Princess Re-Ups For Three Years

The Caps have re-signed Matt "Princess" Pettinger to a three-year deal. Financial terms - stop me if you've heard this one - were not disclosed. That's pretty much everyone re-signed without a single arbitrator having to get involved. Kudos to the players and management.

A Taste Of Semin Beautiful Semin Shot Nice Goal

The Future Gets Closer Every Day

FOX Sports has a nice piece up about some of the Caps' top prospects. It sure is nice to see someone throwing around words like "blossoming," "monster," "consistent," "dominant," and "slick offensive winger with puck skills who can make defensemen look silly" to describe Capitals other than Alex Ovechkin (though AO love never does get old).

52 Reasons To Love Alexander Ovechkin

Now if only someone would make a montage of his 172 hits.

Caps Re-Sign Bradley... And Then There Was One

The Caps today re-signed right wing Matt Bradley to a two-year deal, leaving only winger Matt Pettinger unsigned and scheduled for arbitration. In a way, I hope Princess goes to arbitration because I'd be interested to see what the fair value of a 20-goal scoring penalty-killing specialist who'd never before scored 8 goals in a season is. Then again, given some of the arbitration awards I've seen so far, I'd probably rather the team lock him up beforehand.

In other minor (literally) news, the Caps re-signed Hershey-bound defenseman Dean Arsene.

Wake Me When It's Hockey Season, Pt. VII

A one-eyed football official has filed a lawsuit against the Big Ten Conference in order to reclaim his job. Jim Filson insists one functional eye can be the equal of two, and he has five seasons as a one-eyed official in the Big Ten to confirm it. [Link]

H
O C
K E Y
N O W P
L E A S E

[Hat tip to W.F.Yurasko for the link]

Hockey's Future's Capitals 2006 Draft Review

Hockey's Future's Capitals 2006 Draft Review is up.

Party On, Garth

As you've undoubtedly heard, the Isles have canned General Manager Neil Smith after barely a month on the job and replaced him with former goaltender Garth Snow. And perhaps by now you're done laughing at Charles Wang's Fishermen (or perhaps you're still laughing at the name "Wang"). Regardless, you should know that Snow (3-8-1 in his career against the Capitals, by the way) is wasting no time getting to work. Check out this picture of Snow scouting the Islanders' potential third line:

(click to enlarge... the image, pervert)

Caps Sign Laing

The Caps today announced that they have signed left wing Quintin Laing. Needless to say, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Enjoy Hershey, Q!

On a related note, why couldn't this have happened last Friday, when the Panthers reached an agreement with their new goalie so I could have had a post titled "Auld, Laing Sign"?

Caps Re-Sign Sutherby, Fata

The Caps today announced the signings of centers Brian Sutherby and Rico Fata. Both are one year deals with Sutherby set to earn $800,000 and Fata slated to make $650,000.

Wake Me When It's Hockey Season, Pt. VI

During the final minute of the [WNBA All-Star Game], the All-Stars transformed the game into a impromptu Slam Dunk Contest. Phoenix's Diana Taurasi got the first shot at it, but had her attempt blocked at the rim. Snow grabbed the rebound as players on both sides cleared the lane to give her an open path to the bucket. After having her first dunk stuffed at the rim, Snow recovered with a one-handed reverse slam with 6.3 seconds remaining. [Link]

I don't know where to begin on this one, so I won't.

Hockey. Now. Please.

Caps Re-Sign Trio

The Caps today announced the re-signing of defenseman Steve Eminger, right wing Boyd Gordon, and center Kris Beech. As usual, terms of the deals were not disclosed, though interestingly the team's press release notes that Gordon's deal is a two-year contract.

The most important of these three signings is Eminger, who was third among the team's blueliners in points last year and third overall on the team in ice time. He certainly had his shares of ups and downs throughout the year, and much will be expected of him this season as he matures as an NHL defenseman.

Gordon is a penalty-killing machine who has shown no offensive instincts at the NHL level. Is there room on this team for a specialist? Look for him to split time between Washington and Hershey.

