Capital Flop

With all the anticipation coming into the day, the Caps wind up doing absolutely nothing. GMGM may have been burning up the phone lines, but by 3pm no deals were made. That isn't even the worst news of the day..Nicky Backstrom was moved to LTIR making him unavailable until the Playoffs begin (at the earliest).

With questions about the health of Backstrom, George McPhee seemed like he didn't want to mortgage the future on the current squad that HE assembled over the past couple seasons. To me, McPhee may have just signed his death warrant. Veterans Roman Hamrlik & Mike Knuble clearly are not happy to be here, and I can see this being a huge locker room issue with Dale Hunter the rest of the season.

The caps had several expiring contracts on the table and somehow Georgey Boy couldn't land one trade?!? In my eyes Vokoun, Semin, Carlson, Wideman, and the players mentioned above should've all been on the line. I think McPhee's ego gets in the way this time of year, and he is never willing to trade away his "young guns". It's a good formula for a losing organization.

If the Caps are lucky enough to make the Playoffs, I can't see them getting anywhere past the 1st Round. As teams like the NY Rangers, Nashville Predators, & Vancouver Canucks got bigger, and stronger..we remain with the same team that got their coach fired, has been underachieving, and is close to setting the franchise into a tailspin.

With all that being said, I'll still be excited to watch the rest of the season and hopefully the Playoffs, but I feel like I've seen this movie before..and it doesn't end with the Andre bath that we all are hoping for.

Fight on Caps fans!

Tweet

CapKillers

It's no secret that Alex Semin and his hefty $6.7million contract has been on the trading block for awhile now. Not surprisingly, his trade value right now is about a -100. He's in the last year of his contract, so first tbought would be to trade him to a team looking for a playoff push...buuut it's not happening with that contract.

The current Caps roster is anything but a championship caliber squad. Will they make the playoffs? I have no doubt, but if you believe they'll make it very far..you're just not very smart. This team was hand-picked for Boudreau's system. They're a run & gun type team who occasionlly plays lock down defense. Dale Hunter is doing his best to implement his system..but the players just don't fit the mold. I wish it were different, but I can see this unfolding very quickly come April or May.

The trade deadline is February 27th, and I would hate to see GMGM wait until then to scramble for a deal. You give up way more when your back is against the wall, and I dont think it gives you enough time to gel as a team (i.e. Jason Arnott). There are 36 games left in the season and a change needs to be made now!

This team is anything but consistant & I want nothing more than to see this team go far into May & June. But it ain't happenin with these guys. With virtually no cap space, a decent trade is hard to come by.

Here's my scenario for you to ponder:

Caps Trade:
-John Carlson (2012 RFA)
-Alex Semin (2012 UFA)
-Jeff Schultz (2014 UFA)

Edmonton Oilers Trade:
-Ryan Smyth (2012 UFA)
-Andy Sutton (2013 UFA)
-3rd Round Draft Pick

The Caps finally rid themselves of Semin & Schultz' large contracts. The only downside is giving away a young prospering talent like Carlson. But if Ted Leonsis & GMGM are serious about making a run this year..this is a trade that could do it for you!

Yes, Smyth & Sutton are both 35+, and yes, Smyth can walk away after this year. But these are the type of players that Hunter can coach, and they're tough gritty veterans that this team has SERIOUSLY been lacking for a few years now. Ryan Smyth also has a "no movement clause" in his contract, but I'm pretty certain he would accpet a trade to give him another shot at the Cup before he retires. The Oilers can take on these contracts and still stay under the salary cap, while the Caps should have almost $2million more to spend maybe come late February.

I can see many fans wondering where our scoring will come from now that Semin is gone...well folks, he only has 11 goals this year through 46 games. And we all know he disappears come playoff time. Didn't Georgey boy go out and get Joel Ward for our playoff scoring punch anyway?? If you don't understand my humor...THAT WAS A JOKE.

In all seriousness though, my hope is that the Caps have already thought of this trade & it's in the works of actually happening. Here are the line-ups that would come of this trade:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Smyth
Brouwer-Johansson-Knuble
Chimera-Laich-Ward
Hendricks-Halpern-Beagle

Green-Hamrlik
Wideman-Alzner
Orlov-Sutton

I really think this line-up is playoff tested, and could really make a difference! What do you all think??

