Training Camp -- Day 2

If yesterday was Skating Day, today was Scrimmage Day as Groups B and C faced off against one another in the second half of the day’s action. The first half of the day’s proceedings – staring at 10:00 – featured Group A going through drills for almost 90 minutes. Just as was the case yesterday, there was an emphasis on skating, but the session included more offensive zone sets sprinkled in. There seemed to be a marked drop in the intensity level after the first 60 minutes. Maybe the guys were saving themselves for the board-to-board version of the Herbies that ended the morning.

Things of note:

Nicklas Backstrom skated the entire session (he left early yesterday), although it looked from here as if there was just the trace of favoring an ankle at the end of the skate.

Alex Ovechkin, who apparently doesn’t like to lose at anything, finished first in his group in each phase of the Herbies at the end of the morning.

Michal Neuvirth took a puck high near his mask, and it seemed to faze him. He took a few seconds on all fours in the crease and spent the next few minutes shaking it off, but he recovered to look pretty sharp by the end of the morning.

Morning images…

Oh, to be young with a half dozen pucks and the rink all to yourself...

The man behind the pillar...Alexander Semin, practicing his "puck toss"

(points if you get the reference)

Shot by white...

Viktor...tell Simeon not to commit so early on shots.

(Kozlov)..."Coach says, the blue in your jersey sets off your eyes."

...shot by blue.

Even the breaks are filled with imparting advice...

In the afternoon, it was time for the first scrimmage – Group B against Group C in Game One of the Duchesne Cup round robin. The top goalies started for their respective groups – Jose Theodore for Group B (in blue) and Brent Johnson for Group C (in white). Braden Holtby and Daren Machesney relieved for the last two “periods” of the scrimmage (which looked to follow a 30-20-10 minute running time format).

Things of note:

We were paying special attention to Chris Clark, and he came through the scrimmage looking as if the injury suffered last year was giving him no trouble.

Gotta give Mathieu Perreault credit – he was sticking his nose in where the big trees live on a few occasions.

Michael Dubuc had a couple of fine chances, one on a nice set up from Dmitri Kugryshev, but was unable to convert.

Alexandre Giroux and Tomas Fleischmann scored on similar plays, not giving up on the puck moving across the crease, finally potting the puck when the goalie was down and out.

Scr-images…

For the uninitiated, this is called a "faceoff."

Jose Theodore getting set

Machesney... "Please don't tell me it went in."

These guys are getting younger every year.

Training Camp -- Day 1

Let it be known that Matt Bradley was the first Capital to take the ice on Day One of Training Camp 2008...

It was two sheets and all hockey, all the time today, as the Caps cracked open the 2008-2009 season with three groups taking the ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Today, for lack of a better term, was Skating Day, as the coaching staff put the groups through a high-tempo workout that emphasized skating…a lot of end-to-end work that got the legs used to what’s coming over the next couple of weeks.

Perhaps the best single thing to come out of today’s work was this…

Chris Clark and Michael Nylander taking the ice in Group III in the afternoon (matched with Tomas Fleischmann as the “red” forward line). Both looked rather smooth in drills.

There were a couple of dicey moments, both of which occurred in the Group III session, as Tom Maxwell took a puck to the leg that left him in a heap, crawling on all fours to the bench, where he was worked on. We didn’t see him return. There was also the matter of Quintin Laing dinging a shot off the side of Brent Johnson’s noggin, hitting him flush in the side of the mask. Johnson didn’t look the worse for wear, though, as he and Laing stood together at the next rinkside huddle smiling about it.

No one looked to be laboring, even with the tempo of the drills – hopefully a reflection of an attitude of taking this year seriously from the get-go. No one was taking shortcuts…ok, there was that cutting short the lap Mike Green pulled off when he was late getting back to the huddle at rink-side.

From development camp, rookie camp, and now the first day of training camp, there is certainly an impression that Coach Boudreau and the Caps’ brain trust have it in their minds that they’re going to try to skate teams into dust. Guys who can’t skate are going to have a lot of trouble keeping up with the top-shelf players on this team.

Given that it is a gorgeous day here in the DC area, it was a well-attended session on both rinks. The stands on the Capitals rink looked about 90 percent full and the floor filled behind the glass for the morning Group I session (the one featuring Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, who was dressed in the orange sweater today). The Group II session on the Arlington rink (the one featuring Alexander Semin, Sergei Fedorov, Jose Theodore, and Donald Brashear) was ringed a couple deep with the upstairs filled. The Group III session on the Capitals rink at 12:30 (with Clark, Nylander, and Mike Green) looked to be about as filled as the morning session.

As journeyman catcher Jake Taylor put it in the movie, “Major League,” they don’t cut anybody the first day. It was just a day to soak in four hours of hockey (even if it was drills). Here are some images of the first day…

Michal Neuvirth making a couple of early saves

Bruce Boudreau admiring his handiwork...

...and getting some teaching in

The obligatory Alex Ovechkin picture

Jose Theodore getting some work in

Defensemen in some offensive zone drills

Donald Brashear taking aim on Theodore

Looking back to look ahead

The Peerless hails from a part of the world that includes in it what are called the “Endless Mountains.” It is a beautiful part of the world where, as the name suggests, there are hilltops as far as the eye can see. This past week, we were reminded of that in a way in looking at the players the Capitals brought to rookie camp. Because, this past week was not about this year or next; it was about five years, ten years from now. And in that, the Capitals’ potential seems – for what might be the first time in the history of the franchise – endless.

Although it is tempting to look at the team one follows closely and see only the positives – to engage in Pollyanna-like thoughts of what might be – the group brought to rookie camp this week included a host of players who could be contributing NHL'ers, and in more than a few cases could include some who will make quite an impression in the decade to come.

If one looks only at the defense, the hopefuls at camp included such as: Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, and Viktor Dovgan who could crack an NHL roster down the road (or sooner). One could add that to the 25-and-under crowd of defensemen that is already on the Caps roster or who could be on it in the near future. That group, for sake of argument, might look like this:

Shaone Morrisonn
Mike Green
Jeff Schultz
Milan Jurcina
Sami Lepisto
Karl Alzner
Josh Godfrey
John Carlson
Viktor Dovgan

Five years from now, that group would still be 30 or younger to start the season. You'd have to think all of them are NHL-roster capable, and some of them major contributors. And Joe Finley hasn't shown up yet.

