Okay, nobody panic...I'm not a betting woman but I would put all my money on the fact that Nylander will in fact be with the Caps come training camp. From everything I've read and everything I understand about contracts 101, this thing with the Oilers is nothing more than a little blip on the radar. Until I hear otherwise, that's what I have to believe.
(I think we also have to consider that this may be a bit of Kevin Lowe trying to save face after getting...oh, what was it again...uh, NOTHING since the trade deadline last season. Oilers' fans, get your torches and pitchforks ready.)
Check out what Tarik has to say about this whole mess on Capitals Insider and in the Post, or Corey's piece in the Times for a little perspective.
In other new Caps' news, Nylander and Karl Alzner both stopped in to SportsTalk 980 this week. Funny, funny guys - give 'em a listen.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Lowe Needs a Hanky
Monday, June 25, 2007
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
As of today's 5 p.m. deadline, the Caps have tendered qualifying offers to the following players: defensemen Steve Eminger, John Erskine, Jamie Hunt and Milan Jurcina and forwards Tomas Fleischmann, Jakub Klepis, Brooks Laich, Dave Steckel and Brian Sutherby. Good to see some familiar faces sticking around, at least for now. Select players (Eminger, Erskine, Jurcina, Laich and Sutherby) have until July 5 to accept the offer or go to arbitration; everyone else must notify the club of whether the offer is accepted by July 15.
However, today also marked the end of the road for a few players, most notably Kris Beech and Jiri Novotny. Other players not given qualifying offers included goaltender Maxime Daigneault, defenseman Trevor Byrne, and forwards Jonas Johansson, Louis Robitaille, Matt Stefanishion and Joey Tenute.
Conceivably the release of Beech and Novotny frees up some space at center for Backstrom and a free agent, especially if Brooks Laich were to move back to wing like many people are predicting he will. Novotny probably won't be missed as his time here was spent being pretty much invisible, but I'll admit I'm a little sad to see Beech go. Again.
I know he was given numerous chances to make it, though, and didn't take advantage of those opportunities - so I'll wave the handkerchief with a sad tear in my eye...and throw open my arms to welcome whomever takes his place.
So long, Kris. So long, Jiri.
Hello Backstrom and...Drury? (Ha! That rhymes...)
Speaking of new additions: if you haven't already, be sure to check out the video clip of Karl Alzner's post-draft press conference. A shortened version is available on the Caps' Draft Day page, or if you get the Caps' newsletter you can view the whole 10 minute clip.
Well-spoken, funny, snappy dresser...perfect. A+ to McPhee and the Caps scouting staff on drafting mere personality alone.
Now if he really turns out to be the second coming of Lidstrom, I'll be even happier...
Sunday, June 24, 2007
When All Is Said and Done
As the dust settles from the 2007 NHL Draft, there are, as always, some people who think they could have done better than the man wearing the GM hat for the Caps.
As I've said many times, I know very little about this draft or any draft for that matter - but this much I know: this was, by all accounts, a weaker draft class than usual. The difference between a guy taken 15th and a guy taken 35th is not as vast as in previous years, making everything beyond the top 5 or 6 essentially a crap shoot.
I also know this - people who are complaining that GMGM made no trades for actual players should consider two things. One is the fact that no one was making trades for actual players this weekend. We had two goalies switching conferences and then...after that? Nada. The other is the fact that, although acquiring no warm bodies, GMGM wasn't completely stationary, either. The Caps made a few trades to move down in this year's draft while still managing to a) get the players they wanted and b) stockpile more picks for next year, a draft with potentially much more depth to it.
To build a successful franchise you need to create depth every year, meaning we can't just wait for our current Caps to grow into their roles and hope one Stanley Cup will tide us over, as amazing as it would be. We need a pipeline of continuous talent coming in, and if the Caps didn't see what they wanted this year I'm happy to wait until 2008 to see what else they can get.
Let's also not forget that it takes two to tango - McPhee can't simply go around to the other 29 teams and put whatever players he wants in a shopping cart. Someone else has to want to buy what we have to sell, and what they offer in return has to be a fair deal. Without having a wire tap on McPhee's phone (since none of us are close, personal friends with "President" Bush), to even assume we know what was offered and what was asked for is simply ridiculous. Who knows what kind of crazy offers were being floated, what names from our roster were being tossed around? No need to hurry into a trade just because the pundits thought there would be a lot of trades...it has to be right.
