...to get to the prescribed roster size, that is.
The Caps assigned Mathieu Perreault and Jay Beagle to Hershey this morning, bringing the Caps to 31 hands on board. There are eight more spots to move to get down to a maximum opening night roster of 23.
Here are the 31 remaining Caps...
Forwards:
8 – Alex Ovechkin
9 – Brendan Morrison
10 – Matt Bradley
14 – Tomas Fleischmann
15 – Boyd Gordon
16 – Eric Fehr
17 – Chris Clark
19 – Nicklas Backstrom
20 – Keith Aucoin
21 – Brooks Laich
22 – Mike Knuble
25 – Brandon Sugden
28 – Alexander Semin
33 – Alexandre Giroux
39 – David Steckel
53 – Quintin Laing
56 – Chris Bourque
92 – Michael Nylander
Defensemen:
2 – Brian Pothier
3 – Tom Poti
4 – John Erskine
23 – Milan Jurcina
26 – Shaone Morrisonn
27 – Karl Alzner
52 – Mike Green
55 – Jeff Schultz
62 – Sean Collins
89 – Tyler Sloan
Goalies:
30 – Michael Neuvirth
40 – Semyon Varlamov
60 – Jose Theodore
Of those remaining, one would have to think that the certainties to be sent down to Hershey are Brandon Sugden, Sean Collins, and Keith Aucoin, which gets us to 28... five to go. But after that...well, let's handicap it.
Defense:
It looks now as if there is one spot, and it remains for Tyler Sloan and Karl Alzner to fight for the right to claim it. Because it is easier to send Alzner to Hershey (not to mention providing more relief on the salary cap), Sloan has the inside track here. Of course, actually playing better hasn't hurt his chances any.
Forwards, Part I:
The complication here is the status of Eric Fehr and Tomas Fleischmann. Their absence has provided players with an opportunity, specifically Alexandre Giroux, to grab a top-six spot. The record-setting goal scorer from Hershey a year ago is one of those mysteries that takes the form of a question, "why in heaven's name can't he score something like that at the NHL level?" We're not asking that he be Ovechkin II, but he just hasn't given any indication that he's really up to the challenge at this level. A top-six slot has been presented to him on a platter, and he seems to have knocked it over. We're thinking he won't have a roster spot with the Caps on opening night.
Forwards, Part II:
Chris Bourque and Quintin Laing appear to be the principals in the last fight for a spot on the bottom half of the forward lines. Both fall under the category of being "energy" players, although they approach the role from different sides of the stage. Bourque is the player whose engine is always running at high RPMs, which is something that looks to leave him out of place in some situations. Laing is one of those "you couldn't get me out of the lineup with a gun and a chair" kinds of players. He'll play through anything and give up his body in any situation imaginable. Bourque might have more upside, but Laing is the kind of guy coaches seem to love. Laing is the favorite here, which brings up the matter of whether Bourque will (as rumored, then denied) be moved.
Forwards, Part III:
You just have the feeling (ok, maybe it's just me) that something is going to happen with respect to Michael Nylander. If he is on the roster on opening night, then it would seem Laing and Bourque have to be moved. And given how Nylander has been used in camp, that's a dead roster spot chewing up almost $5 million in cap room. Something is going to happen, right?
...right??
Goalies:
Having two prospects who have played well, both last year and in this camp, complicates what might otherwise be an easy time of it for the Caps' brain trust. If Semyon Varlamov or Michal Neuvirth was the alternative to Jose Theodore, you'd just assume Theodore would have the position until the other was ready, and that guy would be the backup. But with two goalies breathing down Theodore's neck, which one do you send to Hershey? Hard call. We'll stick with Varlamov having the slight edge as the "incumbent" of sorts, but if Neuvirth comes up big on Sunday? Well...
From this, we have Karl Alzner, Sean Collins, Keith Aucoin, Brandon Sugden, Alexandre Giroux, Chris Bourque, and Michal Neuvirth as the unlucky seven. It might be eight -- adding Quintin Laing -- if something doesn't break with respect to Michael Nylander.
We're glad we don't make these decisions.
Showing posts with label 2009-2010 training camp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009-2010 training camp. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Snip-Snip Here, Snip-Snip There
Well, we're down to a week remaining in the pre-season prelude to the 2009-2010 season. The Caps have trimmed their roster with little in the way of surprises, but now things will really start to get interesting. Here is how the forwards stack up...
As the roster gets whittled down over the next week, it occurs to us that for a roster allegedly so "settled" coming into camp, there are all sorts of interesting subplots playing out.
