Another season, another new coach and another round of questions in D.C. Can Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals finally make a serious run in the playoffs? Will new coach Barry Trotz be the long searched for answer? And will it be worth all those millions to shore up a porous blue line?
Since he's been in the league Alex Ovechkin has gone through coaches like Hugh Heffner goes through girlfriends. From Bruce Boudreau, to Dale Hunter then Adam Oates the changing systems and voice behind the bench have lead to one constant: playoff disappointment. After a while you need to look beyond the bench and long time GM George McPhee was iced earlier this year. The fact is he had to answer for his under performing team and superstar. At a certain point the players need to step up and McPhee's replacement Brian MacLellan now faces the unenviable task of taking a group of underachievers and making them into something more.
To do this he poached two defencemen from the rival Pittsburgh Penguins at a cost that again has us wondering what they're putting in the water down there. Sure Matt Niskanen was arguably the top available defencemen in free agency this summer and with such a poor crop he was likely to get overpaid regardless of where he ended up but the contract they gave him at 7 million per season is something that will be both tough to live up to and could hinder them as far as salary cap structure moving forward. This however wasn't the biggest head scratcher. They then went out and signed Brooks Orpik for just over 5 million per season. Here is a shut down guy who provides minimal offence and perhaps even less foot speed and is getting this kind of money on a long term deal when he will be entering his later thirties, Now, there's something to be said for experience and leadership but this is more confusing than a Chris Nolan thriller.
The man set to lead this group is Barry Trotz, the only coach the Nashville Predators franchise had ever known. Barry has garnered a reputation of being a tough coach getting a lot out of the little he had to work with in Tennessee. That said he had something he may not here and that is an elite goalie in Pekka Rinne. It will now be up to the talented but still young Braden Holtby to shoulder the load for this team and Trotz will have to convince his flashy stars up front to play a complete game and the physical close checking style he employed in Nashville may not fly with the personnel.
All of this leads up to them hosting the Chicago Blackhawks for the Winter Classic in Nationals Park in January. There will be a lot of attention on the team this year, especially in a year where the east looks like it could be open for the taking. Can Ovi step up and be a leader? Can his supporting cast of Backstrom and co. find another level come the post season? Will this newly minted defence core stand up to the test? As always in Washington there's a lot to deal with...
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
'A' for Effort
Marc Bergevin is either Santa Clause, the easiest grader the world has ever seen or doing his best Oprah impression "You get an A, you get an A, everybody gets an A!". The Habs GM has decided to go without a captain instead opting for a leadership committee naming a number of the young teams leaders to wear the A instead. This decision is one that may cause a bit of stir in the media and perhaps in the locker room but ultimately could work out for the best. Some of the biggest names the game has ever seen have won the C for Les Glorieux so needless to say the pressure that comes with being the captain of the Montreal Canadiens is immense.
The Habs are a young team full of talent and up and comers like Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, newly added PA Parenteau and a proven goaltender in Carey Price, so all signs point to them having another successful season. Are they ready to take that next step? Who knows, but the four men who will shoulder this leadership burden, PK Subban, Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov are all key player with different but major roles on the team. You have their leading goal man in Pacioretty, a proven two way defenseman in Markov and a top two way center in Plekanec and an enigmatic often talked about star in Subban who is not one to shy away from the limelight. It will fall to them to lead this group and step up when it matter most.
The theory here perhaps is that the burden may be to much for the younger stars (Subban, Pacioretty) so this will take some of the pressure off, buying them some time to mature into that role. The other issue that cannot be denied in Montreal is the French speaking aspect and their comfort level in dealing with the French media. Former captains have tried their best to learn the language to accommodate this important factor and undoubtedly this new leaders will have to make a similar effort.
Montreal made it to the Eastern Conference finals last year losing to the New York Rangers after knocking off Tampa Bay and their bitter rival Boston Bruins in one of the more entertaining playoff series, and in an Eastern Conference that looks to be there for the taking there's no reason they can't put together another solid post season run.
That said there were a few key departures in the summer that may significantly impact the club. Former captain Brian Gionta and stalward defenceman and fan favorite Josh Gorges are now both with division rival Buffalo who look to improve after several down years. Gionta is a veteran leader who, while not piling up the points like he used to, played a steady two way game and had the experience and respect that you need in a leader especially on a young team. His departure may be missed more in the locker room than on the ice but that's not easily replaced. As for Gorges he was thought perhaps to be the next captain after Gionta and that he was let go puzzled many, myself included. He has had a rash of injuries and knee problems over the past few years so perhaps the Habs know something the rest of us don't but he was a steadying presence on the back end and from all accounts well like by teammates so it will be on the young defence core, the likes of Beaulieu and Tinordi to step up and fill the void. If they can Montreal may find themselves playing late into the spring.
The Habs are a young team full of talent and up and comers like Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, newly added PA Parenteau and a proven goaltender in Carey Price, so all signs point to them having another successful season. Are they ready to take that next step? Who knows, but the four men who will shoulder this leadership burden, PK Subban, Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov are all key player with different but major roles on the team. You have their leading goal man in Pacioretty, a proven two way defenseman in Markov and a top two way center in Plekanec and an enigmatic often talked about star in Subban who is not one to shy away from the limelight. It will fall to them to lead this group and step up when it matter most.
The theory here perhaps is that the burden may be to much for the younger stars (Subban, Pacioretty) so this will take some of the pressure off, buying them some time to mature into that role. The other issue that cannot be denied in Montreal is the French speaking aspect and their comfort level in dealing with the French media. Former captains have tried their best to learn the language to accommodate this important factor and undoubtedly this new leaders will have to make a similar effort.
Montreal made it to the Eastern Conference finals last year losing to the New York Rangers after knocking off Tampa Bay and their bitter rival Boston Bruins in one of the more entertaining playoff series, and in an Eastern Conference that looks to be there for the taking there's no reason they can't put together another solid post season run.
That said there were a few key departures in the summer that may significantly impact the club. Former captain Brian Gionta and stalward defenceman and fan favorite Josh Gorges are now both with division rival Buffalo who look to improve after several down years. Gionta is a veteran leader who, while not piling up the points like he used to, played a steady two way game and had the experience and respect that you need in a leader especially on a young team. His departure may be missed more in the locker room than on the ice but that's not easily replaced. As for Gorges he was thought perhaps to be the next captain after Gionta and that he was let go puzzled many, myself included. He has had a rash of injuries and knee problems over the past few years so perhaps the Habs know something the rest of us don't but he was a steadying presence on the back end and from all accounts well like by teammates so it will be on the young defence core, the likes of Beaulieu and Tinordi to step up and fill the void. If they can Montreal may find themselves playing late into the spring.
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