Yes, the Caps passed on Esposito. They passed on Cherepanov. They passed on Petrecki. Guess what - so did a lot of other teams. Why single out GMGM when numerous other GMs did the exact same thing? The reality is, the Caps didn't see what they wanted in any of those three players and whether or not that comes back to bite us in the ass remains to be seen. It's not like the Rangers and Penguins don't already have guys who like to score on the Caps - what's one more? And if Alzner pans out, it may not matter...imagine, a stay at home defenseman in a Caps uniform. It's a beautiful thing.
This summer is going to be about creating a team that can consistently contend for the playoffs, we all know that. Everyone, including McPhee, is aware that time is running out for GMGM to get this rebuild to pay off. Changes need to be made and results need to be seen or else you can bet we'll start shopping around for another GM come next summer. In the meantime we can only sit and utter the mantra that has been handed down through decades of Caps fandom: have a little patience, the best is yet to come.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Draft Day: Complete
Ta....da!
Okay, two things that are funny about this moment: - on taking his playoff experience from Hershey and applying it to the Caps' postseason hopes: "I think playing in those high pressure games helps. Each game is a learning experience and you had something different in each game. The different things I was taught and learned from each of those games can be brought into these Capitals games this year. I think just playing with different guys helped too.” “If things happen like that, we are bringing in new guys, you want them to be part of this team as quickly as possible, so that becomes part of the leadership job.” “For myself I think it went well; it’s what I expected, more media talk and all that fun stuff. But I don’t want to shy away from any of that; I’ve embraced everything and love being a captain, especially of this team. The guys were great, we had a great team. It wasn’t really tough to get everybody on the same page, it wasn’t tough to bring guys along. Everybody wanted to be part of this team and stay together so my job that way was easy.” - on the similarities between captaining a young Team USA and an equally young Caps team: Ben Clymer - on his draft day experience: “I have a funny draft story, actually. I was picked by Boston 27th and there were 26 teams [the year] I was picked. So I was the first pick not to go to the podium. So they call my name and I don’t know where to go because I’m not going to the podium so I’m standing up, looking around, I don’t know what to do. Finally some lady flags me down and brings me to the table. In hindsight it had to be hilarious, I didn’t know what to do. Everyone was probably looking at me like, geez, I’m glad we’re not you. It was a fun day but that was certainly an uncomfortable, odd part of it just not knowing where you're supposed to go." Let's not forget what this day was really about - the addition of the newest Capital, Karl Alzner. Although I know nothing about his actual skill and ability as a player, I like him already. He's very quotable and seems to be a laid-back, fun guy. For a team that values chemistry and personality so highly that is a very good sign. Plus, he likes the new jerseys (per WashingtonCaps.com): And this: So personality-wise, I'd say he's a good fit. Whether he can play at the level at which the Caps will need him to play over the coming years is another question, but its a question that hangs over the head of every single one of the newly-drafted players. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
1) Watch as the curtain falls...right on top of their heads. Brilliant.
and
2) Check out Clymer and Schultz with their blonde moment -
Joe B.:"About face, boys..."
Ben and Jeff: "Uh...about wha-?"
Joe B.:"...turn around?"
Ben and Jeff: "Oh! Okay..."
After the unveiling the players took a few minutes to answer questions...
- on new additions to the Caps:
- on his first season as captain:
“We have our core guys, 15-16 of the same guys we had last year so it makes the job even easier because we were all together and we’ve known each other and we know the system we know all the on-ice stuff it’s easier to build that way as well.”“It was very, very similar. I was one of the oldest guys on the team. I don’t feel that old and I think on other teams I wouldn’t be that old, but here and in the World Championships I was one of the older guys. But [everyone] was ready to skate, ready to listen to everything, and our coaches were great. Everyone worked really well together and we became a team very fast, and that showed on the ice, how well we played. I think we definitely had a contending team and it was just too bad to lose in a shootout like that like we did."
