Tuesday Roundup

With nary a game to recap nor preview and the trade deadline a mere two weeks away, we'll use this opportunity to let you play fantasy GM. Despite the fact that reality GMGM has stated that he expects to stand pat rather than seek reinforcements from outside the organization, it's time for you to chime in and let us know what you'd do if you were in his shoes. What are the team's needs? What assets would you be willing to part with (keep in mind that the Caps have a first round pick, three seconds, a third, fifth, sixth and seventh in the upcoming draft)? And, of course, who is/are your target acquisition(s)?

To help, here's a list of guys who will be free agents this coming summer - and if yesterday's Carolina/Ottawa trade showed us anything, it's that anyone can be a buyer or a seller (or both) in this market.

Of course, the Caps could conceivably get a 30-goal scorer and/or a top four defenseman around the deadline at no additional cost at all, but that seems increasingly less likely, perhaps making a small splash in the market all the more probable.

So have at it, armchair GMs. These are your Caps - make 'em better or stand pat.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Bruce Boudreau's Adams candidacy is gaining steam.... Nice trend.... Check out Hockey Underground for another source for Caps coverage.... Happy 28th Birthday to former Cap suckfest and number six overall pick (!) Rico Fata.... Finally, a year ago today we saw insult added to injury, noted a contract extension for a big winger and got word of a tough injury.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mike Modano (Game-winning goal, A, +1, 5 SOG)
  
• Ross: Jere Lehtinen, Mike Modano (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Stephane Robidas (+1, 5 SOG, 4 hits)
  
• Vezina: Ilja Bryzgalov (L, 42 saves on 44 shots against)
  
• Richard: Niko Kapanen, Steve Ott, Mike Modano (1G each)
  
• Calder: Matt Niskanen (+1, 3 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Radim Vrbata (0 points, 0% faceoffs won, 3 GvA, 0 TkA)
  

November's Most Popular Posts

With December upon us, let's take a quick look back at The Rink's five most read posts of November. They include some mascot abuse, Halloween leftovers, international incidents, America's finest and, of course, the mother of all blog rolls:

1. The Japers' Rink Blogroll (which has added 72 new links since it was originally posted)
2. Joe Finley: Less Popular In Wisconsin Than Low-Fat Cheddar
3. (Hat)Trick Or Treat
4. The Top 10 (Plus Two) American-Born Players Of All-Time (thanks, Mike Modano)
5. US And Russian U-17s Drop 'em In Dmitrov

You Might Want To Check Your Facts, Lites

I didn't post anything on the Jordin Tootoo incident (but feel free to discuss it in the comments to this post), but something else out of Saturday night's Preds/Stars game struck me, namely Dallas Stars owner Jim Lites' indignation about how the host Preds handled a certain NHL milestone:

Dallas Stars president Jim Lites has ripped the entire Nashville Predators organization for the 'horrible thing' they did by not acknowledging the Stars' Mike Modano tying and then breaking the record for goals scored by an American-born player Saturday, according to a published report.

"Their owner, management, public relations people, coaching staff -- I think they all failed the game," Lites told the Dallas Morning News. "It's because of people like Mike Modano that they even have a team in Nashville. He has helped pioneer the game in the South, and for him to be treated like that in a milestone moment ... it's just a horrible thing."

Aside from Lites' ridiculous over-the-top mock outrage (Failed the game? Horrible?) and hyperbole (Atlanta, a Southern city, last I checked, had an NHL team when Modano was two-years-old), there's this little tidbit:

At the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano said he thought that Nashville and Carolina should be contracted.

Oops!

So, Mr. Lites, please forgive the Predators owner, management, public relations people and coaching staff for not stopping the game to fete a guy who, if he had his druthers, would see them all out of jobs.