How many of you were like me during the 3-4 pm hour:
Refresh, refresh, refresh . . .
“Is something wrong with my connection?”
“Surely McPhee will execute at least one move, to document that the organization was alert today.”
“I’m glad I didn’t burn a vacation day for this.”
And then:
Didn’t something need to be done after the last two miserable losses, a sudden inability to win at home (3-4 on the home stand, with one SOW), the goaltending position horrendously exposed, and an apparent lack of leadership?
The trade deadline calmly passed with not even a minor leaguer swap for the Washington Capitals. GM George McPhee apparently enjoys a zen-like contentment with the current club, enough to avoid taking any risks in the 2009 trading climate.
Regarding the recent losses, I’m not terribly concerned yet. Detroit went 4-8-2 in February 2008, and won the Cup. Philadelphia likewise stumbled in February to compile the same record, including in there seven straight losses. And they reached the Conference finals. Not to mention that the room was likely on pins and needles waiting for the trade deadline to pass. Definitely not zen-like in there.
But anyway, let’s recap what some of the Washington Capitals’ “peers” in the East accomplished today:
Boston: Acquired F Mark Recchi and D Steve Montador, for little present roster loss.
A (quite) veteran, Cup-winning presence, and a solid depth defenseman. Probably the biggest winner in the East.
New Jersey: Acquired D Niclas Havelid, giving up a D prospect that may prove valuable well down the road. Another depth defenseman necessary for the long “second season.”
Philadelphia: Acquired D Kyle McLaren for a low (6th) round pick. See above.
Sensing a pattern here?
NY Rangers: Shuffled the deck quite a bit to win the Derek Morris “sweepstakes,” and also to acquire the mercurial F Nik Antropov. Of course, also claiming Sean Avery from waivers yesterday, who shocks us with the admission that he’s “not perfect.”
Bottom line: To me, it looks like the three teams most threatening to the Caps’ chances of hoisting the Prince of Wales Trophy (BOS, NJD, PHI) added vital depth to their defensive corps, and thereby fortified the lineup for the inevitable swoons, fatigue, and injuries that will beset the backliners throughout April and May.
Exactly what the Caps needed to do as well. C’est la vie.
Now, all that’s left is to play the games on the ice. No waiting for help — it’s all up to them.
In other news: Carolina just brought back Erik Cole in a three-team deal with LAK and Edmonton involving Justin Williams and Patrick O’Sullivan. That’s a very interesting one, if only in terms of the logistics in pulling it off.
Pittsburgh took on Bill Guerin, and now seems better positioned to break into the top 8, if only to lose in a first round (or so we might hope).
And Olie Kolzig goes to Toronto, along with former Caps’ D Jamie Heward. Not a bad place for Olie to finish his career, assuming he’s ready to go in 2009-10.
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March 4, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Drew
Let Boston take a gamble on a single player. I guess since they’re a strong contender for the President’s Trophy, it’s worth the risk in hopes of success Now Or Never. Too bad they gave up NHL-ready talent in Lashoff, who would be playing with the big club on half the teams in the League.
The Caps had their hands tied with the 50-contract rule, but who did we really need? Guerin and Recchi are not Claude Lemieux in his prime, nor is Morris a Scott Stevens clone. We’ll home-grow some playoff experience this season, and if our defense and goalie need to be upgraded, it’ll surely happen with an eye toward the longview. Varlamov is waiting in the wings, Alzner will pull it together, and the Caps will be back in the middle of the pack against the salary cap in two years.
March 4, 2009 at 5:04 pm
pepper
Now, if Pothier could actually play this season . . .
March 4, 2009 at 8:57 pm
exwhaler
Pothier’s just been assigned to Hershey for a conditioning assignment, with conditional clearance to play, so he’s a heck of a lot closer than I originally thought.
Personally, I think Alzner would be a more important addition.
March 5, 2009 at 10:15 am
Drew
Agreed. His poor +/- was a surprise, but look at Drew Doughty on a much-improved Los Angeles defensive corps. He’s not their best, but he’s getting the minutes and no one is calling for his head. Now, they’re not exactly a bona fide SC contender, let alone a playoff team. But that’s my point — the Caps don’t need to win it all this year. They have time to develop their talent from within, and keep contract costs low. (Of course, Alzner will probably command a huge raise in two years, but oh well.)