- on his rehab since having surgery at the end of last season:“I met with the doctors today and they said everything looked good. I think it’s one of those things where you don’t really truly find out exactly what’s going on until you’re really playing at a really high level. That’s something I’ve tried to start to do in the summer but it’s still early and I don’t want to push it. There’s no need to push it right now, so I’m going to pick up my skating a little bit more in the next two weeks after talking w/ the doctors and trainers. It feels good but I’m still hoping it’ll feel even better.”
“I think they’re awesome. I’m a big fan of these. I didn’t know there was going to be a new uniform. I love them. It goes a little bit old school here. I saw a guy in the stands a little bit earlier, he was wearing a Dino Ciccarelli jersey. It was awesome. I was just saying I think those are sweet. To go back to those is a good choice. I really like it.”
I love this, by the way. When asked whether he sensed the Caps’ interest in him based on his pre-draft interview with them:“I wasn’t sure. They caught me off guard at the end when they asked me to tell a joke and I didn’t think my joke was very good. I wasn’t sure, I thought maybe they were going to judge me on the joke. I thought it went well and I knew that there was a possibility. Whenever the teams come up that you are ranked around, your stomach starts to get a little bit antsy.”
“I love to talk. I don’t mind talking to anybody and everybody. I don’t think this makes me nervous. I have had to do it a couple times now. When I made World Juniors, those were the brightest lights I’ve ever seen in my life shining in my eyes. That kind of helped me get my feet into the waters there. I just love it. I like answering questions that people have. I have lots of questions too. I like to answer them.”
Friday, June 22, 2007
Boys in Pretty Outfits
Photo courtesy of Ken Berard
It's been a long night, a long day, and a long week so I'm going to hold off on the full coverage of the Draft Day Party until tomorrow. I will leave you with this tidbit, though - up close the uniforms look really sharp and the players seem to genuinely like them (despite the scary mannequin-esque look in the above picture). All in all, I have to say they're really growing on me.
More tomorrow!
Draft Day Mania Hits Arlington
It's....DRAFT DAY! *dancing to imaginary music in my head*
Okay, so I'm not a draft geek as I've said before and I know just about as much about the top five guys as I do about the bottom five. The draft usually holds little excitement for me, although I do love seeing the pimply-faced teens shaking as they make their way up to the podium. I love the pomp and circumstance of it all, the GMs thanking the host city and/or their fans at home, the requisite booing of Gary Bettman (and whatever team happens to be a rival of the host city), the awed gasps when the smallest trade is announced...all fun.
The draft itself? It's kind of anticlimactic because unless they're an Ovechkin-esque player the likelihood of any of these young'uns pulling on a jersey in the upcoming season is pretty slim. I don't get all excited by a player being taken out of the speculated order or a player taking a nosedive from where they were projected to go.
So why am I dancing around to imaginary music?
Because it's hockey. It's something. It's a breather from the heat and humidity of the DC summer, a respite rinkside as the future of the NHL is officially introduced to the world. That's on top of the fact that the new uniforms will be officially revealed tonight, as modeled by our very own Washington Capitals. Wonder if they'll do a little turn on the catwalk in their new red white and blues...if they start "Voguing" I promise to get it on video.
(Too bad Brash won't be there.)
For those of you in the area, either attending the draft party or just within stumbling distance of Ballston, feel free to swing by Bailey's after the party for the after-party. Bailey's is located right in Ballston Mall, on the corner of Wilson and Glebe in Arlington. The official end time is 10:00 so as soon as we bloggers finish up our press duties we'll head over, I'd say around 10:30.
It will be totally informal because I'm not a good planner like JP - I figure we'll just invade and set up shop somewhere. Don't mock, but I'll even have a little sign that says CAPS FANS or something similar, so keep an eye out. You can also look for my illustrious fellow blogger DCSportsChick, who actually has a picture on her blog.
I like to keep my anonymity just in case I piss someone off...wouldn't be the first time. Hope to see you all there!
