Vr-r-r-r-room!

So...the Edmonton Oilers will be represented in the Rexall Edmonton Indy, with their logo on the number 06 car of the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team entry in the race.

We wonder...now that hockey has been introduced to open-wheel racing, are we going to see some "body checking" in the race?

The Rebuild...Reloaded

Long-time readers of this space will remember an entry we made in January 2007 on “The Rebuild…Revisited." Well, it’s fair to take a look back at that and ask, did any of the grades change? Let’s take a look in "The Rebuild...Reloaded."

Steve Konowalchuk – traded to Colorado for Bates Battaglia and the rights to Jonas Johansson, October 22, 2003.

Both players obtained for Konowalchuk are long departed from the organization. Battaglia, who played his only season with the Caps in 2003-2004, is with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL (the farm club of the Maple Leafs). Johansson, who played one NHL game in his career (in 2005-2006, for the Caps) is out of the NHL. He played for HV71 Jonkoping in the SEL last year.

There really isn’t a way to put a dress on this pig and make it a prom queen. The trade yielded nothing.

Original Grade: F
Revised Grade: F (can we give an F-minus, Peerless?)

Robert Lang – traded to Detroit for Tomas Fleischmann and a 1^st round draft pick in 2004 (defenseman Mike Green) and a 4th round pick in 2006 (forward Luke Lynes), February 27, 2004.

Since being traded away in 2004, Lang has put up respectable numbers for Detroit and Chicago. In 235 games, he is 61-112-173, +40, with 11 game-winning goals. That works out to 21-39-60, +14, with 4 GWG per 82 games. Green, on the other hand, has emerged as perhaps the best under-25 offensive defenseman in the game. Fleischmann clearly has skill – he demonstrated as much in his time with the Hershey Bears (52-62-114, +20, in 102 games with the Bears, plus 16-37-53, +16, in 39 playoff games there). But he has not yet translated that to success at the NHL level on a consistent basis. 10-20-30, -7 was not a bad season for him, although it was disappointing in a way, given his starting the year on the top line (and, he’s still only 24 years old). He does – and perhaps is expected – to take another step up this year. Lynes played for the Stockton (ECHL) Thunder for two games last year after completing his season with Brampton in Canadian juniors. We was re-signed by the Thunder for the 2008-2009 season.

Lang is a dependable veteran, but the operative word there is “veteran” (he will be 38 in December), and Lang was not in the long-term picture for this team. If you’re looking for a late-30’s veteran center, the Caps are better off with Sergei Fedorov. In the meantime, the Caps have a defenseman who could be worthy of Norris consideration before too long. Fleischmann remains a work in progress for whom the upcoming season could be pivotal for his career.

Original Grade: B
Revised Grade: A

Sergei Gonchar – traded to Boston for Shaone Morrisonn and 1^st (defenseman Jeff Schultz) and 2^nd (center Mikail Yunkov) round draft picks in 2004, March 3, 2004

Gonchar, as most folks know, ended up in Pittsburgh, where he signed on a five-year deal for $25 million. During that first year in Pittsburgh, he was wearing that contract like an anchor chained to his waist. But he has improved in each of the last two seasons with the Penguins and this year was mentioned as a potential Norris Trophy finalist. You’d have to go back to the 1999-2000 season (with the Caps) to find a better plus-minus than his +13 last season.

Morrisonn has become as close to a shut-down defenseman as the Caps have on the parent roster. He continually draws the assignments of facing the top offensive performers among opponents. And if you consider the time he spent paired with Mike Green (and JP has, over at Japers’ Rink), there is his added value in letting Green do what he does. Schultz is something of an enigma…not for his play (although he doesn’t necessarily play to his size), but for the reaction he evokes in fans. In both Hershey and now, in Washington, he has inspired criticism of his style, which tends more to the positional than the physical. But, facts are facts, too. Last season – his first full season in the NHL – Schultz was 3^rd on the club among defensemen in scoring, fourth in average ice time (discounting Brian Pothier, who played only 38 games), and led all Caps defensemen in plus-minus. Despite the barbs cast his way about his style, he emerged as a solid second-pair blueliner for the Caps. Given his age and experience, it would seem he is likely only to improve.

Yunkov played last year in Russia with Spartak (Moscow), where he was 4-6-10, -1 in 57 games and 1-0-1, +1 in five playoff games.