23 forwards remain, including Michael Nylander, whose locker has been relocated to limbo, as well as Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr, whose availability on opening night is in question. Of that group, there seem to be 12 spots nailed down, when healthy -- Ovechkin, Morrison, Bradley, Flesichmann, Fehr, Gordon, Clark, Backstrom, Laich, Knuble, Semin, and Steckel.
There remains one, perhaps two permanent spots, depending one whether the Caps choose to carry 13 or 14 forwards, and perhaps two "audition" spots that will be open so long as Flesichmann or Fehr are out. The openings break into two parts. First, on the top two lines, five spots are set -- Ovechkin, Backstrom, Knuble, Semin, and Morrison. That sixth spot -- right wing on the second line -- could be grabbed by any of Brooks Laich, Chris Clark, or Alexandre Giroux among the healthy forwards. It could be Fehr or Flesichmann when they are back to health.
At this point, it would be hard to handicap a favorite. Although Giroux has been given every opportunity to grab that spot, at least on an interim basis, he hasn't yet taken a firm grasp. Fehr would seem to be the best fit, on paper, for that spot, but he's coming off shoulder surgery and himself hasn't yet firmly grasped a scoring line role. Clark has played that role on the top line, but injury and the turnover among forwards suggests he might be better suited to a third line role with this team. Flesichmann once occupied the Giroux seat for a time as a player given an opportunity to grab onto a scoring line role, but he wilted some when the spotlight shown upon him. He did, however, play a good portion of last year at a 30-goal pace. There is something there -- again, if he can grab onto it. Laich might be the most intriguing one of the bunch, given that he is something of a jack-of-all trades. But sometimes the kind of versatility he possesses doesn't translate well into a specific role.
On the other two lines, there appear to be fixtures among Bradley, Gordon, and Steckel. Clark and Laich could end up in this half of the forward draw, leaving one spot open. Quintin Laing might be the front-runner for that one, although Chris Bourque also has been given opportunities.
The defense follows a similar track. Here is the current picture among defensemen...
Of this group, the safe bets would seem to be Pothier, Poti, Erskine, Jurcina, Morrisonn, Green, and Schultz. OK, so that's seven. If the Caps carry 14 forwards, then the rest of those guys in bold are headed to Hershey, unless they don't clear waivers (like Tyler Sloan). If the Caps go 13/8, carring two extra defensemen, then there would seem to be a battle between Karl Alzner and Sloan for that last slot (this isn't news, dear reader -- you've probably concluded this a long time ago, or at least since John Carlson was sent down). While injuries make the forward situation a little more flexible in the early going, permitting "auditions," the same isn't true of the defense, and that makes this part of the roster murkier in terms of what it might look like. Will there be a trade? Will the Caps try to sneak Sloan through waivers? Will they keep him and send Alzner down?
By comparison, the goaltending situation is comparably cut and dried -- a straight up competition between Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth for the backup position. Both have had a cup o' coffee in the NHL regular season (Varlamov for six games, Neuvirth for five). Both have had post season success (Varlamov coming on in relief in the Caps opening round win against the Rangers and taking the Penguins to seven games, Neuvirth leading Hershey to a Calder Cup), both have been solid in camp and pre-season games (even Varlamov getting torched in the Duchesne Cup finals appears to be more of what was happening in front of him). What adds spice to this competition is that they are such different goaltenders in style. If we had to guess, we'd say Varlamov has the slightest of edges as the incumbent on the roster, but it isn't a significant edge.
As the roster gets whittled down over the next week, it occurs to us that for a roster allegedly so "settled" coming into camp, there are all sorts of interesting subplots playing out.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Scenes from a Sunday
We took in the Sunday matinee practice at Kettler. Tomas Fleischmann donned the yellow jersey which meant he had the ice to himself for some skating and conditioning action, and he will be today's leader in the Tour de France bicycle race.
Eric Fehr skated in a green jersey this afternoon, so he seems to be progressing to the point where he's close to seeing real live action.
Michael Nylander also wore a green jersey, because as we all know, "green means..."
We got one last glimpse of Joe Finley heading over to the locker room (he was among the players designated for Hershey today), and yes, he is a very large young man, even without the benefit of pads and the added inches of a pair of skates.
And here are some images of the action...
Eric Fehr skated in a green jersey this afternoon, so he seems to be progressing to the point where he's close to seeing real live action.
Michael Nylander also wore a green jersey, because as we all know, "green means..."
We got one last glimpse of Joe Finley heading over to the locker room (he was among the players designated for Hershey today), and yes, he is a very large young man, even without the benefit of pads and the added inches of a pair of skates.
