SB Nation - Bryan Helmer

Wednesday Caps Clips: As The Nyles Turns

J.P. — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:45:09 -0000

via the shoebox next to my desk

Your savory breakfast links:

Today's must-read interview: Alex Semin. [Alex Ovetjkin]
"If Michael Nylander is close to agreeing to play next season in the Kontinental Hockey League ... that's news to Nylander's agent." [Capitals Insider]
Of course, it was also news to Nylander's agent when he signed with Washington two summers ago. [Capitals Insider c. July, 2007 (h/t @EmptyMaybe)]
And it wouldn't be unusual for a player to have a different agent to handle his European business, as Sergei Fedorov had earlier this summer. [@AllenPope]
Finally, there isn't much of a role for an agent in any Nylander-to-the-KHL transaction anyway - his pay is set, regardless of where he plays. [Our post on the subject]
On to happier topics, Milan Jurcina's agent on his client's arbitration hearing yesterday: "Both sides were professional, and I don't believe anybody came out from the hearing feeling anybody delivered any low blows." [In the Room]
Even happier (well, for Bears fans at least), Bryan Helmer has re-signed with the Bears. [John Walton Hockey and HBH, who looks at the organizational implications of the transaction]
Alex Ovechkin finally admits to punching Evgeni Malkin's agent. [Russia Today via Alex Ovetjkin]
AO was/is on the cover of Russia's version of Men's Health, and if you wanted to see him sans shirt, this is the video for you. [Alex Ovetjkin]
This article is worth it for the graphic alone. [CBS News]
Sticking with politics (the third-rail of hockey blogging), Chris Cillizza (or his web producer) shows a little Caps love. [The Fix via FanShot]
The Ducks have named former Caps goalie Pete Peeters as their new goaltending consultant. Peeters was 70-41-15/3.06/.887 for Washington over his four years in town, and is in the top five all-time in most franchise goaltending categories. [NHL.com]
Speaking of the Ducks, where was I when they sold for just $70 million five years ago? I feel like I could have pulled that kind of funding together, had I known. [From the Rink]
Honestly, I feel like I've been waiting my entire blogging life for this post to be written. [Puck Prospectus]
Finally, going through some things I stumbled across this little piece of awesomeness:
It's a patch with details (click image to enlarge) sewn on a felt base from who-knows-when. Want one of your own? Head on over to eBay.

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

For Those Defensemen About To Shoot, We Salute You

Stephen Pepper — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:00:14 -0000

photo credit: Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images

This one's for all of those fans who, watching defensemen walk the line, looking to dish, yell "Shoot the puck!"

Fans and coaches alike have, since the beginning of the season, encouraged backliners like Milan Jurcina to blast a few more shots on net.

As Juice himself said back in October:

I am supposed to be defensive defenseman, so I don't really think much offense. But if there is decent chance there to shoot the puck, why not?

Aside from Mike Green (and perhaps to a lesser extent, Tom Poti), every other Capitals defenseman thinks defense first. That's accepted, and most often necessary: move the puck quickly around in the D-zone, get it up ice, and let the substantial forward talent on this season's Caps team work their brilliant designs on the other net.

But what I set out to do here was create some measure of how much offensive pressure that defensemen other than Green apply on a game-by-game basis, at even-strength, and see if the results confirm what we would logically predict: when those defensemen are more offensively aggressive, pushing the play, sending more rubber toward the net, the team is more successful.

So I added up the total SOG + total A/B + total MS credited to all of the Caps defensemen not wearing #52 in a single game, to create an aggregate number of attempts on the net in that game ("ATT/G") by the rest of the D corps. Even attempts that miss the net or get blocked can result in strange caroms and might keep the pressure high in the offensive end more often than not.

Why take Green out of it? He's more or less a constant: one of the Big Four upon which this squad can, and must, rely on a nightly basis.

And only eight of his 25 goals on the season have come at ES. I wanted to isolate ES play, especially since the effectiveness of the team's PP, at 24.6% and 2nd in the league, leaves far less room for improvement. Taking the one D who spends the most time patrolling a PP point position, almost to the exclusion of all other Caps defensemen, was the simplest way to do that. (Plus, event summaries do not separate out these ATT/G at ES from those occurring while on the PP.)

Here's a breakdown of average ATT/G by month, along with the team's record:

	ES goals by "other" D	record*	ATT/G
October	2 (Jurcina, Sloan)	(5-4)	7.2
November	3 (all by Poti)	(8-7)	9.7
December	4 (Alzner, Jurcina (2), Morrisonn)	(11-3)	13.0
January	2 (Collins, Schultz)	(7-5)	11.1
February	2 (both by Morrisonn)	(9-4)	9.6
March	0 to date	(4-5)	11

* For simplicity, I treated all losses of whatever type (regulation, OTL, SOL) as "losses." So making the Caps' record to date (44-28).