Then you have the forwards. Mathieu Perreault, Francois Bouchard, Oscar Osala, Dmitri Kugryshev, and Anton Gustafsson are among those who skated this week who might log time in the NHL (you might add a few to this list). Add that to the 25-and-under forward list (to which you might care to add a few names), and you might have something like…

Alex Ovechkin
Alexander Semin
Nicklas Backstrom
Eric Fehr
Boyd Gordon
Brooks Laich
Tomas Fleischmann
Chris Bourque
Mathieu Perreault
Francois Bouchard
Oscar Osala
Dmitri Kugryshev
Anton Gustafsson

Again, five years from now this group would still be 30 or younger. The goalies being counted on – Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth – are each only 20 years old.

The kids skating this past week are going to push some other guys hard and some of those right off the club in a few years. Although there are no guarantees of success in the future, for the first time, perhaps, in the history of this franchise there is depth of talent as far as the eye can see into the future. What was on display this week was the embodiment of the club’s strategy – to build a perennial contender using the draft and home-grown prospects as its core element. So, as the big club takes the ice this morning to ring in the 2008-2009 season, with all the promise that suggests, remember that the years to come look rather bright for the Caps and their fans, too.

Want to adopt a hockey team?

Nice team, semi-housebroken (ok, not housebroken), does not take to strangers easily, looking for new home.

That is the situation in which the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms find themselves. Since the Wachovia Spectrum is going to be torn down (if only 'twere true of the rest of Philly), the Phantoms need a home. According to this article in the Philadelphia Daily News, the Phantoms might have to leave Philly altogether.

Imagine...the Allentown Phantoms...

...the Camden Phantoms.

yeesh.

A TWO-Point Afternoon: Caps 7 - Flyers 0

Rookie camp closed on a high note this afternoon as the Capitals’ prospects demolished the Flyers’ youngsters, 7-0, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. It was a standing room only crowd at the rink, and they were in – if not mid-season form – then suitably hostile toward the visitors. As for the game…


Three Men and a Donut…

The Caps got all three goalies into the game, Simeon Varlamov getting the start, Braden Holtby picking things up in the second, and Michal Neuvirth locking the door on the shutout. The three are very different in their approaches. Varlamov was sharp, albeit with relatively few shots faced. But he made arguably the most important save in the game, foiling a Flyer breakaway about eight minutes into the period. Holtby gets marks for putting up with the Flyers trying to run him on a number of occasions. He probably faced fewer shots than did Varlamov, so his focus was tested. Neuvirth came in and relied on his superior technical game to keep the Flyers off the scoresheet, despite more scoring chances against him than the other two goalies combined. In all, all three played well.
**********

Viktor Dovgan’s a Keeper…

He wasn’t the best defenseman on the ice for the Caps (that would have been Karl Alzner) or perhaps the second best (John Carlson had a pretty good game), but Viktor Dovgan looks like he has a future with the club. He was up to the physical assault brought by the Flyers. Late in the first, a scrum developed behind the Caps’ net. Viktor Dovgan circled in and got up into a Flyer’s face, egging him to “come on!...come on!” He then got into a full scale knuckle trade behind the Flyers’ net in the second after Hotby had been run (I had him winning the decision on my card). He wasn’t backing down anywhere on the ice.
**********

Lines…

Mathieu Perreault looked to have recovered from his adventure in Herbies on Day 1. He, Francois Bouchard, and Steve Pinizzotto were dominant just about every time they skated together on the ice. It was the rare shift when they didn’t have a decent chance. All three lit the lamp in this one. The Osala-Beagle-Kugryshev line showed a lot of hustle, keeping the Flyers penned in much of the time and tilting the ice toward the Flyer net. The Morin-Leffler-Lacroix line had three goals, two of them by Travis Morin.
**********

Speed…

In a way, it was like watching the same game at two different speeds – one speed being Flyer speed, the other being Caps speed. It was like watching a Ferrari driving around a rider lawn mower. And, this group of Caps – for not being together very long – showed a fine passing game in the neutral zone and in entering the offensive zone. Truth be told, though, this group of Flyer hopefuls didn’t impress, except…
**********

March!...

In their ability to find their way to the penalty box. I stopped counting at half a dozen penalties the Flyers took, and that was in the first period. They had to have a dozen. What was nice was seeing the kids make them pay by potting power play goals.
**********

Loaded…

Looking at this group of Caps, one has the feeling that the Hershey Bears are going to be absolutely loaded this year. A group of kids that could include Francois Bouchard, Mathieu Perreault, Karl Alzner (if he’s not with the club on opening night), Steve Pinizzotto, Jay Beagle, Maxime Lacroix, and one or both of the young goalies, added to the returning vets at Hershey, and the Bears might be a favorite to win another Calder Cup.
**********

We also have some pics from the ritual slaying…

Varlamov getting the start

Some brotherly shove

Get used to it, son...you're going to see a lot of Caps buzzing in your face

Viktor Dovgan and Josh Beaulieu go at it

Won't be long now...

Told ya...

...and another one finds the back of the net

Jay Beagle misses on a penalty shot

...but there is a happy ending, anyway

and the youngsters rejoice

Happy Anniversary PCOI

Put Cancer on Ice is a group of Washington Capitals fans that organizes monthly hockey games and other events (such as the Dave Fay Memorial Classic that was held in July) to contribute to the fight against cancer.

As Gavin Toner -- one of the founding members of the group -- points out, this month will see the second anniversary of the founding of the group and its monthly pick-up games for charity.

To date, PCOI has raised almost than $24,000 in this effort -- and counting -- with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society (through the Woodbridge Relay for Life) and Hockey Fights Cancer.

If your interested on what the group is up to, check out their web site, or check The Official for news on upcoming games.

To Gavin Toner, Rob Keaton and Ben Wilson, happy anniversary. Here's to hoping there will be a "Going Out of Business" game in the near future, because cancer will have been put "on ice," in no small part due to your efforts.

Hey Max Ouellet Fans

Appearing at a Wachovia Center near you soon?

Oh, and that "Briere Experiment" looks interesting, too.