And here are some images of the action...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Duchesne Cup Finale
Yesterday, Group A defeated Group C in the second game of the Duchesne Cup round-robin tournament, 3-2 in a shootout. The standings now look like this...
All that is left is for Group A to meet Group B this afternoon. If Group B wins in regulation, then based on the NHL Gimmick Rules, Group C wins the Cup.
All that is left is for Group A to meet Group B this afternoon. If Group B wins in regulation, then based on the NHL Gimmick Rules, Group C wins the Cup.
Balderdash!
Each team will have one win and one loss. Put 'em all out there for a round of Gimmick.
The Caps had a grand total of four shootout wins last year, good for a tie for 19th in the league. The previous year, the Caps had four wins via the Gimmick, good for another tie for 19th. This is not an especially proficient club when it comes to apres-hockey gimmickry. But it is something the league insists count in the standings, so what better practice could the guys have than getting gimmicky for something that counts? Except Group B has to do its part.
LET'S GO B'S...LET'S GO B'S...LET'S GO B'S!!!
UPDATE: Alas, no Gimmick today... Corey Masisak reports via Twitter that Group A won the Duchesne Cup with a 9-5 plastering of Group B, Alex Ovechkin with four assists.
...puck hog.
Monday, September 14, 2009
2009 Training Camp -- Day 2
On the frozen tundra of Kettler Capitals Iceplex… two squads faced off with malice in their hearts and visions of the Duchesne Cup dancing in their heads.
Group B, a collection of skilled skaters and indomitable netminders took on the gritty grinders and hardnosed (owing largely to their masks) goalies of Group C. The teams spent the early minutes of the first period probing for weaknesses, which given they have sticks can be a rather painful undertaking. But like lightning flashing and thunder rolling, the blue-clad Group B squad took a 2-0 lead on a difficult shot from near the goal line by Matt Bradley and a stuff-in off a rebound by Brooks Laich. Call it “Rise of the Grittinators.” Group C carried the play for most of the period, peppering goalie Semyon Varlamov frequently, so there was some justice in the result of the opening 20 minutes.
After calm settled on the ice, and the gentle hum of the Zamboni announced the laying of a new ice sheet, the teams exchanged ends and resumed battle. Group B apparently found some measure of “git after it” in the locker room, as they took the ice with a renewed sense of urgency, realizing that the treasured Cup was perhaps slipping from their grasp. Group B tied the match at two, the second goal coming as a result of some hard work on the part of Andrew Gordon. But Keith Aucoin restored the Group C lead shortly before the second intermission when he collected the puck at the Group B line and skated in alone to net the breakaway tally. At the second stoppage, it was 3-2, Group C.
The third period saw a significant uptick in intensity from both squads, with spirited hitting along the boards by both teams. David Steckel, though, took matters into his own hands for the Group C skaters with a goal to give the bluejerseys (we won’t think to call them “blueshirts,” and thus incur the wrath of Caps fans) a 4-2 lead.
But Andrew Gordon made things interesting by getting another happy result of hard work, potting a goal to close Group B to within one at 4-3. Group B enjoyed a power play with under three minutes to play in regulation, but could not find the equalizer. Group C killed off the penalty and the remaining seconds to hang on for a 4-3 win and a leg up in the chase for the Duchesne Cup.
Our three stars:
First Star: Andrew Gordon (two goals and a lot of sticking his nose in the crease and along the boards)
Second Star: Matthieu Perreault (two assists, and he could have had more; he was the most dangerous player on the ice)
Third star: Sean Collins (he wasn’t playing like a guy fighting for a job, which we mean as a compliment – he was playing a simple, effective game at moving the puck out of trouble)
Some other things…
- David Steckel and Greg Amadio almost got into a shoving match deep in the banner end of the ice.
- Michal Neuvirth didn’t have a lot of work in the first period, and what shots did come his way seemed to hit pipes and the outside of the net.
- Speaking of hitting pipes, Boyd Kane had an open net a couple of times and could only manage hitting iron.
- Anton Gustafsson still looks a little like he’s struggling with the smaller rink dimensions. But he was throwing his body around more in the third period.
- For a guy who has one foot out the door and his car keys in his hand, Michael Nylander was at least competing out there. Yes, there were the curl-offs and circles, but Caps fans… that’s the way he plays. Move on.
- Quintin Laing might have a path to an opening night roster spot, owing to the top-two lines being more settled than the checking lines. And he was out there playing like he knew it, providing a lot of hustle.