What first struck me was that the team's highest ATT/G figure occurred during its most successful month to date (December). You'll recall that, in that month, the torrential injury storm that sidelined blue line stalwarts like Green and Poti and Jeff Schultz necessitated lengthy stints by call-ups Sean Collins, Bryan Helmer, and Tyler Sloan. Guys that, perhaps, were eager to be a little more aggressive and impress the coaching staff with their ability to play in both ends of the ice.

Looking at the season as a whole, the Caps other D average 10.6 ATT/G in wins, and just 9.4 ATT/G in losses. Pretty significant difference.

And when one of those other D-men manage to pot one, the results are extraordinary: an 11-1 record (the lone loss coming in San Jose, that 7-2 beat down). The kind of secondary scoring that seems to automatically guarantee a victory. The average ATT/G in those 12 contests is, well, 12. The average ATT/G in all other 60 games is 10.

So the more ATT/G are generated, the more likely it appears that one of those other D will score, and that the Caps earn another W.

One more final note: Add in Brian Pothier on a consistent basis, and we could really see some offensive pressure from the blue line at ES from a second pairing (i.e., when Green's not on the ice). Potsy finished second in shots per game during his roughly half a 2007-08 campaign, and was first in that department in the 2006-07 season.

What To Do With The New-Found Cap Space...

David M. Getz — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:53:27 -0000

As you're well aware by now, Chris Clark will have surgery on his injured right wrist and may miss the rest of the season, an announcement that sparked a significant amount of discussion among visitors here at The Rink. For Clark, the injury is another setback in his efforts to return to being the player he was two seasons ago. For the Capitals and their fans, the injury may be a blessing in a not-so-subtle disguise: Clark's placement on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) opens up an additional $2,633,333 in cap space and, consequently, a whole new range of possibilities in terms of personnel moves as the trade deadline approaches. [Ed. note: by my math, the current Caps roster of 22 players is around ~~$3.2~~ $2.4 million under the cap; down from $4 $3.3 million before accounting for recently recalled Michal Neuvirth.]

Before starting any discussion it should be noted that the biggest question here is what to do with Karl Alzner. The rookie defenseman has shown that he's capable of playing regular NHL minutes, and the Capitals have shown they're willing to give them to him. However, with Tom Poti back in the lineup and the team's other defensemen playing well, it's not as obvious as it once was that keeping King Karl in Washington should be the team's top priority.

What we've done here at Japers' Rink is constructed five scenarios that we could see playing out in the next several weeks. Obviously they're not set in stone and each of the scenarios could play out slightly differently, but the scenarios are designed to be starting points for discussion. With that in mind, feel free to chime in: What are the Capitals most pressing needs? How should they fill them? Are there any players who have more value as trade bait than as members of the Capitals organization? By the same token, are there players who would provide an especially big boost by fitting in well with the current team or by filling an especially pressing hole? And, most importantly, what course of action gives the team the best chance at the Stanley Cup, not only this season but down the road as well?

Scenario #1 - Do nothing.
Transactions: None.
Pros: For the NHL club, no transactions means no opportunity to damage the team's chemistry, which seems to be strong. Alzner would probably get more ice time in Hershey than in Washington. The biggest positive in this scenario is that the team would be able to accommodate Brian Pothier's return to the lineup, should he become healthy enough to play without having to make any roster moves.
Cons: $4 million in cap space is an awful lot of cap space to sit unused for a team that expects to make a deep playoff run. Alzner might play more in Hershey, but at this point he's probably better off playing 19 minutes a night in the NHL than 25 minutes a night in the AHL.

Scenario #2 - Add a scoring wing.
Transactions: The Capitals trade for an offensively talented winger to add offensive depth.
Pros: You can never have too more scoring depth in the playoffs and given Michael Nylander's season-long struggles, Brooks Laich's inconsistency, Alexander Semin's lack of durability, and Viktor Kozlov's playoff stat line (zero goals, six assists in 23 games), the team might find itself regretting not taking the opportunity to add more offense.
Cons: As it is, the Caps are fifth in the league in both goals per game and powerplay conversion rate, so upgrading the offensive might not be the best use of resources. It seems like every playoff contender is looking for secondary scoring as the deadline approaches so the asking price for any player of value is likely to be high. Eric Fehr still has a significant amount of offensive upside and has been waiting for an extended chance to show what he can do and Chris Bourque looks to be NHL-ready.
Potential Targets: Nik Antropov (28, Center/Right Wing/Left Wing, Toronto, $2.05 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jussi Jokinen (25, Left Wing, Tampa Bay, $1.81 million through 2008-09, RFA thereafter); Mark Recchi (41, Right Wing, Tampa Bay, $1.5 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter).