History Lesson Complete
Whew! Getting down to the wire, folks - just a few more hours before we find out who the newest Caps will be...and where they'll come from. Will we horde our draft picks and stockpile more fresh-faced youngsters? Will we bundle off one of the boys with our #5 pick and subject someone else to the new jersey? Only time will tell. In the meantime, let's dive into the juicy drafts of the last four years:
2003 Draft
1. Marc-Andre Fleury
2. Eric Staal
3. Nathan Horton
4. Nikolai Zherdev
5. Thomas Vanek
6. Milan Michalek
7. Ryan Suter
8. Braydon Coburn
9. Dion Phaneuf
10. Andrei Kostitsyn
16. Steve Bernier
17. Zach Parise
18. Eric Fehr
19. Ryan Getzlaf
28. Corey Perry
29. Patrick Eaves
45. Patrice Bergeron
47. Matt Carle
83. Stephen Werner
148. Lee Stempniak
182. Bruno Gervais
205. Joe Pavelski
261. Shane O’Brien
262. Joey Tenute
271. Jaroslav Halak
287. Nick Tarnasky
Lots of sparkly names in there, and again, the closer we get to the present day the harder it gets to tell just who will be a success. A lot of the guys I've pinpointed here were virtual unknowns just a year ago. In some cases, even more recently. (Jaroslav Halak, anyone?)
Steal of the Draft: Jaroslav Halak, 271st Overall
2004 Draft
1. Alex Ovechkin
2. Evgeni Malkin
4. Andrew Ladd
13. Drew Stafford
15. Alexander Radulov
20. Travis Zajac
21. Wojtek Wolski
23. Andrej Meszaros
27. Jeff Schultz
29. Mike Green
33. Chris Bourque
97. Johan Franzen
98. Dustin Boyd
227. Chris Campoli
238. Yutaka Fukufuji
262. Mark Streit
It seems hard to believe it was only three years ago that we drafted a smiling Russian kid who would go on to break records and hearts all over the place. But Ovie wasn't the only draftee - the potential future of the Capitals blueline rests in the hands of Jeff Schultz and Mike Green, while Chris Bourque's recent improvements are leading to murmurs of a place in the NHL within the next few years. As for the rest? Well, I guess there was this other Russian kid taken 2nd...but no one cares about him, I promise.
Steal of the Draft: Mark Streit, 262nd Overall (this is a purely biased choice because he's a Hab and I know very little about the other late draftees)
2005 Draft
1. Sidney Crosby
3. Jack Johnson
5. Carey Price
6. Gilbert Brule
11. Anze Kopitar
14. Sasha Pokoluk
44. Paul Stastny
45. Guillaume Latendresse
Pfft. This one so doesn't matter. Sidney who? Next.
Steal of the Draft: Unknown
2006 Draft
1. Erik Johnson
2. Jordan Staal
3. Jonathan Toews
4. Niklas Backstrom
5. Phil Kessel
So recent these guys still have the price tags on them, and only two of the top five have even dressed in the NHL. My money's on that Niklas guy, he could turn into something someday...
Steal of the Draft: Unknown
And that takes us up to today - hope to see a lot of smiling faces at KCI later tonight, but if you can't make it tune into Comcast SportsNet for (*gasp*) coverage of the Caps' uniform unveiling and other events. And if you are among the handful with access to Versus you can see what will probably be purloined TSN coverage tonight and tomorrow...so you know it will be at least halfway decent.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Draft Madness: Detour #2
I'll have more on draft history later tonight (I know - yippee, right??) but first a few tidbits:
- Tomorrow is, of course, the Caps' draft day party and the potentially anti-climactic uniform unveiling. I'll be there with some of my fellow bloggers to bring it to you live...okay, maybe not live, but pretty darn close. Should be a good time and I hope to see a good crowd there.
- After the draft party, feel free to join some of us for an informal get-together at Bailey's, regardless of whether you attended the official party or not! I'll try to think of a way to make our little group stick out among the usual Friday night bar crowd, so check back here sometime tomorrow for more details...
- Speaking of attending the draft party, if anyone has two extra tickets they're not using, please e-mail me ASAP. I know of one person who is looking for tickets to this sold out event and we don't want unused tickets to go to waste, now do we?
