The Capitals addressed their immediate concerns at the center position before the Draft in the evening. The Caps traded Cody Eakin and a second round pick (54th overall) to the Dallas Stars for Mike Ribeiro.
The Caps struggled with a second line center last year behind Nick Backstrom. They tried to fill the hole with Marcus Johannson, Mathieu Perreault, and even Brooks Laich at times. But the Caps finally land some proven talent in Ribeiro who has great speed and a quick release. He had 63 points in last year's campaign (18g, 45a). He has some playoff experience under his belt with the long playoff run in 2008 where he has 17 points in 18 games with the Stars.
The Caps give up prospect Cody Eakin. Eakin spent most of his time in Hershey, but was called up a few times. In my opinion, he is still a year or two away from being a mainstay in the NHL. His speed is deadly, but he needs more experience to use it effectively at the top level. When he finds his game, Eakin will be a solid offensive producer at the NHL level.
George McPhee's trade for Ribeiro also cost them a second round pick in this year's draft. Ribeiro has one year remaining in his 5 year contract and will count for $5 million to the salary cap for the Capitals.
This might quiet some talk of the Capitals trying to land Rick Nash. The Capitals will still have to fill a hole left by Alex Semin, as well as some grit in the loss of Mike Knuble. Jordan Staal was also rumored to be courted by the Capitals after he refused a 10 year contract with Pittsburgh, but he was traded to Carolina and will play with brother Eric.
Showing posts with label Eakin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eakin. Show all posts
Friday, June 22, 2012
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
An Eye On Standings
The Washington Capitals enter the new year in pretty good shape. Just five points from the lead in the division and a point out from the 8th place spot in the Eastern Conference. They are also riding a three game win streak. It is not the worst position the Caps could be in. It's not the best spot for the Capitals either as the All Star Game looms in the distance at month's end.
The Capitals are making a move on the standings, but it doesn't seem like any of the teams ahead of them in the East are at all interested in helping the struggling club make it into the top eight. In the last week, the Caps have only been able to leap frog the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. With Ottawa and New Jersey getting points last night with a OT win by the Senators, the Caps can not afford a slump in the month of January. Teams with a playoff spots are fighting hard to stay there as the All Star weekend creeps upon the Caps.
Many general managers warn their clubs of falling out of playoff spots before the All Star break as a near impossibility getting back into the top 8 by season's end. Part of that reason is the resolve of teams in playoff spots to stay there by the time post season arrives and the trade deadline when GMs have to make the decision of whether to fish or cut bait.
Last year, seven of the eight teams in playoff positions before the All Star break made it into the post season. Atlanta was the only team to drop out of the top 8 (was in 8th on 1/26/11 and fell to eleventh by season's end). Being in playoff contention at the mid way point of the All Star game makes the rest of the season easier to negotiate.
By the time the All Star break arrives, the Capitals should be within a game (2 points) of division leading Florida, and inside the top eight in the conference to have a comfortable seat for the post season. If not the Caps will have their work cut out for them.
It is not outside the realm for the Caps to be on the outside looking in, they did it in 2008. They won 15 of their last 19 games of the season to overtake the Carolina Hurricanes as divisional leaders and took the only spot in the playoffs from a Southeastern division team that year. A feat which was accomplished on the last three games as they won their last 3 home games against division rivals Carolina, Tampa and Florida to end the 2008 regular season campaign. The Caps would eventually lose in seven games to Philadelphia in the pursuing playoffs.
Caps Notes:
The Capitals are making a move on the standings, but it doesn't seem like any of the teams ahead of them in the East are at all interested in helping the struggling club make it into the top eight. In the last week, the Caps have only been able to leap frog the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. With Ottawa and New Jersey getting points last night with a OT win by the Senators, the Caps can not afford a slump in the month of January. Teams with a playoff spots are fighting hard to stay there as the All Star weekend creeps upon the Caps.
Many general managers warn their clubs of falling out of playoff spots before the All Star break as a near impossibility getting back into the top 8 by season's end. Part of that reason is the resolve of teams in playoff spots to stay there by the time post season arrives and the trade deadline when GMs have to make the decision of whether to fish or cut bait.
Last year, seven of the eight teams in playoff positions before the All Star break made it into the post season. Atlanta was the only team to drop out of the top 8 (was in 8th on 1/26/11 and fell to eleventh by season's end). Being in playoff contention at the mid way point of the All Star game makes the rest of the season easier to negotiate.
By the time the All Star break arrives, the Capitals should be within a game (2 points) of division leading Florida, and inside the top eight in the conference to have a comfortable seat for the post season. If not the Caps will have their work cut out for them.