Gonchar is, if not an elite defenseman, than as close as an offensive-minded player at his position is. However, the Caps have in return two young, defensive defensemen who could be fixtures on the club for a decade or more.

Original Grade: B
Revised Grade: A

Jaromir Jagr – traded to the New York Rangers for Anson Carter, January 23, 2004 (Caps also liable for a substantial share of remaining value of Jagr’s contract)

Jagr has been involved in perhaps the most inconsequential deals for an elite player in the history of professional sport. Pittsburgh traded Jagr to Washington (with Frantisek Kucera) for Kris Beech, Michal Sivek, and Russ Lupaschuk, none of whom made a ripple in the NHL, with Beech hanging by a thread as far as any future NHL career goes (the others are gone).

Then, after two-plus indifferent seasons in Washington, he was peddled to the Rangers for Anson Carter, who played two-plus seasons for four different teams (including the Caps), then ended up playing for Lugano this year in Europe. Carter was traded to Los Angeles six weeks after the Caps got him from New York. Jared Aulin came in return, and he is out of professional hockey.

This is another one that’s hard to pretty up. The best one can say of it is, “at least Jagr’s gone.”

Original Grade: D-
Revised Grade: D- (the only thing saving this from being an “F” was the karma that led to the Caps drafting Alex Ovechkin later that year)

Peter Bondra – traded to Ottawa for Brooks Laich and a 2^nd round draft pick in 2005 (parlayed with another pick via trade with Colorado into the 27^th overall pick – defenseman Joe Finley), February 18, 2004

After leaving Washington, Bondra finished up his career with Ottawa and Atlanta, going 31-36-67, even, in 120 games. It was an unfortunate end phase of a career that saw his goal production decline from 45 goals in 2000-2001 to 39, 30, 26, 21, and ultimately five in 37 games in his last year in Atlanta.

The return for Bondra looked modest at the time – a 20-year old, former sixth-round draft pick who had precisely one game of NHL experience. Fast forward to last season, and Brooks Laich has achieved something of a cult status, at least among Caps fans. Laich had career highs in goals, assists, and points in going 21-16-37. He was third on the team in goals, and tied for third in power play and game-winning goals. This despite being 16^th on the club in average ice time and ninth among forwards.

This is one of those trades that gives truth to the phrase, “you have to wait a few years to see if it was worth it.” Laich has emerged – well, at least last season (mindful as we are of the possible Matt Pettinger analogies) – as a very efficient player. His versatility in being able to play any forward position adds to his value.

Original Grade: C-
Revised grade: B+

Mike Grier – traded to Buffalo for Jakub Klepis, March 9, 2004

Mike Grier, for whom Caps fans’ lasting memory is likely that of a player who couldn’t finish a play against an empty net, remains a decent pro (now with San Jose).

Klepis, on the other hand, is one of those players folks will likely remember as “disappointing.” A former first-round pick (16^th overall in 2002), he had the skating and playmaking ability – or so it seemed – to be a scoring line center. But is 66 games with the Caps, he managed only four goals and 14 points, never able to stick with the parent roster for a full season. He played 19 games at Hershey last year, then returned to the Czech Republic to play for Slavia Praha HC.

Grier was a consistent source of frustration to Caps fans (perhaps to management as well) with his inability to finish plays – shorthanded breakaways were betting certainties to end poorly. But he was, and remains, a flesh and blood contributor to a very good hockey team. The Caps ended up with squadoosh in this deal.

Original Grade: C
Revised Grade: F

Michael Nylander – traded to Boston for a 2^nd round draft pick in 2006 (Francois Bouchard) and future considerations (a 4^th round pick in 2005 – defenseman Patrick McNeill), March 4, 2004.

What a difference 18 months make. Nylander is now with the Caps, and Bouchard and McNeill remain in the Caps’ system. Bouchard gives evidence of being a potential scoring line winger (although he took a step back – numbers-wise – last year at Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the QMJHL). McNeill split time between South Carolina (ECHL) and Hershey (AHL).

Nylander, in returning to the Caps, was something of a mystery last year. He started poorly, then was injured, tried to play through it, was ineffective doing so (at least in terms of defense and faceoffs), then was shelved for good after 40 games.

For the Caps, it’s all good, one supposes, since all of the principals in this deal are with the club. But all of them are unfinished pieces in this puzzle.

