Caps All Star Break Mini Round Table
DISCUSS THE CAPS IN OUR SEA OF RED FORUM --- HELP US BUILD OUR CAPS FORUM
With the All Star Break nearly over and the Washington Capitals set to start up the final push tomorrow night, we asked a few bloggers some Caps questions moving forward. Here is our mini-round table panelists ...
- Ben Sumner, Capitals Outsider (our FanSided Partner)
- Michael Hoffman, DC Examiner
- Sam Chamberlain, TBD Sports
- Sky Kerstein, CBS Washington, 106.7 The Fan
1. Give the recent struggled of the Capitals power play, what do you see as the problem? What do the Caps need to return to power play effectiveness?
2. The Caps have seem to put an emphasis on defense at the moment. Do you see the Caps turning back to a more offensive oriented approach down the stretch?
3. As we approach the Playoffs, does the health of the the two young goalies concern you? Could you see the Caps making a move for veteran goal tending?
4. Three part questions
A. Do you think GM George McPhee will make trade deadline moves?
B. If so, which current Washington Capital do you most likely see involved in a trade?
C. What is the biggest need or priority at the trade deadline for the Caps?
5. Do you see an offensive resurgence for Alexander Ovechkin post All Star game?
6. Finally, who wins the Southeast Division?
BEN SUMNER --- CAPITALS OUTSIDER, our FanSided Partner --- Caps Outsider on Twitter
Ben: It seems the passing isn't as on the mark as it was last season. There's a big difference when Ovie needs to settle a puck vs. being able to launch a one-timer. Also, Green hasn't been skating as well and isn't stepping up to take those slapshots that he's taken has in the past. I'm sure the team recognizes this but their attempts to fix it haven't panned out.
DCPSR: The Caps have seem to put an emphasis on defense at the moment. Do you see the Caps turning back to a more offensive oriented approach down the stretch?
Ben: The defensive, boring hockey approach will stay put. Down the stretch, it's the power play that will put them over the top.
DCPSR: As we approach the Playoffs, does the health of the the two young goalies concern you? Could you see the Caps making a move for veteran goal tending?
Ben: I don't think the Caps will make any moves with goaltenders this season, but in the coming years, maybe even next season, look for a big trade involving the starting two or Holtby. The Caps won't keep all three.
DCPSR: Three part question;
Do you think GM George McPhee will make trade deadline moves?
Ben: He probably will, because any serious Cup contender typically makes a couple of changes down the stretch.
If so, which current Washington Capital do you most likely see involved in a trade?
Ben: With several unrestricted free agents on the payroll, McPhee will consider moving any of them, even Alex Semin if the deal makes sense (though that's unlikely to happen). But players such as
Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon and even Marcus Johansson may be shopped for the right player.
What is the biggest need or priority at the trade deadline for the Caps?
Ben: A veteran center with Stanley Cup experience.
DCPSR: Do you see an offensive resurgence for Alexander Ovechkin post All Star game?
Ben: Absolutely. Ovechkin will score frantically down the stretch, ensuring he doesn't have his worst offensive output in his career this year.
DCPSR: Finally, who wins the Southeast Division?
Ben: Capitals!
MICHAEL HOFFMAN --- DC EXAMINER --- Caps Reporter --- Mike on Twitter
DCPSR: Give the recent struggled of the Capitals power play, what do you see as the problem? What do the Caps need to return to power play effectiveness?
Michael: Too often we see members of this team trying to ‘thread-the-needle’ and attempt high risk passes when they have a clear shooting lane. That is a mistake. The Capitals need to shoot the puck more and work harder at creating havoc in front of the net. Having only one offensive-minded center also hurts this team. When Nicklas Backstrom is on the bench, the Capitals power-play, at times looks discombobulated. A trade deadline acquisition may be needed to help shore up the power-play.
DCPSR: The Caps have seem to put an emphasis on defense at the moment. Do you see the Caps turning back to a more offensive oriented approach down the stretch?
Michael: No. As the Capitals witnessed first-hand against Montreal last season, a conservative, back-checking, defensive style, is a style that produces wins in the NHL playoffs. With a lack of depth at center, and what has been a sub-par season, up to this point, by a number of forwards, even if Boudreau went back to the more wide-open, high-risk, high-reward style of offensive hockey the Capitals once employed, this just isn’t as good an offense as it was last season. I think Bruce is wise to emphasize a more defensive-minded style, (as I wrote about here) and I think it will remain that way.