2008-2009 Previews: Jose Theodore

Now, we take a look at the new guy…


Jose Theodore

Last year: 53 games, 28-21-3, 2.44, .910, 3 SO

Career average (per 60 appearances):
25-27-4-1, 2.65, .909, 4 SO


Feerless’ Take: OK, let’s get to the happy ending right away. In every year Theodore has played more than half his team’s games in the NHL, he has had a GAA of 2.90 or lower, had a save percentage of .908 or better. Last year, while Cristobal Huet was doing his magic in Washington, Theodore was having a nice home stretch of his own. Starting February 22, with a 3-2 shootout win over Phoenix, Theodore finished the year 13-5-1, 2.29, .916, and two shutouts. Only twice did he give up more than three goals (he did allow three goals in a 7-5 loss to Edmonton on March 22, in which he was pulled early). What’s more, he was 7-1 in one-goal games down the stretch, five of them won in extra time. Whatever issues there have been with respect to his post-lockout play (and there have been), he had more than a solid year last year in Colorado, and he proved clutch down the stretch. There isn’t any clear reason to think that for the Caps, he won't stop pucks as the number one goaltender.

Cheerless’ Take: Clutch, cuz? 6.88, .826. That was his GAA and save percentage against the Red Wings in the second round of the playoffs last year. He was pulled three times in four games, for heaven’s sake (Feerless: hey, cuz, he had the flu in the first two). And there is that “post-lockout” thing. He was 31-33-7, 3.36, .886 in the first two years coming out of the lockout, and it wasn’t as if he was playing for an absolute dog of a team. The Canadiens were a 93-point playoff team in 2005-2006, and the Avalanche were a 95-point team that finished one point out of the playoffs in 2006-2007. In an odd way, there seems to be a whiff of “Olaf Kolzig” here. Yes, he’s won a Hart and a Vezina trophy, but that was seven years ago (2001-2002 season). Since then, he’s a .500 goalie (112-113-11-10). Was that home stretch you went on about a change in fortune? Or was it just a nice little wave he rode into the playoffs with the rest of the Avalanche, only to see it come crashing down in the second round of the playoffs?

Peerless’ Take: You really don’t want your goaltender to be your biggest unknown going into the season, especially when you’re being thought of as a team that can take the next big step to playoff success. But, that is the hand the Caps are playing as the 2008-2009 season begins. Theodore’s career breaks down into two neat phases, and they are, in fact, separated by the lockout. In his four full seasons as a number one goaltender heading into the lockout, Theodore was 103-112-26, 2.44, .918, with 15 shutouts. The win-loss record wasn’t especially noteworthy, but he put up pretty good goals-against and save percentage numbers in spite of it. After the lockout, he’s been 59-54-10, 2.88, .898, with three shutouts.

Theodore did finish up the regular season on a high note last year, and that is a hopeful sign. Lost in the implosion in the second round of the playoffs last year is the fact that he had a good first round against Minnesota. He was 4-2, 1.88, .940 in that series.

Which Theodore will the Caps see this year? The Caps have enough offensive firepower to cover up some bumpy stretches in goal (they had enough to cover those bumps Kolzig had from time to time during the middle third of the season last year), but at some point in this league, successful teams have to rely on solid goaltending. That point usually comes in the playoffs. Is Theodore that goaltender? That’s the biggest unknown heading into this season. But for the regular season…


Projected: 37-19-5, 2.46, .911

Rookie Camp -- Day One

I don’t know, I wasn’t told
Coach Boudreau could be so cold…

Welcome to rookie camp, gentlemen.

Today, the Caps inaugurated Rookie Camp 2008, or as a few young men are likely to call it this afternoon – Hell Week. Coach Bruce Boudreau and the rest of the Caps coaching staff put tomorrow’s Capitals through a two hour session (broken up for a few minutes by the mesmerizing Zambonification of the ice). It was a day of drills, more drills, a lot of hands-on teaching by Coach Boudreau, and…gassers at the very end of the session.

The first day was reasonably well attended, given that it started on a Sunday morning with a Redskins home game starting at 1:00. And, this being the first day, it was hard to really get a feel for who was up or who was down. One nice thing was that the club invested in Velcro and name plates, so fans could associate a name with a colored jersey. Here, you can clearly see John Carlson and Mathieu Perreault, who is upright (more on that in a bit). Funny...no player had (yet) the name plate "Kick Me."



There was also a lot of teaching by Coach Boudreau, who has the chance to impress upon his young lab rats the proper method of Capitals hockey…it involves skating…a lot of it (more on that in a bit, too).

After the drills portion of the session, the squad broke up into units to go through a modified scrimmage-like drill with the goalies getting into the swing of things, having to actually stop pucks. All of that was prelude to the morning’s entertainment (hardly such for the objects of the exercise) – gassers, Herbies, call ‘em what you will…skating goal line to goal line, and back…goal line to far blue line, and back…goal line to red line, and back. This was repeated in its various forms several times for, what was by my watch, almost 25 minutes.

This separated the – well, not the men from the boys, since none of them look to be that familiar with a razor just yet...let’s say the ones who knew what was coming from those who didn’t. Some guys – John Carlson comes to mind – didn’t look too green in the gills as the drill progressed. But the coaching staff might have had an inkling of who would suffer, perhaps giving them the green jerseys for a reason.

It didn’t take long for the hot-shot top draft picks to find out that for the moment, they are merely guys with velcroed name plates on their backs. Dmitri Kugryshev and Anton Gustafsson labored mightily in these drills, each employing their own respective desperate techniques to catch a breath while others were having their own hell inflicted upon them. Kugryshev seemed to prefer the “lurch over the goal line and collapse in a heap” method, where he found himself on all fours trying to recover. Gustafsson was more of the we’ll-do-this-in-stages school. One time, he might come back and end up on his knees…the next time sitting on the ice…finally just saying “f*ck it” and ending up flat on his back waiting for celestial angels to spirit him away. Here is the product of what Boudreau did to these poor young men…



What you don’t see is Matthieu Perreault, who quite literally had to be helped off the ice in the midst of this death skate (let’s be honest here, kids…I’d have lasted maybe to the red line -- once – and keeled over in a puddle of sweaty goo). We did not take notice of an injury, his case being perhaps one of intense "where the $#@& am I?"

After the session ended, Coach Woods was seen under the stands and was asked about the boys. He noted that some of the guys perhaps didn’t know what to expect, hadn’t been here before…he was asked if Perreault was going to live. He just sort of rolled his eyes and muttered, “I dunno.”

This…was Day One. Enjoy your stay, gentlemen.