Original Grade: Incomplete
Revised Grade: Incomplete

Brendan Witt – traded to Nashville for Kris Beech and a 1^st round draft pick in 2006 (goaltender Semen Varlamov), March 9, 2006

Witt went to Nashville, then to Long Island where he is now as close to a cornerstone defenseman as the Islanders have. Given the Islanders’ finish last year (79 points, 13^th in the East), you can draw your own conclusions about how strong that cornerstone is. This is not to say Witt is a bad defenseman – he’s not. But he is, at this point in his career (33 years old) perhaps more a second-pair type than a first-pair shut-down defenseman.

As for the return, it’s all in what Varlamov becomes. While he seems to be on a path to the NHL (he looked much, much better in the recent Caps development camp than he did in a similar setting last summer), nothing is guaranteed, especially with goaltenders. Everything depends on Varlamov, because if you look up the term, “well traveled,” in the dictionary…well, by God, there’s Kris Beech’s picture! Consider the first time Beech played for Washington and was traded to Pittsburgh in the Jaromir Jagr deal. He went to Nashville, Washington (again), Columbus, Vancouver, Washington (yet again), then Pittsburgh (he’ll probably start next season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). All since July 2001.

Original Grade: Incomplete
Revised Grade: Incomplete

So, to reiterate . . . the Caps moved:

Steve Konowalchuk
Robert Lang
Sergei Gonchar
Jaromir Jagr
Peter Bondra
Mike Grier
Michael Nylander
Brendan Witt

…and received in return:

Jonas Johansson
Tomas Fleischmann
Mike Green
Luke Lynes
Shaone Morrisonn
Jeff Schultz
Mikail Yunkov
Brooks Laich
Joe Finley
Jakub Klepis
Francois Bouchard
Patrick McNeill
Kris Beech
Semen Varlamov

…and nothing for Jaromir Jagr

As the trades have “ripened,” so to speak, they have ended up for the most part better than what they looked like 18 months ago. That is what prospect development does. Mike Green, Shaone Morrisonn, Jeff Schultz, and Brooks Laich are important elements of the current Capitals squad. Tomas Fleischmann might reach that status yet. Varlamov could get there in another 2-3 years. Ditto for Bouchard.

What has transpired over the past 18 months is a caution to fans – don’t look at a trade on the day of the trade, especially when veterans-for-picks/prospects is involved. It pays to take a look in the rear-view mirror once some time has passed to see just what you have from those deals.

Dave Fay Memorial Classic II

Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed didn’t exchange as many head shots in their combined “Rocky” movies as did the teams of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Free State of Maryland did last night in the second Dave Fay Memorial Hockey Game. When the smoke cleared, the Commonwealth survived the Free State, in a shootout (!) – 12-11 – in a game reminiscent of those offensive donnybrooks of the 1980’s (goaltenders…you’re on your own).

But the real winners were the fans treated to some summer hockey and the fight against cancer, for which the game was played and the accompanying silent auction was held. We don’t know how much was raised at the end of the evening, but based on what the bids were on some of the memorabilia (among them, a signed Nicklas Backstrom jersey, a signed Caps team jersey, and a signed 2008 Western Conference all star jersey), it looked to be a successful night in that regard.

As for the game, Virginia scored on its first shot seconds into the contest, but Maryland roared back with three unanswered goals. Knocked to the canvas, the Virginians threw five straight haymakers – the last with less than two seconds in the opening period – to take a 6-3 lead.

Maryland opened the second in a frenzy, scoring a five-spot of their own to take an 8-6 lead. From there, it was a back and forth affair. Virginia and Maryland each scored a goal in the final two minutes of regulation to knot the score at 11.

The shootout – a five rounder, as opposed to the NHL’s three-round format – was won by Virginia, 2-1, to give the Commonwealth the privilege of wearing Lord Brown’s Boot for the next year.

As for the three stars of the game, they would have to go to Rob Keaton, Ben Wilson, and Gavin Toner – the three gentlemen who founded “Put Cancer on Ice.” If there was a “first star,” though, it would have to be Gavin “Sidney” Toner, who was credited with a number of assists when he, from accounts, wasn’t on the ice. There is a Penguin contract waiting for you, sir.

When it was all said and done, it was handshakes and head-rubs all around, and a portrait of both teams with the “Boot,”…a cool evening, indeed, on a sultry summer night.

Take that Detroit!..Miller signs with Buffalo

That sound you might have heard early this afternoon was the collective groan of fans of Red Wings Nation, which might have been expecting a native son to return home.

But Ryan Miller has re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres...five years, $6.25 million per.