DCPSR: As we approach the Playoffs, does the health of the the two young goalies concern you? Could you see the Caps making a move for veteran goal tending?
Michael: While Semyon Varlamov has always been an injury risk, this organization has more than enough between Michal Neuvirth and even Braden Holtby, to remain stable even if Varly does go down. The Capitals goaltending might not be elite, but it is developing nicely and I believe there are bigger needs elsewhere. I don’t see the Capitals making a move for a veteran goaltender.
DCPSR: Three part questions
Do you think GM George McPhee will make trade deadline moves?
Michael: Yes, and I’d be surprised if the Capitals stopped at one and were not involved in multiple deals.
If so, which current Washington Capital do you most likely see involved in a trade?
Michael: With the well-rounded game of Matt Hendricks, and because the team already has a number of effective ‘grinders,’ I would not be that surprised if the Capitals decide to part ways with fan favorite Matt Bradley. (Especially since he is an unrestricted free agent next season) However, a more likely scenario would be the Capitals giving up a number of draft picks, as they already have a deep talent pool. The only other non-prospect I could see the Capitals trading is Mathieu Perreault, and I could only see the Capitals making that move if they were able to go old in return for young, and get a veteran center in return. Other than that, I think Washington might consider parting with 2009, 2nd round draft pick, Dmitri Orlov. Orlov should be a future NHLer, but the Capitals already have the smooth-skating, offensive defenseman skill-set covered.
What is the biggest need or priority at the trade deadline for the Caps?
Michael: It’s simple, a Stanley Cup trophy for D.C. will not be possible unless the Capitals improve their depth at C. The Capitals clearly need more depth at center. Look at the teams that have recently won Stanley Cups, or have gone far in the playoffs, teams like the Red Wings, Blackhawks, Penguins and Flyers. All of those teams have elite center depth, and a number of players who can effectively organize an offense, and make ‘pin-point’ passes to set up goals. Marcus Johansson is improving, but the only offensive-minded center the Capitals really have is Nicklas Backstrom. That just isn’t enough. As a secondary need, the Capitals need another player besides Mike Knuble (who is showing his age a little more this season) who can effectively crash the net. Because of that, I’d love to see the Capitals make a play for R.J. Umberger out of Columbus. We’d need to offer a lot, however to get him.
DCPSR: Do you see an offensive resurgence for Alexander Ovechkin post All Star game?
Michael: Yes. Over the last few games, Ovechkin has seemed to play with more ‘burst.’ That can only be a good thing as the Caps enter the mid, to late-season stretch. And while Ovechkin’s shot still appears to be somewhat off compared to last season, he has recently done a better job of crashing the net. I think those trends only get stronger as we go late into this season. Alex has 51 points through 51 games. I think he finishes the regular season with 35 goals and 86 points.
DCPSR: Finally, who wins the Southeast Division?
Michael: So much depends on who the Capitals and the Lightning are able to acquire before the end of the trade deadline, but it’s obvious either way that the Lightning are for real. Tampa takes the Southeast by one point.
SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN --- TBD SPORTS --- Sam on Twitter
DCPSR: Give the recent struggled of the Capitals power play, what do you see as the problem? What do the Caps need to return to power play effectiveness?Sam: There was a lot of talk before the All-Star break about where Ovechkin was being played on the power play, as if he alone held the key to the Caps scoring bushels of power play goals. Sometimes he'd be at the point, sometimes he'd be at the half-boards, etc. But at the risk of sounding simplistic, I think the Caps' power play struggles have come about as a combination of regression to the mean (remember, this is the same group that scored on the power play once out of every four times last season), and the fact that for whatever reason, this team is simply unable to move the puck around the offensive zone on the power play. I can't tell you how many times this year I've seen the puck stick with someone for a good five to ten seconds. This is usually followed by someone trying to either make a spectacular pass which doesn't connect or a spectacular stickhandling move that results in an easy clear for the opposition. If I were Bruce Boudreau, I'd be telling the team two things: keep it simple and when in doubt, throw the puck at the net and see what happens.
DCPSR: The Caps have seem to put an emphasis on defense at the moment. Do you see the Caps turning back to a more offensive oriented approach down the stretch?
