The State of Redskins Nation

If you have been reading any of my previous posts, first of all thank you, secondly you have probably noticed a trend. I have tried to focus my first few blogs on the growth of hockey in the DC metro area. DC has always had its hockey fans but the standard set by great sports towns is the attraction of the casual fan to its sports teams, no matter the sport. What you will not find me doing is suggesting that the Capitals will overtake the hearts of DC's own and replace the Redskins. I can say with fair certainty that the Redskins will always be the number love of DC sports fans. But things haven't been so sunny in Ashburn as of say.....the last 18 years. In fact, despite being either the most valuable or second most valuable NFL franchise, the Redskins have been mediocre at best. Believe me, I'm not the only one noticing this. I was reading one of my favorite hockey blogs today and came across this write-up on the state of Redskin nation and the growth of Capitals nation. I highly suggest taking a look. Here.

A Heartbreaking Reminder

Take a look at this picture. This is heartbreaking reminder of what all Caps fans had to endure two months ago. A culmination of a decade of dominance by a rival unmatched by any other, at least in the eyes of Caps fans. A co-worker of mine, a Pittsburgh native, decided to have some fun at my expense and give me what looks to be a harmless, fluffy, cute little stuffed animal. It's not just any animal though, it is a penguin. And if your super diligent in eyeing this creature up and down you will see a special message across the front of his shirt. That's right, it is not just any penguin, it's a Pittsburgh Penguin. Although I regard this little joke as simply.....a joke, it propelled my thoughts into the past and forced me to reminisce on a season that was. It was a season full of promise and potential. It was a season that put the Capitals on almost every headline on any hockey publication. It was a rebirth of hockey in Washington. And it was because of this potential and promise that the game 7 loss last May was even more heartbreaking. Never have I watched a game of any kind in such silence. Watching a sporting event with my brother always consists of us trading stats and facts about our favorite teams or players, providing analysis as to how our team can perform better, or sarcastic remarks about which coaches should be fired. This was different though. This was our favorite team playing our most hated team in its most important game in a decade, and losing. It was like a punch to the stomach. An incredibly empty feeling. But the great thing about sports is there is always next year. Next year is something all fans have to look forward to.

So it is with next season that I hope to be given an opportunity. An opportunity to show my generous gift giving side that my co-worker showed me, but this time it will be an Eagle.

Go Caps!

Most Underrated Signing of 2009

NHL.com is currently running a story outlining the most underrated signings of the 2009 free agency period. In other words, these are the signings that nobody is talking about but may have the most impact for their respective teams. The Capitals' signing of Mike Knuble tops this list. You can see the full list here http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=451159&navid=DLNHLHome. The Caps were in dire need of a net-presence to wreak havoc in the crease and score the ugly goals that are oh so important. Look, Alex Ovechkin isn't going to dazzle us every night with highlight reel goals, and Mike Green just may not connect on a bomb from the point. What the Caps needed was a player who isn't scared to park himself in the high traffic areas in front of the net. Mike Knuble is the perfect prescription to fix this problem. He has proven himself to be reliable and effective. Knuble has played all 82 games in three of his last 4 seasons and has scored more than 20 goals in seven of his last eight seasons.

You can expect to see Knuble on the top with Ovechkin and Backstrom. He will be the perfect compliment. This line will have dazzling scoring power from Ovechkin, the play making finesse of Backstrom, and a 6'3" 230lb winger to clog up the middle and score the ugly goals. One thing we know for sure; with Ovechkin almost guaranteeing 500 shots on a goal, there will be no shortage of rebounds for Knuble to scoop up. It is not my intent to diminish Knuble's goal scoring abilities by suggesting he only scores the ugly goals. He has a lethal wrist shot and will also find some time on the power play. The Caps have been on the wrong end of many Knuble strikes. Thankfully we'll be on the right side for the next two years.