Beech is a wild card, as he could end up centering the second line, the fourth line, a line in Hershey or the NHL unemployment line. It's a make-or-break year for Beech, so if he's got anything to show, now's the time.

I mentioned above that Eminger had his shares of ups and downs throughout the year. Here's my favorite "up" from a Columbus Day tilt with the Blueshirts (complete with Brian Sutherby laying out Jaromir Jagr to start the play):

Caps Sign Brashear

I'll say one thing: the 2006-07 Caps will certainly be more entertaining than last year's squad. Explosive scorer? Check. Explosive pugilist? Check, per WashingtonCaps.com:

The Washington Capitals have signed free agent left wing Donald Brashear, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

So what should Caps fans expect?



Yep. Unlistenable music and serious knuckle-chuckin'. But is Donald Brashear all fists, no finesse? You be the judge:





[Hat tip to the timely-named BringBackZednik84]

Re-Stocking The Bar Bears

The Caps and/or their AHL affiliate in Hershey signed two players today, rightwing Chad Wiseman and "sniper" Alexandre Giroux. I say the Caps "and/or" the Bears because the Wiseman press release reads:

HERSHEY BEARS President and General Manager, Doug Yingst, in conjunction with the Washington Capitals announced today that they have signed free agent right wing Chad Wiseman.

While the Giroux release reads:

Washington Capitals Vice President and General Manager, George McPhee, in conjunction with HERSHEY BEARS President and General Manager, Doug Yingst, announced today that they have signed free agent center/left wing Alexandre Giroux.

What rights do the Caps have to these players? Who knows. I'll look around for more clarification. Anyway, as for the two, Giroux led the Hartford Wolfpack in goals last year and Wiseman say only fools rush in. Hope you boys like Chocolatetown!

2006-07 Washington Capitals Organizational Depth Chart And Current Contract Situations

In an effort to consolidate what are likely the two most useful sources of Caps-related information ever to appear on The Rink, below are my take on the 2006-07 Washington Capitals Organizational Depth Chart (disclaimer here) and Current Contract Situations (disclaimer here). This post will stay pinned on the right side, so check back often.

Click on either picture to enlarge it, and click again (depending on what browser you're using) to see the full-size image.

(Originally posted 7/14 at 1:00 p.m. Last updated 10/2 at 9:30 a.m.)

Kevin Weekes: The Patrick Roy Of The Web

With a $2 million per year contract to ride the pine, Kevin Weekes has plenty of both cash and time on his hands. The result? www.KevinWeekes.com, undoubtedly the sweetest of all four of the official NHL.com Player Sites (but only if you visit with your speakers on). His stats may say backup, but his website says Vezina, baby, Vezina.

Caps Re-Acquire Zednik

The Caps have re-aquired rightwing (and fan favorite) Richard Zednik from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2007 Entry Draft. More in a bit.


UPDATE: I was going to add some commentary on the deal, but Eric at OffWing has done a great job, so head on over there. I will, however, add the video of the hit that may have changed the course of the Z-man's career:And, just to show that Z can give as good as he gets, there's this video of him soaking Chris Drury with haymakers:

Originally posted July 12, 2006 at 10:38 p.m.

Wake Me When It's Hockey Season, Pt. V

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Jessica Mendoza set the tone for the United States at the World Cup of Softball.

Mendoza homered twice and drove in six runs and three pitchers combined on a five-inning one-hitter as the U.S. beat Britain 14-0 on Thursday night in a game called because of the run rule. [Link]

I'm not sure which is worse - that a sport has a slaughter rule or that it was on ESPN last night. Hockey. Now. Please.

Caps Re-Sign Laich, Cassivi

The Caps have re-signed center Brooks Laich and goaltender Frederic Cassivi. Terms for both deals were not disclosed.

The Laich signing is more important, as Cassivi, the 2006 Calder Cup MVP, is headed straight for Hershey, while Laich will get a real shot to center the Caps' second line. I remember Ted Leonsis (gratuitous name drop) telling me last year that the organization sees Laich as "a Steve Konowalchuk-type player with a little more offense." If that's the case, his future is indeed bright and pretty soon he'll be more than just "the guy we got for Bondra."

