This fits the exact mold as Brouwer....younger guy (in NHL exp) who is just coming into his prime NHL years.
Wasn't it TXPD who swore the Caps wouldn't turn over a lot of the roster?
The question now remains....are they done?
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George McPhee....The Teflon GM. 15 years of failure and counting....
6 - Number of playoff series the Capitals have won since George McPhee took over as General Manager in 1997 (which makes him the third-longest-tenured GM in the League), three of which came in McPhee's first season on the job.
Last edited by CapitalsCupFantasy: 07-01-2011 at 03:14 PM.
This fits the exact mold as Brouwer....younger guy who is just coming into his prime NHL years.
Wasn't it TXPD who swore the Caps wouldn't turn over a lot of the roster?
The question now remains....are they done?
I feel like they're just about done acquiring players. MAYBE one more guy but now the moves will be about trying to move guys like Fehr, Chimera, Poti mostly for draft picks.
On the contrary. They told everyone they were going to be aggressive on multiple occasions. I think part of that was to appease the fan base while at the same time encouraging Free Agents to listen when they got them on the phone. Otherwise you risk Free Agents maybe overlooking them because of their reputation for being conservative at times and building from within.
They implied activity in trades. Active this summer, yes. Active in free agency was not a known quantity, and the rumor mill was a tomb. I heard nothing connecting the Caps to anyone in free agency.
It's pretty true about the rumor mill. Every rumor regarding the Caps either seemed to come from without (agents trying to strum up drama, particularly with Jagr and Varlamov) or was a complete shot in the dark (Eklund, hockey break, etc.). Everything that actually happened went down quick and fast. There weren't any specific rumors that even suggested the Varlamov or Brouwer trades until they went down. The free agent signings were even almost rumorless, as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Appreci8
Locker saying Ward in the top 6.
Honestly, I'd rather stick Chimera there than Ward. At least Chimera has the speed to hang with our headliners in the Top 6.
If Ward is going to be in the top-6, I think he could easily be the #1RW. Has the wheels to skate with 8-19, has a physical presence, wins battles in the corners, etc.
He could really fit on any line. Could provide the grit on a line with 28-90. Could matchup well with Laich and Brouwer on a 3rd line. Etc.
If Ward is going to be in the top-6, I think he could easily be the #1RW. Has the wheels to skate with 8-19, has a physical presence, wins battles in the corners, etc.
He could really fit on any line. Could provide the grit on a line with 28-90. Could matchup well with Laich and Brouwer on a 3rd line. Etc.
Joel Ward, #1 RW? Really?
This site needs a link to hockeydb in the corner for everyone.
This site needs a link to hockeydb in the corner for everyone.
Let it be. People want to give the shiny new toys all the perks. Suddenly all the dirty work Knuble has done isn't as sexy as the new $3 million free agent.
He is the type of player the Caps need more of, if they have any intention of winning in the post season.
The team needed an identity makeover....they are in the process of that with this signing. Getting rid of Semin for a similar player who plays a North American game will be the next step. Right now they haven't done enough.
Ward is NOT top 6. He'll work hard but will produce little. Good defensively, maybe some PK time but overall, Caps paid way too much for this guy. You'll like the work ethic and you'll like the presence, but don't expect any points from him. His output in playoffs is almost a fluke of nature, totally unexplainable considering how he plays during the season. I hope he does well for you guys because I like Ward and I like the Caps but I feel you will be disappointed.
He is the type of player the Caps need more of, if they have any intention of winning in the post season.
The team needed an identity makeover....they are in the process of that with this signing. Getting rid of Semin for a similar player who plays a North American game will be the next step. Right now they haven't done enough.
The only guys that are practically guranteed to be top 6 are Ovi, Backstrom, Knuble, Semin, and MaJo.
Brouwer, Laich, and Ward are going to be moving around A LOT especially when it comes to that 6th spot which will probably end up being a revolving door.
Still waiting to see what happens to Fehr, Chimera, Eakin, and Sjogren but chances are whichever combination of those 4 makes the roster they'll be moving around a lot as well.
However it will be Bouwer, Laich, and Ward that will be going in and out of the second line the most. Personally I'd expect to see Bouwer and Laich making the move more then Ward who will probably see more time on the 3rd and 4th lines.
