The Washington Capitals have made their first acquisition during the post-season. GM George McPhee has sent Chris Bourque (26 year-old winger and the leading point producer in the AHL last season) to the Boston Bruins for Zach Hamill (the 8th overall pick in the 2007 draft). The Caps swapped an undersized wing, who is just 5'8, that has been a great point producer at the AHL level--but has never been given a decent shot at the NHL level--for a slightly undersized center, at 5'10, who hasn't really lived up to expectations for a player selected in the top ten of the draft.
All in all I'd consider the trade a wash. Bourque will have a chance to play for the same team that his father spent so much time with, which is great, and the Caps will add another center to their line-up or at the very least to Hershey's line-up.
Both players' contracts are expiring this offseason, and in all likelihood Chris Borque was not going to re-sign with the Caps and as a UFA the Caps would recieve zero compensation. Hamill is a restricted free agent meaning that once he has been qualified, at a lofty price of over $800,000, he can stay with the Caps and even if another team presents and offer sheet,we can either match it and keep him or receive a draft pick or two. After Hamill's 16 game season this year, he could potentially be with the Caps next season - the most games Bourque has ever played in a season was 21, in 09-10 with the Penguins (plus one game that season with the Caps). Since then he has not played a game in the NHL.
CATP wishes Bourque all the best. Welcome to the organisation, Zach Hamill - now we have two Hammers!
This series of posts will be about potential draft selections by the Caps in 2012. This year we have two picks higher than the last few years, at 11th (from Colorado) and 16th. Due to the close proximity of these picks, these prospects could potentially be selected with either pick.
So today's prospect is...... Griffin Reinhart, Canadian defensman from Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL.
He's the son of Paul Reinhart, who played over 600 games in the NHL, and his brother Max is in the Calgary Flames system - so hockey clearly runs in the family.
Measuring at 6'4 and 207lb at just 18, he is fairly NHL ready physically. Although he is a fairly tough player, he is by no means one dimensional, scoring 12 goals and tallying 24 assists in 58 games this year. He has an incredibly hard shot, and is an very good skater for a player his size, meaning he is a quality puck mover and will not be knocked off the puck easily. He is generally a two way player, who can play both a shutdown role and a more offensive one - although with the better opponents at NHL level he may switch towards being a defensive defensmen, think Jeff Schultz with better skating and slightly more scoring.
A potential issue is the fact that he doesn't play very physically and his poise is apparently cause for concern according to scouts, even so, he could be a great fit with the Caps, possibly replacing Mike Green in a few years time.
He's ranked tenth among North American skaters so is more likely to be selected 11th by the Caps, but could potentially fall to 16th, similar to how Cam Fowler fell in 2010.
Stepping our posts away from the Washington Capitals themselves today, Electronic Arts' incredible NHL hockey video game series is gearing up for its latest release, NHL 13, dropping in September. Yesterday, the first few details of what we can expect from this new instalment were revealed by EA. So, without further ado...
- 'True Performance Skating'. With this addition, EA has added 1,000 new animations, making the game far more true to the sport itself. It allows for all kinds of crazy moves and dekes to be dreamed up, and overall looks like a great addition to the game! More details later this month.
- 'EA Sports Hockey IQ'. Although EA haven't revealed much about this feature yet, they have confirmed that the artificial intelligence has been overhauled to make it quicker and faster, a welcome addition to the EASHL and the Be a Pro modes. More details later this month.
- Goaltender improvements. Very little has been revelaed on this, but from what I gather the goalie AI has improved and fatigue is now a bigger factor. By the way, EA there's a stats glitch with goalies in Be a Pro mode. More details in June.
- 'GM Connected'. This mode looks like the real deal. The Be a GM mode from previous games has been taken online so you can have your own NHL with 29 other people. It'll even have a mobile app to support it. Being an armchair GM myself, I can't wait for the chance to assemble a dynasty and lift the cup with the Washington Capitals. I'll probably blog about it, too. More details in June.
- Be A Pro mode. My favourite mode from NHL 12 is back with improvements. You now have more control over your carrer and are now able to retire and request a trade, so you won't have to stick three years with Flordia when you've been drafted. Hopefully this also includes rejecting contracts and shorter games - enough with half hour games! More details in July.
- EASHL. The EASHL, the league where players' custom hockey playing counterparts come together to form clubs and win championships is back, and with it come improved club matchmaking and the ability to select a captain. More details in July.
- 'Team First Presentation'. This seems to customise everything about the game depending on your favourite team. No prizes for guessing which team I'll select. More details in August.
- 'NHL Moments Live'. Imagine the 'History Will Be Made Commercials' and then imagine being able to re-enact these historic hockey moments in video game format. Awesome. More details in August.
- Hockey Ultimate Team. An existing fun game mode involving trading cards and playing for championships has been improved, but as for how, we don't know yet. More details in August.
According to EA, other game modes have also been improved, and this hopefully includes offline Be a GM, which lacks realism in some respects. Trade logic is skewed and waivers are wrong.
