Capitals Lacking an Enforcer

Washington Capitals Hockey

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.