Drafted

The Washington Capitals finished their seven rounds of pick heaven picking up two centermen, a center and left winger, 3 wingers, 3 defensemen and one goaltender. Among the picks are three Canadians, two Swedish players, a Russian goaltender and 4 from the US National Team Development Program. They picked up a prospect that was slated to go around 7th in many mock drafts and picked up a little muscle along the way. In all, it was a quiet but good draft for the Capitals.

In the first round the Caps picked 11th overall and they choose Filip Forsberg. A natural play maker, Forsberg was slated to go much earlier in many mock drafts, so consider him a steal for the Caps. They also picked some muscle in Thomas Wilson, a kid that can play and throw the punches.

"You can find guys that are tough, but if they can't play, what good are they?" said General Manager George McPhee of their 16th overall pick in Wilson. "This kid seems to be that rare combination these days of a big kid who's tough that can play. Worst-case scenario he can play on the fourth line. But we think if he develops properly he can be a third-line, second-line player."

The Caps did not have a pick in the second round after trading it to Dallas for Mike Ribeiro. The gave up a prospect in Cody Eakin for a skilled center man to fill out the middle for the Capitals.

"It seemed like when I was watching the playoffs we had some big, gritty forwards and I just wanted to get another skill guy in the middle of it," McPhee said of acquiring Ribeiro. "I think him makes us immediately better."

In the third round the Caps picked up Chandler Stephenson (77th overall). A left winger and a centerman, Stephenson played for the Regina Pats last season and was able to accumulate 42 points in 55 games despite missing 14 games with injury. He was named the Pats' 'Most Sportsmanlike Player'.

Thomas Di Pauli (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The next four picks for the Capitals featured all American players, all from the U-18 US National Team Development Program. The Caps had two picks in round four and took Thomas Di Pauli (100 overall) and Austin Wuthrich (107 overall) who played last year with Notre Dame. The fifth and sixth rounds, the Caps only had one pick which they took Conner Carrick (137 overall) and Riley Barber (167 overall) respectfully.

Barber's father, Don, was selected 120th overall in 1983 by Edmonton and went on to play in the NHL for Minnesota, Winnipeg, Quebec and San Jose between 1988-89 and 1991-92.

Finally, the Caps had three picks in the seventh round.  They chose Christian Djoos (195 overall), Jaynen Rissling (197 overall) and goaltender Sergei Kostenko (203 overall). Rissling comes from an NHL family. Per his Draft card:

His uncle, Gary, signed with Washington in 1978 before being traded to Pittsburgh in 1981 -- he played 221 games in the NHL, amassing 1,008 penalty minutes. His dad, Kelly, played in the Western Hockey League (Portland, Lethbridge) and International Hockey League.

Ross Mahoney, Caps' director of amateur scouting answered why the Capitals took so many players in the middle rounds from the USNTDP per NHL.com:

Ross Mahoney, the Caps' director of amateur scouting, had a simple reason for why the club targeted so many players from the USNTDP.

"They're winners," he said. "They won again [World Under-18 Championship gold medal]. Talking to the people in that program, they said it was the best group of kids they've ever had, and they've had some pretty good young men come through that program. … We think they're all good athletes and good players and they're winners."

For those drafted, the next step is developmental camp in August. The Caps will get a close look at those they drafted as well as see other prospect's progress over a year's time.

Pick Two

They may not have a coach, but the Washington Capitals have two picks in the first round of the NHL Draft. Picks and 11 and 16 were Caps to choose and they picked up more offense and some size.

Picked 11th overall, Filip Forsberg, is a natural play maker. NHL director of European scouting describes Forsberg this way:

“A leader who shows by example -- I would compare him to Anaheim's Corey Perry a little bit. Has a nose for the net, and often scores the big goals. He's a creative playmaker, good skater with fine straight-ahead speed. He's a right-handed forward with an excellent shot and an effective two-way player with a great winning attitude. Filip's a solid puck carrier with very good puck-handling skills; mature, good size and physically strong. On top of that, he'll sacrifice himself to make the play.”