- Quick head count - who is going tomorrow night? Drop a comment!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Draft Madness: The Detour
In keeping with my historical attempts to deflect the fact that I know nothing about this year's draft, I stumbled upon ESPN.com and found something (gasp!) passing for hockey coverage - a list of the best and worst picks in NHL history, active and all time. I doubt anyone will be surprised to see that the Caps appear on this list and not in a good way...and if you are surprised, well...you must be new around here. Welcome to DC.
Here is what they call one of the five worst value picks of all time:
• Alexandre Volchkov, RW, Washington, 1996, (fourth overall): The 1996 draft wasn't a great one, but as it turned out, there were better choices than Volchkov. The Capitals could have gone after "too-small" center Daniel Briere, who was selected by Phoenix with the 24th pick. Volchkov played three NHL games before returning to Russia to finish his professional career.
I'm not going to question the total bust that was Volchkov's stint here in DC. But come on, was little Danielle really the only example they could have picked out? What about Ruslan Salei? Marco Sturm? Marty Reasoner? Zdeno freaking Chara? Danielle's teammate (for now, at least) and former Cap Dainius Zubrus?
Hey, how about Jaroslav "Yogi" Svejkov-...oh, wait. They did pick him. 1996 was a rough year for the Caps.
If you don't believe me, look who else we picked: Jan Bulis (aw, poor Buli) and a slew of household names - Sergei Zimakov, David Weninger, Shawn McNeil, Justin Davis, Matt Lahey, A.J. Van Bruggen, Mike Anderson, Oleg Orekhovsky, and Chad Cavanagh. For these superstars we passed over Tomas Kaberle, Willie Mitchell, Fernando Pisani and our boy Kiwi, all taken in the 8th round.
The Caps' odd relationship with the 1996 draft class gets better, too:
- Who remembers Alexei Tezikov? Drafted 115th overall by Buffalo who 3 years later pawned him off on us for, get this: Joe Juneau. Next they'll try and sell us the Brooklyn Bridge. Or Jiri Novotny. Oops.
- Josef Boumedienne, our newest, ahem, "Boomer"-ang (these are the jokes, guys)? Drafted 91st overall by the Devils.
- Here's a blast from the past, what about #216, Ivan Ciernik - we picked him up off of waivers from Ottawa, he scored a few goals, and last I heard he was somewhere over in Germany.
- Oh, and let's not forget the man drafted 70th overall, the man for whom the term "Cap-killer" was invented, Jon Sim. How many games against the Flyers, Panthers and Thrashers would the Caps have won with him on the side of good instead of evil? Okay, still probably not that many, but the scores would have been lower.
Incidentally the Caps also have ties with another of the worst picks on ESPN's list, this time among active players (and I'm guessing they're using the term 'active' loosely) - good ol' RRRRico Fata himself, taken 6th overall in 1998. Poor Suavé.
I won't go into the 1998 draft in too much depth because it has to be hands-down one of the worst drafts in Caps history. Forget the fact that Washington didn't pick until the 49th spot when they chose Jomar Cruz (Jo-who? Exactly.) Let's just say that only three of the Caps illustrious selections even dressed in a game for Washington, and that's about all they did. Dress.
Boy, Caps history is sprinkled with fun, isn't it?
Draft Madness, Part 3
Okay, enough with the new jerseys. I'm going to let sleeping dogs lie and get on with my riveting look at the past ten years of draftees - all leading up to the big event, Friday's NHL Draft live from Columbus, Ohio. I can hardly contain my excitement, I swear.
On with 2001 and 2002:
2001 Draft
1. Ilya Kovalchuk
2. Jason Spezza
4. Stephen Weiss
7. Mike Komisarek
8. Pascal Leclaire
13. Ales Hemsky
19. Shaone Morrisonn
20. Marcel Goc
21. Colby Armstrong
22. Jiri Novotny
30. Dave Steckel
32. Derek Roy
40. Fedor Tyutin
55. Jason Pomminville
63. Peter Budaj
71. Tomas Plekanic
98. Jordin Tootoo
99. Ray Emery
101. Cory Stillman
127. Christoph Schubert
133. Jussi Markkanen
151. Kevin Bieksa
175. Ryan Clowe
179. Andrew Alberts
192. Jussi Jokinen
193. Brooks Laich
202. Derek Boogaard
214. Cristobal Huet
223. Brandon Bochenski
227. Marek Svatos
232. Martin Gerber
238. Ryan Hollweg
241. Milan Jurcina
This year was chock full of big names...and big muscles, too, with Komisarek, Tootoo, Bieksa, Boogaard and Hollweg all getting drafted. Lots of goalies, lots of Caps property (5, at least for now), and everyone's favorite benchwarmer Martin Gerber. And of course, primadonna extraordinaire Kovalchuk grabbing the number one spot away from smiley boy Spezza. Life's just not fair...