UPDATE: According to the WaPo (which has a nice article on towering blueline prospect Sasha Pokulok), Laich's deal is for one year at $627,000. The WTimes, however, reports that the deal is for one year at $606,000. Who should I believe - one of the most respected newspapers in the world or Sun Myung Moon and his neo-con daily? Sadly, TSN.ca is reporting the deal is for $606,100, so it looks like the Moonies win... this round.

Finally, if you haven't been reading them daily, catch up on Mike Vogel's reports from Caps' prospect camp here, here and here.

Wake Me When It's Hockey Season, Pt. IV

"I think Danica [Patrick]'s pretty aggressive in our cars. I mean, you know especially if you catch her at the right time of the month, she might be trading plenty of paint out there." - IRL driver Ed Carpenter

Hockey now, please, where not even Jaromir Jagr's menstrual cycle matters.

ESPY Results

The ESPY's were taped last night out in LaLa Land (to air Sunday night on ESPN). As many of you know, Alexander Ovechkin was up for two awards - Best NHL Player and Best Breakthrough Athlete. Want to know how he did? Click here.

Washington Capitals 2006-07 Organizational Depth Chart... Sort Of

Whenever I get the chance to, I like to rip off the guys over at The Battle of Alberta. Here, then, is my initial stab at a 2006-07 Caps organizational depth chart... sort of. I say "sort of" because it doesn't necessarily rank the players at each position, but predicts line combinations. I also say "sort of" because it includes players who aren't yet signed, but who I expect to be signed before the season starts (noted by asterisks). This chart will be updated here, so check back often.

(click image to enlarge)

Wake Me When It's Hockey Season, Pt. III

[Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud] Selig likes the idea of a rule that would preclude All-Star pitchers from pitching the Sunday before the game.

So the Commissioner is going to tell teams who are potentially in penant or wild card races which players they can and cannot play in regular season games so as to preserve the quality of an exhibition game? That makes sense.

A Quick Rundown Of The Days' Caps News

The WaPo profiles prospect Jeff Schultz (read the article and insert "Caps/choke" joke here), while the WTimes profiles local would-be Cap Stephen Werner.

Finally, much has been made lately about whether or not Alex Ovechkin will (or should) replace Jeff Halpern as the Caps next captain. Kara Yorio thinks so, and she should know, having spent countless days travelling with the team and hours behind closed doors in the locker room after games and practices. Wait, no she hasn't. Neither has just about anyone speculating about the future of the team's captaincy.

A hockey team's captain isn't about individual points, hits or potential, and while Alex is clearly a strong leader on (and by all accounts off) the ice, if and when he's ready to captain the team - and if and when the team is ready to have him as their de facto leader - head coach Glen Hanlon, and not some columnist in a national sports publication, will let him and the rest of us know it.

Wake Me When It's Hockey Season, Pt. II

PITTSBURGH -- It was a Home Run Derby only Admiral Dewey, Charlie the Tuna and the star-studded cast of The Little Mermaid could have loved.

Sounds exhilarating. Hockey please.

Backstrom To Stay In Sweden

At least I'm told that's what this means:


... and running the webpage through a free online translator tells us all we need to know:


My initial reaction was one of disappointment. I guess I would have liked to have seen Slick Nick display the same burning desire to conquer the North American game at the earliest possible date that Alex Ovechkin displayed from the word go last year. But Backstrom, the fourth overall pick in last month's Entry Draft (and by most accounts the most NHL-ready), is not Ovechkin, and hopefully another year of development in Europe as a big fish in a smaller pond will be best for him - and more importantly the Caps - in the long run. And don't forget that, due to the lockout, Ovechkin had a year of hockey in perhaps the most competitive professional league in the world (that was playing hockey) after being drafted before making his NHL debut last October. In essence, Backstrom will be doing the same. So after sitting on it for a few minutes, I'm fine with the decision and will anxiously await his North American debut.

Besides, can you blame a guy for not wanting to leave this?