Scenario #3 - Add a depth forward
Transactions: The Capitals trade for a gritty, third-or-fourth line player.
Pros: The Capitals don't have a lot of grit and attitude at the forward position beyond Donald Brashear and Matt Bradley. Depth forwards are generally inexpensive both in terms of salary and trades and thus acquiring such a player might allow the Capitals to fill a hole and keep Karl Alzner in the NHL.
Cons: Eric Fehr and Chris Bourque are both still buried on the depth chart in this situation. With as much scoring talent as the Caps have it may be difficult to find space for a grinder or agitator.
Potential Targets: Adam Hall (28, Right Wing, Tampa Bay, $600,000 through 2010-11, UFA thereafter); Ian Laperriere (35, Right Wing, Colorado, $1.15 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Dominic Moore (28, Center, Toronto, $900,000 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jed Ortmeyer (30, Right Wing, Nashville, $750,000 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Samuel Pahlsson (31, Center, Anaheim, $1.4 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Richard Park (32, Right Wing, New York Islanders, $750,000 through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Jon Sim (31, Left Wing/Right Wing, New York Islanders, $1 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter).

Scenario #4 - Add a defenseman without changing the current roster.
Transactions: The Capitals trade for a depth defenseman to shore up their blueline depth going into the playoff run and postseason.
Pros: Boosting depth at defense is always a plus, especially the grind of the playoffs. As admirably as Tyler Sloan, Sean Collins, and Bryan Helmer filled in, the Caps are going to be in trouble if they have to ask those guys to play 15 minutes a night in the postseason.
Cons: With Alzner included, the Capitals already have seven NHL caliber defenseman and adding another might just create a logjam. As with scoring depth, it seems like everyone is looking for depth defensemen in January and February so the asking price may be higher than what's worth it for the Capitals.
Potential Targets: Greg de Vries (36, Nashville, $2.5 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Bret Hedican (38, Anaheim, $870,500 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jordan Leopold (28, Colorado, $1.5 million through 2008-90, UFA thereafter); Marek Malik (33, Tampa Bay, $1.25 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter) Jason Smith (35, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Anton Volchenkov (26, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter).

Scenario #5 - Upgrade the defense, moving a current player and acquiring a better one.
Transactions: The Capitals would first trade away Shaone Morrisonn and then make another trade for a defenseman to retain depth at the position and increase the overall talent level on the blueline.
Pros: The combination of taking Clark's $2.63 million and Morrisonn's $1.975 million salary off the books would give the Capitals $4.605 million in space to work with, and a total of $6.05 million. Recalling Alzner would take $1.675 million of that away, but the team would have $4.38 million left to work with - more than enough to land a quality defenseman.
Cons: As with any move that involves taking a player off the current roster, chemistry is a concern.
Potential Targets: Greg de Vries (36, Nashville, $2.5 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jordan Leopold (28, Colorado, $1.5 million through 2008-90, UFA thereafter); Niclas Havelid (35, Atlanta, $2.7 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Bret Hedican (38, Anaheim, $870,500 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Tomas Kaberle (30, Toronto, $4.25 million through 2010-11, UFA thereafter); Jay McKee (31, St. Louis, $4 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Chris Phillips (30, Ottawa, $3.5 million through 2010-11, UFA thereafter) Jason Smith (35, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Mike Van Ryn (29, Toronto, $2.9 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Brendan Witt (33, New York Islanders, 2.77 million through 2008-09, $3 million from 2009-10 until 2010-11, UFA thereafter); Anton Volchenkov (26, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter).

So what do you think? Should the Caps sit tight or make a splash, however small?

Poll

Which scenario would you like to see the Caps pursue?

Scenario #1 - Do nothing

76 votes

Scenario #2 - Add a scoring wing

29 votes

Scenario #3 - Add a depth forward

25 votes

Scenario #4 - Add a depth defenseman

43 votes

Scenario #5 - Upgrade a defenseman

252 votes

425 votes | Poll has closed

John Erskine, Revisted

J.P. — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:22:06 -0000

[Ed. Note: I'm thrilled to introduce DMG as a new contributor to The Rink (then again, he's really been contributing here for a long time already). You know him from his own site, Caps Blue Line, and of course from the comments here, so enjoy his first post and be sure to welcome him formally aboard.]

It would be fair to say that since I started writing about the Capitals I’ve not exactly been a friend to John Erskine. Last February I called Erskine "a liability against most NHL caliber forwards". During the team's playoff series against Philadelphia I wrote that taking Erskine out of the lineup was "the most obvious" step the team needed to take in order to win the series. Over the summer I wrote that having Erskine under contract at all was a mistake that was hurting the Capitals when it came to getting under the salary cap.