Rumor: Kovalchuk Getting an Extention

I promised "All Things Hockey", so here it goes:

I have not heard confirmation yet, but word has it that Ilya Kovalchuk is about to sign a monster deal to remain with the Atlanta Thrashers. I am hearing $11.3 million per year. Kovalchuk is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after the '09-'10 season. This is bad news for the rest of the Southeast Division, but great news for Atlanta. I feel the NHL will reap the benefits because a top 10 player in the world will remain the anchor of a young developing team in a less than stellar hockey market. Let's face it, Atlanta isn't exactly a hockey hot bed. Did the signing of Nik Antropov have anything to do with this? It wouldn't surprise me one bit. Antropov provides a huge body in the middle and has proved he can be a very effective scorer in the NHL. He plays the power play as well. Atlanta also needed some depth at the Center position. So things are looking up the Atlanta.

Brent Johnson Headed to Steeltown

Brent Johnson signed a 1-year contract with the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins today. This comes after talks with the Caps stalled; or did they even start? The latter is the most likely. Injuries hampered Johnson for most of the second half of the '08-'09 season. And thus the combination of a future goal tending stud and a 30+ game winner a season ago practically guaranteed Johnson a new sweater next year.

There were times last season when Johnson arguably was the number one goaltender for the Caps. With the inconsistency of Jose Theodore, Johnson provided us fans with a sense of confidence knowing that if Theo faltered, a solid back up was ready to man the pipes. And it is because of this that I am disappointed to see Johnson go. How can I blame him though? The future has suddenly become the present as Semyon Varlamov appears ready (or close to ready) to put this team on his shoulders. The rise of Varlamov during last year's playoffs proved to be a blessing in disguise. If not for Johnson's injuries we probably wouldn't be talking about Varlamov for another year or two. The trade winds seemed ready to blow with regard to Theodore, whose hefty contract and inconsistent play left doubts as to whether he would return. What team wants to add $4.5 million to their books? Not many. So with two goalies in place, Johnson was the odd man out. He gave 110% on the ice every time he got a chance. The players loved him. I am sure I can speak for the whole Caps organization and say that I am very sad to see him go. But of all teams, the Penguins......?!?!? I'll leave that alone and simply wish him the best.

Capitals Looking to Solidify Blueline

With still two months until the Caps drop the puck on the '09-'10 season, there are questions in need of answers. It is clear what this team does best, score goals. But it is also clear that scoring goals does not get you to the promised land; at least not in the post lockout NHL. Many of us were witness to this last spring as the Caps fell short in devastating fashion to the arch rival Penguins. The Caps were met head on by a team that matched us goal for goal, in six of the seven games. One should never rely on offense to trump offense. Expecting a team to put up four or five goals a game is not realistic. I think the defense was good enough to win, but there is definite room for improvement on the backline.


As I see it right now, six of the seven defensive spots for the '09 team are filled. A few of these are obvious. We know the first defensman to score 30 goals in over a decade will be patrolling the back end for the Caps. Mike Green not only put his best season as an NHL blue-liner, he put up one of the best seasons of any NHL blue-liner since the days of Paul Coffey. Shaone Morrisonn proved to be a good stay-at-home partner for the puck moving Green.

Mike Green scored a career high 31 goals last season.

Masterton Trophy nominee, Brian Pothier, overcame a year long absence from the game due to a devastating concussion and provided both puck moving abilities as well as solid play in his own zone. Finally, John Erskine and Milan Jurcina provided the much need grit that the Caps sorely lacked during the rebuilding years. I haven't forgotten Jeff Shultz. More on him in a bit. How convenient of me to mention Milan Jurcina.

