Lacroix, Pokulok Reassigned To Hershey

Forward Maxime Lacroix and defenseman Sasha Pokulok have been reassigned by the Caps from ECHL South Carolina to AHL Hershey. The move is a precursor, no doubt, to a forthcoming call-up or two from Hershey to D.C. as the Caps try to deal with an onslaught of injuries while staying under the salary cap.

Sasha Pokulok The Diver

Actually, "Sasha Pokulok the Jumper" is a bit more accurate, as this crazy - and nearly tragic - story involving the Caps' 2005 first round pick details:

West Ashley, SC - A fire tears through a West Ashley apartment complex and leaves four families without homes.

The families that lived in the charred units all escaped without injury, but it was close. The fire spread so quickly, a man living in a second story apartment jumped out his bedroom window to escape the flames.

Around 3 a.m. a quiet complex turned chaotic.

"It was scary, it woke me right up," said Sasha Pokulok. He had only been asleep a couple hours. He plays professional hockey for the Stingrays and had a game earlier in the night."As soon as I woke up I knew something was wrong, it was a thick fog...First thing I thought was get the animals out of there."

Pokulok crawled through his apartment to find his dog and cat, while fire crept toward his front door. He had to toss both pets out the window, then himself.

...

"You've got to kind of stay strong and tell yourself its material and what you want the most is not material. It's obviously the people you care about," said Pokulok. Pokulok, grateful, his pregnant girlfriend happened to be out of town.

Pokulok has a goal, two assists and a team-best plus-six rating in six games for South Carolina so far this season.

H/t John Walton Hockey

Snip Snip: Alzner, Bourque, Laing Edition

Final cuts have been made and Karl Alzner, Chris Bourque and Quintin Laing have been sent to Hershey (which, for Laing, means having to go through waivers), leaving a 22-man roster in D.C. (for more on the cuts, check out John Walton Hockey and Dump and Chase).

The above moves make the following (which I was about to post) somewhat irrelevant:

As rosters move closer to being finalized at all levels of puck, the Hershey Bears have sent defensemen Viktor Dovgan and Sasha Pokulok (along with forwards Travis Morin and Tommy Maxwell) down to South Carolina of the ECHL.

While the Dovgan move is mildly surprising (especially given that some thought he would be joined at the hip with Simeon Varlamov this season so as to provide the bluechip goalie with at least one teammate on and off the ice who speaks his language), one wonders if the move is meant to free up a spot or two on the Bears blueline before the the season starts in anticipation of the arrival of a certain rearguard from Washington.

Prospect Notes: Pokulok And Varlamov

A couple of quick prospect notes on this lovely Tuesday afternoon...

First up, the Charleston Post and Courier has a lengthy feature on big blueliner Sasha Pokulok (the player the Caps took with their first round pick in the Great Screw Job of 2005, err, the 2005 Entry Draft). If you don't feel like reading the whole article, here's the bottom line in a neat, two paragraph nutshell:

It is Pokulok's offensive skill, his skating ability, and his 6-5, 230-pound frame that made the former Cornell star a first-round pick in the 2005 NHL draft by the Washington Capitals.

But while his skills are indisputable, the expectations that come with being a first-round draft pick have carried a heavy burden for the soft-spoken Pokulok. Labeled a bust by some hockey experts just two years into his professional career, Pokulok's development has been too slow for some Capitals fans.

Take your time, Sasha - we'll wait... if you're worth waiting for.

The second nugget du jour comes via the Alexander Ovetjkin blog, and it's the translation of a brief SovSport interview with goaltender Simeon Varlamov, who will join the franchise's better-known Russians at the World Championships. Money quote:

I know that the Washington Capitals are waiting for me, they talk a lot with my agent. I'm planning to leave for North America. I know it will be hard to break into the Capitals roster. But I will try. I am even prepared to spend a year or two in the AHL.... I know how much they pay in the AHL. But at this stage I'm not interested in money.

I'll set the over/under on his NHL arrival at December, 2009. Place your bets.