UPDATE: Confirmation from the Caps' website:

The team learned Monday that center Nicklas Backstrom, the team’s top choice (fourth overall) in last month’s 2006 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, will not come to North America for the 2006-07 season. Backstrom has opted to remain in his native Sweden and play another season for Brynas of the Swedish Elite League.

UPDATE: And here's even more for those of you who can read Swede.

UPDATE: The WaPo's got a story on Backstrom's decision here, the WTimes here.

[Hat tip to CapitalGoodie for the pointer]

Caps Re-Sign Morrisonn

The Caps announced today that they have avoided arbitration and re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Shaone Morrisonn to a two-year deal. Per team policy, terms were not disclosed.

Morrisonn, who projects to be a top-four defenseman, was one of the Caps' more pleasant surprises in 2005-06, finishing a remarkable +7 on a team that gave up 69 more goals than it scored. Acquiring the Vancouver native and former Bruins first-round pick is also one of General Manager George McPhee's biggest coups to date, as GMGM dumped soon-to-be-free-agent Sergei Gonchar on the Bruins for "Mo," a first- and a second-round pick in March of 2004.

For the latest on how the Caps' 2006-07 is shaping up, go here (also pinned at right).

UPDATE: The WTimes is reporting that Morrisonn will make $900,000 in each of the two years of his new contract.

Corny Color Analyst For Televised Poker Coverage Must Be Number Six

In today's gratuitous cheap shot at hockey, Norman Chad gives his list of the Five Worst Jobs In Sports. Coming in at number five (or is it number one?):

Commissioner, National Hockey League: Honestly, what's the point?

Kudos to Chad for both piling on an easy target and failing to make a coherent point, all in one fell swoop. I think it's pretty clear that there's a "point" to being the NHL Commissioner, as said Commish just negotiated a huge win for his bosses - the owners - to end the most prolonged work stoppage in professional sports history. Love him or hate him, Gary Bettman has served his masters (if not his sport) well and has unquestionably left an indelible mark on the game of hockey. If Chad had really wanted to poke fun at an impotent (and unimportant) Commissioner, he should look at the guy whose most significant decisions in the last half-dozen years have been to let baseball games end in ties and turn a blind-eye to rampant drug abuse within his sport until the government was forced to step in.

Wake Me When It's Hockey Season

Cut pinky keeps Mets' Reyes out of All-Star game

Baseball players are so tough.

Athletes Against Autism Golf Tournament

NHL.com has an article up about the Inaugural Athletes Against Autism Golf Tournament. It's a good read and a great cause - check it out.

Owner's Corner For July 7, 2006

A new edition of Owner's Corner is up at WashingtonCaps.com. In it, Ted Leonsis dishes on the NHL Awards and Draft, Caps prospects, free agency, and the new Ballston practice facility. He offers this on the newest Cap NHLer, Brian Pothier:

This summer our hockey operations staff felt that adding a defenseman who could man the point on the power play while playing a significant number of minutes at even strength was a priority and would improve our club. They identified a few players who fit that bill, and we feel fortunate that we were able to add Brian Pothier to our team for the next four years. We feel he is capable of assuming a larger role than he had in Ottawa (where they had several top-flight “D”), and that he can step in here and play more than 20 minutes a night while bolstering our power play. We also feel that adding Pothier helps take some pressure off some of our younger defensemen and will hopefully enable them to develop at a proper pace.

Japers' Rink Glossary

In a blatant rip off of The Battle of Alberta, Abel to Yzerman and others, here's the ever-evolving Japers' Rink Glossary, designed to assist you in understanding just what and whom the hell I'm talking about (to be pinned at right). Additions are always welcome, so if I'm missing anything, straighten me out.