Jurcina is an resticted free agent and has yet to sign a qualifying offer from the Caps. Both Morrisonn and Shultz have accepted qualifying offers from GMGM (GM George McPhee). So is Jurcina the odd man out? I'll be the first to admit skepticism in the play of Jurcina, but I felt his performance in last year's penguins series was noble to say the least. Let's face it, facing one of the two or three best players in the word every shift out is no easy task. I thought Jurcina earned at least another year with this team. But play on the ice isn't everything. Hockey is a business as well and money plays a part in every team's personnel decisions. Its no secret that the Caps are closing in tight on the salary cap. Next summer should be even more fun when qualifying offers will have to made to both Nick Backstrom and Alex Semin. I imagine both players will be looking for long term deals in the $4 million per year range. And that's the starting point. So at this point, there is one (maybe two) spot to be filled on the backline (assuming Jurcina does not return). Who will it be?

Luckily for the Caps, there are options on the table in the form of a few Bears from Hersey. Karl Alzner, John Carlson, and Joe Finley. Alzner did get some time at the NHL level last season due to stretch of injuries the Caps faced in the first half of the year. Alzner proved to be a physical positioning savy player who made few mistakes. The surprise so far this summer was the play of John Carlson during the Caps development camp which took place last week. Word is Carlson really turned heads and is well on his way to earning a full time spot in the NHL. It is just a matter of when. Joe Finley is the third option facing Boudreau and the boys. Finley is an absolute monster. Tipping the scales at 6'7" 230lbs, Finley is exactly what the Caps need. He is bruising stay at home defenseman with puck moving abilities. His puck moving ability is so good that he actually played the wing as well during developmental camp last week. A 6'7" winger? Wow! Imagine being a defensmen with a forecheck of that size screaming down the wing. But I think Finley will make his money on the back end. Maybe not next year, but in two years for sure (Morisonn and Shultz only signed one year contracts).

The defense is still a major question right now for the Caps. Who will be the 6th or 7th man? How will Schultz rebound from his "injury" during the playoffs? Will Green's play in the defensive zone, which was well below par during the playoffs, unfold. He must improve. Many fans expected a big splash by GMGM prior to the trade deadline last year, but nothing unfolded. Many felt free agency would bring an upgrade to the back end. Nothing yet and nothing appears imminent. I feel that Caps management have decided that they will put their faith in their draft picks. I've put my faith in them so my fingers are crossed.

The Nation's Capitals

The play on words should be fairly obvious, if you are a hockey fan at least. This site is nothing more than a fan's perspective on the Washington Capitals and all things hockey from guess where.....the nation's capital. Yes, believe it or not there are hockey fans in Washington. The hockey resurgence in Washington is no secret to anyone. (FYI, DC will always be a football town). We can thank a certain Russian for that. But after years of mediocrity, the Caps have rebuilt and now have team that is destined for greatness. Dammit, I just jinxed it.

So why did I all of the sudden decide to blog about the Caps and all things hockey? The reason is that there aren't many things I love more. The next reason is that DC finally has a team worth talking about. I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that DC is the worst sports town in America. Does this surprise me? No. The mediocrity of DC sports is the product of lousy owners (how are things at Six Flags these days?) and a population that turnsover every election year (did I miss any other reasons?). But things seem to be taking a turn for the better. DC is a city with every professional sport you can think of and yet hockey, yes....hockey is the sport that is taking over. The Caps have taken over the city. Never did I expect that to happen. Even the 1998 Cup Finals team didn't create the stir this team has created. The Caps were good that year, but I don't think anybody expected greatness out of that team. Running head on into a 1998 version of the red army Soviet team didn't help. Fedorov, Konstantinov, blahblahblahov, and two other -ovs swept us away handily.

This team is different. Years of greatness are expected so hopefully years of good blogging is to come. The number one reason why I've decided to start sharing my thoughts and opinions is to create conversation. In fact, if you read my post I actually hope you disagree. Leave comments and tell me why you disagree. I am going to post my favorite comments for everybody to see. The purpose of this is debate and conversation. The Caps will not always be the topic. I enjoy everything hockey. So if it has to do with hockey, you'll find it here. Let the fun begin.