Steal of the Draft: 3-way tie – Cristobal Huet, 214th Overall; Marek Svatos, 227th Overall, Milan Jurcina, 241st Overall
2002 Draft
1. Rick Nash
2. Kari Lehtonen
3. Jay Bouwmeester
4. Joni Pitkanen
5. Ryan Whitney
6. Scott Upshall
7. Joffrey Lupul
12. Steve Eminger
13. Alexander Semin
14. Chris Higgins
16. Jakub Klepis
17. Boyd Gordon
20. Daniel Paille
21. Anton Babchuk
23. Ben Eager
24. Alex Steen
25. Cam Ward
29. Hannu Toivonen
36. Jarret Stoll
44. Matt Greene
57. Matt Stajan
58. Jiri Hudler
63. Tomas Fleischmann
69. Erik Christensen
*90. Matthew Lombardi
95. Valtteri Filppula
117. Cam Janssen
240. Petr Prucha
The return of Matthew Lombardi sees him going earlier than his first go-round, snapped up at 90th and still a bargain. Five years later we're now at the point when these guys are starting to hit big if they haven't already, and we're only just starting to see what some of them can really do - Ben Eager, Erik Christensen, Chris Higgins, and our own quintet of talented players, all the future of the NHL. As for #117, let's hope he's not in that equation. For those of you wondering, yes, the Caps hold the dubious distinction of giving him his first (and possibly last) career NHL goal. Yay us.
Steal of the Draft: Petr Prucha, 240th Overall
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Draft Madness, Part 2
We continue our look at the last ten years of draftees with 1999 and 2000:
1999 Draft
1. Patrik Stefan
2. Daniel Sedin
3. Henrik Sedin
5. Tim Connolly
7. Kris Beech
8. Taylor Pyatt
26. Martin Havlat
40. Alex Auld
42. Mike Commodore
44. Jordan Leopold
76. Frantisek Kaberle
91. Mike Comrie
94. Chris Kelly
115. Ryan Malone
138. Ryan Miller
213. Alexandre Giroux
217. Garnet Exelby
222. George Parros
It's fascinating to look back on this draft class after the most recent season and postseason, for a few reasons. One, you wonder at Patrick Stefan (he of the botched empty net play fame) going above the Sedin twins after their stupendous regular season and playoff performances. And two, a name like Chris Kelly that maybe wasn't known before this season is suddenly a little more familiar with Ottawa's recent Cup quest. On the Caps front, you have our own little boomerang, Kris Beech, and Alexandre Giroux, who has shown flashes of brilliances but may end up being a career AHLer like...well, like Kris Beech, sadly.
Steal of the Draft: Ryan Miller, 138th Overall (It's not like I was going to say Exelby...please.)
2000 Draft
1. Rick DiPietro
2. Dany Heatley
3. Marian Gaborik
4. Rostislav Klesla
5. Raffi Torres
6. Scott Hartnell
16. Marcel Hossa
18. Brooks Orpik
21. Anton Volchenkov
26. Brian Sutherby
28. Justin Williams
43. Matt Pettinger
44. Ilja Bryzgalov
46. Jarret Stoll
62. Paul Martin
68. Joel Lundqvist
97. Niclas Wallin
124. Michel Ouellet
159. John-Michael Liles
205. Henrik Lundqvist
215. Matthew Lombardi*
220. Paul Gaustad
An interesting draft, with the Lundqvist twins, Dany Heatley, and our boys Sutherby and Pettinger, but no pick is more fascinating than the number one selection of goalie, banana cream pie lover, and general dreamboat (sorry, but come on) Rick DiPietro. The Islanders raised some eyebrows making him their first pick and what do you know, they continue to raise eyebrows with him to this day. One thing is for sure - looks like Ricky's got this team wrapped around his little finger.