There's also going to be a limited edition which features:
- Exclusive collectible Stanley Cup® tin featuring an embossed Stanley Cup image
- Two Stanley Cup® Theme Hockey Ultimate Team packs featuring randomized player items from the Western and Eastern Conference Champions
- Gold Jumbo Hockey Ultimate Team Pack (Regular) featuring 24 randomized items, including an exclusive
- Wayne Gretzky Hockey Ultimate Team Legend and six other rare items
- A CCM Boost Pack featuring the all-new CCM RBZ stick (For use in Be a Pro and EA SPORTS™ Hockey League)
- A 10% discount on a one-time purchase at shop.NHL.com
- A complete copy of NHL 13
This apparently retails at $80. Assuming it's available in the UK, this is £50, which for a collector's edition like this is very reasonable.
Remember that the cover vote is still going on! There are no Caps left, but here are the remaining candidates:
Claude Giroux, Anze Kopitar, Pavel Datsyuk, John Tavares, Scott Hartnell, Evgeni Malkin, Henrik Lundqvist and Pekka Rinne. You can vote for your favourite here.
I think it's safe to say I'll be playing this come September.
After a disappointing performance in Game 7 against the New York Rangers, the offseason for the Washington Capitals is, sadly, here till October. The Capitals have plenty to improve on in their roster situation in the upcoming Draft in June at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the upcoming Free Agent frenzy in July.
Here's where things get interesting for the Caps: Remember the offseason trade the Caps made where we gave away often injured goaltender Semyon Varlamov last summer? Well, the trade didn't make too many splashes then but it could be a huge difference maker for the Caps this offseason, especially as the Draft nears! In exchange for Semyon Varlamov, the Colorado Avalanche gave the Capitals their 2012 1st round pick (11th overall) and the option to grab a 2nd round pick in the 2012 or 2013 draft. Caps opted to take the 2013 2nd round pick as the Avalanche didn't struggle as much as we would have hoped this season.
General Manager George McPhee shocked and angered all Caps fans by not making one single move at the trade deadline when he had a team that was really struggling. At the time it seemed like he really messed up but in the end it was the right thing to do. Well played McPhee! Now the Caps have pieces to play with on the chess board this offseason to fix the biggest holes the team needs to get filled. Most notably, the Caps need to fill a major hole at the 2nd line center position. Who might the Caps sign in Free Agency to do that? How about Zach Parise, Brian Rolston, or even Jarret Stoll! Outside of Unrestricted Free Agency the Caps have the pieces to maybe make a big move at the Draft in Pittsburgh and cut a deal with the Penguins for, rumored to be on the move, Jordan Staal. The Capitals two 1st round picks could be in play this year as well as the 2013 2nd round pick from the Avalanche from the Varlamov trade last summer. Jordan Staal is good but realistically he isn't worth all that and the Caps will not offer all those picks for Staal. Why wont they? The Caps have the upper hand and can pass on Staal if the Pens want too much for him and work on signing Zac Parise. Parise will probably be a bit pricey, probably in the $5-$6.5 million per year range. The only way the Caps can afford Parise is if UFA Alexander Semin signs for less than his outrageous $6.7 million a year deal or we just let him go. Lets be honest, Semin is a good player but he is not worth $6.7 million a year. Every GM knows that and even though his huge ego thinks he can get that kind of money, a GM would be stupid to offer him that kind of money. The Caps will make an offer that is a bit less than last years deal and if he declines that and the other lower offers a few other teams might offer him, he'll be on his way to the KHL. To be honest, Semin will either be playing for the Caps next year, or in the KHL. I don't believe other GM's want to take a chance on him. As for the Caps others free agents, Vokoun will obviously not be back as the Caps finally have their man in net in Braden Holtby. Dennis Wideman may or may not be back as a Capital but he was not worth the $4.5 million we gave him this year. He better take a pay cut for his horrendous play in the 2012 playoffs or get out of town. McPhee would be stupid to resign him for that kind of money as there are others on the Free Agency market that are better defensemen and will cost less, like Johnny Oduya! Others might include, Matthew Carle, Brad Stuart, Filip Kuba and a guy I really like, Ryan Suter.
Mike Green is a Restricted Free Agent this summer and any offer that another team makes can be matched by the Capitals. I'm not a huge fan of Mike Green but I know the Capitals will do whatever it takes to keep him in a Caps uniform. I think that Caps should walk away from him if the price for him gets driven up too high because again, there are Unrestricted Free Agents that are better defensively then him (even though they aren't as good defensively. Mike Knuble is a UFA this summer and he will do whatever it takes to stay a Capital unless he decides to retire. He loves this team and the Caps need his leadership and experience. Jay Beagle and Perreault are RFA this summer as well and they will surely stay in Capitals uniforms as they are the type of players that go under the radar around the league but are crucial for the Caps. John Carlson has made a name for himself since enter the Caps lineup and as a RFA, he will surely stay a Capital. As for UFA and local man, Jeff Halpern, he's gone as the Caps probably wont attempt to resign him.