Don't get to excited, he is not related to NHL great Peter Forsberg, but Filip does model his game after him.

Pick 16 the Caps picked up a player that was rumored to be picked up by the Flyers. Thomas Wilson was selected for his toughness, size and his ability to put the puck in the net too. TSN analysts believe he will be the next Milan Lucic, but better looking. He is a gold medal winner with Team Canada in 2011 in Helsinki and he was voted "Best Body-Checker" in the OHL's 2012 coaches poll. He loves to hit, fight and help his team win. In 49 games played he registered 27 points and was a plus 17.

Consistent with class, the Pittsburgh fans in attendance freely booed the Capitals picks. The boos were not as loud as they were for the Flyers.

Pick 11 And 16

The Washington Capitals are heading into the unknown in a couple of areas. One is coaching, another is draft picks. The Caps have the 11th overall pick in this year's NHL Draft in Pittsburgh. They earned that pick from Colorado for Semyon Varlamov.

If you were wondering what kind of player the Caps could get at 11, let's take a trip down memory lane and look at some notable 11th overall picks in past NHL drafts.

2007 - Brandon Sutter
2005 - Anze Kopitar (recent Stanley Cup champ the LA Kings)
2003 - Jeff Carter (another King getting a ring)
1995 - Jarome Iginla
1994 - Jeff Friesen
1993 - Brendon Witt (Caps prospect that wanted no part of a rebuild, hmm)
1984 - Sylvain Cote (selected by Buffalo and Caps' stand out D-man)

An interesting group to say the least.

The Caps also have the 16th pick in the first round. Since 1980 the 16th overall pick has included the likes of R.J. Umberger (2001), Marcel Hossa (2000), goaltender Martin Biron (1995), Markus Naslund (1991) and former Caps players in prospect Jakub Klepis (2002, traded from Ottawa) and verteran Jamie Heward (1989).

This year's mock draft has the Capitals picking up Radek Faksa with the 11th pick. Faksa has been with Kitchener in the OHL. The mock draft also has the Caps picking up Sebastian Collberg with the 16th pick, a swedish winger who has played in the Swedish elite league.

The NHL Draft will be in Pittsburg this year June 22 - 23.

Caps Trade Away 1st Rd Pick

The Capitals never picked a player in the first round of the NHL Draft at Excel Energy Center in St. Paul Minnesota. But they did get a player that can be infused to the line up right now in Troy Brouwer.

Brouwer, a right winger that has a ring, scored 17 goals, had 36 points last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also had 8 playoff points during Chicago's Stanley Cup run.

The Capitals will not choose again until the fourth round (117th pick overall) barring any other trades.

Grading The Draft

With their seven picks in seven rounds, the Washington Capitals took three defensemen, two centers and two wingers in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft this weekend. They picked a player each from Sweden, Russia and the United States, and the other four were Canadian. The Caps' picks average in height of 6'0" and have an average weight of 190 lbs. The Caps went after speed and precision according to the available scouting reports of each player.

In the first round, the Caps took a two way centerman in Marcus Johansson from Sweden. I covered him in the last post as being a smart two-way player who some think will be the next Valtteri Filppula or even a Henrik Zetterberg. Johansson is a hard working player that looks to be a year or two away from playing inside the Caps' farm system.

On day two, round two, the Caps took (what some had speculated they would pick in the first round) Dmitri Orlov. This Russian player is a quick, puck-moving defenseman who makes excellent passes. In the third round the Caps took Cody Eakin who has tremendous speed. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native is a dynamite at chasing down loose pucks and works hard at both ends of the ice.

From there the scouting reports get fuzzy for the remaining players chosen in the Entry Draft. The Caps picked Patrick Wey, a Pittsburgh kid, in the fourth round. Wey will be attending and playing for Boston College this fall. In the fifth round, the Caps took Brett Flemming (no relation to Peggy), a defenseman that looks like he needs to gain some bulk (listed as 6'0" and 172 lbs.).