2008-2009 Previews: Brent Johnson

As we head into live hockey, it’s time to turn our attention to goalies, and that means first up…


Brent Johnson

Last year: 19 games, 7-8-2, 2.67, .908

Career average (per-60 appearances):
27-23-3-3, 2.62. ,902, 3 SO

Feerless’ Take: In last year’s benchmarks on goaltending, cuz, you said, “Playoff aspirants can’t afford to give away games when the number one goaltender isn’t on the ice.” Well, last year was Johnson's best in three years in Washington. His GAA was almost a full goal-per-game under his 2006-2007 production, and his save percentage was 19 points above the previous year. Here’s the thing, though – he had a nightmare of a game against the Sabres in early October (seven goals on 53 shots – it was a bad night for the Caps all around), but in 17 appearances after that, he gave up more than three goals only three times. Only seven times in those 19 total appearances did he give up more than two goals. Although his record only said 7-8-2, he was giving his team a chance to win in most of his appearances. Like any reliever, that’s what you ask for in terms of performance – give your teammates a chance to win.

Cheerless’ Take: 19 games, huh? Yeah, that’s the number he appeared in, and it’s also the number of consecutive games to close the season that he didn’t appear in (or dress for, for the most part). Sure, having Olaf Kolzig wearing the baseball cap was something of a luxury, but that’s still a lot of games to sit, even for a backup-backup. He also didn’t have a win after February 5th last year (coincidentally, it was that win that put the Caps over .500 for good). That means for the last third of the season – a little more, actually – he did not contribute a win.

The Peerless’ Take: Only once in eight seasons has Johnson played in more than half of his team’s games. He hasn’t played more than 30 games in a season since the 2002-2003 season. In the event of an injury to Jose Theodore, the immediate question becomes, “can he handle the load?” Well, here is the odd part about that…in the three years of his career in which he did play more than 30 games, he was above .500 in each year, he had a GAA below 2.50 in each year, and he had a save percentage of at least .900 in each year. In the five seasons he has played 30 games or fewer, he is below .500 in four of them, and he had a GAA of more than 2.50 in four of them (adding to the oddity, his save percentage is slightly higher in those seasons than his high-minute volume seasons). Part of this distinction is that the high volume years are all pre-lockout (the dark ages of offensive hockey), while the low minute volume years are primarily after (with the Caps).

Johnson might not be a 60-game, 3,500 minute goalie (he’s never done either in a season), but he might be someone who can contribute for long stretches, accumulating 30-40 appearances, if need be. However, he seems to have adjusted to his role over the past couple of years, performing better in a backup role than he did early in his tenure in Washington. If he can contribute a .500 season in 20-25 appearances, the Caps are more likely than not to be a playoff team this year.


Projected: 10-9-2, 2.59, .908

When next you wake up...

...it will be a hockey day in DC (ok, Arlington). The schedule is up, and so now are the rosters.




Of note...fans will likely get their first looks at Anton Gustafsson and Dmitri Kugryshev -- 1st and 2nd round picks in the draft last June who were not at developmental camp this summer.

Montreal to run out of numbers

The Montreal Canadiens will retire #33 -- that worn by goaltender Patrick Roy -- on November 22nd. This will be the 14th number retired in the storied history of the Canadiens franchise, but it also marks a dangerous trend. The Canadiens retired their first number -- #7, worn by Howie Morenz -- on November 2, 1937. It would be almost 23 years before they would retire another -- #9, worn by Maurice Richard -- in October 1960.

The trend in retiring numbers worn by the bleu, blanc, et rouge has accelerated in the years since...

1971:

#4 (Jean Beliveau)

1975:

#1 (Jacques Plante)

#16 (Henri Richard)

1985:

#10 (Guy Lafleur)

#2 (Doug Harvey

2005:

#12 (Dickie Moore)

#12 (Yvan Cournoyer)

2006:

#5 (Bernard Geoffrion)

#18 (Serge Savard)

2007:

#29 (Ken Dryden)

#19 (Larry Robinson)

2008:

#23 (Bob Gainey)

#33 (Patrick Roy)

That's seven of the 14 retired numbers in a span of three years. At this rate, the Canadiens will run out of double digit numbers some time in early 2015. The last of them won't be #13.

Sittin' at the end of the bar

Rangers unveil new-look MSG...apparently, it is to be made out of styrofoam:

Movie to be made of Sean Avery's internship at MensVogue...wonder who they'll get to play the lead? Anne Hathaway? We can't really see Ms. Hathaway uttering this line, though..."I think it's great to be into something that you care about, but I'm still an athlete who likes to beat the crap out of people."

Francisco Franco is still dead, and Steve Yzerman is still in retirement...despite whatever you might have read from Red Wings mobile news.

720 fans attend Bruin's "State of the Organization" event...might be largest crowd of the year.

Crosby to live with Lemieux' again...now this ought to be a movie. Who will play the lead? Goldie Hawn?

Sedins dine with Canuck GM...no word on if they cut each other's food, but Daniel (or was it Henrik) pronounces GM Mike Gillick "a nice man." How long have these guys been in the league?

Gretzky...thumbs up on NHL in Hamilton, not so much on Winnipeg. Wonder how he feels about Phoenix.

Senators to add most boring third jersey in the history of earth...

Oh, and whatever you might think of Eric Lindros, this is really a nice thing to do on his part.

2008-2009 Previews: Prospect Defensemen

We’re closing our preview of defensemen by asking a question…which prospect is most likely to stick with the team come opening night? The possibilities…



Karl Alzner

Drafted: 2007 Entry Draft, 1st round/5th overall

What’s his claim? WHL Player of the Year, CHL Defenseman of the Year, Team Canada captain for the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship.

Sami Lepisto

Drafted: 2004 Entry Draft, 3rd round/66th overall

What’s his claim? Logged seven games in 2007-2008 (0-1-1, -1, averaged more than 13 minutes a game), highest scoring defenseman in playoffs (Finland) in 2005.



Josh Godfrey

Drafted: 2007, 2nd round/34th overall

What’s his claim? He was eighth among OHL defensemen in scoring (17-34-51 in 60 games) and finished +31, a substantial improvement over the previous year (minus-2).

Feerless’ Take: Alzner clearly has the inside track of this group. He’s done everything he can do in juniors, and in the prospect camps in which he’s participated, he’s looked like a veteran compared to the other hopefuls. Realizing he’s never played a shift at NHL speed, he looks to be rarely out of place and seems to make the right decisions at the right times. He’s not flashy, but he’s got “cornerstone” written all over him for the next 12-15 years.

As for Lepisto, he had a fine year at Hershey, which argues for his getting a long look. He’s added some bulk, which he clearly needed to do when he was drafted, so perhaps he won’t be prone to abuse as much at this level. He gave a good account of himself in his cup-o’-coffee with the club last year, but seven games isn’t a six month season, either. You’d have to think he’ll be in Hershey (probably on the top pair) on opening night.

