"We'll run you down, look motherfucker, this is our team"

The 2012-13 NHL season is set to begin on October 11, yet, here we are, nine days from what we can assume will be an official declaration of another dreadful lockout.  Oh, well! The following article discusses the Washington Capitals and which of their roster players should be considered "untouchable." 

Nicklas Backstrom
Backstrom, 24, is signed through the 2019-2020 season and is going to be Washington’s first line center for quite a long time. He has been playing in Washington since the 2007-2008 season when he immediately made an impact. Backstrom totaled 14 goals and 15 assists in his rookie season with the Capitals, including four goals and two assists in seven playoff games.

Why, yes, Nicklas Backstrom was a finalist for the Calder Trophy after finishing ninth in rookie scoring.  I don't know about you guys, but I think Aaron Voros was snubbed.

Please, please, check your statistics before posting any article highlighting said statistics. 40 points is quite the difference. By the way, do you guys think Stamkos will hit 100 goals again next season? Wait, lockout... damn it.

This past season, Backstrom battled through injuries posting a solid 44 points in only 42 games. He looks to regain his scoring touch and stay healthy in the upcoming season and will be a key figure for the Capitals in the many years to come.

Wait for it...

He is locked in with Washington for a long time and should never be moved. He still has room to improve and is one of the best two way forwards in the entire NHL. He should enter the season as the number one season(sic) alongside Alex Ovechkin and another winger, possibly Troy Brouwer.

...BOOM! NEVER be moved, ever?  There are so many factors that could make such a commitment a foolish one.  I'd like to make my ultimate point, but I'll leave it for near the end of this article. Let's continue.

Brooks Laich
Laich, 29, enters 2012-2013 campaign in his second season since signing a long term deal to stay in Washington. The Capitals’ fan favorite signed a six year, 27 million contract before the 2011-2012 season keeping him in Washington through the 2016-2017 season. He holds a limited no trade clause through the 2014-2015 season, meaning Laich can list five teams before the beginning of the season he would deny a trade to.

In other words, Columbus, Columbus, Columbus, Columbus, and Calgary.  And for fuck's sake, it should be, "...to which he would deny a trade."  This article may not be as bad content-wise in relation to some of the articles we've buried in the past, but all of these little errors are really irritating.

A trade is almost out of the question however, the Capitals lack scoring and wouldn’t want to move a player in their long term plans and most importantly one of their team leaders. Laich has achieved four straight forty point seasons while bringing solid defensive play down the middle.

This season should will be one where Laich must provide guidance to the younger players while looking to provide offense following the departure of Alexander Semin.

Like most of the team, Laich's points per game has trended significantly downward since 2010.  This season, Mike Ribeiro is expected to take over the 2nd-line center position, Marcus Johansson will be pushing for top-six minutes after finishing with a respectable 46 points last year, and Wojtek Wolski is added competition for that final top-six spot.  It appears that Laich is only going to be further cemented into his role as a defensive forward.  I'll be surprised to see him hit .5 PPG this season.

Laich provides solid fore-check play at the third line center position, also contributing to the Capitals penalty kill. He’s a core player and his contributions on and off the ice have been very valuable to the Washington Capitals and should continue for the future.

I will agree that Brooks is currently a very important player on this Capitals team, but things are beginning to look cloudy. $4.5 million per year is quite a bit of money to throw at your third line center, and the Caps are developing some very intriguing prospects who could be NHL ready by next season.  I just don't see him finishing out this contract in a Capitals uniform, whether that means he's traded after this season or three years from now.

Mike Green

Mike Green has fought through injury the past two seasons and looks to rebound in the 2012-2013 campaign. He resigned with the Capitals this offseason, inking for three years earning him around six million per season.

Think of all the prosthetics he could/should buy!

His health is a key concern heading into the regular season and he looks to be ready to go. Green has the ability to return as the top offensive defense-man in the NHL, but his numbers will be determined by Adam Oates strategy going into this season. He will likely be paired with Roman Hamrlik on the first defensive pairing and will also spend time at the point on Washington’s first power play unit.

If Oates' strategy is to pair him with Roman Hamrlik, I wouldn't expect a return to the top.  Green's numbers will rely on if his body allows him to play NHL hockey for a whole season.  His talent is still there, but after missing 83 games over the past two seasons, he's going to need quite some time to get anywhere close to his former levels of ability and consistency.  With a full, healthy season in 2012-13, I'd expect him to put up between 10-13 goals and around 40 points.

John Carlson

Carlson, 22, plays a very similar game to Green and could eventually put up numbers like Green did in his best years. Carlson was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2008 NHL entry draft and will be entering his third full season in Washington this fall. He will play alongside his long time defense partner, Karl Alzner on the second pairing.

