To say 2020 has been a difficult year is understatement of
the highest degree.It seems every piece
of news these days is bad news of one sort or another.You hope the misfortune doesn’t make its
way to you or your loved ones. It turns out I didn’t quite make it to the end of the year
without suffering the 2020 curse.
I have cancer.
I’m hardly unique.Many – too many – live with this diagnosis, and more will receive the
unwelcome news as time passes.But
everyone’s experience is different.My
journey on this road started with my annual physical last September, during
which I described some symptoms to my primary care physician.That was the first step on a journey no one
hopes to take.Since that meeting, I
have consulted with specialists.I have
been tested, poked, prodded, probed.My
arms feel like pin cushions from all the IV’s and infusions; I have had more
images of my innards taken than I have in my entire life before this
started.I became acquainted with
acronyms – CT, MRI, PET—and multi-syllabic terms that sprain the tongue when
pronounced.I have spent a lot more time
in online patient portals looking at test results than I have perusing hockey
statistics.
The diagnosing,
testing, and staging process is being fine tuned. Chemotherapy is starting, radiation therapy will follow, and then we’ll see where we are.When life decides to intervene, it doesn’t
screw around.But I have a whole
battalion of health care professionals helping me and a plan that is coming
into focus.I thank my lucky stars that
such resources are available to me.Too
many of us do not have those blessings (here endeth the political rant).And frankly, at the moment I feel kind of
lucky.I do not have to feel the pain
and discomfort, isolation, and confinement that those who suffer from COVID
and their families have to deal with.I still get around (within
the limitations of COVID guidance) and, for the most part, feel pretty good.
Which brings me to what I do in this space.I’ve always looked at writing about hockey as
therapeutic.It was not my day job,
which was an entirely different sort of animal.But writing about the Caps, and sparring with Fearless and Cheerless
provide a respite from the daily grind.That it might entertain or inform those of you who read it is an added
bonus, and the kind comments over the years have been deeply appreciated.
What that means is I have no plans to go anywhere.Hockey being in a dormant state of affairs,
there hasn’t been a lot to write about, but rest assured, when we get the itch
to do so, we will scratch it as much as we can, either in this space or over at Japers' Rink. This ain’t
no speed bump I’m dealing with, but it isn’t an impenetrable barrier to doing
what it is we love to do, either. We've been writing in this space for 15 years (already?!) and wouldn't mind doing it for 15 more.
So, thanks for indulging this little detour from
hockey.It is not my intent to return to
this subject, at least until I am pronounced cancer-free, but I never intended
to be in this situation, either.Folks
in their own situations in need of an ear to bend or just to unload can always feel
free to get in touch.
In the meantime, we’ll soon be cheering (if only from in
front of our televisions or streaming devices) the Caps as they pursue the
Stanley Cup once more, and I look forward to another Cup celebration in
Washington next summer, one that we all hope does not require social distancing
or masks.I can’t wait.
“Hey Caps fans.Today
is a pretty tough and emotional day for me.For several weeks now, I’ve been undergoing different types of tests
related to a heart condition, and after lots of discussions with doctors around
the country and finally receiving the last results early this week, I
unfortunately won’t be able to join the [Capitals] this year.”
The thunderclap could be heard across the entire hockey world
at the news that Henrik Lundqvist will not be able to play for the Washington Capitals this season.It is heartbreaking news
on a personal level for one of the best goalies of his generation, not to
mention one of the true class acts in this or any walk of life.It is disappointing for a Capitals Nation
eager to see the legendary goalie playing for the Caps instead of tormenting them
as a New York Ranger.
But while Lundqvist deals with his medical situation in the
weeks and months to come, with what will be hopefully a clean bill-of-health outcome,
the hockey calendar is moving forward, and the Capitals are in a tough place
with respect to their goaltending situation.
Whereas Ilya Samsonov was likely to assume the duties of the
“1-A” netminding role, with Lundqvist as the “1-B” mentor and veteran insurance
policy, Samsonov would appear now to be the unchallenged number one goalie.He does so having come off an abbreviated
season cut short by injury.The club has
options it might consider in the form of different pools of talent available –
the Capitals farm system, unrestricted free agents, waivers, or trade among
them -- to fill the vacancy behind him.
Down on the Farm
Vitek Vanecek
If Caps fans have not heard the name “Vitek Vanecek” much,
they will hear a lot about him now.Vanacek
was taken by the Capitals with the 39th overall pick (second round)
of the 2014 Entry Draft, the fourth goalie selected in that class behind Mason
McDonald (34th overall), Thatcher Demko (36th) and Alex
Nedeljkovic (37). It is worth noting
here that Vanecek was taken 79 spots ahead of Igor Shesterkin, who is widely
thought to be the ultimate successor to Lundqvist with the New York Rangers.In 141 games with the AHL Hershey Bears, Vanecek
has compiled a regular season record of 71-43-16, 2.59, .906, with 11
shutouts.His playoff record (two
postseasons) is 2-5, 2.47, .925, and one shutout.