Godfrey has that booming shot, but that +31 stands out as a signal of maturity, too, that he’s taking both ends seriously. He’s a long shot to make this club out of camp; it would seem to be a function of others playing off the team more than him onto it that will be the factor. And Alzner doesn’t impress us as being the sort to play himself off of a team.

Cheerless’ Take: None of these guys are ready. It’s always easy to overrate the guys you’ve seen or that are in your own organization, especially since you’re not a scout, cuz. Since 2000, 16 defensemen have been selected in the top ten overall picks in the entry draft. Two of them – Rostislav Klesla and Jay Bouwmeester – saw action in their first year with their club after being drafted. Another eight saw NHL action in their second year. But here is the thing; through that second year, only Bouwmeester, Joni Pitkanen, Mike Komisarek, and Erik Johnson saw more than 10 regular games in a season with their respective clubs. It doesn’t seem to argue for a long stint with the Caps this year for Alzner, despite his pedigree. As for the others, Lepisto could be an injury call-up (for that matter, so could Alzner) from Hershey. Godfrey is a ways off yet.

The Peerless’ Take: At the moment, the Caps have six roster spots for defensemen encumbered: Mike Green, Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti, Milan Jurcina, John Erskine, and Jeff Schultz. If Brian Pothier were to suddenly get healthy, that’s a seventh position. There is a roster spot available, assuming Pothier’s health does not improve sufficiently (one, since the Caps are on record as having traded Steve Eminger because carrying eight defensemen is tough on the players). Many would like to see the Caps trade for a defenseman to give the blue line a bit more grit. The current state of the salary cap argues against that. So, there is an opening that a prospect defenseman can skate through.

Alzner will be the early favorite to make that leap. But in doing so, it is a reflection of the state of the “rebuild” (we know, it’s supposed to be over). Alzner, not to mention Lepisto or Godfrey, would be well served with getting 70-80 games of experience at Hershey, where they could log a ton of minutes in a lot of different situations. One of these guys getting third pair minutes or being the odd suit in the press box on many nights will not do much for their development. If this was to work out nicely and cleanly, Alzner (or Lepisto) might get ten or so games at this level this year, the rest in Hershey. This would be consistent with the experience of a number of top-ten drafted defenseman this decade – Jack Johnson, the late Luc Bourdon, Brian Lee. It might have been the pattern for the likes of a Dion Phaneuf, Braydon Coburn, or Ryan Suter – all members of the class of 2003 – had there been a 2004-2005 season.

Of the prospects, Alzner would be the favorite. But we have a suspicion that there is one more deal to be made before opening night. As hard as it is for defensemen to move via trade these days, we think that something along those lines will happen.

2009-2009 Previews: Mike Green

The cousins ran out of beer, and were off collecting empties to finance their next purchase, so we’ve been out for a few days. But now, we come to…



Mike Green


Last Year: 82 games, 18-38-56, +6, 4 GWG

Career average (per-82 games): 10-24-34, -6


Fearless’ take: Let’s start with this…Mike Green has played a total of 174 regular season NHL games. Of the top ten scorers among defensemen in the league last year, Green finished the year having played the fewest career regular season games (next fewest – Mark Streit: 205), and he was the youngest (Dion Phaneuf is 185 days older). What’s more, he was 15-34-49, +14 in the last 61 games of the season under coach Bruce Boudreau. That works out to a 20-46-66, +19 full season rate of production. Let’s look at this another way and compare his first three seasons (a partial and two more or less full seasons) with another defenseman and his first three seasons (a partial and two full seasons):

Green: 174 games, 21-50-71, -12, 4 GWG, 8 PPG

Player 2: 165 games, 21-66-87, +43, 2 GWG, 10 PPG

Let’s also note that Green played his partial first season and his first full season with a struggling team. Player 2 played on a team that made the playoffs in both his partial first and then his first full season. Player 2 is Scott Niedermayer. Green is by no means there, yet. He is not the Scott Niedermayer of the last ten years, but it is not beyond reasonable to think he will get there. More to the point, being managed by a coach who gives him sufficient latitude to do the things he does best, and being paired with a defenseman who complements his style very well by being a stay-at-home type (Shaone Morrisonn), he could move a little closer to that high standard in 2008-2009.

Cheerless’ take: Twenty seconds. That’s how much penalty killing time per game Green had last year. Shoot, Joel Kwiatkowski got more: 33 seconds (Uh, Cheerless?...Kiwi played in only 18 games). That’s Patrice Breeze-by territory (22 seconds). Among top ten defenseman scorers, Green had by far the lowest amount of PK ice time (Mark Streit: 49 seconds/game, the only other top-ten scoring defenseman with less than 1:20 of PK time/game). Oh, and that Niedermayer comparison?...Scotty had 3:33 of PK time/game in 48 games. Are the rest of the Caps’ defenseman that good at killing penalties that he should be last among the defensemen in that measure?

He had one big year…look at those first 92 career games, cuz. 3-12-15, -18. Was last year the start of a trend, or was last year a fluke?...a one-timer of a year? He’s got that big ol’ contract now that pays him 21 million bucks over the next four years. That sounds like a recipe for a fall to me, cuz.

The Peerless’ take: Green’s young career falls into two very clear and very neat stages:

The Hanlon Stage: 113 games, 6-16-22, -26, 0 GWG, 0 PPG
The Bourdreau Stage: 61 games, 15-34-49, +14, 4 GWG, 8 PPG

But what is interesting about that “Boudreau Stage” is that it represents something of a continuation of Green’s performance under Bruce Boudreau at Hershey…68 regular season games, 12-39-51, +9, 3 PPG.

Green does have issues in his own end. He can be at time a little lackadaisical with the puck, and he can seem to lose focus at times. Both seem the kinds of things that plague a lot of young defenseman. We don’t put a great deal of stock in the penalty killing time issue – sorry, Cheerless – since he logs so much time otherwise. What Green is, is almost the prototypical post-lockout defenseman (“offensive” category). He skates well, handles the puck well, has good judgment (given his age and experience) in jumping into the play in the offensive end, has a good sense of timing on weak side plays, is effective on the power play. In the last ten years, only one defenseman playing more than 60 games in a season achieved a point-per-game performance (Nicklas Lidstrom – 80 points in 80 games in 2005-2006). Green, given his talent, the talent around him, and the philosophy of the club, appears best positioned among current NHL defensemen to achieve that level of production. It will not, however, be this year.