You didn't screw anything up here.  I'm almost proud of you.

Carlson will also spend time on the second power play unit, looking to add to his offensive production. Like the offensive minded Green, Carlson needs to polish his defensive game. He posted great numbers in the 2011-2012 season, registering 7 goals and 30 assists along with an outstanding plus 21 under Bruce Boudreau.

Carlson put up 37 points and a plus 21 during the 22 games Boudreau was behind the Washington bench last season?  Damn, this kid is ELECTRIC!  Just like that Tigers game on Sunday -- right, Dacque?

Last season, Carlon’s(sic) numbers clearly regressed. The right handed defense-man posted 9 goals and 23 assists, but struggled defensively posting a minus 15. Dale Hunter’s system had a big impact on Carlon’s(sic) numbers, but Carlson needs to become better defensively like his partner, Karl Alzner. He is currently a restricted free agent and still is not close to a deal.

Wow, Carlon had a terrible season, and he was invisible throughout the playoffs.  They should trade him for necessary cap space and so he doesn't further degrade Carlson's defensive game. 

Seriously, man, did you even proofread your own article?  These mistakes aren't that covert.

Braden Holtby

Holtby, 22, stepped into the spotlight in Washington’s playoff run last year and posted phenomenal numbers. The confident Capitals net-minder registered seven wins in fourteen playoff games including a 1.95 goals against average along with a .935 save percentage.

Confident, indeed.

He looks to take over the starting role in goal moving forward in the nation’s capital, battling Michal Neuvirth to become the franchise goalie. The young tandem will share the starts in goal, but Holtby will likely receive the majority of the playing time between the pipes. Holtby will become a restricted free agent next off season and Washington should look to lock him up long term.

Semyon Varlamov went through this situation, and look how that ended.  This isn't to say that Holtby won't be a better goaltender than Varlamov, but it's far too early to tell.  It's easy to forget that this kid has only played 35 NHL games thus far.  Doesn't that make a long-term deal sort of a risky proposal?

If he gets on a roll at the beginning of the season, Washington should extend their fourth round pick from the 2008 NHL entry draft for at least three years, earning Holtby in the range of 3-4 million per season. He’s a player he could easily receive an offer sheet from a team looking to add young talent and Washington needs to avoid this at all costs.

They really don't need to jump the gun on this kid so quickly.  If he plays that well this season, then that could be an acceptable contract offer.  In the event that a team presents an offer sheet for him, Washington would be fine.  They have the financial flexibility to match an offer sheet, but even if they don't choose to do so, the compensatory draft picks should be an acceptable return.  After all, the first-rounder they received in the Varlamov trade got them this kid...

Filip Forsberg

Fosberg(sic), 18, was selected by Washington with the eleventh pick of this year’s NHL entry draft and could become a big piece in making the Capitals a cup favorite once again. He’s a young forward with high offensive skill and could potentially put up 30 goals per year consistently when he makes an impact in Washington. He’s a future first line forward and a potential power play specialist and will be an important member of the Capitals core moving forward.

I hope he does it all while wearing the number 21, too.  Another reason for you to get traded next year, Brooks!

Forsberg will spend the upcomingg(sic) season in Sweden before playing in North America in the 2013-2014 season. He could spend time in Hershey or Washington during the 2013-2014 campaign, but it will all depend on Capitals management and if there’s room for him in a top six forward role.

I believe it would be better for the Capitals to ease him into the North American game, but Washington is in dire need of offensive scoring threats. Although a few years away, Washington is surely keeping tabs on their future star.

This is the one section of this article with which I can fully agree, and I should also say, "no shit."  There is a ton of hype surrounding this kid and Washington should have no need to rush his arrival into the NHL.  Much like any top prospect, though, there shouldn't be much thought about trading him, as his risk/reward level is just too low/high.

Where’s Ovechkin?
You might be asking yourself, isn’t Alex Ovechkin untouchable? In my opinion, he’s not. He holds a cap hit close to ten million per season through the 2020-2021 season and isn’t getting any younger. Capitals fans have seen a decrease in Ovechkin’s scoring numbers since the 2007-2008 regular season and Ovechkin posted only 65 points last season, largely due to a slow start.

What looks like a decrease in scoring numbers between 2007-08 and 2009-10 was actually an increase in points per game each season (1.37 in '08, 1.39 in '09, and 1.51 in '10), so disregard that, please.  As we've talked about in previous rants, Washington has veered away from the run-and-gun, pass-it-to-Ovie-then-pick-up-your-jaw style of play from those years.  Ice time has also become an important factor. Last season, he averaged just over 19 minutes last season, which is down from over 21 minutes the year before, and 23 minutes two seasons before that.  If you want Ovechkin to be the one to provide all of your offense, give him more time with which to work.