Steal of the Draft: Henrik Lundqvist, 205th Overall; I would say Matthew Lombardi, but as you'll see tomorrow, his story does not end with the 2000 draft.
Next up: 2001 and 2002...
Monday, June 18, 2007
Draft Madness
The 2007 draft is quickly approaching and in just five days we'll find out who the newest victims Capitals are. So to commemorate this momentous occasion, it's time to take a look at ten years of draft "successes" (and I reserve the right to use that term loosely).
Let's start with 1997 and 1998:
1997 Draft
1. Joe Thornton
2. Patrick Marleau
3. Olli Jokinen
4. Roberto Luongo
5. Eric Brewer
12. Marian Hossa
13. Dan Cleary
23. Scott Hannan
27. Ben Clymer
47. Kristian Huselius
48. Henrik Tallinder
69. Maxim Afinogenov
78. Ville Nieminen
83. Joe Corvo
84. Adam Mair
161. David Aebischer
164. Todd Fedoruk
175. Johan Holmqvist
177. Ladislav Nagy
208. Andrew Ference
215. Scott Clemmensen
229. Karel Rachunek
With Thornton, Marleau and Hannan, this was a good year for the San Jose Sharks. Throw in Tallinder, Afinogenov and Mair, it wasn't bad for Buffalo. But come on, Caps fans - we know who the real success story of the 1997 draft class was...our very own Ben Clymer!
Steal of the Draft: Andrew Ference, 208th Overall
1998 Draft
1. Vincent Lecavalier
2. David Legwand
3. Brad Stuart
4. Bryan Allen
5. Vitali Vishnevsky
6. Rico Fata
12. Alex Tanguay
18. Dmitri Kalinin
19. Robyn Regehr
21. Mathieu Biron
22. Simon Gagne
27. Scott Gomez
29. Jonathan Cheechoo
32. Stephen Peat
39. John Erskine
44. Mike Fisher
64. Brad Richards
71. Erik Cole
72. Dmitry Afanasenkov
75. Francois Beauchemin
82. Brian Gionta
87. Alexei Ponikarovsky
91. Josef Vasicek
117. Jaroslav Spacek
135. Andrew Raycroft
150. Trent Hunter
161. Chris Neil
162. Andrei Markov
164. Ales Kotalik
168. Antero Niitymaki
171. Pavel Datsyuk
216. Michael Ryder
230. Karlis Skrastins
This was a huge year for the Southeast Division. Of the 33 players I've singled out, 11 of them were drafted by and/or have played for one of the illustrious teams below the Mason-Dixon Line. For the Caps, that includes my boy RRRRRico Fata, fan favorite Stephen Peat, professional traffic cone Mathieu Biron, and the only remnant of the draft here in DC, John "Caveman" Erskine.
Steal of the Draft: Michael Ryder, 216th Overall
Next up: 1999 and 2000...
Monday, April 23, 2007
New Caps, New Threads
New uniforms are on their way, kiddies! Mark your calendars for the Caps' Draft Day Party out at KCI, June 22nd, for a peek at the new duds our, er, old duds will be sporting next season. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) I'll hopefully be there and I'm sure all your favorite Caps bloggers will be there as well, ready to report back with snarky comments and style critiques a-plenty.
Per WashingtonCaps.com:
April 23, 2007Are you excited? I'm excited.
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will unveil their new uniforms at a special Draft Day Party on Friday, June 22, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. The event will be held in conjunction with the live broadcast on Versus of the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, which takes place that evening in Columbus, Ohio.
The new uniforms will mark a return to a red, white and blue color scheme – the colors the Capitals wore from their first season in 1974-75 through 1994-95. The Capitals are the first team in the NHL to announce their plans to unveil their new uniforms, which are produced by Reebok and feature the Rbk EDGE Uniform System technology that was introduced at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas. The Capitals are the first team planning to have their new uniforms on hand at the NHL Entry Draft.
Further details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks.
