Caps Make a Playoff Push!

With a compressed season, the Capitals were given two choices: cast away rentals or make a playoff push.  Having gone 9-6-1 in March and opening April with a 5-3 win over division rival Carolina to split a tie, and riding Ovechkin's 9 game point streak (10 goals, 5 assists), the Caps decided to bring in some help.

The biggest hole on the team, as usual, is a top line winger.  Enter Marty Erat, a decent two-way player who consistently ranked among Nashville's leaders in ice time among forwards.  He is a good skater and a great playmaker, who if given the chance, could complement Ovechkin and Backstrom well.  His versatility is useful to as he has played both wing positions in the NHL.

Unfortunately, he is not the answer physically.  The team could use more grit, especially for a playoff run in the Eastern Conference this year, and Erat is not well known for his toughness in the corners.

Overall, he should be a solid asset to a team that could use more goals.

Also acquired in the deal was Michael Latta, a guy that McPhee likens to "a modern day Dale Hunter" (sorry, no citations; I saw it on Twitter).  The team has badly needed grit and went about that in a big way (reacquiring Recker, and bringing in Dane Byers as well).  Latta is a tough center who's good enough to play in the NHL and big enough to make a difference.

We are hoping the minor league additions will help the Bears make a solid playoff run, and with Latta and Wilson competing for roster spots, training camp should be exciting too.

Losing Forsberg is tough, but the assets the Caps acquired are good enough to call this a win-win; for now.

Eric Fehr is back

For some reason, the Capitals brought back underwhelming Eric Fehr, signing him to a one-year deal worth $600k.  Never impressive, Fehr shocked Capitals [fan] everywhere with his whopping two goals and one assist in 35 games for the Jets last season. 

Just what the team needs; a reminder of hopes and dreams never achieved, a visor-wearing "power forward" with no power, or much to offer other than another body - and a well-worn down one at that.  Fehr will provide neither toughness, nor offense, and he is not a particularly good defensive forward either.  With Carolina trading for Westgarth, and Florida signing Parros in the summer, the Southeast bulked up for the first time in years, and the Capitals response is a stern commitment to another year of being pushed around, losing corner battles, and aiming high for a first round playoff exit.

The correct answer, of course, would be to acquire toughness in some way.  Letting Rechlicz walk was a mistake, of course, and there is obviously no reason to sign a one dimensional heavyweight enforcer only to misuse him as in years past.  However, with scrappy guys such as Tom Kostopoulos and Brad Winchester available as free agents, the Capitals could have at least attempted to make a feeble effort to address one of the team's biggest glaring weaknesses.

Looks like it will be another long year of being pushed around, if this is all we can muster.

Hockey's Back!

A day late and a dollar short, the NHL is back.

No word yet on scheduling, rule changes, realignment, or really anything, other than that the NHL will indeed play this year.

Looking at the Capitals roster, there is not much to be excited about.  Despite drafting Tom Wilson in the first round, the Capitals have yet again failed to address the size and toughness issue that has plagued the team for years.  Preventable injuries will probably happen again, and many battles along the boards will be lost.

Here's to hoping that the Boys in Red shape up to fit the mould used by both of the past two Stanley Cup winners.

Happy Trails, Sasha Minor

Earlier today, Alex Semin signed a one year deal with Carolina, worth $7 million.  Seven strange years, 469 regular season games, 51 more in the playoffs, and countless memories later, one of the most eclectic players to don the skates has departed for browner, though still green, pastures.

Alex Semin caught a lot of flack in his time in DC.  From his mysterious, sudden departure in 03-04, to his taking the NHL by storm in his triumphant return in 06-07, to his playoff disappointment this past Spring, Semin was full of both ups and downs.  We will always remember his flashy moves and streaky play; DC's response to Alexei Kovalev.  At times the best player in the league - NHL points leader in 08-09 until a December back injury derailed him - and at times an overpaid underachiever, Semin will serve as a reminder in DC to what could have been.

Semin, quite possibly more than any other Capital in our team's history, embodied what it meant to be a Capital; from a fan's perspective.  His enigmatic ways always left us wanting more - who else in the league could score a hat trick, make a single turnover, and be a villain? - just like the team's disappointments in the playoffs.  Semin is very much a superstar, unwilling at that, but there is something missing.  It is difficult to quite put a finger on it though, which is why both he and the team failed.  If he can put the package together, for a few years at a time, if ever given the chance, then Semin very well may end up in Toronto when all is said and done.