Projected: 20-44-64, +15

It's here!...almost

The Capitals have posted the schedule for rookie and training camp...

Won't be long now...

2008-2009 Previews: John Erskine

Next up, the cousins and I take a look at…

John Erskine

Last Year: 2-7-9, +1, 96 PIMs, 102 hits

Career Average (per-82 games): 2-6-8, -16, 186 PIMs

Feerless’ Take: Fans take to stars, but rosters accommodate 23 players, generally seven or eight of them being defensemen. John Erskine is probably not going to be a star in the league, but he can be valuable as a 5-6-7 defenseman. Last year, he filled in for 51 games and was on the minus side of the ledger for only 14 of those games. In fact, except for a four-game struggle from February 15-23, during which he was -6 and on the ice for seven of 14 goals scored against the Caps, he played rather well for his role. In the eleven games he played after that streak to finish the year, he rebounded to 0-1-1, +5 (with no minus games), averaging 14:30 in ice time a game. He is not a top-four defenseman on this team, but he is not a liability on it, either, so long as he plays his role and is not asked to take on major minutes or shifts against top offensive lines.

Cheerless’ Take. Cuz, I love ya, but you’re trying too hard here. Imagine a Stanley Cup contender…say, Detroit. Do you think John Erskine is going to be playing on that team? The guy’s a warrior, and he does some of the dirty jobs that teams have to have done to win, but he’s probably not going to hold onto a regular spot in the lineup if/when the young guys coming up are ready. With Steve Eminger gone and Brian Pothier still on the shelf, he could get some regular time early, but he could lose playing time to Karl Alzner as time goes on this year, even though Alzner is an entirely different kind of defenseman.

The Peerless’ Take: Last year was the first year in Erskine’s career in which he played more than half his team’s games and finished on the plus side of the ledger (he was -15 in 60 games split between Dallas and the Islanders in 2005-2006). Does that mean anything? We’re trying to figure that out. Perhaps at the age of 28, having passed the 200-games played mark in his career, and playing at least semi-regularly, he’s reaching his peak as a player. When you average playing 34 games a year in your first five seasons, it might be a reflection of the tenuous hold on an NHL roster spot that talent permits, and it might be an indicator that a player hasn’t had enough time to establish a presence at the NHL level. Erskine played in 51 games last year and gave a good account of himself in the role of a third pair, physical defenseman. He has a role on this team – he did, after all log almost two full minutes per game more in penalty killing (2:16) than did his blue line teammate, Mike Green (0:20). This is not to say Erskine is of equal value, only that he has played – and can play – a part that contributes to success on this team…a guy who will give a good effort for 14-16 minutes a night, kill some penalties, wreak some havoc among opponents, stand up for his teammates, and give the top four guys a breather without putting the club at a disadvantage. It’s a role that is underrated.

Projected: 54 games, 2-8-10, +2

Waiting for...

Well, here we are, almost at the start of a new NHL season, and there is one question on everyone’s lips…

“Does Alex have a new girlfriend?”

No, Cheerless, “will Mats Sundin play this year?” Will he? Won’t he? If Mats announces his decision in the forest, will it make a sound? Will he make a decision at all? Hard to tell, looking back over the summer…

"I played 17 years in this league…I just hope people will respect that I'm not ready to make a decision. I feel I've earned that right to make the decision when I feel it's good for myself."

-- September 5th (Vancouver Sun)
*****

"It's a lifestyle that is very intense…It's all hockey. Once training camp starts, you do nothing but eat and sleep hockey and you play every day. You have to make sure you're committed for that."

--September 4th (The Canadian Press)
*****

"I will not make up my mind before the season starts…That's how I feel right now. Others have started playing in the middle of the season. If I would feel like retiring I would say it."

-- September 3, 2008 (sportsnet.ca)
*****

"Where I am right now, I'm not at a point where I'm physically and mentally ready to make a decision…My biggest thing is, I want to make sure I'm physically and mentally prepared for the rigours of an NHL season…”

-- September 3rd (London Free Press)
*****

"I wish I had a date or a timeline in which I could tell everyone what I'm going to do. But I don't know. So I can't say anything yet."

-- September 3rd (Globe and Mail)
*****

"I'm just trying to bring my mind to a point where I can make a good decision whether or not I'm going to play hockey right now..."

-- August 13th (Vancouver Sun)
*****

"I never had a deadline. I know there was talk about the first of August, but I never said. I said sometime in August hopefully I'll be able to make a decision..."

-- August 11th (CBC.ca)
*****

“I have a lot of options I can explore…And I think I still remain (with the idea) that I want to end my career as a Toronto Maple Leafs. Saying that, though, the way the situation is right now, I don't have everything in my control, either. There's got to be a mutual agreement there…I felt very strong on the ice this year, and I felt I had as good of a year as I've had in my past 10 years, maybe. Maybe that would be an argument for me to play next year…The biggest decision that I have right now is to make sure that I feel that I'm physically and mentally ready to train for another season to continue my career, (And) to see what's going to happen with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And after that, I think we'll go from there."

-- June 21st (USA Today)
*****

One feels that we’re in the middle of a play about waiting for somebody…

Estragon: Charming spot. Inspiring prospects. Let's go.

Vladimir: We can't.

Estragon: Why not?

Vladimir: We're waiting for Sundin.

Estragon: Ah!...You're sure it was here?

Vladimir: What?

Estragon: That we were to wait.

Vladimir: He said by the tree. Do you see any others?

Estragon: What is it?

Vladimir: I don't know. A willow.

Estragon: Where are the leaves?

Vladimir: It must be dead.

Estragon: No more weeping.

Vladimir: Or perhaps it's not the season.

Estragon: Looks to me more like a bush.

Vladimir: A shrub.

Estragon: A bush.

Vladimir: A—. What are you insinuating? That we've come to the wrong place?

Estragon: He should be here.

Vladimir: He didn't say for sure he'd come.

Estragon: And if he doesn't come?

Vladimir: We'll come back tomorrow.

Estragon: And then the day after tomorrow.

Vladimir: Possibly.

Estragon: And so on.

Vladimir: The point is—

Estragon: Until he comes.

Vladimir: You're merciless.

...Indeed.