Unless Jimmy Howard is really something, the Wings might be having goaltender issues in the not too distant future.

As for the Sabres, they finally get to hold on to a potential free agent. It doesn't make up for the losses of Daniel Briere, or Chris Drury, or Brian Campbell...or maybe even Dainius Zubrus. But it's something for Sabres fans to breathe easier about.

Notes on the Schedule

Here's a look at some things of note in the 2008-2009 schedule for the Capitals...

The Caps play the Thrashers in the season opener on October 10th, then play non-divisional opponents in their next ten games. They return to divisional play on November 6th, hosting Carolina.

Meanwhile, at the end of the season, the Caps finish the season with four divisional games (the last three on the road), and ten of their last 13 against teams in the Southeast. If there is a divisional dog-fight for the top spot or a top-eight Conference spot, those last 13 games will loom large.

The Caps have 13 back-to-back contests that break down as follows:

Home/Home: 1
Home/Away: 5
Away/Home: 2
Away/Away: 5

October: 1
November: 3
December: 2
January: 3
Jan/Feb: 1
February: 1
Feb/Mar: 1
March: 1
April: 0

Home-and-home games:

New Jersey (Nov. 14 (H)/Nov. 15 (A))
Atlanta (Apr. 5 (H)/Apr. 7 (A))

Three games in four nights:

October 10-13 (at ATL, CHI, VAN)
November 12-15 (at CAR, at NJD, NJD)
November 19-22 (at ANA, at LAK, at SJS)
November 26-29 (ATL, MTL, at CBJ)
December 4-7 (NYI, at TOR, at CAR)
January 17-20 (BOS, at NYI, at OTT)
January 31-February 3 (DET, OTT, at NJD)
February 28-March 3 (at BOS, FLA, CAR)
March 14-17 (CAR, at ATL, at FLA)

Home Games by Day of Week…

Monday: 2
Tuesday: 6
Wednesday: 4
Thursday: 7
Friday: 8
Saturday: 8
Sunday: 6

Total games by month:

October: 9 (4H/5A)
November: 15 (6H/9A)
December: 14 (7H/7A)
January: 12 (7H/5A)
February: 13 (8H/5A)
March: 13 (6H/7A)
April: 6 (3H/3A)

Longest stretch away from Verizon Center (days): 14 (Jan.17-31)

Longest home stand: 5 games, Feb. 18-26 (MTL, COL, PIT, PHL, ATL)

Longest road trip: 5 games, twice – Nov. 15-24 (NJD, ANA, LAK, SJS, MIN) and Mar. 16-24 (ATL, FLA, TBL, CAR, TOR)

Longest stretch of consecutive divisional games: 5 – Mar. 14-21 (CAR, at ATL, at FLA, at TBL, at CAR)

Month with fewest divisional games: October (1), January (1)

Month with most divisional games: March (8)

Other home highlights:

October…Cristobal Huet and the Blackhawks in the home opener on October 11th.

November…Olaf Kolzig makes his first appearance in an opponent’s sweater on November 10th

December…Ottawa visits on December 12th. The Caps won all four meetings last year against the Senators.

January…The Flyers will make their first appearance at Verizon Center since defeating the Caps in overtime of game 7 in the first round of the 2008 playoffs on January 6th…Stanley Cup champion Detroit visits on January 31st.

February…The Penguins make their first of two Verizon Center appearances on February 22nd, a Sunday afternoon affair.

March…The Penguins’ second visit to Washington is on March 8th, also in a Sunday matinee.

April…Buffalo will try to make Verizon Center HSBC-South once more, on April 3rd.


Last year, it was getting to that playoff threshold of 92 points (you remember that thermometer we had...). This year...

100 points, or bust!

What is this?

A newly-designed ball-peen hammer?...no

A proctological implement?...no

Something Madame Zelda uses to tell your fortune?...no

The next NASA Mars probe?...no

Pierre McGuire?...no, but close



No, it is something that ESPN will give to




<--- this guy as NHL player of the year instead of

this guy ---->

...go figure.

Put Cancer on Ice...This Saturday

A reminder to all you Caps fans looking for a hockey fix in this summer heat...

Put Cancer on Ice is holding their second annual Dave Fay Memorial Hockey Game and Auction at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Saturday, July 19th, at 8:30pm. The details are in the flyer below (click for more information).