In the sixth and seventh rounds the Capitals picked Garrett Mitchell (yea! another Garrett) and Benjamin Casavant respectively. Both wingers (Mitchell a right winter, Casavant a left winger) and Canadian.

The Caps did not pick a goaltender in this year's draft.

Overall, I think the Caps did a solid job. They stuck to their game plan of building the organization up through youth. And why should it change, the Caps have seen significant changes and are credible threats for a Stanley Cup Championship. Under the direction of George McPhee, the Capitals have built in some deep talent. Just looking at the two farm clubs under the Caps, both have won their respective championships.

McPhee has stayed aggressive on the defensive front as well. While the Caps are bursting at the seams with defensemen, even keeping a few good ones in a Hershey Bears' uniform, they picked three of them in the draft. All of them still have some developing to do and are a year or two from entering the Capitals' system.

The Caps did not trade any of their picks this year, sticking to building a squad rather than looking for short term replacements. McPhee would rather use the free agent market to bring in what he needs now and continue to build the team he wants for the future.

If I had to grade what the Caps did for the '09 Draft, it would be a B+. They did very well with the picks that they had and didn't get involved in the itty bitty trading going on through out the weekend. The Caps filled the holes they had with draft picks and I think they did what they wanted with the selections they had.

Most often than not, the draft can be a crap shoot. Sometimes those players turn out for you, sometimes they are duds. It also has to do with how you develop those players through the minors up into the big club. The Caps have a good group of young players, it will be exciting to see them at the upcoming Development Camp the Caps will hold July 13.

Editor's note: The Capitals did make a minor trade, giving up Sami Lepisto for a pick in next year's draft to the Coyotes. The Caps did try to make a bid for a second line center, but may have to wait for free agency to pick up anything available. Lepisto was rumored to be on the trading block for well over 5 months now. Micheal Nylander is also rumored to be moved "soon" according to an anonymous source (so take it a face value).

Next up for the Caps... Free Agency July 1st.

Caps Take A Swede

The Washington Capitals made their only selection Friday night in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft and they picked Marcus Johansson 24th overall. The Capitals were rumored to take Landon Ferraro, but instead took a Swedish centerman for their pick.

Johansson scouting report through NHL.com:

“Johansson has a good selection of shots with a quick precise wrist shot. His overall skill level and stickhandling give him room to move the puck and shoot. He is a player with good offensive instincts and fine understanding of his defensive duties. He can play both center and wing with a consistent hard working presence.”

Johansson was a member of the Team Sweden for the 2009 World Junior Championships and helped them to a silver medal with two goals and he was a plus 2. The name that is thrown around Johansson's as going down a similar path is Henrik Zetterberg. While his play is not flashy or over the top, his hard working style and mastery of simple plays makes him a solid player that can play both ways. TSN compared his style of play to Valtteri Filppula.

The negatives are few for Johansson, but he does have a history of concussions. He played his first complete season last year playing 52 games, while he only recorded 12 games the year before. If he can stay healthy, he should make an immediate impact.

Unless there is a trade, the Capitals' night is over until their second round (55th) pick tomorrow.

Video interview courtesy of washingtoncaps.com:

A Great Goes Home

Sergei Fedorov is fulfilling the wishes of his father, playing on the same team as his brother Fedor. Since the Capitals have no desire to sign the Russian's brother, Fedorov makes the move to the KHL. It marks the second player to make the move to play on home soil as their contracts expires here in the NHL. Viktor Kozlov also made the move to return to Russia.

As much as the fans and the management would have liked to see both return, it could be a blessing in disguise for the Capitals. Both Russians' contracts pulled heavily on the Caps purse strings to steer clear of the salary cap. Now this frees space for the Caps to sign some key players whose contracts are up or up shortly.