2008-2009 Previews: Jeff Schultz

The cousins – Fearless and Cheerless – are back to help with today’s look ahead at…

Jeff Schultz

Last Year: 5-13-18, +12, 61 hits

Career Average (per-82 games): 4-12-16, +13, 66 hits

Fearless’ Take: Let’s start with a fun fact from last year. As you’ll note above, Schultz was credited with 61 hits in 72 games. Did that put him among the leaders in the league? Nope, but it’s more than Sean O’Donnell (54 in 82 games), Willie Mitchell (49 in 72 games), Tom Gilbert (27 in 82 games), and Scott Hannan (58 in 82 games). Even Chris Pronger – In height and weight almost a double of Schultz, with a far bigger reputation for physical play – had 74 hits in 72 games. This is not to make a point that Schultz is far more physical than some Caps fans give him credit for being, but neither is he the nice guy on skates those fans seem to think he is, either. He held his own on last year’s club in a lot of areas: hits (5th), blocked shots (3rd), goals, (T-2nd), assists (3rd), points (3rd), ice time (4th among players with more than 40 games played). Not bad for a guy with only 110 games of NHL experience and one full season on a club that made the playoffs. And his role grew as the stakes got higher. He averaged just over 20 minutes a night (compared to his season average of 18 minutes a night) in 11 games to close the season before he was injured in the regular season finale. He is only 22 years old…he’ll get better.

Cheerless Take: It’s not that Schultz is bad; he’s not, but geez, cuz…the Caps already have enough guys who don’t do a great job of clearing the crease. They need someone to take the backsides from in front of their goalie’s face. Mike Green isn’t that guy (although he had 33 more hits than did Schultz), and Tom Poti probably isn’t, either. Until Joe Finley comes to town, Schultz is the best candidate. And before we get all smitten with his offense, he had four of his five goals over a six game stretch last year. He had one goal over his last 45 games.

The Peerless’ Take: OK, here’s another fun fact. After Christmas last year, Schultz only had seven “minus” games for the remainder of the year (in 43 total). He doesn’t get a lot of minutes against the opposition’s top pair, but his total minutes suggest he’s seeing time against players who have some offensive capability, and he logged almost as much penalty killing time per game (3:10) as did Shaone Morrisonn (3:25). Using Alan Ryder’s HockeyAnalytics ratings, he was among the top dozen penalty killing defensemen in the league last year. What he brings at this point in his career is a sense of being able to play within his capabilities. He doesn’t go for the big hit or the big rush. He plays angles well, he doesn’t take silly penalties, and he moves the puck capably. Here’s a prognostication for this year…as much as Mike Green emerged on the offensive side of the ledger last year among defensemen, Schultz is going to be that player on the defensive end this year for the Caps. He was fourth on the club in even strength time on ice last year, third in short-handed time. While he remains something of a work in progress, he’ll get bigger shares of ice time this year, and it will be a reflection of his maturity in his own end. We suspect, though, that Caps fans (some of them, anyway) will continue to bemoan his not being a big hitter. It won’t keep him from getting a considerable raise next summer when he is a restricted free agent.

Projected: 3-14-17, +15

2008-2009 Previews: Shaone Morrisonn

Having recovered from the major party political conventions, we are now ready to take up the next in our series of looks ahead with…

Shaone Morrisonn

Last year: 76 games, 1-9-10, +4
Career average (per-82 games): 2-11-13, +7

Fearless’ Take: Morrisonn has played in parts of five NHL seasons; he has never had a minus campaign. He’s had 80 minus games in his entire career. OK, that might not sound impressive, except Nicklas Lidstrom has had 71 minus games in his last 278 regular season games. Lidstrom is 38 years old and has won the Norris Trophy every year since 1743, doing so for one of the league’s elite teams. Morrisonn is 25 years old and has played on teams in Washington (until the last half of last year) that struggled with the defensive aspects of the game.

I know, I know, Morrisonn is no Lidstrom, but he ain’t chopped squid, either. He’s been consistent, he’s been steady, and he’s been just about the perfect partner for a guy like Mike Green, who can do his rush up ice around all five guys thing. Morrisonn is also playing for his next contract, too. He was awarded a $1.975 million deal in arbitration this year, and a soild year could earn him something more for 2009-2010. He is not going to light the lamp much, and his role as “the steady guy” will carve into what offense he does provide. But he’s been a solid, if unspectacular performer with the Caps who generally gets the shut down assignments. That would appear to be his role again this year.

Cheerless’ Take: Cuz…Morrisonn was +24 in his first 278 games. Nicklas Lidstrom was +27 in his last 49 games last year. Yeah, Lidstrom plays on a team that contends every year; Morrisonn has played, well, for the Caps. But still…Lidstrom is a 1787 Chateau Lafitte, Morrisonn is a decent bottle of wine from the Safeway (Fearless: cuz, you drink from the toilet with the dog...what do you know from wine?). Nathan Paetsch was 2-7-9, +3, in 59 games, if you're looking for another comparison. According to the Globe and Mail, Morrisonn’s comparables in arbitration were: Milan Jurcina, Josh Gorges, Lukas Krajicek, Mark Stuart, Garnet Exelby and Mike Komisarek (by the Caps); Trevor Daley, Tim Gleason, Fedor Tyutin, Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov and Komisarek (by the player’s representative). Some good players in there, but that many comparables on both sides seems to suggest he’s hardly irreplaceable, or even uncommon in his performance.

The Peerless’ Take…Morrisonn is not a star -- he's not a Nicklas Lidstrom knock off -- chances are he will never be an all-star, especially given how defensemen are selected these days. He is, though, a solid performer in his own end. That doesn’t lend itself to a lot of ready statistical analysis of the usual sort. One place where this sort of look is taken is at HockeyAnalytics.com , where Alan Ryder looked at a variety of defensive elements from last year. Although he admits it is difficult to separate the work of a defensive pair (in this instance Morrisonn being paired mostly with Mike Green), Morrison ranked in the top 25 among defensemen at even strength by Ryder’s measure. What’s more, Morrisonn – like a lot of Caps – had a much better time of it in the last 60 games. The difference in his game was perhaps more stark than others. Whereas he was 0-3-3, -10 before the coaching change last November (with only three “plus” games), he was 1-6-7, +14 after the change.

What does that mean for this year? For the moment, Morrisonn is probably the anchor of this defense. He won’t be stunning in either his offense or his physical play, but he won’t make many obvious gaffes, either. He’s going to have a lot of even or plus-one games. To the extent he does this, it will provide openings for Mike Green to build on the year he had last year, and that is a plus-plus for the Caps. If he has that kind of solid year, it will make for an interesting summer next year. But in the meantime…

Projected: 2-9-11, +11

Why does this call to mind Bobby Gould?