Fight On Caps!

Tweet

Rookie Hazing

I'll be the first to admit that after seeing Dale Hunter & GMGM bring up a young 22-year old defenseman from Hershey who has no NHL experience to play against the hated Pittsburgh Penguins...I was pissed. Mainly because the new guy, Tomas Kundratek, will be starting..over a healthy John Erskine.

For a team that's already lacking the toughness of a playoff team, and who has no real rugged defensmen outside of Erskine..it baffles me that "now" is the time to throw this kid into the fire. He's also starting over Jeff "Pillows" Schultz, but let's be real, does anybody care? Good news out of the locker room today is that Pillows is growing tired of sitting every game, and he may be looking to bolt. Problem is, Georgie Boy signed him to a contract that's paying him $2.75/mil over the next couple seasons. Any takers?? I didn't think so.

Erskine may not be an elite defenseman in the league, but he brings the toughness that every goalie loves having in front of them. He'll clear the crease in a heartbeat, and stick up for his teammates no matter who the opponent is. He called out Aaron Asham for his shot against Beags earlier in the season, and threw some insane haymakers against him in their last meeting.

Even with a couple of the Penguins best players out, they are still capable of putting a whooping on a Caps team that doesn't seem to have the "kill" factor at this junction of the season. How about sitting John Carlson down for a game or two?? He hasn't looked the same all year, and frankly he's playing like he's been hitting the bong before games. Wake up man! Too much talent is being wasted there.

I'm hoping for a gutsy win tonight for the Caps, but my hopes for this game are cautious at best.

Tweet

Teddy Has Some Decisions to Make

Let's start with hockey. The Caps aren't a winning team. They have shown that all year. Boudreau is gone, Hunter is in, and it's the same result. Inconsistency throughout the team. Mike Green can't stay healthy. Ovechkin can't put up points consistently. Our goaltending is spotty at best. As a team, our shots per game total is plummeting. Something has to change. Coaching wasn't the answer. The core of this team needs to change. The core of Semin, Backstrom and Ovechkin has had their chance. The Caps need energy and they need it fast.
Back to back 5-2 losses out west is flat out embarrassing. Remember 3 years ago when a 3 goal deficit meant nothing? Our team had a confidence that was through the roof and nothing could bring it down. Now, if we're down, you might as well watch the Family Guy marathon on TBS because we're down for good. Ted Leonsis has to make a decision here. He either tells McPhee to make a big change, or he tells McPhee to clean out his office. Things are spiraling quickly and if Leonsis doesn't make a decision soon, it could be too late. His coach lost faith, now his players are losing faith. The fans will be next, it's just a matter of time.

Here you go Mr. Crawford.

Next up is basketball. What in the wide world of sports is going on here? The Wizards are a team with obvious problems. Flip has no control over the team. Blatche is embarrassingly slow and weak. Rashard Lewis flat out told Saunders he doesn't want to play. As for Jordan Crawford? Sorry buddy but remember when you basically said "I am the next Michael Jordan"? You would have been better off bending over and spreading your butt cheeks like Ace Ventura. This is supposed to be the beginning of a new era for DC basketball. Except there is no foundation to build off of, and no one to build it. Ernie Grunfeld, see you later. Flip Saunders, see you later. Ted Leonsis, you need to find someone who knows how to build a basketball team.

In a year where the Redskins underwhelmed everyone, they would very well end up being the least disappointing sports team in DC. Unless a lot of things change.

Tweet

Dale Hunter on the Hot Seat? Or is it too early. . .

The Caps' 5-1 loss to Philadelphia last night wasn't just a bad loss. It was an embarrassment. Every single Caps fan who went to that game should get their money back. After a 3 day break between games, the Caps came out with zero heart, zero emotion and zero preparation. They looked tired, sluggish  and completely disoriented. Three years ago, a two or three goal deficit meant nothing. The team would keep their heads up and battle. They had that confidence and winning attitude that keeps elite teams in any game. Last night, Vokoun gave up a lazy goal in the first period, and it seemed like they gave up after that. We lost every 50-50 battle, couldn't get anything going on a power play that went 4-6 last game, and couldn't muster any dangerous shots on goal. Philadelphia came into our town and showed the Caps who's the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference. The Caps on the other hand, need to figure it out before it's too late.