A Pair Of Dark Horses

SI.com's Allan Muir has a list of fifteen "where's-he-been guys, the last-chancers, the longshots, the dark horses and the no-names who could be big names before too long if things go their way," and two Caps make his list:

Sasha Pokuluk (Capitals): The Caps passed on a number of prospects who were held in wider esteem to take this 6-5, 230-pound blueliner 14th overall in 2005. So far the returns have been unimpressive. Pokulok lost all but 17 games last season to a pair of concussions that derailed his pro debut. The time off allowed him to get past the ill effects and he made a strong impression at rookie camp. He still has a lot to prove, however, as the Caps have loaded up on high-end blueline prospects. Pokuluk needs to establish himself after falling behind Karl Alzner, Jeff Schultz and possibly Josh Godfrey on the depth chart.

Francois Bouchard (Capitals): The leading scorer in the QMJHL last season (and the brother of Minnesota's Pierre-Marc Bouchard) was a revelation in rookie camp, and has some team officials openly pondering the possibility of a job with Washington's forward corps this fall. With veterans Chris Clark and Viktor Kozlov ahead of Bouchard, it won't be easy, but GM George McPhee has left the door open for his stickhandling wizardry.

Of course, if Bouchard doesn't make the Caps, his attempt to defend his QMJHL scoring title will be one of the top stories to watch in that league.

Rookie Camp Opens; Bouchard, Backstrom Audio

Rookie camp opened this morning and I got tired just watching Coach Hanlon skate the team.

While the drills didn't offer too great a chance to differentiate amongst the skaters, the standouts did stand out - notably Nicklas Backstrom, Francois Bouchard, Andrew Gordon and Sasha Pokulok (Dan Kronick, who skated with Backstrom and Bouchard, didn't look out of place either). Also of note, I was told that Eric Fehr is in town already and should be 100% healthy for training camp next week, which was good to hear.

After practice, I was able to catch up with Bouchard and ask him a couple of questions about his goals for training camp and beyond:

Finally, I got some audio from Backstrom, and asked him how Michael Nylander has helped his transition to North America:


Photos by Ken Berard

Pokulok, Bouchard To Play In Charity Game

A handful of French-Canadian NHLers and prospects will take to the ice next Saturday night in Châteauguay, Quebec for a charity game to raise money for cancer research (perhaps they got the idea from these guys), and notable participants include Caps prospects Sasha Pokulok and François Bouchard.

Hopefully Pokulok's participation is an indication that his concussion woes are behind him and that the former Cornell Big Red (and in this case, I do mean big) is ready to put in a full year at AHL Hershey.

Summer Camp Information

Per the Caps' award-winning PR department:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will hold their annual summer development camp at their new training facility for the first time, July 11-14 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. The camp, which features recent Capitals draft picks, select rookie players and other prospects, includes on- and off-ice workouts.

The on-ice workouts, which will include multiple scrimmages, are open to the public. The off-ice workouts are closed to the public.

Capitals Summer Development Camp On Ice Schedule

Tuesday, July 10 - Players arrive

Wednesday, July 11 - On ice in two groups beginning at 8:30 a.m.; scrimmage from 4:30 – 6 p.m.

Thursday, July 12 - On ice in two groups beginning at 8:30 a.m.; scrimmage from 4:30 – 6 p.m.

Friday, July 13 - On ice in two groups beginning at 8:30 a.m.; scrimmage from 4:30 – 6 p.m.

Saturday, July 14 - On ice in two groups beginning at 8:30 a.m.; scrimmage from 4:30 – 6 p.m.

Sunday, July 15 - Players depart

The camp’s complete roster is yet to be finalized, but among the confirmed participants are Capitals first-round draft picks Karl Alzner (2007), Nicklas Backstrom (2006), Simeon Varlamov (2006), Sasha Pokulok (2005) and Joe Finley (2005). Michal Neuvirth (a 2006 second-round selection) and Maryland natives Luke Lynes (a 2006 Capitals draft pick) and Stephen Werner (a 2003 Capitals draft pick) will also attend.

Caps Sign Pair For Da Bears

The Caps have made it official and signed center Kyle Wilson and defenseman Jame Pollock to add a little depth to the Hershey Bears' roster.