Avert your eyes, if you must but, let me introduce to...

..LeMule

The description goes like this:

This guy's no jackass - it's Mario Lemule! The goofy grinnin' donkey gets really funky when he hits the ice. This guy slips and slides, jumps and jives to the hottest, horse hoovin' hip-hop hits. Mario spends a lot of time in his private stallion stable in a prominent part of the Pittsburgh suburbs. Look out pooper-scoopers...don't step in Mario's manure!

Characteristics: Enormous ears that flap freely. Naughty "snotty" nostrils on the end of his snout. A goofy growl on his grill that makes everyone giggle. Huge hooves for reeking havoc.

We'll pass on stepping in Mario's "manure." We'll just wait for Bobby G. to kick his ass.*




* We have to thank The Pensblog for pointing the way for this one.

2008-2009 Previews: Tom Poti

Next up in our look at the upcoming 2008-2009 season…





Tom Poti

Last year: 71 games, 2-27-29, +9, 46 PIMs, 0-8-8 power play scoring
Career average (per-82 games): 7-27-34, +3, 62 PIMs


Fearless’ Take: You kind of covered it in “the tens,” cuz…

“In his 'Hanlon' segment, Poti played in only 15 of 21 games, missing six with a groin injury. He finished that part of the schedule 0-4-4, -4…In his last 56 games (he would miss another five games to injury over two separate incidents), he was 2-23-25, +13.”

23 assists in his last 56 games…that was on a pace to be his third best year in terms of assists, and he wasn’t getting the power play time that Mike Green was getting – more than two minutes fewer per game (2:39 for Poti to 4:41 for Green).

Poti also served as an effective pairing with Jeff Schultz over the second half of the season as the youngster was earning experience in his first full season in the NHL. On balance, while there remain some holes in his game, Poti proved to be a reliably good performer, if not the power play/offensive specialist that folks might have envisioned him being. There is every reason – with a full season in Washington under his belt – that he will continue to provide that kind of consistency in 2008-2009.

Cheerless’ Take: Two goals ties Poti’s lowest total in a full season in his career (he had two in 66 games in 2001-2002, split between the Rangers and Edmonton). It was the first season in his career he failed to notch a single power play goal. It was his first season without a game-winner. His strength is supposed to be as an offensive defenseman. And then there is the playoff thing…he’s been a “plus” performer only once in six playoff appearances. None of those six teams advanced past the first round, and they have a combined record of 7-24 in games. He’s been around long enough to ask, “do you think that’s going to change?”

The Peerless’ Take: Tom Poti arrived in Washington to fill a need. What was painfully absent in the two years following the lockout was scoring – or even a scoring threat – from the blue line, particularly on the power play. No Capitals defenseman had as many as 30 points in either of those two years. Only three times did a defenseman top 20 points. The top scorer over those two years, combined, among defensemen?...

Steve Eminger (6-29-35). In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s gone.

This is the void that Poti was to fill. He was a minute-eater under the abbreviated tenure of Glen Hanlon, logging no fewer than 22:47 under Hanlon. But in those last 56 games, Poti logged less than that 25 times, including 10 games of less than 20 minutes. That was a function, it would seem, of the unforeseen emergence of Mike Green. But in those fewer minutes, Poti was more effective than he was under Hanlon, perhaps also a product of better health. Given his improved performance with fewer minutes, and the emergence of Green, it represented a win-win for the club. Poti might have found his niche as a second pair, second power play unit defenseman getting 20-22 minutes a night, capable of contributing more if need be.


Projected: 4-26-30, +9

2008-2009 Previews: Milan Jurcina

It’s September, and we’re in the home stretch to the start of the season. And with that, it’s time to start taking a look at what’s ahead. In other words, it’s time to start prognosticating, and we’ll be looking at the team that’s likely to take the ice this year. We’d like to say we’ll look at a player a day up until opening night, but we can’t promise. But we will have help. The cousins – Fearless and Cheerless – will be offering up their takes on each player, which means we’ll probably have to referee this mess as they get into their infernal disagreements. But here, to start our review, we’re going to look at defensemen, starting with…

Milan Jurcina

Last year: 78 games, 1-8-9, +4. 30 PIMs, 151 hits
Career average (per-82 games): 5-9-14, +3, 54 PIMs

Fearless’ take: Jurcina came to the Caps from Boston in the 2007-2007 season and made an impression as a guy who will hit and take the body. At times last year, he gave the impression of getting away from that, but he was still second on the team in hits, first among defensemen. What’s more, he had almost 50 percent more hits last year than the year before (151 to 103) in only five more games played. Consistency is perhaps the biggest concern with his game, but the flip side of that coin is that he still hasn’t yet played 200 games in the NHL. He improved on that in the later stages of the season; he was +11 in his last 22 games.

Cheerless’ take: For a guy with such a heavy shot, he should have more goals. His goal totals have gone down over his four seasons (6-2-2-1). He had a goal in the home opener last season, and not another one for the rest of the season, although he tied a career high in assists. However, he scored as many points as John Erskine, for heaven’s sake, and Erskine played in 24 fewer games. He didn’t have a point in his last 14 games. In the last dozen games, when the Caps were going 11-1, he was only plus-1. And, even though he averaged 16:38 of ice time for the season, he was down to an average of 14 minutes for those last dozen games. He struggled in division games (1-0-1, -4, in 28 games), and maybe he should be held out of day games…he was 0-0-0, -7 in 10 matinees.

Feerless…”You made up that last stat, didn’t you?”

Cheerless…”Just callin’ ‘em like I see ‘em, cuz…”

The Peerless’ take: Jurcina’s second half (0-6-6, +8, in 39 games) was better than his first half (1-2-3, -4, in 36 games) last year. He turned 25 in June, and with that, one should expect to see more consistency of effort and judgment in his game. He is a physical player, although not a pugilist (he has no career NHL regular season bouts). When he’s on the ice he has to make his presence felt when he is out there by laying the lumber on opponents, much like his introduction to the Caps in 2006-2007 when it seemed that every night he was smearing someone along the boards. Generally, he seems to have pretty good judgment as to when to make that hit. If the Caps are a contender, he is probably a third pair defenseman (with the Green/Morrison and Poti/Schultz ahead of him), getting 16-18 minutes or so a night. More offense would be a plus, but his contribution will be in opponents having their head on a swivel, wondering when Jurcina is going to drop the hammer.

Projected: 3-10-13, +6, 48 PIMs