Namely Nick Backstrom and Michal Neuvirth. Both will be entering their last season under their entry-level contracts for the '09-'10 season. Backstrom is definitely a talent the Capitals wish to keep, while Neuvirth is progressing nicely in the AHL. It will be an expensive venture to keep both and the freed cap space will help.

Although, having Fedorov on the Capitals may have made us starry eyed in the face of a future hall of famer and an extraordinary talent. He made some clutch goals for the Capitals, the rocket slapshot that beat the Florida Panthers and spun the Capitals into the playoffs for the first time in ten years. Or his game winning goal that won the first series win the Caps have enjoyed in 11 years. His talent and classy constitution will be missed.

But how many more years could Fedorov keep up his two way play at this level? It is a question we will never know as Feds will pack up his sticks and go someplace else.

Caps Draft Notes:

• Looks like the Caps have some major interest in Landon Ferraro. Son of Ray Ferraro (once called a "little ball of hate" by a teammate), Landon's speed has piqued the Caps' interest, but many are saying that Ferraro is still a few years away from wearing a NHL sweater.
• George McPhee most likely will not trade his picks for players. According to the Capitals Insider, McPhee's philosophy remains solid:
  

  "If you're doing the right things, you're always taking the best player," [McPhee] said. "And you find other ways, whether it be a trade or free agency, to fill any holes. (In the draft), you want a left winger who can play, versus a right defenseman that's not going to play."
  
  He added: "If you draft for positions, then sometimes you make players out to be better than they are and you (pass over) someone who ends up playing and being a good player. If you have too many good left wingers, then maybe you have to move somebody to fill a position some place else."

• While first round picks are always helpful, the Detroit Red Wings have gotten by with a bunch of late rounders. Nicklas Lidstrom, Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula were picked in the third round, Pavel Datsyuk was a sixth round pick and Henrik Zetterberg was picked in the seventh round. I guess it proves that scouting wins out the best players, not necessarily first round picks. Something to chew on while you watch the entry draft tonight.
  

Is There A Window Open?

Because there is a Draft. Ha!

The Washington Capitals enter this draft with picks late in each round. But they have picks in all seven rounds. The Caps pick 24th in the first round, if they should use it or trade it remains to be seen.

It is highly unlikely that the Capitals would trade their first round pick as they have used their first round picks more than any other team in the past eight years. They have plucked 15 first round picks in that time. The Caps have used the first round picks to build a team from scratch. So far, the results have been good for the organization.

One only has to look at the Caps' development tree. The South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL are the affiliates of the Capitals. Both have won their respective league championships. Proof that the organization is going in the right direction.

Many of the mock drafts have the Capitals picking a winger (provided there are no moves in picks). That winger is Landon Ferraro, son of Ray Ferraro. Landon is a speedy and smart player on the short side (5'11", 165 lbs.). It not a given that Ferraro will be drafted by Caps, being so far down on the list.

The Caps picks for the '09 Draft are as follows:

Round 1: 24th pick
Round 2: 55th pick
Round 3: 85th pick
Round 4: 115th pick
Round 5: 144th pick
Round 6: 174th pick
Round 7: 204th pick

Notable 24th overall picks:
'05 T.J. Oshie (STL)
'03 Mike Richards (PHI)
'01 Lukas Krajicek (FLA)
'96 Daniel Briere (PHX)
'85 Sean Burke (NJ, 2nd rd.)

Capitals' unrestricted free agents*: Donald Brashear, Sergei Fedorov, Viktor Kozlov, Alex Giroux**, Graham Mink**, Bryan Helmer**, Brent Johnson

Restricted free agents*: Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, Chris Bourque**, Steve Pinizzotto**, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn, Jeff Schultz, Sami Lepisto**

First round of the NHL '09 Entry Draft will be on Versus Network this Friday night (6/27) at 7 pm. Following rounds will be on Saturday and can be watched on the NHL Network throughout the day. This year's draft will be in Montreal.