Recently (that is to say, since Erskine's January 13th return to the' lineup) I've found myself becoming more and more of a fan of Erskine. At first glance, there’s no obvious reason why, as Erskine’s basic statistics aren’t any better this year than they were last year:

John Erskine	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2007-08	51	2	7	9	1	96	0	0	1	0	48	.042
2008-09	24	0	2	2	5	31	0	0	0	0	23	0.0

Of course, no one would try and argue that John Erskine is anything other than a defensive defenseman, and thus many of his contributions to the team are unlikely to show up in a basic stats line. With that in mind, I did a little number crunching in an effort to better quantify Erskine’s contributions and compare him with his teammates.

Here’s how Erskine stacks up so far this year, with "Rank/7" being Erskine’s rank among the team’s top seven defensemen (Erskine plus Mike Green, Tom Poti, Milan Jurcina, Karl Alzner, Shaone Morrisonn, and Jeff Schultz) and "Rank/9" being his rank among the nine defensemen who have played fifteen or more games for the team (the aforementioned seven plus Tyler Sloan and Sean Collins). All statistics other than plus/minus are given as frequencies as to how often a play occurs. Ergo a low number is good for hits, but bad for giveaways.

2008-09	Erskine	Rank/7	Rank/9
Plus/Minus	5	4th	4th
Hit Frequency	6:39	1st	1st
Blocked Shot Frequency	12:53	3rd	4th
Giveaway Frequency	41:12	2nd	2nd
Takeaway Frequency	412:00	7th	9th

The number that most obviously jumps out is takeaway frequency: in his 412 minutes of play this season, Erskine has registered just one official takeaway. However, if you look at Erskine’s numbers as compared with the six Capitals blueliners who were regulars both last season and this season and aggregate the numbers across the two campaigns, Erskine fares much better:

2007-08 through 08-09	Erskine	Rank/6
Plus/Minus	6	4th
Hit Frequency	7:24	1st
Blocked Shot Frequency	13:11	2nd
Giveaway Frequency	26:57	4th
Takeaway Frequency	57:46	4th

The numbers don’t paint an overly flattering picture but they do seem to suggest that Erskine is a quality NHL defenseman; one who will make a hit, block shots, and generally keep the team out of trouble, an assessment that is much more flattering than one I would have given at the season’s outset.

But of course, it’s impossible to discuss Erskine’s role on the Capitals without discussing his new contract, a two year, $2.5 million dollar extension that kicks in next season. Sure, he might be a decent enough NHL defenseman, but is he worth the money and, perhaps more importantly, the cap hit?

Not too long ago I would have said no, but the going rate for stay-at-home defensemen is higher than you might think. There are a fair number of players who are statistically similar to Erskine making comparable salaries including Ossi Vaananen ($1 million), Ken Klee ($1.25 million), Denis Gauthier ($2.1 million), and Jim Vandermeer ($2.6 million). Naturally some of the players with similar statistics are better than Erskine. However, Erskine has one advantage over a number of comparable players as well: he can fight.

Erskine will never be the top tier heavyweight Donald Brashear is, but he is good enough to make most opposing players think twice before taking any liberties and to make forwards just a little more reluctant to go the net when he’s on the ice. But what is a fight worth? A recent paper suggests the going rate is about $11,000 for any fight and more than $18,000 for winning, the aggregation of which can be see in the salaries of players like Brashear ($1.2 million), Georges Laraque ($1.5 million), Todd Fedoruk ($1.05 million), Derek Boogaard ($950,000), and Eric Godard ($750,000). All are decent enough forwards but all also make substantially more money because of their pugilistic skills. Having one player who can play and who can fight is a better option than having to use an additional roster space and contract for a player who’s useless when his gloves are on. It would be difficult to put a number on Erskine’s additional value to the Capitals because of his fighting ability but I’d be comfortable calling it at least $250,000.

Perhaps the most important consideration in evaluating both Erskine’s performance and contract is to think of the alternatives. Being able to take a regular shift in the NHL without putting your team in frequent peril is a skill that is much rarer than it might seem, something Capitals fans who have watched Bryan Helmer, Sean Collins, and Tyler Sloan this season should know. NHL teams are aware of it as well – more than a half dozen "depth defensemen" are moved every year at the trading deadline, as playoff contenders look to shore up their defensive ranks.

More than double the league’s minimum salary might seem like a lot for a player whose general job is essentially to eat up ice time without making any major mistakes until the more skilled players recover enough to get back on the ice. But the reality is that there simply aren’t very many people capable of doing that the NHL. John Erskine is one of the people who is, even in spite of his mediocre skating ability and tendency to take too many penalties. On that basis alone, a pretty strong argument can be made that he’s worth his new contract.