It is not outside the realm for the Caps to be on the outside looking in, they did it in 2008. They won 15 of their last 19 games of the season to overtake the Carolina Hurricanes as divisional leaders and took the only spot in the playoffs from a Southeastern division team that year. A feat which was accomplished on the last three games as they won their last 3 home games against division rivals Carolina, Tampa and Florida to end the 2008 regular season campaign. The Caps would eventually lose in seven games to Philadelphia in the pursuing playoffs.
Caps Notes:
- Alex Ovechkin named NHL's second star for the last week of the December.
- Cody Eakin's short time with the Caps ended as he was recalled to Hershey. A sign that either Mathieu Perreault is feeling better, or someone else is.
- Capitals play the Calgary Flames tonight and have a chance to try to move up the standings past division foe Winnipeg for 8th spot in the Conference.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Rally Short A Goal
Capitals 4, Panthers 5
Game Summary
The Washington Capitals could always count on being the dominant team with in their division in the past. But the Florida Panthers put some serious doubt into the Capitals ability to get easy points from their division with a 5-1 effort through the first half of the game. The Capitals made it a game late by some hard work and tightening their own zone play but would come up short on goals by one and short points by 7 in the division standings as they fall to the Panthers 4-5.
The Capitals Rally fell short a goal to tie the game in the waning seconds of the game. But it was remarkable there was a nail biter ending to begin with as the Caps struggled through 33 minutes of the game and the Panthers pounced to a 5-1 lead half way through the second. Mike Knuble managed the only Caps goal through that first half after a great entry by Marcus Johansson. It opened time and space for Knuble to slap it through Panther goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Cody Eakin scored his third of the season after his line did some great forechecking late in the second period. With just :20 left in the second frame, Eakin gave a glimmer of hope to the Capitals going into the intermission.
If the first period was awful to watch, in stark contrast, the third period was the Caps best by far.
Pressing the play, strong on the forecheck, and maybe playing a team that had packed it in with the score seemingly out of reach, the Caps out chanced the Panthers 8 to one in the final period of the game. Goals by Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera made the game a bit more interesting, but the Caps couldn't find the equalizer.
The Caps' special teams let them down. Their penalty kill was a horrendous 3-6 while the power play was anything but special going 0-2. John Erkine picked up an instigator penalty when he fought Bracken Kearns in the first when the Capitals were down 2-0. The Panthers three power play goals were the deciding factor in the Caps' loss.
Michal Neuvirth let in possibly the softest goal of his career just :13 seconds after the Panthers' first goal. A knuckler that beat him 7 hole seemed to deflate the team and with some bad penalties and a Florida power play that was clicking, it was lights out soon after that.
The silver lining was the Caps drive to even make the comeback. It was lead, in part, by John Carlson who was the only player on either team to have a +3 with his three assists. He trailed only Dennis Wideman (29:00) in ice time minutes (26:15).
Until the Capitals can solve their woes on the PK and on the PP, it would be wise for this team to steer clear of the penalty box. Take away the three power play goals the Caps gave to the Panthers and it's a 4-2 game.
Caps Notes:
Game Summary
 |
| AP |
The Capitals Rally fell short a goal to tie the game in the waning seconds of the game. But it was remarkable there was a nail biter ending to begin with as the Caps struggled through 33 minutes of the game and the Panthers pounced to a 5-1 lead half way through the second. Mike Knuble managed the only Caps goal through that first half after a great entry by Marcus Johansson. It opened time and space for Knuble to slap it through Panther goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Cody Eakin scored his third of the season after his line did some great forechecking late in the second period. With just :20 left in the second frame, Eakin gave a glimmer of hope to the Capitals going into the intermission.
If the first period was awful to watch, in stark contrast, the third period was the Caps best by far.
Pressing the play, strong on the forecheck, and maybe playing a team that had packed it in with the score seemingly out of reach, the Caps out chanced the Panthers 8 to one in the final period of the game. Goals by Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera made the game a bit more interesting, but the Caps couldn't find the equalizer.
The Caps' special teams let them down. Their penalty kill was a horrendous 3-6 while the power play was anything but special going 0-2. John Erkine picked up an instigator penalty when he fought Bracken Kearns in the first when the Capitals were down 2-0. The Panthers three power play goals were the deciding factor in the Caps' loss.
Michal Neuvirth let in possibly the softest goal of his career just :13 seconds after the Panthers' first goal. A knuckler that beat him 7 hole seemed to deflate the team and with some bad penalties and a Florida power play that was clicking, it was lights out soon after that.
The silver lining was the Caps drive to even make the comeback. It was lead, in part, by John Carlson who was the only player on either team to have a +3 with his three assists. He trailed only Dennis Wideman (29:00) in ice time minutes (26:15).