*-as of 10 AM, 6/23/09
**-played majority of the season for Hershey

Caps Draft Night

While the NHL Draft started in a frenzy of activity, the Caps waited for the right moment to make a move. They did so by picking up a familiar name to Capitals fans, Gustafsson. Son of the Cap great Bengt Gustafsson, Anton Gustafsson was drafted after the Caps made a trade to jump up to the 21st pick from New Jersey. They dealt the 23rd and 54th pick to draft the young talent.

Anton was scouted as a good talent but was placed lower on the draft list due to a partially herniated disc in his back. He was considered a draft wildcard due to his health. Gustafsson is a tall and strong two way player known for his playmaking ability with his good vision. He is still a few years away from a probable Caps debut, but should be in DC in July for development camp.

But the Caps didn't stop there. They then dealt Steve Eminger (who was rumored to be in trade talks before the draft) to Philly for the 29th draft pick. They took bruiser John Carlson for their acquired draft pick. Eminger, who found himself in the doghouse for most of the season, finally gets what he wanted: a trade. In return they get a second first round pick and Carlson and picked up a 3rd round pick as well.

Carlson is a big, tall, strong defenseman that plays with a hard shot and is a hard skater. He will return to his junior team the London Knights next season. He brings some skill on the power play with his hard heavy shot, and doesn't shy from being physical. Carlson was expected to take higher (some experts had him higher around 20 -22), but settled in for a 29th pick overall.

This year's draft saw an influx of defensemen signed for any one draft in some time.

As the Caps go, they did pretty well for what GM George McPhee had to deal with. He was able to tie up a lose end in Eminger and getting him to a team that may use him more than here. He still has a heavy contract for Ben Clymer and still has to finish the draft weekend and sign a slew of free agents, both restricted and unrestricted. The Caps have now made 15 first-round picks in the last seven years, four more than any other NHL team.

A special thanks to Japers' Rink that hosted a live chat throughout the draft. It was fun to see all the Caps bloggers initial reactions to each pick, whether it was the Caps' pick or not. To be honest though I had a bit of a headache trying to keep up with everyone. I wonder who I will have to bribe to get on that panel?

No Idea

Just about no one has a clue on what GM George McPhee has up his sleeve as the NHL draft day arrives. While chatter about possible early trades just hours before the draft starts seems to overwhelm both media and general managers alike, GMGM seems content on keeping what ever trades or picks under a cloak of silence.

While it may just look like they may load up on young talent again, trades are not outside the realm of possibilities for the Washington Capitals. But any analysis of what the Caps have in mind as the draft draws near could be as accurate calling the dial a psychic for advice on your love life. "I sense the letter N is important..."

There are several lose ends that need attending to. Remember a Stanley Cup winner that squandered the entire season in Hershey? Ben Clymer's contract ramps up to $1.1 million for next season. Attempts to put the fiesty forward on waivers put him in limbo. An early trade to try to clean up his contract could help McPhee and Clymer clean the slate.

McPhee has to deal with a defense core that seems to be getting a tad too crowded. Steve Eminger was held in reserve for most of the season. While he got his chance late in the season and into the playoffs, he could also be a trade fall out to make room for budding D-man Karl Alzner who looks to make the squad in summer training camp.

But none of these players could warrant a higher pick. In that case, McPhee will just go through the draft picking the best players he and his scouts can get their hands on. While the top picks will elude the Caps, they do own three picks in the second round. More than enough to pull some good talent and start to develop them with cultivation about 3 years out.

Some good news, GMGM and Cris Huet seem to be having some good talks. A positive note as if Huet decided to move on it would make the goaltending a sensitive issue for the Caps as they would have lost both Huet and Olie Kolzig. It will still be pretty interesting to see where Kolzig will end up, while most think he will be in Ottawa when all is said and done.

Caps Sign Young Talent

Oskar Osala was just signed to a three year entry contract with the Capitals. You remember Osala, big kid, left winger from rookie camp. He had been playing in Finland and was one of the better talents in last year's devolpment camp.