Sam: In a word, no. If you believe the buzz, Boudreau changed the style up after the 7-0 shellacking at the hands of the Rangers back on December 12, and though the results have been mixed, we haven't seen anything like that MSG humiliation since. Besides, what defensive system the Caps play has very little effect on the offense's goal-scoring opportunities. Those are still coming fast and furious, but are just not being converted with the regularity of 2009-10.
DCPSR: As we approach the Playoffs, does the health of the the two young goalies concern you? Could you see the Caps making a move for veteran goal tending?
Sam: Health is definitely a concern for me, but I'm not sure how much of a concern it is for George McPhee. GMGM has been very firm in his support of both young goalies dating all the way back to training camp, and it seems to me that if the Caps were so desperate for veteran goaltending, the least they could have done was put in a claim for Evgeni Nabokov. After that, I really don't think there's anyone else out there that McPhee wants.
DCPSR: Three part questions
Do you think GM George McPhee will make trade deadline moves?
Sam: I'll treat this question as a single question. The Capitals need a proper second-line center. They've needed one for a couple years now. Tomas Fleischmann did fine as a placeholder in that position, but it's no accident that he experienced an offensive surge with Colorado (before his unfortunate season-ending ailment, at least) playing as a left winger. George McPhee has said that if a second-line or third-line center becomes available, he will try to make a move. The problem is, since McPhee is operating from a position of need, such a player is not likely to come cheap. If GMGM has to pull the trigger on a deal that involves a current Capital, I could very easily see Mathieu Perreault shipped out. He's young and obviously talented, but very inconsistent and is more or less the same player as Marcus Johansson. And that battle was settled back in training camp, with Marcus staying up, and Mathieu going down.
If so, which current Washington Capital do you most likely see involved in a trade?
What is the biggest need or priority at the trade deadline for the Caps?
DCPSR: Do you see an offensive resurgence for Alexander Ovechkin post All Star game?
Sam: He's currently on pace to record his fewest number of goals and points in any NHL season and may or may not be hurt (see the oddly timed "cortisone shot" he revealed earlier in January), but he did look a lot livelier against the Rangers in the final game I saw in person before the All-Star break last Monday. I don't think he'll score 40 goals this season (and he'll honestly do well to score 35 goals this season), but I wouldn't count him out entirely.
DCPSR: Finally, who wins the Southeast Division?
Sam: Washington will take it in a battle that comes right down to the final day of the season
SKY KERSTEIN --- CBS WASHINGTON RADIO, 106.7 The Fan --- Sky on Twitter
DCPSR: Give the recent struggled of the Capitals power play, what do you see as the problem? What do the Caps need to return to power play effectiveness?
Sky: They need to throw pucks at the night and Ovechkin needs to get dirty. He can't play the point, the only way they get it going again is to stop being fancy and get to the net. Once they start throwing pucks at the net with traffic in front to deflect and knock in rebounds they will get back on track.
DCPSR: The Caps have seem to put an emphasis on defense at the moment. Do you see the Caps turning back to a more offensive oriented approach down the stretch?
Sky: No, I think they will continue to play more defensive minded, but the offense will improve only because you can't have this many great offensive players struggle for so long without breaking out. Since the third period of the Flyers game almost two weeks ago, Ovi has stepped it up a notch and that should sprinkle down to the rest of the team, plus if Semin is ever healthy that will help a lot as well.
DCPSR: As we approach the Playoffs, does the health of the the two young goalies concern you? Could you see the Caps making a move for veteran goal tending?
Sky: The health is always concerning, but they will stick with these two plus have Holtby just in case. Dany Sabourin is also there if they needed someone with experience, but if they make a move it won't be for a veteran goalie.
DCPSR: Three part question;
Do you think GM George McPhee will make trade deadline moves?
Sky: Yes, I think he will make a move for a 2nd line Center.
If so, which current Washington Capital do you most likely see involved in a trade?
Sky: Mathieu Perreault or Eric Fehr if they trade a current Capital.
What is the biggest need or priority at the trade deadline for the Caps?
Sky: 2nd line center, Perreault has struggled and Marcus is a 3rd line center right now.
DCPSR: Do you see an offensive resurgence for Alexander Ovechkin post All Star game?
Sky: Yes, he's looked great since the 3rd period of the Philadelphia Flyers game. It looks like he has his step back and that will help his entire game.
DCPSR: Finally, who wins the Southeast Division?
Sky: The Caps, they are in the mix of things and haven't played good for over two months, plus I think a heavy road schedule benefit them.