Poll

What do you think of John Erskine's two year, $2.5 million extension?

It's too much in dollars and/or years

109 votes

It's fair in dollars and years

105 votes

It's a bargain in dollars and/or years

7 votes

221 votes | Poll has closed

Thursday Roundup - Caps 6, Pens 3

J.P. — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:00:08 -0000

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary]

Ah, The Igloo - the Caps' newfound home away from home. Too bad the Pens are moving out just as the Caps are taking their shoes off and putting their feet up on the coffee table, eh? Oh well. We'll just have to savor next year's two meetings, I suppose.

All kidding aside, the Caps won their third straight game in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1985 on the strength of a pair of goals and a primary helper on the game-winner from the League's reigning (and leader at the turn this season) Most Valuable Player, but really, it was a total team effort*. A few thoughts on the game:

First and foremost, scary moment when Rob Scuderi took a puck in the head off a Mike Green shot. Hopefully he's alright (same goes for the other Penguin that missed the end of the game), and the Pens definitely missed him the rest of the way.
The Caps weathered a first period storm (at least three odd-man rushes against, a full two-minute 5-on-3 killed and just one goal allowed) and absolutely dominated the final forty minutes, outshooting the Pens 30-18 and outscoring them 6-2.
More on the overall dominance - the Caps owned the game at even strength, outshooting Pitt 29-16, and the boys in white had 81 total shots that went on goal, missed the net or were blocked/attempted to only 57 such shots for their hosts. That speaks to a big territorial advantage, and the Corsi ratings for the game reflect that as well.
Hey, what do you know - splitting up the Alexes and having two scoring lines worked.
This bullet is dedicated to Tomas Fleischmann, who I continue to be happy to have been wrong about. He was fantastic.
One area in which the Caps struggled was in the dot. Winning a road game in which you win only 42% of the game's faceoffs (surprising, given the teams' rankings in that stat) is certainly doing it the hard way, but after that first period, the draws were pretty even.
To that last point, the two Swedes each won 25% of their draws, which is wholly unacceptable.
Seriously. Anyone who still thinks Evgeni Malkin is the League's MVP at this point is loopy (love ya, Lyle, but you're wrong here). Nice goal, to be sure. Not so nice minus-3 (and he had his head on a swivel all night to make sure he knew where the Number Eight train was at all times).
John Erskine's concussion was a blessing in (an assuredly unpleasant) disguise, as he has come back playing some of his best hockey that I can remember. We sometimes forget how much of a toll his style of play takes on the body - even when he's not injured, Big John is usually hurting, but not right now, thanks to the layoff.
Also getting back to speed, Sergei Fedorov. Even though he was the Caps' only Russian not to score a goal, his pass on Alex Semin's tally was magnificent and he was stronger on his skates than he has been in weeks upon weeks. He's still not 100% - his three seconds of short-handed time confirms that - but he's getting closer.
Sidney "I finish my hits all the time" Crosby... didn't have a single one credited to him last night.
Jose Theodore had a pretty strong game and made some big saves. It was a game for him to step up and be "the guy," and he did.
Get well soon, Shaone Morrisonn (and Tom Poti) - Bryan Helmer isn't very good.
Matt Cooke is a clown. He was on the ice for the first four Caps goals and took a bad penalty defending a teammate who was hit cleanly. I don't miss him. You?
The power play is still not quite right, but it clicked twice, so that's hard to argue with.
Brooks Laich had many a glorious scoring opportunity but never could quite finish. He did, however, pick up his 100th career point on the first Alex Ovechkin goal, and led the entire team with 5:17 of shorthanded ice time.
A big plus-three and a 190-foot goal for Jeff Schultz (an even longer shorty than Boyd Gordon - who was missed - had earlier in the year). Good on him, as he had a good game.
Comcast's Lisa Hillary had a bizarre ice level report during the game in which she said that Chris Clark's healthy scratch had nothing to do with his play of late. I know that Flyers owner Ed Snider is the chairman of Comcast, but that doesn't mean their viewers are stupid.

And so the Caps return home to face the one team in the Conference that is ahead of them in the standings on Saturday, and they do so with a big road win over a secondary rival rather than riding a four-game losing streak, and that difference is night and day.

* "Total team effort" does not apply to Michael Nylander or Eric Fehr.