Until the Capitals can solve their woes on the PK and on the PP, it would be wise for this team to steer clear of the penalty box. Take away the three power play goals the Caps gave to the Panthers and it's a 4-2 game.
Caps Notes:
- Alex Semin has missed his second straight game with an undisclosed upper body injury. Anyone miss him?
- Alex Ovechkin did play but was ineffective with only 4 shots on net and a miserable -2.
- Capitals outshot the Panthers 32-30 but only outshot them in the third period (13-6).
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Bad Ice In B-More
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| (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) |
It should have been about the amazing skill of the players on the ice inside the 1st Mariner Arena at the 2011 Baltimore Hockey Classic. Or how great it was to see a Caps' sweater in Baltimore for a preseason match up with the Nashville Predators. But instead, the poor ice conditions overshadowed what should have been a great start to an annual event for the Washington Capitals. Add a 2-0 loss to the Preds and the Caps preseason begins with a disappointing start.
It certainly was not a good game to really gauge the players trying for positions on tight rosters. Stand outs for the Capitals would have to be Garrett Mitchell, Cody Eakin, Chris Bourque, and Jay Beagle. But early attempts at some pressure just was droned out by bad ice conditions.
Alex Ovechkin would have a solid game, but a late slashing call with under 4 minutes left sealed the deal for the Caps who were held scoreless since facing Carolina to start the '05-'06 season where they lost 6-0. He did have a big hit when Ryan Ellis tried to take a run at the All-Star foward, but Ovi was able to thwart the hit away sending Ellis flying as a result.
The power play lacked any substance, again. The Caps special teams again suffered with the extra man. It did look like they scored in waning seconds of the game, but the whistle had blown leaving the Preds to hold the Caps off for their first preseason win.
DJ King was the overall stand out player for the Capitals. King, who is in roster limbo with the team since signing here a year ago, played a tough physical game, but also added some offensive pressure with Beagle on his line.
Caps don't have time to wallow in there sadness (or grab a sock). Some of the team will head off to Columbus tonight to face a preseason game against the Blue Jackets tomorrow night.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Off Season Doldrums
In the words of an assistant coach, "Development camp is... development camp". It is no more or less of what you make of it. For the Capital brass, it is more about inventory. What do they have and what can they use down the line. Rosters are not set because of last week, and no eyebrows were really raised. Take from it what you want, but it is simply a gauge that some players will be measured at when fall camp takes place.
17 year old Garrett Haar turned heads with his play (what a fantastic first name too). It even compelled a general manager to call in a favor with Boston College to get the prospect a chance to continue his development at the NCAA level. Not bad. "Just have to have the right school come through for him here," George McPhee stated about Haar's development and the "I can neither confirm nor deny" way of telling the media he wants to see him improve in the NCAA.
Cody Eakin, the new dark horse to make the roster since pint sized Chris Bourque (who also returned to the organization this off season), had a pretty flat camp. That was to be expected since he played some pretty spectacular hockey just 5 weeks ago. "I think he will be ready in September," scoffed GMGM. Take that critics.
Caps new play thing from Sweden, Mattias Sjogren, looked out of sorts at times. It was to be expected from a European player faced with North American hockey up close and personal for the first time. Good thing he is taking this experience as a learning tool to prepare him for camp. "It is just about orientation," McPhee said of his summer signing Swede. "He has probably not been in too many games where they are hitting and scrapping like this."
The slew of other players did okay, or did alright. No one knocked the socks off the coaching staff. When the big boys come to town, one will see the difference between professional athletes and prospects that might never see the light of Hershey (Josh Godfrey ring a bell?).
What took most people by surprise was the gigantic red wall that was once white behind the stands at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. It took awhile to get used to it along with the team secondary eagle logo and "Home of the Washington Capitals" sprawled along the side. Just in case you did not know where you were.
It is more important for the fans in way than it is for the players or coaches. Fans will not see the red, white and blue for another month, month and a half as we have reached the dead zone for hockey in Washington DC. The long period where replays of the recent playoff stretch dominates the NHL Network and news travels the speed of print journalism.
Getting through this period of time takes a bit of patience and a little luck that the Washington Nationals are actually flirting with the idea of staying above the .500 mark for the rest of the season. The other is to talk hockey with friends and family or any one who will listen. I have had the same conversation 5 times with another hockey fan at work about Tomas Vokoun, and I am sure we will discuss it again this morning.
It sucks, but hold out hope. The season is not as far away as you might think and you have the bloggers who will speculate, the writers who will fact find, and Bruce Boudreau's ketchup smeared face on DVR recordings of 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the Winter Classic (oh, you didn't save those, bad fan!).