The struggle between the squads representing the Great Commonwealth of Virginia and the Free State of Maryland to possess the cherished "Lord Brown's Boot" -- emblematic of hockey superiority in the National Capital Region -- will be every bit as spirited and hard-fought as any game you're going to see. Add to that a silent auction and an appearance by some Capitals' alumni, and it promises to be a special evening.

It is a great cause and a fine event sponsored by a great bunch of folks. As someone who attended last year's event, believe me...you won't be disappointed.

Nolan Out on Long Island

Newsday reports that the New York Islanders and head coach Ted Nolan have parted ways. The decision was described as "mutual" on the part of Nolan and Islanders general manager Garth Snow.

Apparently, the decision is the result of the dreaded "philosophical differences." Snow was of a mind to develop youth; Nolan disagreed with this approach, according to the Newsday report.

Nolan leaves the Islanders with a curious symmetry in his coaching career:


We don't suspect Nolan is going to have to wait ten years for his next NHL coaching position, but given the nature of the rift between Nolan and Snow, the kind of team Nolan might inherit could be a consideration that narrows his options. He guided a largely veteran, overachieving group to a 40-win season in 2006-2007. Last year though, as the club was trying to work younger players into the lineup (such as: Bruno Gervais, Blake Comeau, and Jeff Tambellini), success was harder to come by, as might be expected from a team trying to retool.

Sittin' at the end of the bar...

The Denver Post is reporting that Colorado forward Peter Forsberg, if he intends to play in the NHL this year, won't be doing so until about Christmas...

"After consulting with more doctors about his troubled right foot in his native Sweden, Forsberg was told he would need several months of rehabilitation if he wanted to have hope of playing again, a source close to the Avs star said."

*****

The Detroit Free Press has the scoop, as it were, on Kamryn Draper. She is the newborn daughter of Red Wing forward Kris Draper. She had her own moment with the Stanley Cup...

"A week after we won it, I had my newborn daughter in there, and she pooped in the Cup...That was something. We had a pretty good laugh. "I still drank out of it that night, so no worries."

*****

The Sports Business Journal (subscription required) took a look at the endorsement potential of young NHLers, including Alex Ovechkin, and likes what it sees...to a point:

“'Ovechkin certainly has enthusiasm and personality as his greatest assets,' said Bob Stellick, president of Stellick Marketing Communications Inc., Toronto, a firm specializing in hockey and other sports. 'With the Capitals having some success this year, it has certainly helped his profile. However, his English skills and the fact that Washington is not a major U.S. market team — like New York, Chicago, L.A. or Boston — doesn’t help.'"

On the other hand, Anthony Fisher, senior vice president of marketing for Pro Hockey Life (which is handling exclusive distribution rights to Ovechkin's street wear clothing line in its first year) says...

“Alex’s marketability has the unique capability to transcend team loyalties. If you are a fan of hockey, you are a fan of Ovechkin — period.”

*****

Akim Aliu, who was something of a curiosity in the 2007 entry draft, thought to be a risky pick, might be seeing time with the Chicago Blackhawks this year, if a report in the Chicago Tribune is true. Of Aliu's development camp performance, Hawks GM Dale Tallon said this...

"Akim is really, really impressive. His skating, his puck handling, his intensity, his physicality—all of those things have improved a lot. He's really close."

*****

And, if you are a Ranger fan, be very very afraid. In the New York Times hockey blog, "Slap Shot," there was this...

"According to [Ranger prospect Alexei] Cherepanov’s Russian agent, Sergei Paremuzov, the Rangers’ No. 1 draft choice in 2007 will be staying with Avangard Omsk this year, his second with the high-ranking Siberian club. And although Paremuzov says that Cherepanov wants to play in the NHL, he also says that the 19-year-old will benefit from another year with the Hawks, where he will learn from the newly signed ex-Ranger Jaromir Jagr."

Uh...learn what, exactly?

*****

Rest in Peace, Ms. Riley

Olive Riley was, by many accounts, the world's oldest blogger. Ms. Riley passed away on Saturday at a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia. She was 108 and was still carrying a tune.

And how did you spend YOUR summer?

Getting your degree?


Well, that's what Alex Ovechkin did...check out the video at Alex Ovetjkin (sorry, I can't provide a translation from Russian).

We've got spirit, how 'bout you?!

We’ve got spirit, yes we do!

Well, we will…in the fall. The Capitals announced that they are establishing a “Spirit Squad” and “are seeking energetic, outgoing people who love the game of hockey and want to perform in front of sold-out crowds at Verizon Center!” The exclamation point is theirs. So is the bit about performing in front of sold out crowds…does that mean we don’t see them every night?