At 6'4" and 217 (at camp last year they listed him at 222) the 20 year old is big, but he has some nice hands. He was one of the dark horses to come out of camp to maybe get into traning camp, but he needed another year to gain some maturity. If Osala can use his size and his soft hands he could make for an excellent second or third line forward that can add a scoring touch.

No word if he will be at this year's development camp as he is now under contract, but should be here for training camp a month or so later.

As far as the draft goes, tomorrow the Caps are have the 23rd pick in the first round and several second round picks. Some of the talk is the Caps are looking to trade not just picks but they still have Ben Clymer's contract they would like to dump somewhere as well as sign some RFAs before the July 1st deadline. Makes for a busy last two weeks of June.

Settling Into The Big Ho Hum

Anticipation sucks. And at the rate the Capitals seem to be resigning free agents, it seems we are entering the doldrums of the off season. Hockey no longer seems the priority on Puckhead's summer itinerary. Even the draft coming up in the next few days seems to take a back seat.

For the past 5 years, that is all we seemed to be waiting for. The Draft. Who are we going to get? What first rounders make the most sense for the Caps? So on and so forth. But it's seems that this was the year the Caps turned a corner. Instead of seeing who they can get in this year's draft, I am much more interested in who will be in net, or if they will lose a defensemen or two to make room for some younger players that are knocking on the door.

GM George McPhee will meet with reporters today (6/16) concerning the draft at Kettler. I would much rather hear about how contract negotiations are going with Cris Huet, Shaone Morrisonn, Mike Green, and others. I understand how important it is to have a secure future, and drafting good talent is keeping an eye out for the horizon. At the same time, I am just not jazzed about who the Caps are going to pick just to wait another 3 to 4 years to see their name again.

I am sure that will all change in 5 days time when the Draft starts to ramp up and when the Caps' management decides to start resigning players. But I can't help but feel pretty ho hum about the upcoming draft.

Pick Happy

The Washington Capitals are certainly loaded in talent. If the names don't impress you, consider this: The Capitals have 17 players that were picked in the first round of the NHL draft on their current roster. Five of those players were chosen in the top 12 overall.

Amazingly enough, in that elite group of 5 players you will not find Alexander Semin, Olaf Kolzig, Micheal Nylander, Brooks Laich or Matt Pettinger. So, do you think you can name the five current roster Capitals that were chosen in the top 12 overall in the NHL draft? (Not including draft picks from this year since they haven't made the roster just yet.)

If your not up for playing, or are stumped you can go here.

Semin was selected 13th overall in 2002. Milan Jurcina, whose seems to be the darling of the Capitals' blue line was picked in the 8th round, 241st overall in 2001. Brian Pothier, Donald Brashear and Joe Motzko were not drafted.

Editor's Note: Scratch Kris Beech as he is now a Columbus Blue Jacket.

Caps Pick D-Man

With their 5 overall pick the Washington Caps pick a defenseman from the Calgary Hitman Karl Alzner. A gritty and tough d-man, it looks like he could be a Bredan Witt type with a tad more speed. Here is what TSN.ca says about the 5th pick in the 2007 NHL Draft:

A skilled stay-at-home defenseman with good skating ability. Is calm under pressure and composed with the puck. Has good positioning and reads the play well. Has a strong shot from the point. Wins battles along the boards and in his own zone. Needs to improve his acceleration and his ability to change tempo throughout the game.

Quick stats:
Pos: Defense
Shoots: L
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 206 lbs.
Born: 9/24/1988
From: Burnaby, BC
Team: Calgary (WHL)
2006-2007 Calgary (WHL) 63 Games Played, 8 goals, 39 assists, 32 penalties in minutes

Wash Post has the details.

She Doesn't Like Them

"I like the logo enough, but the color scheme is not good," So said my stylist and my wife. She would prefer a blue home jersey with white lettering.

"Like Team USA?" I asked.

"Hey, the USA jerseys are cool."