17 year old Garrett Haar turned heads with his play (what a fantastic first name too). It even compelled a general manager to call in a favor with Boston College to get the prospect a chance to continue his development at the NCAA level. Not bad. "Just have to have the right school come through for him here," George McPhee stated about Haar's development and the "I can neither confirm nor deny" way of telling the media he wants to see him improve in the NCAA.
Cody Eakin, the new dark horse to make the roster since pint sized Chris Bourque (who also returned to the organization this off season), had a pretty flat camp. That was to be expected since he played some pretty spectacular hockey just 5 weeks ago. "I think he will be ready in September," scoffed GMGM. Take that critics.
Caps new play thing from Sweden, Mattias Sjogren, looked out of sorts at times. It was to be expected from a European player faced with North American hockey up close and personal for the first time. Good thing he is taking this experience as a learning tool to prepare him for camp. "It is just about orientation," McPhee said of his summer signing Swede. "He has probably not been in too many games where they are hitting and scrapping like this."
The slew of other players did okay, or did alright. No one knocked the socks off the coaching staff. When the big boys come to town, one will see the difference between professional athletes and prospects that might never see the light of Hershey (Josh Godfrey ring a bell?).
What took most people by surprise was the gigantic red wall that was once white behind the stands at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. It took awhile to get used to it along with the team secondary eagle logo and "Home of the Washington Capitals" sprawled along the side. Just in case you did not know where you were.
It is more important for the fans in way than it is for the players or coaches. Fans will not see the red, white and blue for another month, month and a half as we have reached the dead zone for hockey in Washington DC. The long period where replays of the recent playoff stretch dominates the NHL Network and news travels the speed of print journalism.
Getting through this period of time takes a bit of patience and a little luck that the Washington Nationals are actually flirting with the idea of staying above the .500 mark for the rest of the season. The other is to talk hockey with friends and family or any one who will listen. I have had the same conversation 5 times with another hockey fan at work about Tomas Vokoun, and I am sure we will discuss it again this morning.
It sucks, but hold out hope. The season is not as far away as you might think and you have the bloggers who will speculate, the writers who will fact find, and Bruce Boudreau's ketchup smeared face on DVR recordings of 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the Winter Classic (oh, you didn't save those, bad fan!).
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Rookies Kick Off Camp
It was just a practice, but already rookie Capitals' players are starting to impress. Cody Eakin is one of those young players that has the coaching staff eager to put him in with the big boys.
"I want to see him in an exhibition game or two at the NHL level," Head coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He's the one junior that's come here I think saying forget it I want to play in the NHL this year. He had a great junior year and we're going to give him a chance to see what he's got."
Other players just found it hard to keep up with the rigorous first practice. Stanislav Galiev had a hard time with the skating drills and had to take a knee or two late in practice. The 86th overall draft pick found himself out of breath as the practice wound down.
Braden Holtby didn't need to be on the ice with the rookies, but with the log jam of pro netminders working out together it was tough to find some ice time. Holtby took part of the practice to get in some work and ice time before fall camp begins.
Joe Finley made an early impression as he takes a spot back on the blue line. His experiment at forward in last year's camp is over as he is looking for a permanent job with Hershey next season. He had a freak arm injury while playing with the South Carolina Stingrays. Finley comes with a new attitude and a bit more composure according to Gabby.
"He's a lot more composed and better, I think," Boudreau said. "[He's] another year older, he's played one year, albeit a short one because of an injury shortened season, at pro. He wants to be a regular in Hershey and he's come here with that determination. I like him."
I would expect tomorrow's practice to be just as tough as today's work out. The rookies are prepping for the rookie game against the Flyers on Thursday.
"I want to see him in an exhibition game or two at the NHL level," Head coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He's the one junior that's come here I think saying forget it I want to play in the NHL this year. He had a great junior year and we're going to give him a chance to see what he's got."
Other players just found it hard to keep up with the rigorous first practice. Stanislav Galiev had a hard time with the skating drills and had to take a knee or two late in practice. The 86th overall draft pick found himself out of breath as the practice wound down.
Braden Holtby didn't need to be on the ice with the rookies, but with the log jam of pro netminders working out together it was tough to find some ice time. Holtby took part of the practice to get in some work and ice time before fall camp begins.
Joe Finley made an early impression as he takes a spot back on the blue line. His experiment at forward in last year's camp is over as he is looking for a permanent job with Hershey next season. He had a freak arm injury while playing with the South Carolina Stingrays. Finley comes with a new attitude and a bit more composure according to Gabby.
"He's a lot more composed and better, I think," Boudreau said. "[He's] another year older, he's played one year, albeit a short one because of an injury shortened season, at pro. He wants to be a regular in Hershey and he's come here with that determination. I like him."
I would expect tomorrow's practice to be just as tough as today's work out. The rookies are prepping for the rookie game against the Flyers on Thursday.
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