Caps End with Win, Look to Offseason
This entry was written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds
The Washington Capitals are done for the season. The team finished the last week of play by going 3-1 with wins against Florida, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta. The Capitals were expected to finish at the bottom of the NHL this season, and by finishing with the third worst record in the league, the team certainly lived up to those expectations.
On the other hand the Caps surprised in a number of areas. In goal, Olaf Kolzig, nearing the end of amazing career, was steady and even brilliant for stretches. More impressive, if only because it was unexpected, was backup netminder Brent Johnson's consistent work in goal.
The pundits expected the defense to be the weak link for the team and it lived up to the expectations. However, there were some bright spots. Shaone Morrisonn was impressive for a young defenseman. Steve Eminger has a couple of years under his belt and may have finally grown into an NHL defenseman this season. Another good sign for the Caps is Mike Green and the other young defenseman serving time in Hershey with the Capitals AHL affiliate. With the addition of some veteran blue-liners to take the place of Brendan Witt, the Caps have a chance at a solid, if not spectacular, defense next season.
(AP Photo taken by Chris O'Meara)
Alexander Ovechkin (only the second rookie to score 50 goals and 100 points) was the national story for the Capitals this season and a source for both goals and creativity in a young offense. With 52 goals and 106 points he is now the odds-on favorite for the Calder Cup, which is awarded to the league's best rookie. Ovechkin has two more years on his contract and showed no signs of cooling off during the season. With the return of compatriot Alexander Semin from his two-year self-imposed exile in Russia, the Caps might have creative goal scorers for two top lines of offense. If the team can remain mostly intact during the off-season, Washington may also see the return of the Ben Clymer, Matt Bradley, and Brooks Laich line that produced some exciting play and a good crop of goals for a third line unit.
The coming off-season does bring a lot of uncertainty. Team owner Ted Leonsis has made it clear that he doesn't believe in a growth model that will see the team splashing out money for expensive veterans. Instead, his model is one of long-term growth with the Caps putting together a truly competitive squad in two or three years. Also uncertain is the future of team Captain and Maryland native Jeff Halpern who will be an unrestricted free-agent next season. Halpern is a fan favorite because of his local roots and his hard-nosed play. He may want to search for greener pastures with a team that will more likely contend next season. If the team can keep Halpern and players like Dainius Zubrus and Chris Clark a lot of the uncertainty will be stamped out.
In the coming months the team will have the opportunity to get some more young talent from the NHL draft and watch how the first off-season since the new collective bargaining agreement will play out. For a team that prided itself on chemistry, possibly because it had little else to pride itself on, keeping just the right mix of players will be key for rebuilding and keeping fan interest.