According to Angus Certified, Semin was a fantastic linemate and actually a very solid defensive player, something that most people around the league do not want to believe.  The site also argues, indirectly, that Semin was a good team player, since he adapted his game effectively to both new team strategies and new coaches.  Yet, if you were to ask Marc Crawford, or Pierre HugMePleaseSid McGuire, Semin is Keyser Söze, the evilest villain [in sport].

So what caused this disparity in opinions?  Was it his refusal to speak English with reporters?  Was it his streaky play?  Was it his reported offers to play in Russia?  Maybe he just does not "want it bad enough", whatever that means?  Or is it xenophobia?  Are people scared of him because he is that weird, quiet Russian?  Who knows?

I do not have an answer for that.  There is something about Alex that is just... off.  I do not know how to quite put it into words. 

So, Alex, we bid you farewell.  Please take it easy on us.  

Worst of all for Caps fans, we will no longer have Semin serenading us with his musical stylings.  I present you, one last time, Alex Semin, bongo player extraordinaire!

Rick Nash: Newest Ranger

Today, July 23rd, 2012, after months of speculation, Rick Nash has finally been traded from the only NHL team he has ever known.  The 28 year-old captain of the Blue Jackets, who was drafted first overall back in 2002, was dealt to the New York Rangers for a pair of NHL players, a prospect, and a first round draft pick.

The players: Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov.  The prospect: Tim Erixon.  The draft pick: 2013.

Why this deal is good for Columbus: The Blue Jackets finally moved the heart and soul of the franchise, who made it clear that he wanted out, after 9 seasons of ineptitude, resulting in a single playoff berth which lasted a total of 4 games.  In return, they receive a top 6 forward in Anisimov, who will cause plenty of cannons to go off in Columbus.  Brandon Dubinsky, a 26 year old American who was drafted 60th overall in 2004, was forced to make the adjustment from top 6 to bottom 6, and did so without a complaint.  He exemplified what it meant to be a Ranger under Torts; hard work, team oriented play, and honest.  His grittiness, willingness to fight for his teammates - while giving up a lot of size at times - and heart, made him the ultimate teammate.  Now he will take his talents to the Midwest.

Tim Erixon was drafted 23rd overall by the Calgary Flames in 2009 but was unable to come to terms.  In turn, he was traded to the Rangers for a pair of second rounders and a prospect, where he finally signed, and made his NHL debut, playing in 18 games.  This still very raw talent has a large upside and is rated highly on http://www.hockeysfuture.com/.  The BJs are quietly accumulating a solid defense corps, adding Erixon's potential to that of 2nd overall draft pick Ryan Murray, and existing NHLers Jack Johnson, James Wisniewski, Nikita Nikitin, and Fedor Tyutin.  Not exactly the Avalanche of 2001, but respectable nonetheless.

The draft pick should be a late first rounder, which, according to TSN's Scott Cullen, has a 5.6-27.3% chance of being an impact player.  Assuming the Rangers win one playoff series, this pick will land anywhere between 23rd and 30th overall. 

Why this deal is bad for Columbus: Losing the face of the franchise for a team that finished 27th in attendance last year is not a good marketing plan.  A team that already had a hard enough time luring prime free agent talent may have just lost the only thing attracting potential big names.  If Erixon does not turn out to be a stud, and/or the first rounder is not an impact player, the trade could look very one-sided in New York's favor.

Why this deal is good for New York: The Rangers, yet again, land the big fish.  A year removed from signing Brad Richards to the biggest deal of the 2011 offseason, the Rangers are able to pry Rick Nash from the Blue Jackets.  Nash brings size, strength, delicate hands, leadership, durability, and a serious hunger to win - all things that spell Rangers hockey. 

Why this deal is bad for New York: The Rangers are now in serious salary cap trouble; having four players earning more than $6.5 against the cap for the next two seasons.  Those four players (Nash, Gaborik, Richards, and Lundqvist) earn a combined 41% of the $70.2 million salary cap for 2012.  That is simply not a sustainable business model.  Del Zotto and Stralman are still RFAs this year, McDonaugh, Sauer, Stepan, and Hagelin will be RFAs next year.  It may not be possible to re-sign all of those guys, so the Rangers may be forced to say goodbye to some serious young talent. 

Also, we do not know what will happen with the new CBA.  Perhaps the league decides that burying players in the minors because of poor contract decisions will be against the rules, so Wade Redden and his $6.5 million cap hit through 2013 could potentially be forced onto the Rangers books.

The Atlantic Division is looking dangerous right now.