Pros: He has shown improvement over his five seasons with
the Bears and posted career bests in goals against average (2.26, fifth among
qualifying goalies in the AHL), and save percentage (.917, 10th in
the AHL). One might argue that his apprenticeship is at, or at least coming to
an end.
Cons: Has never appeared in an NHL game (he was called up in
the 2019-2020 season but did not dress).For a team with a number one goalie with only 22 career starts in the
regular season, none in the postseason, adding a goalie with no NHL experience
is quite a roll of the dice for a club with a closing window for a Stanley Cup.
Pheonix Copley
After starting 24 games for the Caps as Braden Holtby’s
backup in 2018-2019, Pheonix Copley became almost unheard of again as a member
of the Caps organization.With Samsonov
taking over the backup duties in his year-long audition as Holtby’s successor,
Copley spent the 2019-2020 season in Hershey, where he appeared in 31 games
(the same number as Vanecek), posting a record of 17-8-6, 2.47, .905, with two shutouts.He shaved almost a half goal off his GAA from
his most recent season in Hershey (2017-2018) and added almost ten points to his
save percentage from that season.However,
that season in Washington raises some concern.He was 10-2-2, 2.59, .916, with one shutout in his first 15 appearances
in 2018-2019, but he was just 6-5-1, 3.31, .889 in his last 12 appearances that
season.
Pros: Copley has 29 games of NHL experience (27 with the Caps,
two with St. Louis), which while sparse, is not nothing, either.And he did have that good start in his season
with the Caps, so he would appear to have quality performances in him.
Cons: If you subscribe to “what have you done for me lately?”
then Copley might not be your guy.He
had that weak finish in 2018-2019, and he seemed to slip on the depth chart at
least another spot in favor of Vanecek in Hershey.He seems to have “career backup” as a ceiling.Again, with the uncertainty associated with
Samsonov as a number one, with as little experience as he has, Copley presents his
own challenges as a backup in whom the club can feel comfortable.
Unrestricted Free Agents
According to capfriendly.com there are 12 unrestricted free
agent goaltenders available.
It is not, to be kind, a target-rich environment.The four best-known names on the list (Ryan
Miller, Craig Anderson, and Jimmy Howard) have their best days far in their
rear-view mirrors, all of them save Schneider past the age of 35 (Schneider
will be 35 in March, and the New York Islanders have been mentioned as a
potential employer), all of them with GAA’s over 3.00 last season (Howard was at
4.20), all of them with save percentages under .910, and only Miller with a winning
record (9-6-4).Frankly, signing any of
this group would constitute putting faith in duct tape and baling wire.
If one is inclined to think outside that box, there is
Richard Bachman, who has posted a 37-20-18, 2.97, .903 record (two shutouts) in
eight seasons.But before you go there,
bear in mind he retired from pro hockey to take a position as a goalie coach
with the Iowa Wild in the AHL.
Mike Condon?Yes, he
has 117 starts in the NHL, but only two of those starts came in 2018-2019 (he
lost both with the Ottawa Senators), and he split time between the AHL
(Syracuse and Charlotte) and the ECHL (Orlando) after recuperating from a hip
injury.
Jean-Francois Berube?A career goals against of 3.39 and save percentage of .898 provide no
measure of comfort or warm feelings, and he hasn’t appeared in an NHL game
since April 2018.
The choices do not get better.One gets the uneasy feeling that the unrestricted
free agent route is not one that the Caps will, let alone should pursue, unless no other viable options present themselves.
Other Means
According to capfriendly.com, there are ten clubs whose cap
hits exceed the cap ceiling at the moment, including the Capitals (about $1.0
million over the cap pending any action with regard to Lundqvist and long term
injured reserve). Is there the potential to pry a goalie out of
one of these clubs?Arizona, for
example, has $8.75 million in cap hit invested in Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta,
and they are $2.7 million over the cap ceiling.Raanta is an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Vegas has $12.0 million invested in cap room for Marc-Andre
Fleury and Robin Lehner.But as recently
as October 14th, general manager Kelly McCrimmon stated that Fleury
would not be traded, even as Lehner was re-signed to a long-term deal less than
two weeks before.