But this being July, and the draft and most of the choice pickings of free agents now in our rear-view mirror, calendar-wise, this issue (and only in Washington could this rise to the level of being an “issue") is hot on The Official and in the local blogosphere. While The Peerless is officially indifferent to the whole idea of cheerleaders, spirit squads, or crazy crews – male, female, or other mammal – he is obligated, as an unofficial member of the Washington Capitals Blogging League, to write something about this.

But he really doesn’t want to, so he’s going to turn it over to the boys and girls of The McLaughlin Group, who can bloviate with the best of them when it comes to issues no one outside the beltway cares about…

John McLaughlin…”Issue 1…’Spirit Squad’…good idea or deranged brain cramp?…Mor-TAHN MotherZuckerman…”

Morton Zuckerman…”John, I think…”

J-Mac...”WRONG!...You don’t think on this show, that’s my job…Eleanor Such a Bore Clift…”

Eleanor Clift…”John, you’re always…”

J-Mac…”WRONG!...”

Pat Buchanan…”You certainly are, John…”

J-Mac…”very droll, Pat…the correct answer is, ‘inspired diversion’…Issue 2…’Women only, or coed?’ Patty Melt Buchanan…”

Pat…”John, there are just some roles that are meant only for women, and…”

J-Mac…”WRONG!...there are just some roles that are meant only for gorgeous women …Eleanor…”

Eleanor…”John, you are such a chauvinist dinosaur…”

J-Mac...”WRONG!...I’m an endangered ignoramus!...Issue 3…’professionally designed long-sleeved shirts and pants’ or ‘midriff-baring tops and short skirts?’…Mort…”

Mort…”I’m going to need to go to the gym if I’m going to wear midriff-baring tops, John…”

J-Mac...”WRONG!...No amount of time in the gym can help you with that…Pat…”

Pat…”I’m going to have to shave my legs to wear those short skirts…”

J-Mac...’WRONG!..”

Eleanor…”thank heavens…”

J-Mac…”The correct answer is…’parkas and leggings’…Issue 4…"On a scale of 0 to 10--with 0 representing zero possibility and 10 representing metaphysical certitude--what is the chance of this stunt ‘enhancing the game experience?’ Sporty Morty on the Back Forty…”

Mort…2

J-Mac…”WRONG!...Eleanor Won’t Get No More…

Eleanor…3

J-Mac…WRONG!...Patrick Thick as a Brick...

Pat…5

J-Mac…”WRONG!...The answer is Jose Theodore’s career save percentage…point nine-oh-nine…Predictions, Mort…”

Mort…”By August 1^st, this issue will be overtaken by discussion of whether the Caps will have an alternate jersey with their fruit bat logo.”

J-Mac…”Eleanor (and it’s a ‘weagle,’ Mort)…”

Eleanor…”Caps fans will quickly move on from this tempest in a short skirt and delve into discussions of more important issues, like whether the price of the chicken tenders basket will surpass the $10 mark in another sign of rampant inflation.”

J-Mac…”The chicken tenders will NOT pass the $10 mark, but the nachos will be replaced with veggie snack chips in an effort to provide healthier fare…Pat…”

Pat…”Commissioner Gary Bettman will issue a decree requiring every team to employ scantily-clad females in an effort to secure a TV deal with HBO, with games to be shown after midnight, right after that show in a taxicab…”

J-Mac…”The Peerless will swear off late night pepperoni and double cheese pizzas, but will soon fall off the wagon, claiming that they are a necessary inspiration for his blogging…bye-BYE!”

Vinnie Signs

Well, Caps fans, Vincent Lecavalier will be a Tampa Bay Lightning for life, unless one assumes life begins at 40.

Lecavalier agreed to terms yesterday that will pay him $85 million over 11 years, extending to the eve of his 40^th birthday in the 2019-2020 season.

The deal is interesting for in the way it is weighted. The payouts look like this…

As the TSN article notes, there is benefit to Lecavalier in that if he chooses to retire in the latter stages of the deal, he will have collected most of the value of the contract. In a way, this deal resembles the signing bonus/salary deals of the NFL, where elite players’ contracts are generally heavily front loaded by the guaranteed signing bonus. The player gets his money (well, in that first year of the deal, anyway), and the club has some flexibility on the back end to move or cut the player.