His no-trade clause kicks in at the start of the 2014-2015 season and he could potentially draw interest from a smaller market team in need of reaching the cap floor and attempting to sell tickets. One team could possibly be the New York Islanders. A team like the Islanders could trade multiple first round picks and young players such as Michael Grabner and Ryan Strome.

The Islanders are certainly in a great financial situation to take on one of the biggest contracts in the league.  They'll probably just have to stop paying the custodial staff for the next nine seasons.

If Ovechkin were to ever be traded, it would likely be to a Western Conference team capable of spending toward the cap ceiling.  What about Ovechkin for Couture and Pavelski?  Or perhaps Ovechkin and a top prospect for Kane and Sharp?  Seems more plausible for a team looking to be a cup contender for as long as they so possibly can. 

While the NHL season may be in doubt, one thing is certain, none of these players should be moved by the Washington Capitals anytime soon.

Oh, so this includes Ovechkin, now? MAKE UP YOUR MIND, AND I'LL MAKE UP MINE.

The point I wanted to make in the Backstrom section is that no matter how great a player is and how much of a sure-thing they seem to be, there is always room for misfortune and the franchise should be prepared for that.  If Backstrom suffers another serious injury, how much confidence could Washington really have in building their franchise around him?  Will you be saying the same thing about Holtby if he can't keep the number one spot this season?  How many more chances does Green actually deserve? As a team that considers themselves a cup contender, there are some big question marks on this roster.  Whether it means actually keeping and extending all of the aforementioned players, or trading them for an entirely new roster, the Capitals will do what's necessary to ice a championship team.  Regardless, the idea of an "untouchable" player seems unintelligent. 

Moves Like Malkin, part 4?

I don't think I saw Cikiradi in the league's realignment plans for next season. It's a shame, really, since Edler won't be able to rack up those easy points against 'em.

Bob McKenzie, Doctor Draft

Now that I think about it, maybe the title of Dr. Draft should belong to me, since that's as far as my blog posts ever go!... at least Spezza got a big kick out of it.

Anyway, our friend at TSN, Bob McKenzie, came out with this year's first piece of 2011 Entry Draft coverage. I'm so excited!

"Taylor versus Tyler" was a catchy slogan to set up last season's race between Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin for first overall in the National Hockey League entry draft.

Good luck trying to come up with a snappy label for the 2011 draft.

From my friends at the church, "It should be Adam and Eve, not Adam and Sean!"

"You would take Couturier? That would be Larsson-y!" Larceny! Get it!?

I see what he's getting at, but my first concern with the 2011 entry draft is not going to be how to refer to the top prospects in a catchy way. Let's hear some relevant details!

This year's battle for No. 1 could not be more wide open, shaping up at the starting line as at least a three-man race. In fact, for the first time ever, TSN's pre-season ranking of the Top 10 NHL Prospects has produced a dead heat at No. 1 overall.

Drummondville centre Sean Couturier and Swedish blueliner Adam Larsson finished with identical results in the annual survey of 10 NHL scouts by TSN. Remarkably, they each had four first-place votes, three seconds and two thirds. The only other prospect to get top-dog consideration was Red Deer centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who was No. 1 on the other two ballots.

It's the first year in quite some time when there hasn't been a consensus No. 1 to start the season.

What if there were four players shaping up at the starting line? Wouldn't that be a more wide open race? What about ten? No? Three is as wide as it can be? I understand. What irks me is how he states that it couldn't be more wide open, yet the pre-season rankings produced a dead lock between two players, with any other solid consideration going towards only one other player. It would be interesting if, say, ten players each received a first, second, and third place vote, rather than three (essentially two) players garnering all of the attention. SO MANY OPTIONS!

"All three guys have something special," one scout said. "Couturier is a big, skilled centre, Larsson is a total package defenceman and Nugent-Hopkins is a tremendous offensive talent with elite skill. It's going to be the most interesting race for No. 1 we've seen in a long time."

I don't know how to say this any more vividly, but it's September, morons. Rankings are going to change. Here are the preseason rankings from last year's draft class. There was definitely some movement involved here. Most notably:

-John McFarland, ranked number 5, was drafted 33rd overall.

-Stanislav Galiev, ranked number 11, was drafted 86th overall.

-Jordan Weal, ranked number 13, was drafted 70th overall.

-Teemu Pulkkinen, ranked number 19, was drafted 111th overall.

-Tom Kühnhackl, ranked number 27, was drafted 110th overall.