None of the other teams exceeding the cap would appear to
have an overly burdensome goalie compensation requirement that would require or
tempt parting with one for cap relief.In
those cases, a backup netminder making less than $2.0 million per year and
still serviceable as a backup would be attractive to those teams, making it
something of a stretch that the Caps could wrangle a trade unless they overpaid
dearly for the privilege. As for goalies
who might be made available, their compensation is likely to be considerable (a
reason teams might wish to jettison such a player), raising the matter of
retained salary or moving a significant position player to balance the cap
situation.
In the end…
The Caps are in a difficult place with respect to
reconstituting the goalie pair for the upcoming season.Henrik Lundqvist appeared to be the perfect
fit for a team looking to smooth the edges on their presumed number one goalie
of the future while providing a deep well of experience and talent from which
they could draw when the situation demanded it.
Further, Lundqvist seemed to be genuinely excited to get on
with this late chapter in his career volume of work.His video message to Caps fans announcing his
backing away from the ice this season, difficult to listen to with the disappointment
in his voice, confirmed this.
In terms of the effects on the team on the ice, this is but
one more challenge for a front office that has had more hits than misses in
personnel matters in recent years.This
challenge, however, is a doozy.
Being a sports fan is not just rooting for the logo on the
jersey.It means developing attachments,
even at a distance, with players.We cheer
for them on the field, we get a peek into their personal and off-ice lives, and
these days we follow them on social media.
But it is a relationship that generally has a shelf life,
sometimes far briefer than we would like.A player is drafted, we develop our attachments as he comes along
through the system, we root for him as he takes his place and makes his mark
with his – our – team.
And then, he is gone.
In most instances, we might feel a twinge of regret, but
then we move on as the player blends into his new surroundings, whether that is
another team or retirement.But then there
are those rare instances in which fans develop a special attachment to a
player, and his departure stings more keenly than other departures.
That is how a lot of fans feel today as what seemed inevitable
for the past year is finally coming to pass.Braden Holtby, after a dozen years in the Washington Capitals
organization, will be moving on to another city.
One might never have seen this coming when Holtby was introduced
to the Capitals back in 2008.He was a
fourth-round draft pick, the tenth goaltender taken in his draft class.He was taken 93rd overall in the
2008 Entry Draft, between Samuel Groulx and Vinny Saponari, neither of whom
ever played in the NHL.And, his record
in Canadian juniors (Saskatoon Blades) did little to distinguish him or suggest
he would have a long NHL career, not with a 42-59-15 win-loss record, a 3.01
goals against average, and a .903 save percentage.
But then, things took a turn.In the season after he was drafted, he went
40-16-4, 2.62, .917 with the Blades.He
turned pro the next season, splitting time between the South Carolina Stingrays
in the ECHL and the Hershey Bears in the AHL, going a combined 32-10-5, 2.48,
.915.Caps fans had little up-close
familiarity with the young goalie, though.That changed, at least it did for us, during Development Camp in July 2010.Day 4 of the camp featured a scrimmage in
which the prospects took part.Among those
prospects was a first round draft pick of considerable skill and considerable
expectations – Evgeny Kuznetsov.And
there was Holtby, the fourth round draft pick with perhaps a more modest resume
and perhaps lesser expectations.
Their respective stations in life mattered not at all to
Holtby when the two got tangled up trying to play a puck.As we put it at the time…
“Braden Holtby
might need his vision checked. That guy whose legs he took a one-handed slash
at (and connected) happened to be the Caps first round draft pick this past
June. Kuznetsov is his name. Seems the young forward got a bit too close to
Holtby as the goalie was trying to play a puck (well outside the crease, it
should be noted), got tangled up with him (leading to a goal when Holtby could
not retreat to his crease in time), and as he was starting to head back up ice
after the score took the business end of Holtby’s stick in the back of the
legs, causing him to turn in wonder before limping to the bench. This prompted
a few comments from the upstairs crowd directed at Holtby, although those folks
might not to have the term “heat of the moment” in their lexicon. Was it the
smartest thing Holtby’s done this week? We’re going to bet on “no,” but it’s
hardly an unprecedented reaction from a goalie, even on one of his clubmates.”
Caps fans had witnessed more than a bit of
orneriness over the career of Olaf Kolzig.Holtby gave notice the tradition might continue.
The attachment between player and fans only grew from
there.Holtby got his first taste of NHL
action in the regular season that followed, earning a win in his first NHL
appearance – stopping all four shots he faced in ten minutes of a relief role in
a 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins in November 2010.He had only 14 appearances in that first season,
but it was quite a start.He went
10-2-2, 1.79, .934, with two shutouts.There was, however the matter of the goalies ahead of him on the depth
chart – Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth, both of them only 22 years old
themselves, a year older than Holtby.
