First reported by new media blogger Corey Masisak). This hurts because the Caps needed to get him time on the top two lines this season and will have now have to scrape again to find somebody to work in with A.O., Alexander Semin, Viktor Kozlov, Nicklas Backstrom, and Michael Nylander.

Ultimate Nonsense

A big story in Las Vegas for the last couple days of my vacation was the Renato "Babalu" Sobral - David Heath light heavyweight "fight" on Saturday night. It was an under card bout that made headlines because Sobral not only badly bloodied Heath, he also choked Heath unconscious after Heath tapped out. Sobral claimed he did that because Heath "has to learn respect."

Does any of this sound familiar?

And what may you ask was Heath's transgression that required the lesson in respect?

Heath mistook Sobral for Oedipus.

This of course folks is what we're told by our Ultimate Fighting on Ice (UFOI) friends is the "fastest growing sport in America." Yet there's some outrage (at least what you can find considering the massive coverage this "sport" gets) over Sobral's actions, including the Nevada State Athletic Commission withholding part of Sobral's fight purse while they investigate his actions. Furthermore, there's talk the "fight" won't even be aired. (Gee, I wonder why???)

I know I'm beating a dead horse folks, but if even the powers-that-be in the UFC are sickened by these kinds of actions, just what in the world is it going to take for powers-that-be in the NHL to finally get the message that the NHL needs to clean up its act? Note too that Sobral's antics were not well received by the 11,118 (which is less that what the Caps and every other NHL team averaged last season) in attendance. If actual UFC fans don't like to see guys bloodied beyond recognition and knocked completely out, what does it say about UFOI advocates who worship and go to extraordinary lengths to defend blood and KO's on the ice?

In news that I "missed" while I was gone, the Caps resigned John Erskine Bowles for the next two seasons. At over $1 million for the next two years, I really have to wonder about this for a couple of reasons. #1. Erskine-Bowles wasn't a hot commodity last season considering he wasn't signed until the night before training camp opened. For the life of me I just can't figure out what he did to raise his stock so high that we not only qualified him, but gave him a two year contract to sit in the press box/play in Hershey. #2. With the logjam on the blueline, his value as a "depth" defenseman becomes highly suspect. While he's by far the most physical of the "depth" defensemen (which is a stretch because he whiffs more than he actually hits), he'll only serve to impede the progress of a younger player with greater upside. And should we trade one of the youngsters for the much needed "veteran physical blueliner," Erskine-Bowles becomes even more obsolete.

But hey, it's great work if you can get it. You'd could almost be forgiven for thinking that this contract is nothing more than an attempt to hit the league's salary floor but that isn't going to be a problem for the Caps this season or next. But one thing is for certain, Sections 204 and 205 at the Phone Booth should be well secured during the upcoming season.

Front Loaded Issues

There's been much discussion this off season about the front loaded contracts that have been very popular among NHL teams and free agents who get more $$$$$ up front but less in the out years of the contract. The teams love it because they get "extra cap space" early on in the contract at the cost of "dead cap space" at the end because the salary cap figure is the average value of the contract, not the actual year-to-year salary.


Take for instance, Michael Nylander of the Caps. The Caps will have a "cap savings" of $625K for each of the first three years of his four year contract. That isn't a lot of $$$$$ but in his fourth an final year of the contract, the Caps are hit with $1.875 million of dead cap space should Nylander still be on the roster because his actual salary will be lower than his cap number.


However, one of the reasons the Caps gave Nylander a front loaded contract was to decrease his buyout number. Now the CBA's buyout provision is rather murky. From what I can tell if I am reading it right, a player is entitled to at least 1/3 of his remaining actual salary and 2/3's if he is over the age of 26 when he signs the original contract which is the case with Nylander. All buyouts remain on the team's cap number for twice the remaining years on the contract. So if a player has one year left, he remains on the cap for two. If he has three left on his contract, he remains on for six and so on. Alexi Yashin had four years left on his nine year contract with the Islanders and his buyout means that the Islanders have his "dead $$$$$" on their cap for the next eight seasons.


So let's say that the Caps want to buy out Nylander in year four of his contract. The Caps can then write Nylander a check for $2 million and Nylander is gone. However, if I read the example in the CBA correctly, the Caps get a $2.875 million salary cap hit for Nylander in the final year of the bought out contract and have another $1 million cap hit the next season as well. While the Caps would "save" $2 million of overall cap space, they increase their "dead cap" space in the process for 2010-2011 and create "dead" cap space for themselves in 2011-2012.

Now the Caps aren't alone, the New York Rangers have big issues of dead space in 2011-2012 themselves. If they buyout Scott Gomez's final year 2013-2014, they'll "clear" about $3 million in cap room and suffer an increase in their "dead cap space" for one year along with putting Gomez onto their cap for an additional season. And as mentioned before, the sooner you buyout the contract, the longer that player occupies your salary cap and the more misery you have with your salary cap.

As a matter of fact, the Caps buying out Nolan Yonkman last year in his the final year of his contract created dead cap space for the Caps last year and again this year. Though the $75K charge to the Caps salary cap won't hinder the team a bit. However, with Nylander and the extension for Captain Chris Clark, the Caps have just over $2 million of dead cap space already built into the 2011-2012 season. While I understand and accept that the Capitals aren't likely to spend the maximum amount; if they wanted to, that $2 million could very well end up being the difference between getting a player they need to compete for a Stanley Cup and not getting him.

It looks to me that this "loophole" teams and players are trying to exploit is actual a big vat of quicksand that can very easily consume a team if they aren't careful.

More Meathook!

Good news for Nats fans, listening to the Nats game over the internet, an announcement is expected later today concerning a contract extension for Dmitri "Meathook" Young.

Not only does this lessen the chances that he'll be traded but it also means that the Nats have no confidence that Nick "China Doll" Johnson will play this season. While Young is a valuable trading asset, keeping him around will make the games in August and September much more interesting to watch. And by signing him to an extension now, they'll keep him in the fold beyond this season unlike Alfonso Soriano.

And speaking of contracts, as you no doubt by now should know, Brooks "
and Dunn" Laich was awarded a small raise on a one year contract yesterday from his arbitration case.

Boy Is It Slow...

You things are slow around the NHL when this story is worthy of a headline. No offense to Brooks "and Dunn" Laich but does a marginal 3rd/4th line center on a last place team loaded at that position really deserve this kind of attention?

Further adding to the silly season are people attempting to divine his reasons for electing arbitration in the first place. I agree that the kid isn't going to break the bank by winning a huge raise but he could earn himself a small raise and, maybe most importantly, know that he is going to have a contract well before training camp starts.

Believe it or not, there are some players who like to wrap these things up quickly rather than let it continue to drag on through the summer. Historically, George McPhee usually does not deal with the RFA's who for one reason or another did not go to arbitration until late August. That's because RFA's aren't going anywhere. If a guy is willing to accept his qualifying offer, then the negotiations are that much easier and over sooner.

So folks, I know it's summer, I know it's hot, I know you're suffering from hockey withdrawal but please don't try to read anything more into Laich and Milan Jurcina electing arbitration than there really is. Neither player is going to win a huge award or has any real leverage against the team; odds are these guys are just looking to get their contracts wrapped up sooner rather than later.