Note: Kirill Kabanov was drafted 65th overall after being the top-ranked prospect during the pre-season. This is because of his work-ethic (or lack thereof) and erratic behavior. If it weren't for these issues, it is cited that he could have been a first round draft pick, more specifically a top-ten pick.

To go along with these players, there were players drafted in the top ten that were excluded from these preseason rankings, including Dylan McIlrath (10th overall), Nino Niederreiter (5th), and Ryan Johansen (4th!). Although rankings should not be viewed as the ultimate authority, it is important to note that while these three players (Couturier, Larsson, Ted Nugent-Hopkins) are the top of the class thus far, all it takes is a one strong (albeit, very strong) season to bring another prospect into the mix.

I'm going to do some skipping around. Forgive me.

Not surprisingly, with his size, skill and ability to play without the puck, Couturier is said to have some Staal-like qualities -- Eric or Jordan, take your pick.

Well, if he has tremendous offensive ability and strong defensive tendencies, wouldn't that encompass both Staal-brothers mentioned? Or are you saying that whoever is fortunate enough to draft him will have to choose between his offensive or defensive abilities? From the sound of it, this kid could become more prolific than any of the Staal brothers have the potential for.

Here's some golden script about Larsson:

Larsson is a mobile, skilled and physical defenceman who has a terrific all-around game and has already played a full season in the Swedish Elite League against men.

Does that mean he has MENERGY!?!?!?!?!? This is kind of a redundant statement. I think it's safe to assume that the SEL is a men's league. SEL Junior and Junior 2 exist for a reason.

Larsson obviously isn't as tall as Hedman but he's still 6-2 or 6-3, very thick and his game has more natural bite to it than Hedman. He's also better offensvie [sic] than Hedman, he's got a cannon of a shot. He has the ability to control the pace of the game when he's out there.

Great use of counter-points, Kenzie! Not only does Larsson come in a more convenient size (he fits in your car, refrigerator, AND your closet!) than the Hedman model, he also comes with more natural bite! Is he made with real sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup which is great in moderation? I sure hope so, since whoever drafts this organic stud will likely use him excessively.

How about some info on the other guy?

Nugent-Hopkins is said to be no more than 6 feet tall, but he's extremely thin and physically immature compared to the other two elite prospects, but he's considered an electrifying offensive talent who is able to bob and weave through heavy traffic and rarely, if ever, get hit directly.

Hm, he sounds like he could be a fantastic player if he develops a bit more.

Scouts say he's as good a playmaker as he is a goal scorer and while some say he has similar offensive capabilities as Chicago star Pat Kane, others rave about his shot and quick release, which may be reminiscent of another Vancouver area product, future Hall of Famer Joe Sakic.

Hm, he sounds like he has some offensive ability and a lot of upside. He looks good so far!

Nugent-Hopkins scored the only goal for Canada against the United States at the gold-medal game of the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Under-18 tournament in August.

Sold! Why wasn't this mentioned in the title!? Just imagine if a team like Florida got a hold of this kid: he could have 50 goals in his first season, since you'd know damn well that any time Florida loses 2-1, 4-1, or 8-1 (in the words of Joe, "Vamos, Clemmensen!"), he would be the hero to get his team on the board.

Beyond the top three, this year's draft race continues to be ridiculously wide open. Only one other prospect -- Swedish forward Gabriel Landeskog of the Kitchener Rangers -- got votes from all 10 scouts, but Landeskog still ended up in a dead heat for fourth place in voting points, with Saginaw Spirit forward Brandon Saad, a Pittsburgh area native who played for the U.S. national team development program last season. Saad was on nine of 10 ballots. Just as there was some separation between the Big Three and Landeskog/Saad, there appears to be a discernible gap between those two and the rest of the field. Landeskog and Saad had 53 voting points apiece, the next prospect had 28.

So even fourth place in voting was shared!? I can't get over how wide open this is! Nothing or no one has been this wide open since Elisha Cuthbert in 2008 (apparently Vogue Avery has some girth, and we already know that Phaneuf has a "rocket").

Skipping around, again.

Unbelievably, 27 prospects received at least one vote in the survey, where scouts were asked to rank their top 10 pre-season prospects and two honorable mentions. That is, by far, the most prospects who have received top 10 consideration in the pre-season Top 10 survey.

This could mean a few things. While it could represent a deep draft class, it could also represent a group of voters that is fairly undecided on who has potential to become a top draft choice and more significantly, NHL-caliber talent. While it's great to see that McKenzie is optimistic about the possibilites that arise in a wide-ranged draft ranking, it's far too early to consider voting trends outside of the top five as relevant. Get back to me in December... or April, or May, or mid-June, sweet lips.

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