Per the AP story:

Pollock, 28, has spent the past three seasons in Europe, where he led the Sunipret Ice Tigers of the German Elite League with 22 goals and 32 assists in 46 games in 2006-07. He tied the league record for goals by a defenceman.

He played nine games for the St. Louis Blues in 2003-04.

Wilson recently finished his first season with the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, where he was the team's rookie of the year. He scored 24 goals and 54 points in 54 games.

While I'm a bit perplexed by the first name "Jame" (what, did the "s" not make it through Customs?), I just realized that the Caps now have four blueliners in the organization whose surnames start with "Po" (Tom Poti, Brian Pothier and Sasha Pokulok being the others). That's gotta be a record.

Hockey's Future: Capitals Top 20 Prospects

Hockey's Future has updated its Top 20 Caps Prospects (with a couple of paragraphs on each player) and the only thing that really jumps out at me is that Francois Bouchard has leap-frogged Tomas Fleischmann. Travis Morin's low ranking and the omission of Viktor Dovgan have some scratching their heads, but all in all, the list is rather unsurprising (and it's great to see two goalies so high on the list). Here it is, with a cherry-picked, not-always-in-context money quote for each player:

1. Nicklas Backstrom, C - "has the potential and maturity to center a first line as soon as next season"
2. Eric Fehr, RW - "with his impressive offensive prowess and ongoing success in the AHL, Fehr will not be a man with two teams for much longer"
3. Semen Varlamov, G - "quick legs, and a very quick glove, which lets him excel at breakaways, especially shootouts"
4. Francois Bouchard, C/RW - "he might not just contribute, but be an impact player"
5. Tomas Fleischmann, LW - "with great hockey sense, along with an impressive shot and playmaking ability, Fleischmann has excellent offensive potential"
6. Michal Neuvirth, G - "a well-rounded butterfly style goaltender who shines under pressure situations. Rarely getting rattled, his mental toughness is remarkable for his age."
7. Chris Bourque, LW/RW - "has all intangibles -- great hockey sense, excellent skating, leadership, competitiveness, and above all, the ability to put himself in the right positions to score"
8. Jeff Schultz, D - "all the physical potential to become a keystone defenseman at the NHL level"
9. Patrick McNeill, D - "has enormous offensive potential, and is defensively sound"
10. Keith Seabrook, D - "has an incredibly hard shot from the point, and an ability to find open shooting lanes"
11. Oskar Osala, LW - "has incredible offensive talent, and at 6'4 his great speed and skating ability is very rare"
12. Sami Lepisto, D - "One of the best young defensemen in Finland, Lepisto excels at puck control; with a very calm demeanor he makes good passes and exudes confidence with the puck."
13. Joe Finley, D - "His incredible size, mixed with a certain aggressiveness, gives him the ability to take control of a game from a defensive standpoint."
14. Maxime Daigneault, G - "With good size, and an aggressively challenging style, Daigneault covers a lot of space in the net and uses his butterfly technique and quick glove to stymie shooters."
15. Sasha Pokulok, D - "Out of all the defensemen in the Capitals prospect system, Pokulok may be the most well-rounded."
16. Andrew Gordon, RW - "Gordon has what every club in the NHL looks for in offensive players: consistency at a high level."
17. Travis Morin, C - "His great playmaking skills, matched with excellent puckhandling, makes Morin successful on the power play."
18. Mathieu Perreault, C - "has enormous offensive upside"
19. Stephen Werner, RW - "Werner is a good playmaker and makes good decisions. He has a hard shot and is good through traffic, but his calling card is his speed."
20. Jamie Hunt, D - "extremely quick and a very good skater for his size"

"What He Said" And Other Odds & Ends

I'm a bad blogger. No, really. This is the time of the year when I should be readying my big Caps Season Preview, but guess what? I'm not going to do one. I haven't felt all that inspired to, in part because I have no idea what to expect (improvement, hopefully, but I have my reservations) and in part because I've been way too busy with work to devote the time necessary to do such a preview justice.

