2006-07 record: 28-40-14, 70 points. 5th in division/14th in conference. Did not qualify for playoff contention.
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Head Coach: |
Glen Hanlon (4th season) |
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General Manager: |
George McPhee (10th season) |
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Home Arena: |
Verizon Center |
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Capacity: |
18,672 |
The Washington Capitals are coming off of their second consecutive 70-point season and last-place finish in the Southeast Division, but things could be looking up. The Capitals had a very young and not-so-deep roster last season, but with the additions of a Swedish rookie center and a Swedish veteran center, along with the implementation of a new powerplay quarterback, Washington has a chance to finally take some strides forward. It will likely take more than one season for the Caps to realize their playoff goal, but with key contributions from several players, Washington could become more than just an afterthought in the Eastern Conference. Already with two of the league’s most dynamic offensive talents, the Capitals have the pieces in place to build a solid team for years to come. The only question is how soon that team can assemble itself.
Depth Chart
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Left Wing |
Center |
Right Wing |
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Alexander Ovechkin |
Michael Nylander |
Chris Clark |
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Alexander Semin |
Nicklas Backstrom |
Viktor Kozlov |
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Matt Pettinger |
Boyd Gordon |
Ben Clymer |
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Donald Brashear |
Brian Sutherby |
Brooks Laich |
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Tomas Fleischmann |
David Steckel |
Eric Fehr |
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Joe Motzko |
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Defence |
Defence |
Goaltending |
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Tom Poti |
Brian Pothier |
Olaf Kolzig |
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Shaone Morrison |
Steve Eminger |
Brent Johnson |
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Milan Jurcina |
Mike Green |
Frederic Cassivi |
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John Erskine |
Jeff Schultz |
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Forwards
Any and all discussion of the Washington Capitals forward ranks begins and ends with Alexander Ovechkin. Easily the face of the franchise, the affable Russian has embraced the North American game with everything he’s got, and has put up some pretty big numbers along the way. Ovechkin’s 46 goals and 46 assists last year were slightly less than in his rookie season, when he edged out Sidney Crosby for the Calder Trophy, but still nonetheless noteworthy. Part of the reason for the slip could be that opponents are focusing more attention on containing him, even when it leaves some of his teammates open. Ovechkin also lacked a true No. 1 center to feed him the puck last season, something that will change this year. With opponents zeroing in on Ovechkin more last year, another dynamic Russian, Alexander Semin, was able to pick up the slack with more open ice. Semin registered a career-high 38 goals and 35 assists in 77 games last year, and was often paired on a line with Ovechkin, mainly because of the lack of depth at center. This season, with newcomers Michael Nylander and Nicklas Backstrom expected to step in and have a major impact up the middle, Semin and Ovechkin will likely be split up. Expected to play with Ovechkin is the rookie Backstrom, who is NHL ready after being drafted fourth overall a year ago. Backstrom is a nifty playmaker who is defensively responsible as well. Washington expects him to be their No. 1 center for a long time to come, but if he can’t handle the responsibility in his rookie year, the job could be given to Nylander. Likely to complete the top line is captain Chris Clark, who put up a career-high 30 goals and 54 points last year.
Nylander will likely suit up on the second line, which would mean feeding the puck to Semin. Nylander proved that he could handle a superstar in Jaromir Jagr when he was in New York, and he should get many of the same opportunities in Washington, whether it be on the first line with Ovechkin or on the second with Semin. Newcomer Viktor Kozlov will likely play on the wing. Kozlov has shown bits of offensive flair in the past, but is one of the league’s most inconsistent players.
After the first two lines, things go downhill fast for the Caps. The third lines looks to include the trio of Matt Pettinger, Boyd Gordon and Ben Clymer, who scored a combined 30 goals last year. However, Pettinger and Gordon have proven to be shorthanded threats, scoring five times when down a man last year, while Clymer is defence-eligible in some leagues.
On the fourth line, tough guy Donald Brashear will likely be joined by center Brian Sutherby, with the final spot likely going to Brooks Laich, but rookies David Steckel, Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr will be given looks to make the team.
Defence
The Caps defence corps sorely lacked an offensive presence last season. Defensive-minded Brian Pothier was expected to step in as the No. 1 defender, but was only able to put up 3 goals and 25 assists in 72 games, which isn’t terrible…for a third or fourth defenceman. If Washington expects to make the playoffs, they can not rely solely on a guy like Pothier to run the powerplay or join the rush on a consistent basis. With that in mind, the Capitals went out and acquired help in the form of Tom Poti, who signed with the team as a free agent. Poti, who has experience running a powerplay, will take over as the go-to guy on defence, and should provide a little more of a punch from the back end. Steve Eminger and Shaone Morrison were solid stay-at-home options last year, but neither put up much from a fantasy perspective. Morrison did post 106 PIMs last year, but his 3 goals and 10 assists probably do not make him a viable fantasy option. Milan Jurcina has slightly better offensive instincts, but is still very undeveloped. The same could be said for Mike Green, who put up 2 goals and 10 assists in 70 games last year. Stay-at-home enforcer John Erskine also could win a job, as well as rookie Karl Alzner, who was drafted fifth overall in this year’s draft. Alzner is regarded as more of a stay-at-home defenceman than anything, and if he does make the team, probably will have little fantasy impact.
Goaltending
If goaltenders could wear the captain’s ‘C’, Olaf Kolzig would have it hands down. “Ollie the Goalie” is the unquestioned leader of the Washington Capitals, and even at 37-years-old, can still come up with the big save. Kolzig seemed like the last holdout of the salary purge of a few seasons ago, and has made it known that he wants to finish his career as a Capital, banking on the continued success of the team’s young players to propel the team to the playoffs. On a very bad defensive team last year, Kolzig put up decent fantasy numbers, going 22-24-6 with a 3.00 GAA and .910 SV%. Skill-wise, Kolzig is still among the top 10 goaltenders in the league, but because of the team he plays for and his age limiting his number of starts, he is probably best suited for a mid-to-late round fantasy pick. 30-year-old Brent Johnson will serve as backup, and also has a calming presence in the crease. Prospects Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth are still a season or two away from NHL experience.
Outlook
The Capitals are slowly but surely putting the pieces in place for a return to glory, but probably won’t have the guns to get there this season. The team did make serious strides at improving its offense this season, and already has several defensive-minded players. However, the inexperience of its forwards and lack of depth on the blueline will probably keep the Capitals on the outside looking in at least for this season. Next year, Kolzig’s contract will be up, and the team must decide if it wants to renew and go for a shot at the playoffs or turn to Varlamov and/or Neuvirth as the next wave. Either way, Washington likely has a few seasons to go before they are counted among the league’s best.
