Caps Cut Clymer, Sign Flash, Demote Pollock

Earlier today the Caps signed Tomas Fleischmann (a formality we all knew was coming, and a potentially great deal at $495,000 for this season), sent Jame Pollock to Hershey (no surprise) and also demoted Ben Clymer to Chocolatetown.

The story there is obviously Clymer, who had to (and did) clear waivers. Should the Caps recall him, he'll have to go through re-entry waivers and any team claiming him would only be responsible for half of his contract (which pays him $1 million this year and $1.1 million next year).

It's certainly worth noting that Clymer has given a lot to the Washington Capitals - and during often difficult times - and should be saluted for his professionalism and leadership both on and off the ice. Whether it was his willingness to accept a return to the blueline at the beginning of last season or the way he handled his frequent healthy scratches during the second half of that same campaign, he has been exactly what the Caps needed him to be, and hopefully some other team needing that role filled will take a look at him and give him a chance. Unfortunately for Ben - but fortunately for the Caps and their fans - that role is no longer needed on this team.

With Clymer and Pollock out of the picture and Jakub Klepis unlikely to be signed, the Caps still have one more player to shed before tomorrow's roster submission deadline. Since David Steckel, Mike Green and Jeff Schultz can all be sent to Hershey without having to go through waivers, any one of them could provide a short-term solution as the team works on trade possibilities and hangs on to veterans like Matt Bradley and Brooks Laich for at least a little longer. Of course, an injury (real or otherwise - John Erskine?) could land someone on the IR to start the season and that would take care of this whole "too many bodies" problem as well.