What flexibility exists for the Lightning in this deal probably depends more on the continued growth of the league. It is possible that the structure of the deal would give the Lightning the ability to add assets (if they are competitive) or to use Lecavalier as a trading asset (if they are not, to assemble draft picks/prospects). If the salary cap grows by three percent per year over the course of the deal – and yes, the cap has risen more rapidly in the years since the lockout – his cap hit would be less than ten percent of the cap in the 2019-2020 season (about what Wade Redden’s hit will be in the last year of his deal with the Rangers in 2013-2014, or Kimmo Timonen’s deal with the Flyers in 2012-2013), and the cash outlay would be attractive.

The flip side of this is that mega deals of the sort signed by Lecavalier and Alex Ovechkin depend on precisely that continued growth in the league and its revenues. That is the risk the clubs take. If one is bullish on the long-term prospects of the NHL, these deals are bargains over their lives. But if that optimism ends up ill-placed…

On balance, though, this deal looks a lot better for the Lightning than any other deal they’ve made so far in this off season. And it seems to be the latest example of a trend in mega deals…those signed by the likes of Lecavalier, Ovechkin, Mike Richards (12 years with the Flyers), and even Rick DiPietro (15 years with the Islanders). Draft the cornerstone, and keep them. Compare that to the kind of deal the Capitals signed with Jaromir Jagr (seven years, $77 million, with an option). In retrospect, that one had the look of buying someone else’s treasure. With this quartet, they are part of the family from the start.

SRO at KCI...Development Camp Closes

It was standing room only at Kettler Capitals Iceplex today as the 2008 development camp came to a close. In addition to the usual amusements – street hockey and moon bounce for the kids, music, and the club’s equipment sale – there was the week-ending scrimmage of Capital hopefuls.

(click on the images for larger versions)

The game itself was competitive, although the fact that these are kids who have not played with one another for long made things choppy and lacking in flow from time to time. Some youngsters did stand out though…

Simeon Varlamov – wearing the white colors today – looked a good deal sharper than we remember seeing him last year. Much quicker and much better at anticipating plays. He had many more chances to fend off than did his counterpart – Michal Neuvirth. He earned the round of applause he skated off to mid-way through the second period.

Oscar Osala had a difficult time keeping his footing. Maybe it was a skate problem, but he spent a lot of time picking himself up off the KCI surface. But pick himself up he did, not quitting on plays.

Francois Bouchard had a difficult time of his own, it seemed, for two periods (looking as if he just wasn’t quite in sync), but he was in the middle of things at the end of the contest and in the extra time/shootout. His spin-o-rama shootout move was rather…interesting.

The Blue squad had the best of things early, but it was the White squad that had the advantage in the end. And the physical edge to the play picked up as the minutes were winding down.

We’re rooting for Stefan Della Rovere to make this team some time down the road. He was quite the bundle of energy and grit out there. Even in an environment where one might not see quite the level or intensity of hitting one would see in real games, he was out there plugging away making his presence felt.

It really was amazing to see a crowd as large as this in the middle of July for hockey. Not only were the stands filled, but in the balcony the crowd was several deep along the railing, and the lobby and common areas of KCI were active, as well.

To all the participants and to the Caps…congratulations on a great camp. It was quite entertaining and a signal that things continue to look promising for this organization.

Lest we forget

As the minutes tick away on this July 11th, let us give pause to remember what happened on this date seven years ago...

"Tell your owner, I have something to prove. I want to be
the best player in the world."

And now...Phase III: Arbitration

We had the draft, then we had the opening of the free-agent signing period. Well, today Boyd Gordon re-signed on a one-year deal at $725,000. That leaves only Shaone Morrisonn among the restricteds. His arbitration is scheduled for July 24th .

And what comes after that?...Well, Phase IV of tweaking personnel is going to be an interesting set of "ifs." If Brian Pothier and/or Chris Clark are not ready (Pothier's availability seems unlikely to the point of "will he retire?"...Clark appears iffy for the start of the year), then the Caps look to have $51.4 million in cap room tied up in 20 roster spots, not including Morrisonn. Five of those spots would be defensemen, meaning there could be room for a Karl Alzner, a Sami Lepisto (who, oddly enough, is not included among either the parent roster or prospects on the official site...no, we do not suspect a conspiracy), or a trade.

13 spots would be occupied by forwards, which doesn't make for any sense of urgency, but could create an opportunity for someone in this week's development camp.