The AHL all-stars: Two Girouxes, Rory and a Brodeur

James Mirtle — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:15:07 -0000

The AHL also announced its all-star teams this week, and they give you a decent idea of who some of the top talent is in the NHL's minor league:

Team Canada

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Steve Downie, Nor	x-Johnny Boychuk, Pro	Mike Brodeur, Roch
x-Alexandre Giroux, Her	Kyle Cumiskey, LE	Barry Brust, Hou
x-Claude Giroux, Phi	Cody Franson, Milw	x-Brian Elliott, Bing
Mike Iggulden, Bri	Bryan Helmer, Her ("C")
Jason Krog, Man	x-Derek Joslin, Wor
Corey Locke, Hou	Andrew MacDonald, Bri
Brett MacLean, SA	Brett Palin, QC
Mark Mancari, Por	Danny Syvret, Phi
x-Chris Minard, W-B/Scr
Cal O'Reilly, Milw
Teddy Purcell, Man
Martin St. Pierre, Pro
Mike Santorelli, Milw		x-starters

The tough thing about these all-star games is that, not only do you have to hope no one gets injured, but there's also the problem of call ups to consider. Claude Giroux just torched the AHL in his first pro season with 17 goals in 31 games and is now up with the Flyers, perhaps permanently given their injury woes.

At least they don't have to worry about Captain Helmer missing the game. (Great character guy. Was good to see him get some time in the NHL with the Caps as part of his swan song.)

Three Milwaukee players here, all Nashville picks in the midrounds. Franson's a great example of the depth the Predators have on defence now; he's only 21, big and skilled and would be in the NHL with most franchises. (Not bad for a third rounder.)

Purcell looks like a really good NHLer, someone we'll see play a role with the Kings when they're climbing the standings a year or two from now. He probably misses this game, too.

Boychuk leads AHL defencemen in scoring for the Baby Bruins, and I bet the Avs are kicking themselves for dumping him this summer.

And looking at the goalies, I wonder if the Sens will give Elliott a shot in goal if Gerber and Auld continue to struggle. (And in case you're wondering, Mike Brodeur is a distant cousin of Marty. He started the season in the ECHL and has been very good for Rochester in a dozen games so far.)

Team PlanetUSA

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Keith Aucoin, Her	Rory Fitzpatrick, Roch ("C")	Jeff Frazee, Low
x-Chris Bourque, Her	Jonas Junland, Peo	Daniel Larsson, GR
x-Nikita Filatov, Syr	Mattias Karlsson, Bing	x-Cory Schneider, Man
x-Nathan Gerbe, Port	x-Jakub Kindl, Gr. Rapids
Martins Karsums, Pro	Ben Lovejoy, W-B/Scr
Tim Kennedy, Port	Bobby Sanguinetti, Hart
Petri Kontiola, Rock	Jaime Sifers, Tor
Drew Miller, Iowa	x-Yannick Weber, Ham
Joe Motzko, Chicago
Michael Ryan, Albany
Ryan Potulny, Spr
Jeff Taffe, W-B/Scr
Ryan Vesce, Wor		x-starters

Vote for Rory paid off! The plucky defenceman gets the captain's 'C' while playing for his hometown Americans despite having a pretty pedestrian season so far.

Aucoin's another veteran worth pointing out: a 5-foot-9 30-year-old playing for one of the best teams in the league, he leads the AHL in scoring by a mile with 48 points in 34 games despite missing some time while playing three games with the Capitals in the NHL.

Filatov's with Columbus at the moment, so his participation's in doubt.

Karsums is a talented young Latvian who I saw at the world juniors quite a bit when they rolled through B.C. two years ago. He's eighth in league scoring and should see time with the big-league Bruins in the near future.

Weber looks like another good one for the Habs, too, who also have P.K. Subban on the way on the blueline.

Kindl... don't tell me you're suprised the Red Wings have another European stud coming on the blueline.

Speaking of Detroit and potential gems, so much for Jimmy Howard as the goalie of the future: Sweden's Danny Larsson has outplayed him by a mile and makes the team here. He was a late third-round pick in 2006.

I know there are some readers who see a lot more AHL hockey than I do; let me know what you think of the teams and some of the players' play to date.

Friday Roundup - Caps 4, Blues 2

J.P. — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:23:23 -0000

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]

It says something about the expectations surrounding this Caps team that back-to-back wins (now five in a row and seven out of eight) can be not only unsatisfying, but in some ways downright troubling.

Granted, four points are four points, but they came against two of the worst teams on the planet, and in each game the Caps failed to demonstrate any real sustained passion - perhaps that's the "unsatisfying" part.

Moreover, the lack of a physical response from the team after David Backes cross-checked Alex Semin was infuriating - that's definitely the "troubling" part. If Donald Brashear isn't fighting (he hasn't in a month), and he isn't deterring opponents from running the team's goalies and star forwards, what, exactly, is he doing for $1.2 million? (And the first person to type "forechecking" gets banned from this site.)