Jeff Schultz was a healthy scratch again, proving that Dale Hunter sees in him what every fan has seen for 4 years now, absolutely nothing. Roman Hamrlik is also a huge bust. It seems like he aged 10 years this offseason and is constantly taking penalties or reacting slowly to the puck. I'm sorry to say it, but Ovechkin just hasn't been the same since he was suspended twice two seasons ago. He looks like a beaten man, exactly like what Boudreau looked like after his last game coaching the Caps. He's a man without answers. Guess who was supposed to be the man with the answers; Dale Hunter.

Now, I know it's early. The team has shown some promise since Hunter has taken over, but nothing consistent. At this point, it is far too early to start questioning Dale Hunter's ability to coach this team to the playoffs, but for me, it's time to see something out of this team. I love Dale Hunter as a player and a man, but I hope he isn't in over his head here. Coaching in the NHL is an entirely different animal than coaching 17 year old kids in the Ontario Hockey League. I don't know what this team needs in order to wake up. Does Ovechkin need to be a healthy scratch? Does Semin need to be traded? What about Vokoun? Something has to give, and maybe it's time to bring Holtby up and give him a shot. I bet he's dying to get a chance to prove his worth to Dale Hunter.

What's he going to do next?

Right now we are 11th in the conference, 2 points out of the playoffs and 7 points behind Florida in the Southeast division. This is the lowest we have been in the standings this late in a season since Boudreau's first year. George McPhee must be sweating in his office, because his job is on the line even more so than Dale Hunter's.
But maybe this is what is needed for McPhee. Maybe he needs to be pushed to the brink in order for him to take the steps necessary to right the ship. Just maybe he'll trade Semin and Schultz away for a veteran, or a rising star with speed like Zach Parise.

Again, I have to reiterate that I know it's only mid December, but at some point everyone is looking for a lightning bolt to hit this team and zap it back to dominance. We're all waiting for something, that's for sure.




Tweet

For Better or Worse: Boudreau Out, Hunter In

• Fastest coach to reach 200 wins in NHL history.
• Four consecutive Southeast Division titles.
• One President's Trophy
• One Jack Adams Trophy

Just a few of the things Bruce Boudreau accomplished in his four years as head coach of the Washington Capitals. Today's news is tough to swallow. The name Boudeau is closely associated with the resurgence of the Washington Capitals organization. Time will tell if this decision was the right one or not, but one thing is certain, Boudreau will be missed. Playoff woe's aside, "Gabby" was loved by the the District of Columbia. Like Ted Leonsis, he was honest, sometimes brutally so. If the team didn't play well, he said so during the press conference. For the most part he was able to correct problems with the team's play. After 2009 when the Caps were giving up too many goals, he changed the scheme, and made them more defensive minded, while still maintaining the success they had the past 2 seasons.
The move to fire Boudreau nearly exactly 4 years from his hiring is a desperate move by a club looking to take a team from regular season winners, to Stanley Cup winners. George McPhee thinks Dale Hunter can do better. Hunter played most of his career with the Washington Caps and his number is hanging in the rafters of the Verizon center. He is a former captain and instigator. He spent so many minutes in the penalty box, the Caps organization gave him one of the penalty boxes as a gift when the U.S. Air Arena was closed. The Caps are hoping he can use his energy to help light a fire under these players and get them to the next level. As far as I'm concerned, if Boudreau absolutely has to go, this is the guy I want behind the bench. Ironically enough however, Hunter has had trouble in the playoffs as well. Hunter has coached the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League since 2001, leading them to the playoffs every year. The irony is that since they won the Memorial Cup in 2005, and losing in the finals a year later, he hasn't been able to get past the third round of the playoffs.

Boudreau with the Jack Adams Trophy

George McPhee and the Capitals organization have made their move. They are hoping Dale Hunter can inspire this team and lead them into the playoffs and more. They had better be right, because if they're not, where do we go from here? Boudreau will most likely watch Tueday's game against the Blues on his couch. If this coaching change doesn't work, McPhee could be in the same position next year. In my opinion, this is a day to remember Bruce Boudreau. I am a Dale Hunter fan, and I wish him the best, but Boudreau will always, always have a place in my heart as the coach who brought back Caps hockey. I wish him the best of luck in his coaching career, because it's not over.