Luckily for me (and more importantly, for you), Eric at Off Wing Opinion has posted a Caps Preview that I fully endorse. Give it a read and see that he comes to pretty much the same conclusion that I do: if everything comes together just right, the Caps could challenge for a playoff spot. More likely, however, the team will continue to develop but be on the outside looking in come mid-April.

For kicks, I went back and looked at the season preview I did last season, in which I concluded that:

If the Caps can score, they'll be entertaining. If not, they'll be painful. Either way they will lose early and often and will have a great shot at the #1 pick in the 2006 entry draft. But don't judge this team by its wins and losses. Instead, watch players develop and watch Alexander Ovechkin dazzle.

I'll let you make the call as to whether or not things have changed drastically in the past year.

In other news:

• The Caps made their first cuts today, sending Oskar Osala, Daren Machesney, Sasha Pokulok, Francois Bouchard, Matt Stefanishion, Trevor Byrne, Louis Robitaille, Stephen Werner, Joey Tenute, Michal Neuvirth and Patrick McNeill off to spend a season riding buses and having tea with Miss McGill.
• Also out at camp today Brian Sutherby beat down Chad Wiseman in the first fight of camp. These guys have obviously had enough of each other - bring on Tampa tomorrow and let them take some aggression out on Frodo et. al.
• Two great new (to me) Caps blogs have appeared, first being Dan Steinberg's WaPo D.C. Sports Bog and the second is Mike Vogel (senior writer for washingtoncaps.com)'s Dump and Chase. As I've said before, the Caps will easily have the highest blogger-to-wins ratio in the NHL this year.
• Speaking of Dan's blog, today he asked GMGM about the highlight reel of his (McPhee's) fights that were posted (among other places) here the other day. Quoth George, "I don't know what to say about that. My father taught me to fight. And when it came time, I was okay at it." Indeed.
• According to the WaPo, Alex Ovechkin and Olie Kolzig will play in tomorrow night's game (expect to see AO on a line with Richard Zednik and Sutherby and for Olie to play the whole game).

If any Rink readers are heading to the game, post something in the comments. At some point this season, there will have to be an official Japers' Rink Field Trip to the Verizon Center - I'll even spring for the first round.

Capitals Top 20 Prospects

Hockey's Future has updated it's list of the Caps' Top 20 Prospects, complete with a few paragraphs on each player. Not surprisingly, Nicklas Backstrom tops the list, though he's in a dead heat with Alex Semin. Both project to be borderline-elite players who are likely to reach that potential (the key to the numbers and letters that follow a player's name is here). Where do the rest of the kids fall? Here's a quick glance at the Top 20:

1. Nicklas Backstrom, C, 8.5 B
2. Alexander Semin, LW, 8.5 B
3. Mike Green, D, 8 C
4. Eric Fehr, RW, 7.5 B
5. Tomas Fleischmann, LW, 7.5 C
6. Semen Varlamov, G, 7.0 C
7. Chris Bourque, C/LW, 7.0 C
8. Michal Neuvirth, G, 6.5 C
9. Francois Bouchard, C/RW, 7.0 C
10. Joe Finley, D, 6.5 B
11. Patrick McNeill, D, 6.5 B
12. Boyd Gordon, C, 6.5 B
13. Jeff Schultz, D, 6.5 B
14. Sami Lepisto, D, 6.0 B
15. Jakub Klepis, LW, 6.0 C
16. Sasha Pokulok, D, 6.0 C
17. Keith Seabrook, D, 7.0 D
18. Oskar Osala, LW, 6.0 C
19. Oscar Hedman, D, 5.5 B
20. Andrew Gordon, RW, 5.0 C

Personally, I think a couple of the blueliners are a little low and perhaps a forward or two are too high (Semin and Chris Bourque for example), but it's a decent list that offers a lot of hope for the future. As with any list like this, it serves to spawn plenty of conversation, and some of the best of it is taking place over on the Caps' message board and the HF board. Check 'em out if you're so inclined.

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.

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.

Tuesday Roundup: Mr. Clutch and WWBD (What Would Bucci Do)?

