ESPN.com - Caps' improvement will come from within

ESPN.com: NHL

Thursday, July 31, 2003
Updated: August 1, 2:00 PM ET
Caps' improvement will come from within

By Mike Heika
Special to ESPN.com

If ever a team was caught between a rock of a contract and a hard cap, it has to be the Washington Capitals.

2002-03 BY THE NUMBERS

Record: 39-29-8-6, 92 pts. (13th overall, 6th East, 2nd Southeast); Home: 24-13-2-2; Road: 15-16-6-4
Goals for/Avg.:
224/2.73 (T11th overall)
Goals against/Avg.:
220/2.68 (14th overall)
Differential:
Plus-4 (14th overall)
Power play:
17.2 percent (57-331, 14th overall)
Penalty kill:
81.3 percent (312-384, 28th overall)
20-goal scorers: Jaromir Jagr (36), Peter Bondra (30), Robert Lang (22)
50-point scorers: Jagr (77), Lang (69), Sergei Gonchar (67), Michael Nylander (60, 56 with Washington), Bondra (56), Kip Miller (5)

Tied to Jaromir Jagr for the next five years and with little hope of trading his $11 million per annum paycheck when "cost certainty" is driving every team's decisions, Washington must find some way to make it work with their enigmatic superstar.

The best way to solve that problem could be to find all the other cracks in the team and fix them first. While the Capitals have placed Jagr on the trading block, they know that they must plan for a future in which he is at the center of everything they do. That's why GM George McPhee is going about changing the Capitals this summer, and it's also why Washington could be one of the most interesting teams in the East next season.

Do they actually improve on a 92-point regular season in which they exceeded expectations? Do they bring back a team built more for playoff success? Do they become a team that finally relies on healthy youngsters instead of brittle veterans?

Conversely, could the youth movement force a step back at a time when the skills of their few superstars appear to be on the downslide? In other words, is the team cutting out the legs of players like Jagr, Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig when those legs might be ready to put together one last magical season?

It is truly a dilemma inside the Beltway, and one that bears watching.

The Capitals have been a puzzle for years. One season, they're in the Stanley Cup finals. The next, they're out of the playoffs. One season, they're driven by hungry veterans. The next, they lead the league in man-games lost.

The Capitals have been on the edge of greatness for a few years, posting more wins than losses for each of the past four seasons, yet showing consistent decline since a 102-point performance in 1999-2000. In addition, they have been downright miserable in the playoffs, losing twice to Pittsburgh and once to division rival Tampa Bay.

That playoff loss to the Lightning -- and the potential labor problems -- has forced the Capitals to draw back a little and push for the future. Let go after last season are: Calle Johansson, Ken Klee and Sergei Berezin. On the trading block is Robert Lang. In short, the team is making a move toward financial flexibility and toward a younger, faster on-ice product.

The question is: Will they be able to accomplish that and still keep Jagr happy and competitive.

That's an $11 million question that only the future can answer.

Looking at next season
The key to Washington's success next season will be the defense and how fast it matures. Sergei Gonchar has been a rock and will continue to be. He is a talented puck mover and fits perfectly with the skills of Jagr and Bondra. In addition, Brendan Witt has proved that, when healthy, he is a solid two-way contributor.

The problem is that Klee played almost 22 minutes a game and was a team-best plus-22. Johnasson also logged almost 22 minutes, was a plus-9 and played all 82 regular season games. Those are huge holes to fill and you don't realize what that means until you don't have it anymore.

Watch for Witt to see his minutes increase, watch for Jason Doig to get a real chance to play, watch for 33-year-old minor leaguer John Gruden as a possible comeback player of the year -- and then watch the kids as they all fight for a spot in the top six. Rick Berry, 24, is the team's top prospect. Coming over from the Penguins, Berry seems poised to blossom in his first full season with the Capitals. In addition, Steve Eminger, Jean-Francois Fortin, Jakub Cutta, Nolan Yonkman and Josef Boumedienne should get a shot at making the team.

If the Capitals are able to move Lang, they will also have to rely on youth to get the job done at center ice. Jeff Halpern stayed healthy last season, but still is considered a checking-line center and probably is not the man to be feeding the puck to Jagr and Bondra. Michael Nylander still is around and will be in camp because he chose arbitration this summer. He is the likely candidate to center the top line. Brian Sutherby showed promise last season and Boyd Gordon has a chance to make the team.

Ironically, the Capitals could be better with the young kids. Jagr has been a tough nut for new coach Bruce Cassidy to crack and it was obvious Johansson and Cassidy were not best friends. Therefore, the solution might be to get young players who believe in Cassidy and won't butt heads with the second-year head coach.

If that happens, then Jagr might have no choice but to jump on board. While he is easily distracted and often looks disinterested, the five-time Ross Trophy winner also can be pulled along into some pretty spectacular numbers with the right amount of motivation.

That's the perfect solution right now, although critics will question just how practical it is.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.