Varlamov was gone the following season, off to Colorado, but
there was still Neuvirth on the club, and the Caps obtained veteran netminder
Tomas Vokoun, preserving the log jam in front of Holtby.He was limited to seven games in the 2011-2012
regular season, but he was thrust into a starting role in the postseason when
Vokoun and Neuvirth each suffered injuries late in the season.He was brilliant, backstropping the Caps to
an opening round win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins
before falling in the second round to the New York Rangers.In 10 games settled in regulation time he
allowed more than three goals only once, and nine times in 14 games he allowed
two or fewer goals.He went 7-7, 1.95, .935.
Nevertheless, in an odd echo of Kolzig’s beginnings with the
club, he had difficulty cracking the lineup to become the number one
goalie.In 2012-2013 he dressed for 36
of 48 games, but in 2013-2014 he appeared in 48 of 82 games, one of four goalies
to dress for the Caps that season.
It was in 2014-2015 that he took a tight hold on the number
one spot, appearing in a league-high 73 games and posting a record of 41-20-10,
2.22, .923, with nine shutouts.He tied
a team record for appearances (Kolzig had 73 appearances in 2000-2001), and he
tied (at the time) a team record for wins (Kolzig had 41 wins in
1999-2000).But while his regular season
numbers began to reflect elite status, his playoff number lagged, at least in
terms of wins and losses.As much as
anything, Holtby was a victim of non-support.After he went 6-7 in the 2015 post season, his career playoff record
stood at 16-18, in spit of his underlying numbers (1.92 GAA/.936 SV) being
excellent.
The divergence of regular season and postseason results
widened the following season.In 2015-2016
Holtby tied a league record for wins (48), going 48-9-7, 2.20, .922, with three
shutouts on his way to winning a Vezina Trophy as the league’s top
goaltender.But in the postseason he
went 6-6, despite a 1.72 goals against average and a .942 save percentage.When he won 42 games in 2016-2017 (a second
straight league leading total), but went 7-6 in the postseason, it hardly
seemed fair to Holtby or to his fans.
Then came the 2017-2018 season, perhaps the strangest and,
ultimately, most wondrous of Holtby’s career with the Caps.He had a good win-loss record (34-16-4), but
his underlying numbers fell off (2.99 goals against average, .907 save
percentage), and he went without a shutout over a full season for the first
time in his career.What is more, his
performance slipped significantly late in the season (10-8-4. 3.47, .893 over
his last 22 games), and Philipp Grubauer was picked to open the Caps’
postseason against the Columbus Blue Jackets.Grubauer’s postseason lasted five periods, having lost Game 1 in
overtime and trailing in Game 2, 4-3, after 40 minutes.Holtby came in to start the third period, and
while he would take the loss in overtime, he reclaimed the top spot in
net.
The rest is history.Holtby went 16-6-0 to close out the postseason with a 2.17 goals against
average and a .922 save percentage with two shutouts, helping the Caps to their
first Stanley Cup championship and adding a bit of legendary flair along the
way that would become simply, “The Save”…
That postseason would be the pinnacle of Holtby’s career in
Washington.He struggled in the next two
seasons, going 57-33-11, but posting a 2.95 goals against average with a .905
save percentage.His postseasons over
those two years were similarly disappointing, going 5-10, 2.58, .910, the Caps
going out in the first round of the playoffs in each year.
The last two years might be a smudge on his career in Washington,
made more noticeable by their recency.They do little, however, to detract from his standing as the best
goaltender in Capitals history and as one of the elite netminders of the last
decade in the NHL.Over the last ten
years, Holtby is highly ranked in a number of league categories (minimum: 5,000
minutes):
Games: 468/T-12th
Minutes: 26,828/11th
Wins: 282/T-4th
GAA: 2.53/T-21st
SV: .916/T-22nd
Shutouts: 35/8th
His postseason rankings are even more impressive (minimum:
1,000 minutes):
Games: 97/2nd
Minutes: 6,012 (3rd)
Wins: 50/2nd
GAA: 2.13/5th
SV: .926/T-5th
Shutouts: 7/T-3rd
But while being a goalie of superior talent and performance
is one thing, there is more to a player to whom fans develop a special
attachment.Holtby has a style all his
own, in terms of how he prepares for games…
And he had his own sartorial style…
But he also exhibited the sense of social awareness that
makes the attachment between player and community stronger, as in his support
of Capital Pride events…
Braden Holtby is one of those rare players whose talent and
humanity have made him iconic in the local community and among Capitals
Nation.It is hard to think of a parting
in four decades of Capitals history that is as much equal parts good cheer and
good wishes for the player, and sadness at the realization that his departure
is real and finally here.Wherever he
goes, Caps fans will be rooting for him every time he faces 30 of the other 31
teams in the league (after Seattle joins the league).And even on those
occasions in which he comes out on top against his old team, Caps fans might
sneak a smile.