Put another way, an effort like these past two in Philly on Saturday could meet with disastrous results.

An abbreviated few notes on the game, as I'm fighting a head cold like Matt Bradley fights NHL tough guys:

The Verizon Center ice was simply atroc- just kidding.
Simeon Varlamov was the victim of some bad luck on the two goals he allowed - karmic payback for the post(s) that bailed him out in Montreal on Saturday night. Bottom line, though: the kid was exceptional (again), and his stop on the Keith Tkachuk partial breakaway was a "save" in more than one sense of the word.
Viktor Kozlov had himself a night. Good to be back on the top line, eh?
With the exception of the power play that started the third period, the Caps were terrible with the extra man.
One Cap was plus-two - Karl Alzner.
Not to beat the dead horse about the energy level, but the game was tied at one with three minutes left in the second. At home. Against the worst team in the West. That's not OK.
Boyd Gordon and David Steckel had solid games. Michael Nylander? Less so.

So it's off to Philly for a Saturday matinee, hopefully with a couple of bodies that couldn't finish out last night's game and a hell of a lot more passion.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

More from Simeon Varlamov following the Habs game.... The Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin line is one of the top trios in the League (as would be the Ovechkin-Backstrom-me line).... Brett Leonhardt makes the coveted pages of SI.... Bryan Helmer's storybook return to the NHL behind him, he'll captain one side in the AHL All-Star Game.... Cap of the Day: Another former Cap and Blue, but one with whom you'll be more familiar.... Finally, and this seems quite fitting today, on this date back in 1990, Dimitri Khristich "became the youngest hockey player allowed to leave the Soviet Union, when he joined the NHL's Washington Capitals."

Sunday Roundup - Caps 2, Leafs 1 - Gamenight: Caps @ 'Canes

J.P. — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:00:05 -0000

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame - AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Last night, Sean Collins became the 12th player the Caps have dressed as a defenseman this season, with numbers nine through twelve all making their debuts within the past half-dozen games.

Put another way, when the Caps' and Hurricanes' top minor League affiliates squared off in Albany a month ago today, four current Caps blueliners were in uniform for the Bears.

Put yet another way, including last night's game, the six defensemen the Caps skated last night have a combined 699 games of NHL experience, nine fewer than Leafs' rearguard Tomas Kaberle.

You get the point - they're mighty green, when they should be Mikey Green.

And yet the Caps had their second straight dominating performance at even strength, outshooting the Leafs 26-10, allowing the fewest even strength shots in a game since the third game of the season against Vancouver.

A couple of quick thoughts on the game:

Finally, a good road effort and, more importantly, result.
The low Leafs shot total was, in part, due to great shot blocking by the Caps, including five blocks from Bryan Helmer, four from Milan Jurcina, three from Karl Alzner and another four from forwards (including a memorable Quintin Laing impression by Boyd Gordon).
On the shots that did get through, Brent Johnson was magnificent, yielding only one goal, which came on the power play while the Caps netminder was still slowed with some (presumably temporary) hip discomfort after making nice kick save.
Back to Karl Alzner - in just his sixth NHL game he had a goal, an assist, a plus-two rating, those three blocks, and led the D in ice time and the team in shifts. Since his bad game against Florida, he's been awesome.
Speaking of awesome, the duo that two years ago looked like a future top-pairing - Shaone Morrisonn and Milan Jurcina - were just that, with Morrisonn playing big in the defensive zone (and having the team's best CR for the game) and Juice's mighty slapper finding the twine behind Vesa Toskala for the game winner.
Nicklas Backstrom had another good night in the faceoff circle, going 10-for-16 and raising his winning percentage to 54% over his last ten games. Surprising, no?
Somehow, Alex Ovechkin was named the game's first star. That's silly - I'm not sure he would have made my top five.

No rest for the weary, of course, as the Caps head down to Raleigh to take on a struggling 'Canes team that eked out a point last night at home against Philly.

Since the Caps last saw Carolina, Washington has gone 6-5-1, but the 'Canes haven't managed to take advantage of the Division leader's injury woes and mediocre record, going 4-6-1 (and have replacing their head coach along the way). They now trail the Caps by a half dozen points, making this four-point Divisional game enormous for them.

Carolina has been good (3-1-0) in the second game of back-to-backs, while the Caps have struggled (1-2-1), though with Cam Ward on the shelf, Michael Leighton having played in last night's overtime loss and backup Justin Peters having never played a minute in the NHL, their goaltending situation is somewhat precarious. Having to fly 546 miles to play a game less less than 19 hours after your previous one ended is no picnic for the Caps, so it will be a major gut check for both teams. Judging from what I've seen of Carolina's guts in the past, I'd give the edge to the Caps in that category.

