Sunday, July 31, 2005

The Great Race

Well, tomorrow the great race for free agents begins, and Caps fans are no doubt wondering who from among the dozens of available unrestricted free agents they will pursue. Too many fans will be thinking of a high-profile free agent, or two . . . or three.

Bad move.

Why tie up payroll with one or two (or three) high profile free agents who will not be there when the Caps -- hopefully -- return to respectability?

Better to go for mid-range guys -- guys who can lead by example, guys with a work ethic, guys who can pass along the little things it takes to play hockey well. It isn't sexy, and it won't get the Caps to the playoffs this year, but it will put the team in better position to pursue free agents next year (in what promises to be a better class), and it will make the youngsters on whom the club is relying in the years to come better players.

-- The Peerless

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Well . . . the draft is over, and the Wizards . . . oops, the Caps, drafted 13 feet of defensemen in the first two rounds. One looks for all the world like a turbo version of Sergei Gonchar (a 6'5" "puck moving defenseman" with questions in his own end) and another who looks like a bulked up version of Nolan Yonkman . . . hopefully without the injury issues.

After going for five defensemen in their first eight picks last year, then using their first four picks on defensemen in this draft, one gets the feeling that the Caps are looking to address a specific need. But in the new NHL, which seems to want to place a premium on offense, will the Caps have enough?