- There were two distinct kinds of players out there, even with the competition of the Duchesne Cup. There were the guys fighting for jobs, like the guys who played in Hershey last year. And there are guys getting ready for the season and looking to establish some familiarity and chemistry, like Alexander Semin and Brendan Morrison.
And now, some pictures from the proceedings…
Group B, a collection of skilled skaters and indomitable netminders took on the gritty grinders and hardnosed (owing largely to their masks) goalies of Group C. The teams spent the early minutes of the first period probing for weaknesses, which given they have sticks can be a rather painful undertaking. But like lightning flashing and thunder rolling, the blue-clad Group B squad took a 2-0 lead on a difficult shot from near the goal line by Matt Bradley and a stuff-in off a rebound by Brooks Laich. Call it “Rise of the Grittinators.” Group C carried the play for most of the period, peppering goalie Semyon Varlamov frequently, so there was some justice in the result of the opening 20 minutes.
After calm settled on the ice, and the gentle hum of the Zamboni announced the laying of a new ice sheet, the teams exchanged ends and resumed battle. Group B apparently found some measure of “git after it” in the locker room, as they took the ice with a renewed sense of urgency, realizing that the treasured Cup was perhaps slipping from their grasp. Group B tied the match at two, the second goal coming as a result of some hard work on the part of Andrew Gordon. But Keith Aucoin restored the Group C lead shortly before the second intermission when he collected the puck at the Group B line and skated in alone to net the breakaway tally. At the second stoppage, it was 3-2, Group C.
The third period saw a significant uptick in intensity from both squads, with spirited hitting along the boards by both teams. David Steckel, though, took matters into his own hands for the Group C skaters with a goal to give the bluejerseys (we won’t think to call them “blueshirts,” and thus incur the wrath of Caps fans) a 4-2 lead.
But Andrew Gordon made things interesting by getting another happy result of hard work, potting a goal to close Group B to within one at 4-3. Group B enjoyed a power play with under three minutes to play in regulation, but could not find the equalizer. Group C killed off the penalty and the remaining seconds to hang on for a 4-3 win and a leg up in the chase for the Duchesne Cup.
Our three stars:
First Star: Andrew Gordon (two goals and a lot of sticking his nose in the crease and along the boards)
Second Star: Matthieu Perreault (two assists, and he could have had more; he was the most dangerous player on the ice)
Third star: Sean Collins (he wasn’t playing like a guy fighting for a job, which we mean as a compliment – he was playing a simple, effective game at moving the puck out of trouble)
Some other things…
- David Steckel and Greg Amadio almost got into a shoving match deep in the banner end of the ice.
- Michal Neuvirth didn’t have a lot of work in the first period, and what shots did come his way seemed to hit pipes and the outside of the net.
- Speaking of hitting pipes, Boyd Kane had an open net a couple of times and could only manage hitting iron.
- Anton Gustafsson still looks a little like he’s struggling with the smaller rink dimensions. But he was throwing his body around more in the third period.
- For a guy who has one foot out the door and his car keys in his hand, Michael Nylander was at least competing out there. Yes, there were the curl-offs and circles, but Caps fans… that’s the way he plays. Move on.
- Quintin Laing might have a path to an opening night roster spot, owing to the top-two lines being more settled than the checking lines. And he was out there playing like he knew it, providing a lot of hustle.
- There were two distinct kinds of players out there, even with the competition of the Duchesne Cup. There were the guys fighting for jobs, like the guys who played in Hershey last year. And there are guys getting ready for the season and looking to establish some familiarity and chemistry, like Alexander Semin and Brendan Morrison.
And now, some pictures from the proceedings…
A nice new ice sheet... allllll to myself 
Handymen Jason Bacashihua and Michal Neuvirth apply their tools to some interesting ice in front of their crease...
Rink rat...
Nice shot of the net, pal.
Obligatory faceoff image
Jeff Schultz...defending...film at 11
No...not my car.Sunday, September 13, 2009
2009 Training Camp -- Day 1
Business-like.
That seemed to be the tone of today’s opening of Capitals’ training camp as three squads took the ice. One could tell, perhaps, that it also was the opening weekend for the NFL as the Kettler Capitals Iceplex stands were not filled for today’s session. We’re guessing 80-90 percent filled.
For the record, the Zamboni (or Olympia ice resurfacer, if you prefer) took the ice at 9:35 to lay down the ice sheet, and Alex Ovechkin was the first Capital to take the ice as a member of Group A. Speaking of which, the lines looked like this in the morning session…
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Broda-Eakin-Sugden
Wilson-Dubuc-Bouchard
Osala-Boyd Gordon-Kugryshev
Fehr wore the yellow jersey, as he is still limited in his rehabilitation after shoulder surgery.