Like Islanders, wounded, these Capitals be

Dominik — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:15:06 -0000

New York Islanders (10-12-2) at Washington Capitals (13-9-3)

7 p.m. EST | [some such telco] Center | MSG+2

Some Capitals blogs: Japers' Rink | Off Wing Opinion | On Frozen Blog

After great in-depth reflection, I've reached the shocking conclusion that the Washington Capitals are currently superior to the Islanders. Yet last season 'round this time, despite their roster, that wasn't so clear. The Islanders even took 3 of 4 in the season series.

Then as now, the Caps' top three forwards were better than the Islanders' top three have been at arguably any point in their careers. But the young Capitals seemed held back by a former Rangers goalie who coached them through the ugly years yet couldn't seem to adjust to having actual talent on hand. Amazing now, but just a year ago it looked like Glen Hanlon was taking them through another season as object of "Southleast" ridicule.

The rest, of course, is magical Boudreau history. Due reward for a fanbase that has been through a lot, and an owner who has done everything he can to try to build the team and promote the sport. I still mourn the Caps being torn from the six-team Patrick Division, but perhaps that is appropriate penance for the Faustian deal of having Dale Hunter, that consummate tool, as a franchise hero. (One day, I'll get over the Turgeon hit. But you know, these things take time.)

The Caps are facing a slate of injuries as significant as the Isles [wounded are listed after the jump], enough to make them cap-nervous about funding reinforcements. They may have brought their uninspired road virus back home with them. Still, they lost to a poor Panthers team Tuesday, and -- is it just me? -- doesn't it seem like the Isles always get good teams after they've stunk up the previous game? Sloppy seconds, indeed. (Okay, maybe Dallas doesn't count, but it seemed at the time that they might still be good when the Devils whacked them 5-0.)

Capitals fans also just digested Olie Kolzig's criticism of one of the teammates he left behind. Which is like ... well, there really is no analagous figure to Kolzig in Islanders' history.

All of the Isles long-term greats won Stanley Cups, so there isn't that conflicted near-miss baggage, and all of the other Isles notables were dealt before they settled in long enough to think they had a say like Kolzig. So maybe imagine if Billy Smith ripped into Pat LaFontaine after Smith retired, I dunno. Just know it hurts a Caps fan to see Kolzig this way.

Anyway, the twilight of careers is seldom pretty, and it sometimes brings out the inner tomfoolery in our fading athletic heroes. Kolzig -- he of the once-legendary on-ice temper -- is apparently no different.

Target: Alzner. He's Not So Kingly Yet

Now about that game. The Isles would do well to try to pick on young Karl Alzner and Sami LePisto, the former who will one day be good but is still green (though not that kind of Green -- also injured). Woe, the plight of young defensemen in the NHL. Alzner's one of a plethora of callups the Caps are turning to as injury replacements -- they've even resurrected Bryan Helmer! Helmer had 27 shifts Tuesday! In the NHL! Actually a cool story, as he hasn't played in the NHL since 2004, so now his kids are cognitively aware of the feat. But still: rather illustrative of what the Caps are facing.

With the injuries, let's just say the Caps' currently active defensemen do not ring a bell, except for the guy who spells "Shane," er "Shawn," er ... whatever it is, so that it's kinda funny lookin' -- more than most hockey names, even. Alas, this guy is not hurt. But this playa' hata' [Do you haf dis word in Russian?] is.

Mild Statistic-Related Substance

Mentioned this earlier this week, but if you see fewer giveaways than what turns up on the stat sheet, your eyes do not deceive you. The [Telecom what-not] Center statistician does. [Note to self: Never try to type "statistician" again ... doh!]

And now, the injury list. Note that Mike Sillinger -- trumpets blaring -- will make his first appearance since Feb. 5, 2008.

Injuries: Washington Capitals

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Erskine	mild concussion	12.3.2008

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Sergei Fedorov	sprained left ankle	12.3.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jeff Schultz	broken finger	11.26.2008
Chris Clark	stress fracture in right forearm	11.26.2008
Mike Green	bruised right shoulder	11.20.2008
Brian Pothier	post-concussion syndrome	9.20.2008
Alexander Semin	strained upper back/shoulder	11.20.2008

Injuries: New York Islanders

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mike Sillinger	hip surgery	11.30.2008

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Radek Martinek	shoulder	12.3.2008
Nate Thompson	undisclosed	12.3.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mike Comrie	right hip inflammation	11.4.2008
Rick DiPietro	knee surgery	10.30.2008
Frans Nielsen	right leg	11.22.2008
Bruno Gervais	leg	11.24.2008
Kyle Okposo	arm/hand	11.19.2008