Current Caps coach Dale Hunter

Dale Hunter

- 12 years played for the Caps
- 3565 penalty minutes (2nd in NHL history)
- Served 21 game suspension for a hit (longest in NHL history)
- Only player in NHL with 1,000 points and 3,000 PIM
- Played for the 1998 Caps- lost in Stanley Cup

Impressive player stat line. However, he has never coached in the AHL, let alone the NHL. He has a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders, and as a Caps fan, I wish him the best. You have your work cut out for you.

Tweet

Semin vs. Boudreau

Who's going to break first, or shall I say who's going to get the boot first? Obviously, if you've read my previous blogs you can tell that I'm Pro-Boudreau. Even with the past playoff blunders, I'm willing to ride it out with Bruce at the helm. As for Alex Semin, I'm ready to kick his A$$. I thought we should've traded him the moment he had his 40 goal season a couple years ago to get the most out of his trade value, but George McPhee thought differently.
The difference between Boudreau and Semin is their progression. Bruce has continued to learn how to coach and how to bring new styles that work well with his players. Semin on the other hand has digressed year after year, and shown a serious lack of discipline and desire. Matt Bradley said it right in the offseason when he called out Alexander for having so much talent, but said he just doesn't care. The kid has been benched for taking too many penalties, and since his benching, he's had penalties in 2 of his next 3 games. At some point you have to realize who is at the pit of the teams problems. George McPhee needs to realize that a few of his players don't have the heart and mind of a champion, and Bruce said it himself after last night's loss to Buffalo.

“Sometimes we’re not mentally strong,” Boudreau said. “This group has got to learn how to be mentally strong. It hasn’t had a lot of adversity in the last four years unless it was in the playoffs.“The regular seasons have seemed like a walk in the park. But now we’ve gone 15 games with adversity and some guys are having a hard time with it.”

These guys need to find it within if they want to win. Changing coaches isn't going to make these guys grow up. Here is a trade scenario that I wish McPhee would consider:

Capitals Trade:

-Alexander Semin
-2nd & 4th Round pick

NJ Devils Trade:

-Zach Parise



Are we giving Jersey too much? Maybe, but let's be real...Semin is in the last year of his contract (as is Parise), Parise is a leader and easily a top 10 player when healthy. There is talk coming out of NJ that the GM knows Parise doesn't really want to come back, and they can't afford him and & Kovalchuk together. And Alexander Semin will be going to a team with fellow countrymen Ilya Kovalchuk and Anton Volchenkov..which may keep him from bolting to the KHL right away. The Devils would only be taking on a $700k cap hit after the trade (which they can afford), and it would also free up the same amount of space for the Caps. Maybe for a D-Man at the trade deadline.

Caps Nation: What do you think?? This would be a hell of a blockbuster deal!

Tweet

Caps Plummet in the Power Rankings

Carmen Electra always makes me feel better..

ESPN's NHL Power Rankings are tough to take seriously because unlike the NFL power rankings where there is a panel of voters that vote each week, Scott Burnside and Pierre Lebrun alternate deciding the rankings every other week. This is part of the reason the Caps went from 6 to 21 in the power rankings. The other reason is the fact that they are mired in a 4 game losing streak and have gone 3-7-1 since starting 7-0-0. They are in serious need of a wake up call, and if Boudreau can't figure it out, these players are going to cost him his job. If Boudreau is fired this season, it will be a huge mistake for an organization that is painfully close to becoming an NHL Dynasty.

There is no doubt McPhee needs to do something if this trend continues, and I'm sure Boudreau is privy to some of his ideas just as much as I'm sure McPhee is asking Boudreau about his players. Fans and Media alike have been clamoring for Semin to be traded or benched, but I would be fairly surprised if this happened right now. Boudreau has been vocal in his support of Semin recently, saying Semin has a reputation, and that refs are singling him out. We know Boudreau isn't saying this for Semin's sake because Semin hasn't learned English yet. I would tend to think that Bruce really does back Semin's work ethic. If this is the case, why would he bench Semin?

If things don't change soon, George McPhee may very well fire Boudreau. He has to remember though, if he fires his coach, and that doesn't work, there's only one place left for the blame to fall and that's on him.

My message to Boudreau....

Tweet