Tuesday, August 02, 2005

We're Doomed

Well, that's the consensus, it seems, in Caps Land. The Caps didn't sign a free agent today -- well, as of this writing.

And that signifies . . . what, exactly?

After a year of no hockey and fan polls indicating that players are overpaid and should get back to work, the last couple of days have treated us to wails of despair over the fact that Washington didn't sign (fill in the blank) to a three-year, 14.5 million deal.

Well, fans are called that for a reason . . . there is no requirement to be logical.

So, what do we make of today's silence on the part of the Caps? Heck, if I knew, I wouldn't be here, I'd be picking winning Powerball numbers. It seems to me that the Caps have the intention of spending at or near the $21.5 million floor. Given the players to whom they have commitments and the RFAs they are likely to re-sign, they'll be a few players short of a roster and $4-5 million short of the floor. That doesn't suggest any splashy signings in the early period. It suggests a few mid-range, $1 million per (max) kinds of free agents.

It also suggests the Caps will intensely suck this year. At best, they will be a team that competes every night, will be a nuisance to play against, but one lacking the talent to win more than one game in four.