The Washington Capitals have developed one of the best minor league hockey systems with that being evidenced by two of their affiliates winning their respective championships last year. The Capitals future is looking bright indeed with the current lineup of young stars and a developmental system that has produced a goodly amount of talent the last few years. As with all things in life there is usually a downside to all positives and although many teams would love to have the Caps problem, the fact is there is little room at present for players to move up from the AHL, EHL, or other places because there just isn't a lot of roster spaces available. While Simeon Varlamov is certain to have a spot, there are quite a few players looking to fill one or two open spots. Who are some likely candidates to make the team? While Alexander Giroux had a fantastic year last year at Hershey scoring 60 goals in 69 games and has great offensive skills, the Capitals are in pretty good shape in that area with players such as Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and Green. Some think that Karl Alzner will be spending most of his time with the Capitals this year but the Capitals at present have 7 defensemen from last year that will probably be on the roster on opening night, so unless there's a long term injury or two to Caps defenders, the house will be crowded there as well. Caps management are also high on John Carlson, but at 19, he'll most likely spend the year at Hershey. Bottom line; there's not a lot of room in the Inn at present and many of the up and coming Caps may be spending the majority of the year in Hershey again.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Not Much Room in the Inn for Baby Caps
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Knuble Should Make Power Play Even More Dangerous
While the Capitals were virtually non existent in the Free Agent market in the offseason, their one major pick-up was an excellent one. Mike Knuble, was picked up from the Philadelphia Flyers and should make one of the top Power Play units in the league even more potent. For while the Capitals have a few players that are willing and able to put the puck on net, the one major thing that they have lacked is the big physical player that is willing to stand in front of the net, take a beating and be in position to put any rebounds on the net. While Chris Clark filled that role well a couple of years ago, injuries have kept him from playing much the last couple of years, and the Capitals just don't know what Clark has left in him. In any event, while Knuble is 37, he has been a workhorse for Philadelphia the last few years, and will be a great addition to the Caps on either the first or second line, and especially valuable on the P.P.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Capitals Lacking an Enforcer
It seems apparent to me that the Capitals brain trust has decided to take the Detroit Red Wing path of building a team around skilled players and seem to want to move away from the physical play after letting Donald Brashear flee to the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden. Without the 'Donald' it seems to me that the Capitals are quite likely to be pushed around a bit by some of the more physical teams in the East such as the Flyers, Maple Leafs, and pretty much everyone else. While Erskine will mix it up on occasion, that isn't the primary role he fills on the team. Others such as Matt Bradley pretty much serve as a punching bag for other teams, and although willing in spirit, when he mixes it up, quite often there's a bloodletting on the ice, and he's usually the main contributor. I would just hate to see the Caps skilled players bullied about, and hope that the Caps will address the issue quickly, if it becomes necessary.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Smell of Hockey Is In the Air
The recent cool weather has made me aware that Fall is right around the corner in this neck of the woods. While many people look forward to Spring and baseball, for me Fall is the time of year I look forward to as a Sports fan because the sports that I enjoy most, football and especially hockey will soon be starting a new season. After being away from the game for a few months, the 7th game disaster by the Capitals against the Penguins doesn't seem quite as painful. While I wouldn't quite put the loss on the same scale as the Colts losing to the Jets in the Super Bowl, or the Orioles losing to the Mets in the 69 World Series, it was nevertheless quite a downer to see the Capitals lose once again to the Pittsburgh Penguins when from all appearances they had everything in their favor this time.
In any event, I've decided that I'm going to enjoy the game for the game itself this year, and not get so caught up in final outcomes. In other words, I plan on enjoying the process much more, and not worry about where the team finishes or who their possible playoff opponent will be. While expectations are part of what makes it fun, I also realize that having unrealistic expectations can lead to a lot of disappointment, and can take much of the enjoyment from it. After all, it's just a game right?