On the off chance that you're new to The Rink and/or you've lived in a cave since October, let me bring you up to speed: Capitals rookie Alexander Ovechkin had a really good season. How good? Well, he is USAToday's Clutch Scorer of the year based on a formula which:

[R]ewards points that occur when the game is tight as opposed to ones that run up the score. Bonuses are given for clutch points scored late in the game. Ovechkin had a hand in 66 goals that put his team ahead or tied the score. The Capitals had only 126 such goals this season.

According to WashingtonCaps.com, along with this accolade:

Ovechkin claimed two of the 17 awards presented Wednesday when Home Ice on XM Radio hosted its awards show, the “Espos,” named after “In the Slot” co-host Phil Esposito. Ovechkin won the Carl Voss Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year (Voss was the first recipient of the Calder Trophy, the NHL’s official award for rookie of the year) and the Gilbert Perreault Trophy for best goal of the year (Ovechkin’s goal in Phoenix scored while sliding on his back).

In non-Ovechkin news, John Buccigross tells us what the Caps should do this offseason:

With Ovechkin in the lineup, the Capitals gained six wins and 11 more points than the 2003-04 season. The fact that he was a plus player on such an awful defensive team is only more Rookie of the Year evidence for him. His line usually had the puck.

The Capitals could go a few ways. They need defensemen and they could use a young center. If you want to improve quickly, you are always better off getting veteran defensemen via free agency and drafting skill. When you have such an immediate star like Ovechkin, it can make an organization impatient.

Free agency: They need a couple of rear guards. I said rear guards. Hal Gill on line No. 2.

Draft: I like Peter Mueller and think he fits in with the Capitals' developing style of play. He would be here at this point and would be a high-value pick. The Caps do like to think outside the box. Last year, they took 6-5 defenseman Sasha Pokulok with the 14th pick in the first round. I wouldn't be surprised if they took Nigel Williams here, a big defenseman on his way to Wisconsin in the fall. The Capitals draft off of need, more than Central Scouting ranking.

As is usually the case, I couldn't disagree with Bucci more. Oh, the Gill free agent signing is fine. And even Mueller isn't too much of a stretch. But Williams? With the fourth pick overall? The 13th-rated North American skater in the draft (though he is a "huge and rapidly improving blue-line horse") will be around long after the number four pick, and if the Caps are interested in him they have plenty to offer in order to move up and get their man in later in the first round. But with the #4 pick, the Caps need to draft one of the stud centers available and I'd be surprised if they didn't do so.

Finally, though not Caps-related, by now I'm sure you've seen the monster hit Buffalo's Brian Campbell laid on Philly's R.J. Umberger in Game 1 of their series. If not, here it is:


I guess you could say that Umberger got owned (cap tip to Allsmokenopancake for the link).

Caps Draft Recap: Heavy On The D

Not surprisingly, the Caps loaded up on defensemen in yesterday's draft, taking five blueliners in the seven round draft, including packaging their picks #47 and #52 to grab the #27 pick. Here are your newest Caps-to-be:

1. (14th overall) Sasha Pokulok, D, 6'5", 220
2. (27) Joe Finley, D, 6'7", 229
3. (109) Andrew Thomas, D, 6'2", 196
4. (118) Patrick McNeill, D, 6'0", 195
5. (143) Daren Machesney, G, 6'0", 163
6. (181) Tim Kennedy, LW, 5'9", 170 (traded to Buffalo for a 6th round pick in 2006)
   
7. (209) Viktor Dovgan, D, 6'2", 200
   

There's a decent draft-day blog on WashingtonCaps.com that discusses many of the picks, and a very good recap (albeit from the team) here.

There's a nice capsule summary in the WaPo article. Not that anyone at the WaPo has any credibility as far as evaluating hockey talent, but they described the Caps two first round picks as "a surprise" (translation: "they could have waited and taken him later") and "a project," respectively, which is hardly encouraging.

The WTimes draft recap is here.

The Toronto Star recaps the Caps picks here and the entire draft, pick by pick, here.

The Caps' official message board has a thread with an extensive discussion of first pick Sasha Pokulok.