Caps will have to make due in 2003-04
Already saddled with a top-10 payroll, the Capitals opted not to spend money to improve their roster.
The gravy train has left the MCI Center.
During last year's gut-wrenching opening round playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis looked down at the gaping empty seats at the MCI Center in downtown Washington and realized what many have known for years, that even in the fairest of weather it's hard to tell a Capitals fan from a fence post.
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STRENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . When he wants to be, Jaromir Jagr remains the most dynamic player in the league, and an ordinary lineup can suddenly look imposing. WEAKNESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unfortunately, if Jagr doesn't feel the need to bring his "A" game, he isn't just ordinary; he is a distraction. BEST OFFSEASON MOVE . . . . . . . . . . .  In spite of persistent rumors that the Capitals were considering moving Jagr to the New York Rangers for Eric Lindros, no such deal was made. For all his warts, Jagr's value is vast compared to that of Lindros at this stage in his career.
WORST OFFSEASON MOVE . . . . . . . . . When a team loses one-third of its starting six defense and makes no moves to fill the gap, ownership is either saying they have tremendous confidence in the team's defensive depth or they're pulling the plug. Hmmm, wonder where the Caps fit in? PLAYER TO WATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dainius Zubrus. It's boom-or-bust time for the 15th pick overall in the 1996 draft. FANTASY FIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zubrus: On a team that was nearly in the top in the league in goals, Zubrus didn't score a whole lot. In fact, he's been underwhelming his whole career, never topping 17 goals. Entering his eighth NHL season, he's only 25, and could make his jump this year. He's worth a late flier. AT A GLANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003-04: Schedule | Roster 2002-03: Schedule/Results | Stats |
And so Leonsis, the man behind AOL who puts his annual losses with the Caps at about $20 million, has decided that there'll be no more lavish spending on underachieving and moody stars. Not only did the team allow solid, veteran defenseman Ken Klee to walk away into free agency, there is the pervasive feeling that Leonsis would love to unload some if not all of that expensive weight, including Jaromir Jagr and his $11 million salary.
Rookie coach Bruce Cassidy struggled to connect with his veteran players, including Jagr, while trying to implement a more structured, disciplined game plan last season. Leonsis's displeasure at the team's performance and effort will only add to the pressure factor for Cassidy in year two.
The Capitals, the model of regular season consistency having reached the playoffs in 18 of the past 21 years, will once again have a strong team on paper. Unfortunately their postseason resume is paper thin and the future is far from pretty.
OK, what's wrong with this picture.
During his first 11 non-lockout seasons, Jaromir Jagr averaged almost 92 points a season. In his first two seasons in Washington, he's averaged 78.
Always regarded as somewhat of a coach killer, Jagr represents a great dilemma in the current NHL landscape. Most teams succeed by playing team defense and often young coaches, in order to protect their jobs, lean towards conservative offensive game plans to limit opponents' scoring chances.
Jagr, of course, is all about offense and creativity, and the fewer limitations the better. He also needs to be coddled, sometimes takes the night off and has been known to alienate teammates with his me-first attitude. And that's without delving into his quirky personal financial habits.
Cassidy will have to integrate him into his game plan in a way that maximizes his considerable talents without detracting from what the rest of the group is trying to accomplish. It's a complex dynamic and Cassidy isn't likely to have a long time to figure it out, for as much as Leonsis is determined to limit spending he certainly won't stand still if the team falters and jeopardizes potential playoff revenue.
Cassidy's options suddenly were limited when Michael Nylander, the team's No. 1 center since arriving from Chicago last November, broke his leg a week before the season opener. Nylander is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
Hoping to get more balanced production and as a byproduct more balanced team defense, Cassidy has broken up the super-checking unit of Mike Grier, Steve Konawalchuk and Jeff Halpern. Grier, whose NHL goal totals look like a penny stock (15, 9, 20, 9, 20, 8, 15) will move onto a unit with Jagr's former linemate Robert Lang, who slumped to 22 goals last season, and Dainius Zubrus. However, Cassidy's plans may change in his search for someone to center Jagr and Kip Miller.
Zubrus may be the most interesting player of the Capitals' forwards. Entering his eighth season at the tender age of 25, Zubrus missed camp a year ago and struggled to find his place, scoring only 13 goals. But the 6-foot-4 winger has the skills to do it all; play the power play, kill penalties and score points. If he can build some confidence, the Capitals believe he can be a superior, all-round player. That's a big if.
Veteran Capital Peter Bondra, 35, is the team's elder statesman and can still produce, notching 30 goals, the eighth time in the last nine seasons he's reached that plateau.
Still, for all that firepower, the Capitals finished only 14th with the man advantage, a situation Cassidy spent time in training camp hoping to correct.
If the power play was disappointing, then the Caps' penalty killing was downright embarrassing. Only the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks were more incompetent when it came to killing off penalties last season.
This year the Caps will have to do all things defensively without two key components -- Klee, who signed as a free agent in Toronto, and Calle Johansson, the longtime anchor who retired after finishing his career watching the playoffs from the bench. Both players logged more than 20 minutes a night.
No free agents were brought in to help fill that void, so Cassidy will have to make do with Sergei Gonchar, Brendan Witt and a cast of youngsters and/or unknowns. Not that it's a bad thing.
Cassidy, whose background is both in coaching and management at the minor pro level, has the ability to find hidden gems. Josef Boumedienne, who played only six games last year, spent time in training camp working on the power play with the superlative Gonchar (67 points, one behind the NHL's leader among defensemen, Al MacInnis).
Gonchar's 102 goals over the past five years are by far the most of any NHL defenseman and make him one of the most dangerous players on the team. At least in the offensive zone.
Jason Doig, Joel Kwiatkowksi, John Gruden and possibly 6-foot-6 Nolan Yonkman look to fill in the defensive gaps while Steve Eminger looks ready to make the full-time jump to the NHL.
Olaf Kolzig played only 66 games last year breaking a string of three straight 70-plus starts. No one questions the former Vezina Trophy winner's skills. What is called into question each year is his durability.
For years, Kolzig has been a lone wolf in the Washington nets, playing through aches and pains because there has been no one else to shoulder the weight. By the end of almost every season either Kolzig starts to break down physically or technically.
Although the Capitals have impressive potential at the position with Maxime Ouellet and Sebastien Charpentier along with Ratislav Stana, Ouellet may be the closest to an NHL starter given his solid work in the AHL last season (2.40 GAA, .929 save percentage). Still, it's unlikely any of the three could provide the immediate, consistent support Kolzig should have.
Scott Burnside, a freelance writer based in Atlanta, is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.