She had a point there. The Caps couldn't hold the secret 'til today, they were going to reveal at their Draft day party at the Kettler practice facility. But the Boston Bruins revealed their jerseys yesterday at a party for their season ticket holders, beating the Caps to the punch.

The full uniform will be modeled today at the party. As well fans and mostly season ticket holders will get a skate party and meet some Caps alum like Mike Gartner, who I heard will his first appearance at a Capital event since his retirement. He mostly shows up at Rangers' events.

What may be the biggest news out of today maybe more about a possible trade rather than a draft pick by the Capitals. Some have Rumored that the Caps have been shopping their first round picks for players. But unwilling to take players on their last year of contracts becoming unrestricted free agents, the Caps may force to take their picks rather than land some much needed "now" players.

Either way, my wife just doesn't like the red, guess we will just be watching the away games.

What do the Caps really need?

The Washington Capitals will once again stand to gain big in this years NHL Draft which kicks off tomorrow with a party at Kettler, and a reveal of the new jerseys for the next season. But while most Caps fans will be entertained by former Caps (Mike Gartner will make an appearance) and flashy new threads, the fact remains, this is a team that needs a lot of help.

Some have said that the Caps need some d-men, others said they need a playmaker center. But what the Caps may need most is goaltending. Nicklas Backstrom will definitely improve the offense (which the Caps are pretty loaded up on right now), and there is still talk of landing a big name free agent (but McPhee won't be using draft picks for any trades as he told reporters on XM Radio that it's not smart to do so after the Philly/Nash trade). What the Caps may draft is a solid Goaltender, and that would make the most sense.

The Caps are loaded on prospective D-men, adding another that may waste away in the minors will be a ... er, well, a waste. Prospect forwards are starting to cram the starting lineup in Hershey and in DC. What's left? A veteran goaltender whose clock is running out and a back up goaltender that has not had a winning record since leaving St. Louis for Phoenix. The Caps are hurting in the goaltending column.

If Olaf Kolzig gets hurt again, it could be a career ending injury. That is scarier than finishing another season with 70 points. It's likely that Brent Johnson will take over the starting reigns, but his record is not a shining one: 16 wins, 33 losses over three seasons. Not a something to write home about. Johnson is a capable back up, not a starting goaltender in the NHL. The Caps have really no one in the tube after Johnson.

Fredric Cassivi's contract is not with the Capitals, it's with the Hershey Bears. And at 32 years old, he is not the future. Another prospect looks like he will be staying in the Russian league and the rest are as obscure as the Democratic presidential hopefuls after Obama, Clinton and Edwards. Picking a goaltender may not be a bad idea for the Capitals.

Caps Defenseless Draft Day

With the 4th overall pick, Washington Capitals were thinking offense. The blue line looks as if it will be collecting dust. Instead of using their draft position to pick up better defensemen, the Capitals again look to beef up the forward lines with their pick.

The Caps 4th pick was Nicklas Backstrom, a left handed centerman, is touted as the next Peter Forsberg. He has a great vision and is a creative playmaker that will aid Alex Ovechkin as a setup man. Playing for Sweden National Team this Olympics, Backstrom was apart of the gold medal team.

Alex Ovechkin was in the building himself and even called out Backstrom’s name as the 4th pick. The commentator even joked about Ovechkin being the general manager. When Ovechkin’s name was announced, the place erupted in applause. It’s the only bright spot to the Caps season, why not show him off?

Their 23rd pick in the first round was Semen Varlamov, a Russian goaltender. The Capitals obtained the 23rd pick from Nashville in the trade of Brendan Witt.

It will still be awhile before seeing if the Capitals pick will help the team. “Maybe one or two years,” Backstrom responded to a question of how soon he will make an impact in a Caps sweater. Let’s hope sooner, than later.

One of the most shocking trades coming on the deadline of the NHL Draft was Todd Bertuzzi for Roberto Luongo. After Florida made a desperate deal to keep the goaltender Luongo, they traded him early Saturday morning. It leads to a surprised Luongo packing his bags to Vancouver.