The Caps will continue to be an interesting team to watch as we move forward in the "off" season.

In 35 years...

...can Caps fans remember a time with as much unabashed optimism as this over the team and its direction? Could Caps fans think of these quotes as being uttered about their team?...

“Alex Ovechkin just called me to say we have a great group of guys. We like to have fun, win and work hard. When he said that, I knew I made the right choice."

-- Jose Theodore, upon being a Cap for barely an hour.

"When I saw things weren't progressing with Cristobal [Huet], I knew there was going to be an opening. So I didn't want to sign too quickly in Denver. This was my first choice."

-- Theodore

"I'm so excited to be back you don't even know. I love our team. I love where we're headed."

-- Brooks Laich, after signing his new contract

"Yeah, me and Bruce [Boudreau] have been through quite a bit in the last three years. He wins coach of the year this season and he's only there for three-quarters of the season. It goes to show how good of a coach he is. I didn't want to leave Bruce."

-- Mike Green, on returning to the Caps

"…Our fans can smell it. They suffered for several years, but they know we can be good for a long time. They know our players and have watched them grow up and play better and better. Now the rest of the hockey world knows it."

-- Ted Leonsis

“Sergei Fedorov, who was an unrestricted free agent and thus able to sell his services to the highest bidder, opted to play for the Washington Capitals next season on a comparatively modest one-year, $4-million contract rather than play for higher pay in Russia…Instead, Fedorov will stay in the NHL for at least one more year so he can play with fellow Russians Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Viktor Kozlov on a young, but emerging Capitals team.”

-- Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail, writing about choices Russian players are making

...thanks to TheGreatOneCSC The Official for turning the light on over my head about this.

Peace in our time...(edit: maybe)

TSN.ca reports that the NHL and the new Continental Hockey League have reached a settlement on an agreement that will end, for the time being, players being lured away by large contract offers. As NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly put it:

"Everyone in the room agreed that for the foreseeable future everyone will respect everybody's contracts."

Parties at the meeting in which the agreement was reached included: the NHL, the NHL Players' Association and international hockey leagues in Zurich, the home of the International Ice Hockey Federation.


And then...

"The new agreement between the NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation to not poach players under contract hasn’t even been put into writing yet, but it has already received its first test with reports that Alexander Radulov has signed with Salavat Ufa of the Continental Hockey League."

Peace is elusive...

The Price of Success

At the risk of invoking comparisons to Oscar Wilde and this quote...

"A cynic is a man who knows the price of
everything but the value of nothing."

...we note that the Caps' success last season comes with a price. It is the price of keeping the "core" pieces of the puzzle in place, as this look at the cap hits of 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 suggest:



Five years ago, this club was a wreck, and the disappointment of failure was being worn openly. This club didn't disappoint anyone last year (except perhaps those who now feel that there is unfinished business to take care of) and has the look of another club that went from basement to Stanley Cup final in two seasons.

It is a club that has followed a plan -- draft well, keep that core together (note those amounts in yellow above), add pieces through trade or free agency as needed.

There is spending stoopid and spending well. In 2001 and 2002, the Caps spent stoopid and paid a heavy price in the years that followed -- economically and emotionally. In 2008, they seem to be spending well.

Democracy in Tampa

Taking a page from the history of political discourse in this fine nation of ours, the Tampa Bay Lightning are having a town meeting...so reports Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times:

"The highlight of the event will feature a question and answer session hosted by Lightning television play-by-play announcer Rick Preckham with owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie, head coach Barry Melrose and center Vincent Lecavalier."

OK...here are a few questions...

Oren...Len signed a guy, and he picked Mark Recchi...you going to let him sign another? Maybe Stu Barnes? Or Kevyn Adams, as long as you're doing the Memory Lane Forward Tour?




Steve Stamkos...think he'll make the squad?








You signed or traded for 11 forwards -- so far. You traded two defensemen to get...two defensemen and added two additional defensemen in other deals. My question is, when you go out to eat, you order six main courses and no sides, don't you?

Coach Melrose...you haven't been behind an NHL bench in more than a dozen years. You don't have a .500 season in the NHL with a roster that didn't include anyone named, "Gretzky." You going to try to convince Oren and Len to bring Wayne over from Phoenix?

Is it true Jay Feaster's new duties include doing in-game entertainment as Thunderbug?


If "Feasterbug" doesn't work out, will your new mascot be...


One last question...about your off season...have you people lost your minds? No, really...guys?...guys??