Glossary

Baby Face - Eric Staal

Baby Food - Martin Gerber

Butt Fugly - Rod Brind'Amour

Candycanes - The Caps' Southeast Division rivals from Carolina

Frodo - Martin St. Louis

GMGM - Caps' General Manager George McPhee

Lurch - former Cap (thankfully) blueliner Ivan Majesky

MHM - The mainstream hockey media

Neanderchuk - now-retired Lightning Captain Dave Andreychuk

Princess - Matt Pettinger

Rags - The Caps' former Patrick Division rivals from Gotham

Rico Fatass - Keith Tkachuk

Sidney Crosby Hat Trick - A goal, an assist and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the same game (coined by Decline the Penalty)

The Goal - Alex Ovechkin's twisting-sprawling-physics-defying tally against Phoenix on January 17, 2006, shown here:



The Toe - Tim Taylor, so named for the toe-in-the-crease no-goal that helped the Caps past the Bruins in the 1998 Playoffs.

Whalers - The Caps' Southeast Division rivals from Carolina

Caps Shed Excess Marylander

After drafting Ellicott City's own Luke Lynes in the fourth round of last month's NHL Entry Draft, the Caps found themselves with three native Marylanders in the system (captain Jeff Halpern and prospect Stephen Werner being the others), which is alright if you're a lacrosse team, but not so good if you're a hockey team. Something had to give, and today it did as Halpern signed with the Dallas Stars, returning the Caps to a more manageable two skaters from the greatest state in the land.

As for the Halpern deal (said to be for four years at around $2 million per year), I'll likely have more to say on it at some point, but I agree with GMGM's assessment that "[i]t's hard [for Halpern] to turn that kind of deal down." Um, yeah. I'd have liked to have seen Halpern back for a one- or two-year deal at maybe $1.5 million, but sinking $8 million into Jeff Halpern for the next four years is way too much, as Dallas will likely find out. I wish him all the best in Big D, though, and hope his storybook NHL career has plenty of great chapters left in it. Chapters like this one:

Did The Caps Make A Run At Signing Chara?

According to the Toronto Sun, the Caps were one of a handful of teams that offered more than $7 million per season to free agent defenseman Zdeno Chara this past weekend:

Chara told Sun Media yesterday the Leafs were one of seven teams (along with San Jose, Los Angeles, Edmonton, Washington, the New York Rangers and New Jersey) that offered more than $7 million a season before he took Boston's offer.

Very interesting (and encouraging), if true.

The 2006-07 Washington Capitals

Inspired by a post over at Red and Black Hockey and with the free agency period nearly upon us, I figured I'd provide a rundown of the Caps' current contract situations and my personal thoughts on what they should do between now and opening night in October.

First, a look at the 2005-06 Caps (and prospects) and their contracts (click on image to enlarge):


[Note: the above chart has been updated as the team has made roster moves]. I'm sure I've missed some players and am wrong about some others, so feel free to correct me (finding details on NHL player contracts is apparently harder than finding confidential financial information about suspected terrorists without a warrant). As you can see, I've offered my thoughts on those players above who are already signed (in black) and those who are unsigned (comments in red indicate my desire to never see the player don a Caps' sweater again, comments in green mean that I'd like to see the team re-sign the player and comments in brown indicate that the player should be re-signed for Hershey and perhaps part-time duty in Washington).

A word or two on who's no longer a Cap in GMJP's world:

• Mathieu Biron: Had his moments, but didn't strike me as particularly "hockey-smart," "hard-working" or "talented."
  
• Ivan Majesky: The "New NHL" isn't particularly kind to Ivan the Terrible. Come to think of it, neither was the "Old NHL."
  
• J-F Fortin: Word is that he's ready to sign with a European team. Too bad his stomach is so much bigger than his heart.
• Matt Bradley: I have nothing but good things to say about Bradley, a good team guy with a mean streak. There just isn't enough room up front for someone with his limited arsenal.
• Brian Willsie: Another great teammate and a hard-worker, but a minus-19 rating, even on this team, is inexcusable. He'll be cheap to qualify, so don't be surprised if he starts the season with the team but hits the waiver-wire when he can't regularly crack the lineup.
  