The defensemen were:
Carlson
Alzner
Jurcina
Poti
Miskovic
Wellar
Mestery
And the goalies:
Theodore
Holtby
Braden Holtby was the first casualty of camp, skating off midway through the session, although he did return after the ice was resurfaced. Unfortunately, he did not look comfortable upon his return and left the ice for the day before the session ended. He was reported to have a groin pull, but it wasn’t considered a serious problem. Todd Ford took over for the remainder of the session in Holtby’s stead.
The forwards looked far ahead of the defense, although it’s early. Joel Broda was one forward, though, who seemed to have a devil of a time finishing plays, but he looked quick out there. Nicklas Backstrom looked pretty sharp, especially in one-on-one drills against the defense, as he took the puck to the net smartly in several turns. But again, it was a difficult day for the defense, at least in the Group A session.
The Group B squad looked like this…
Semin-Morrison-Giroux
Pinizzotto-Gustafsson-Laing
Bruess-Mitchell-Finley (and Jasinsky also in white)
Andrew Gordon-Perreault-Kane
Defense:
Pothier
Sloan
Flemming
McNeill
Helmer
Erskine
Amadio
Goalies:
Varlamov
Ford
This was a distinctly less intense session than the Group A session. It just seemed as though the guys lacked a certain jump. The exception was Varlamov, who did look quite sharp. We did not have an opportunity to stay for the Group C session, but we’re guessing that astute Caps fan can probably find more than enough re-cap in the usual places. For now, here are some pics of the Group A and Group B sessions…
That seemed to be the tone of today’s opening of Capitals’ training camp as three squads took the ice. One could tell, perhaps, that it also was the opening weekend for the NFL as the Kettler Capitals Iceplex stands were not filled for today’s session. We’re guessing 80-90 percent filled.
For the record, the Zamboni (or Olympia ice resurfacer, if you prefer) took the ice at 9:35 to lay down the ice sheet, and Alex Ovechkin was the first Capital to take the ice as a member of Group A. Speaking of which, the lines looked like this in the morning session…
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Broda-Eakin-Sugden
Wilson-Dubuc-Bouchard
Osala-Boyd Gordon-Kugryshev
Fehr wore the yellow jersey, as he is still limited in his rehabilitation after shoulder surgery.
The defensemen were:
Carlson
Alzner
Jurcina
Poti
Miskovic
Wellar
Mestery
And the goalies:
Theodore
Holtby
Braden Holtby was the first casualty of camp, skating off midway through the session, although he did return after the ice was resurfaced. Unfortunately, he did not look comfortable upon his return and left the ice for the day before the session ended. He was reported to have a groin pull, but it wasn’t considered a serious problem. Todd Ford took over for the remainder of the session in Holtby’s stead.
The forwards looked far ahead of the defense, although it’s early. Joel Broda was one forward, though, who seemed to have a devil of a time finishing plays, but he looked quick out there. Nicklas Backstrom looked pretty sharp, especially in one-on-one drills against the defense, as he took the puck to the net smartly in several turns. But again, it was a difficult day for the defense, at least in the Group A session.
The Group B squad looked like this…
Semin-Morrison-Giroux
Pinizzotto-Gustafsson-Laing
Bruess-Mitchell-Finley (and Jasinsky also in white)
Andrew Gordon-Perreault-Kane
Defense:
Pothier
Sloan
Flemming
McNeill
Helmer
Erskine
Amadio
Goalies:
Varlamov
Ford
This was a distinctly less intense session than the Group A session. It just seemed as though the guys lacked a certain jump. The exception was Varlamov, who did look quite sharp. We did not have an opportunity to stay for the Group C session, but we’re guessing that astute Caps fan can probably find more than enough re-cap in the usual places. For now, here are some pics of the Group A and Group B sessions…
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Are you ready for some hockey?
Are you ready for some hockey?
Are you ready for the good times?
Are you ready for the pucks and sticks
Are you ready for the good times?
Are you ready for the pucks and sticks
And all the hat tricks
And a whole lotta skatin' around
And a whole lotta skatin' around
And even if we win the Stanley Cup... if we win... HAH! Even if we win! Even if we play so far above our heads that our noses bleed for a week to ten days; even if God in Heaven above comes down and points his hand at our side of the ice; even if every man, woman, and child held hands together and prayed for us to win, it just wouldn't matter because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from Pittsburgh because they've got Sidney Crosby! It just doesn't matter if we win or we lose. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!
Nevertheless, Tripper, camp starts on September 7th when the rookies come to town...
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