So, if the Caps get a cheaper Semin, or for that matter, pass up on him, they will be in play for signing Zach Parise in free agency or they could make a quick trade for Jordan Staal. Either one would do wonders for the Caps. The Goalie position is taken care of with Holtby. Semin should be resigned but for a big pay cut. Wideman should take a pay cut or let him walk and sign Oduya or Suter. Carlson, Green, Beagle, Perreault and Knuble (unless he retires) will all be back next season! Finally, the Caps need a new head coach and that man, in my mind, is Ron Wilson (again)!
Tomas
Vokoun was only supposed to be in Washington for one season, I get that. I also accept the fact that he was one of the
sole reasons that the Caps stayed in playoff contention through Gabby’s firing
and into January. He was borderline
great at a time when Neuvy and Holtby were struggling, along with every other player
on the roster or in the system it seemed.
Regardless of how he played immediately leading up to the deadline there
were plenty of teams in desperate need of goaltending help. Looking back at the standings we the caps
were in 9th place on March 30th. Knowing then that we as currently put
together without a certain Swedish center being healthy, we were barely going
to make the playoffs, and a very good chance at not making it. Letting the deadline go by yet again without
making a major acquisition was a calculated move indicating that there wasn’t a
player worth trading multiple pieces for I get that. What I don’t get is knowing full well that it
was an almost certainty that two of if not all three of our big Unrestricted
free agent trio Semin, Vokoun, Wideman, would not be coming back in 2013. It’s nothing less than a mismanagement of
assets to let the deadline pass without moving one of those players.
Vokoun
was incredibly useful, but that use had run its course, I hate comparing GMGM to Ray Shero—it’s like
comparing silver cup winning apples to really shi**y apples—but the Penguins
were in a very similar situation last season, UFA’s to move, uncertain if stars
would return, yet still in playoff contention.
He said I’m going to improve the team for this season and the next. Moving one asset in this case a young skilled
defenseman, a position of depth in the organization, for a player to help out
that season and the ones coming after in James Neal. In my humble opinion, Neuvy had proved
himself in the playoffs last year and given the chance again would have been
just fine. Knowing what you know about
the likely hood of all three UFA’s returning I think it behooved GMGM to move
Vokoun to any one of the goalie starved teams fighting for the playoffs(Chicago
had plenty of scoring and terrible goaltending, just one example). The equation in my mind was simple—Neuvy plus
quality centre/forward/dman/whatever the return for Vokoun would have been was
greater than Vokoun in net and Neuvy on the bench and no improvement to the
skaters.
The
series against the Rangers was basically decided by one goal here or one goal
there, I’m quite confident that any player that came back in the Vokoun trade
would have been worth one freaking goal.
Whether it was a defenceman to take the place of Schultz (who was on the ice
for what seemed like 80% of the goals against) to an extra center to maybe
create one chance for Semin on the second line or heck even someone to take Mojo’s
useless ass place. I refuse to believe
that whoever it was would not have been worth one extra goal and wouldn’t you
know we probably win the series.
The
history of GMGM and pulling the trigger on really anything sometimes has me
wondering if he has any sort of cahones at all.
This team has been damn close for almost five years now yet the biggest addition
by trade that has been made was for Scotty Hannan or a half washed up Federov,
hell both of those even sort of worked out.
Looking at the last few cup winners or those playing for the cup, they
have F*ing gone for it. You can go down
the list, Hossa all three times worked out pretty well, Guerin was a borderline
hall of famer, and Chris Pronger put the Flyers on his back when they went to
the cup. GMGM has been hoarding assets
and sitting on his hands for five years, and now they are starting to slip away
with no return on them in sight. Either
make a move for the now or for the future this passive aggressive bulls**t
leads me to screaming at you on the TV screen “WE HAVE NEEDED A F**KING SECOND
LINE CENTER FOR FIVE YEARS” over and over.
In 2009 I went ballistic when Jose Theodore was chosen to backstop the
best Caps team I’ve ever seen, what happens if they make a move for Vokoun
then? Hindsight is 20/20, but I can
still use your head as a dart board GMGM.
Dale Hunter, head coach of your Washington Capitals, stepped down today. As I'm sure many of you remember, Hunter took over during the middle of the season for Bruce Boudreau and coached the team to the conference semifinals against the Rangers. Hunter cited his family and farm team in London as some of his reasons to step down.
GMGM now has the task of finding a new coach for the team--Anyone but this man...
Sorry, I meant this man...
Whoever the new coach ends up being, this is not the only change we should expect from this team during the off-season. Alex Semin's agent has reportedly stated that he does not wish to return, Tomas Vokoun is expected to leave (although I'm sure not many of us expected him to last anymore than one season anyway), and several other veteran Caps players might not be returning [i.e. Halpern, Knuble, Wideman (please god get rid of Wideman!)]
Dale, you will be missed and I'm sure we all will remember you.