OK. Now that those tear-filled goodbyes are out of the way, we can get down to business. Assuming that Nicklas Backstrom is not a Capital this coming year, if the team re-signs the players I'd like to see them re-sign, the team's lines would look something like this (and I'm more concerned with the filling out a lineup card than the chemistry any given line might have, so don't complain about the combos):

Ovechkin - Zubrus - Clark
Semin - Halpern (signed with Dallas 7/5) - Zednik (signed 7/12)
Fleischmann - Laich - Free agent
Pettinger - Sutherby - Clymer

Scratches/taxi squad: Fehr, Gordon

Eminger - Heward
Morrisonn - Muir
Green - Pothier (signed 7/1)

Scratches/Taxi squad: Nycholat

Kolzig
Johnson

Now the fun part - shopping time! With the increase in the salary floor, the Caps may have to throw a few rubles around just to clear the minimum, but we'll try to keep it within reason.

First, the forwards. The Caps need a couple of relatively inexpensive veteran rightwings who can score a bit, play a little defense, aren't afraid to hit or be hit and most of all play hard. We're letting Willsie and Bradley go, so the new guys will have to be an upgrade over that pair. Who fits the bill? Realistically, how about taking a look at Mark Parrish or Jamie Langenbrunner? Then again, there's always Jeff Friesen (just kidding, relax). Oh, and forget about that other #12 coming back. Not gonna happen.

Now to the rearguards. There aren't as many openings on the blueline (not to be mistaken for "there aren't many holes on the blueline"), but the team certainly could use another top-4 or certainly top-6 defenseman, preferably one with some offensive ability. Hmmm... Three guys that would certainly be upgrades are Filip Kuba, Willie Mitchell (though he has no offensive skill of which to speak) and, depending on the asking price, Brian Pothier.

Finally, who will back up Olie Kolzig? Despite his Calder Cup playoff run, Freddy Cassivi is not up to the task. Personally, I'd welcome Brent Johnson back in a second. But if that doesn't happen... eh, throw any crappy retread back there. It doesn't matter. Ideally, the Caps would have Olie's heir apparent playing 30 games this season, but since that's not in the cards, it doesn't really matter as long as there's a legitimate NHL keeper behind Olie. Mike Dunham? Sure. Brian Boucher? Whatever.

And there you have it. If the Caps sign all of the guys I suggest, are they a playoff team? Probably not. But stranger things have happened. They'd certainly be better than they were last year, and the team will have done nothing to hinder the progress of the younger players, hurt the financial bottom line or turn off the fan base. As I see it, throw the big bucks around next summer, with 2007/08 as the target for the next playoff appearance and 2008/09 as the target date for serious contention in the Eastern Conference.

I love it when a plan comes together.

(Originally posted 6/26)

UPDATE (6/27, 5:15 p.m.): The chart has been updated to reflect the Group II (restricted) free agents to whom the Caps did and did not tender offers by yesterday's deadline.

UPDATE (6/28, 7:35 a.m.): The Caps are in negotiations with Jeff Halpern and Johnson to bring the two back, according to the WaPo, and according to the WTimes, the team is close to a deal with the latter.

UPDATE (7/4, 8:20 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed Brent Johnson, signed UFA defenseman Brian Pothier, bought out blueliner Nolan Yonkman's contract, are about to lose Jeff Halpern to the Stars and saw Brian Willsie sign with the Kings.

UPDATE (7/5, 9:00 p.m.): It's official - Halps has signed with the Stars. In addition, six players have filed for salary arbitration (just about everyone who was eligible to take the team to arbitration did).

UPDATE (7/6, 5:30 p.m.): The Caps have signed defenseman Sasha Pokulok, the team's first pick, 14th overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft.

UPDATE (7/10, 5:20 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed defenseman Shaone Morrisonn, who had been a restricted free agent. Also, it appears that first-round pick (fourth overall) Nicklas Backstrom will be staying in Sweden for the 2006-07 season.

UPDATE (7/12, 6:45 p.m.): The Caps have re-aquired rightwing Richard Zednik from the Montreal Canadiens in return for a third-round pick in 2007.

UPDATE (7/13, 9:30 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed center Brooks Laich and Hershey-bound goaltender Frederic Cassivi.

UPDATE (7/14, 2:30 p.m.): The Caps have signed Donald Brashear. Caps fans rejoice. Also, the Caps (or Hershey - I'm not sure it really matters) signed forwards Alexandre Giroux and Chad Wiseman.

UPDATE (7/15, 6:20 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed defenseman Steve Eminger and forwards Boyd Gordon and Kris Beech.

UPDATE (7/17, 7:45 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed centers Brian Sutherby and Rico Fata.

UPDATE (7/18, 9:10 p.m.): The Caps have signed left wing Quintin Laing.

UPDATE (7/21, 5:00 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed left wing Ben Clymer to a three-year deal. The team also signed minor league tough Pete Vandermeer.

UPDATE (7/26, 9:00 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed right wing Matt Bradley to a two-year deal. The team also re-signed minor league defenseman Dean Arsene.

UPDATE (7/31, 7:15 p.m.): The Caps have re-signed left wing Matt Pettinger to a three-year deal.

UPDATE (9/8, 10:20 p.m.): The Caps have announced their roster for training camp.

What They're Saying: The Caps' 2006 Draft

Below is a collection of comments on the Caps' 2006 Draft generally (and the draftees specifically) from around the hockey world. Check back often, as this post will be updated as needed.

James Mirtle:

The Washington Capitals select Nicklas Backstrom, from Sweden. A member of Sweden's world junior championship team, he's a silky smooth puckhandler/playmaker and has been compared to Swedish greats like Peter Forsberg and Henrik Zetterberg.

I had a chance to talk to talk to Backstrom in British Columbia during the world junior tournament, and while his language skills are going to need some improvement, he's an extremely determined youngster who was actually one of the youngest players to ever play in the Swedish Elite League as a 16 year old. Given that he's fallen all the way to No. 4, he could end up being the steal of this draft.

Eric Duhatschek:

The fact that the Washington Capitals bypassed Phil Kessel to select Swedish prospect Nicklas Backstrom counted as the first mild surprise of the draft. General manager George McPhee handled it pretty well — he introduced Alexander Ovechkin, the Calder Trophy winner — and let Ovechkin make the call on Backstrom, who played in the Swedish Elitserien for Brynas and helped a team that's almost always on the cusp on being demoted from the first division stay up this season.

Backstrom had a little Peter Forsberg and a little Joe Sakic in him — he isn't big or exceptionally fast, but he competes hard and possesses unbelievable hockey sense. Presumably, the Capitals figured that Backstrom would be a better fit with Ovechkin than Kessel would.

Bob McKenzie:

[Backstrom] is a great player and the sky's the limit. Scouts say he compares well to Peter Forsberg....

[Semen Varlamov]'s not a prototypical Russian goalie - with his agility and athleticism, this guy has the ability to steal games.

Scott Burnside:

Great idea for Washington to include rookie of the year Alexander Ovechkin in the proceedings as he announced the Caps' first (Swedish forward Nicklas Backstrom) and second (Semen Varlamov) picks of the day.

Although the Caps were prepared to send Ovechkin home after the annual awards ceremony Thursday, Ovechkin said he wanted to stay and meet the new draftees. Throughout the day, Ovechkin could be seen hanging out with the new players and signing autographs and providing interviews to the media.

So much time is spent wondering how best to market the new NHL -- here was a living example of how it should be done.

E.J. Hradek:

Caps superstar Alexander Ovechkin announced the pick to the crowd at the GM Place. The Swedish center will fit nicely on a top line with the Big O. The Caps' top player liked what he saw when he played against Backstrom at the World Championship....

Varlamov figures to be the starting goalie for Team Russia at the 2007 World Junior Championships. He's an athletic stopper. Some scouts believe he has the ability to "steal" games. Somewhere down the road, he could replace Olaf Kolzig in the Caps' crease.

UPDATE (6/26, 9:55 a.m.) - Allan Muir, SI.com:

Nicklas Backstrom (4th) looks like the player most capable of jumping directly to the NHL -- an important element for a team that needs immediate help. He's expected eventually to center Alexander Ovechkin on the first line. Semen Varlamov mans the nets for the Russian Junior Nats, and while a bit of a stretch at 23, he's highly regarded. Watch for Francois Bouchard (35th) and center Brent Gwidt (157th) to help make this one of Washington's most productive classes ever. Grade: A

UPDATE (6/27, 10:30 a.m.) - The Hockey News:

The Good: Nicklas Backstrom (fourth overall) is the most NHL-ready of the 'Big Five'. The Caps are excited about seeing him line up at center with Alexander Ovechkin. They also need to start searching for a replacement for the aging Olaf Kolzig. In choosing two goaltenders early, they hedged their bets.

The Bad: They went off the radar a little early in choosing center Brent Gwidt 156th, and Maxime Lacroix 127th overall.

The Unique: The Caps need a skilled right winger immediately, and Francois Bouchard (Pierre-Marc's brother) will have an opportunity.

The Grade: A+ Washington could not have done better. Backstrom was great pickup, and choosing goalies Semen Varlamov (23rd overall) and Michal Neuvirth (34th overall) they filled a definite need. Grabbing Bouchard 35th was also a great pickup. The team really improved Saturday.

UPDATE (6/30, 7:45 a.m.) - FOX Sports:

Semen Varlamov, goalie, 23rd overall, Washington Capitals: While it was a bit of a surprise that Varlamov was the top Russian to be selected in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, his name being called so early was not by any means a surprise. He is definitely brightest goaltender to come out of Russia since Ilya Bryzgalov and was a great pickup for the Capitals, who lack depth in net after the departures of Maxime Ouellet, Sebastien Charpentier, and Rastislav Stana.

Varlamov has already been the starter for Russia's under-18 squad for two seasons and will inherit the starting role on the under-20 squad for the next two years. He has yet to earn any professional experience in the Super League, but Varlamov has proven his worth on the international arena.

One area for improvement for the young netminder is his positioning. He moves very quickly in the crease and possesses a quick butterfly. Additionally, he possesses a very strong work ethic.

The biggest concern regarding Varlamov's development into a blue chip netminder is the lack of an established hockey school in Yaroslavl and on the Russian national team. While his Yaroslavl counterpart Ivan Kasutin went to Finland to be schooled, Varlamov is completely "home grown" thus far.

At this point it is unclear whether the Capitals will look to bring Varlamov over to the juniors for the 2006-07 season, but if he remains in Russia, he must secure a Super League backup or a High League (Russia 2) starting position to continue his development, as he has already proven all he could at the junior first-league level.

UPDATE (7/4, 7:55 p.m) - Hockey'sFuture:

In a few years, the Washington Capitals may have a Russian as their franchise netminder. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl product Semen Varlamov was the first Russian to have his name called at the GM Place last Saturday in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, becoming only the second Russian goaltender after Yevgeni Ryabchikov to be picked in the first round. Ryabchikov was chosen by the Boston Bruins 21st overall in 1994 but failed to ever make it to the NHL.
...
Semen Varlamov, G (Lokomotiv-2, Russia-2)
1st round pick, 23rd overall by Washington
Picking a goalie so high signaled the Capitals’ determination to find a long-term solution for their goaltending situation. With Olaf Kolzig’s imminent retirement, the team has no quality goaltenders coming up behind him. In fact, they don’t even have a decent backup with talented but inconsistent Rostislav Stana the best netminder behind the aging Kolzig.

Varlamov has a great potential, but he is yet to be tested in the big leagues as he hasn’t played a game in Russian Super League. However, he posted great numbers for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s farm team posting eight shutouts in 33 games and keeping his GAA below the 2.00 mark. Varlamov’s assets include his mobility, vision, good reactions and quickness. Investing a first round pick in him was a gamble since it’s still unknown whether he’ll remain consistent and develop at same pace as he steps to the next level and goes to play in the Super League. On the other hand, the most recent Stanley Cup Playoffs proved that a goalie doesn’t need to be overly experienced to assume the starting duties right away and lead his team to the very top.

UPDATE (7/19, 6:39 a.m.): Hockey'sFuture's Capitals 2006 Draft Review is up.