On Frozen Blog

John Erskine’s WashingtonCaps.com page
The Forecaster’s take (via TSN)

Back Story: Signed in the late off-season, Erskine’s game was suited for the ‘old’ NHL - big, physical, a wide mean streak and the ability to back it up. Initially demoted to Hershey, he’s been in the line-up the past two games.

How’s it look so far? Surprisingly to some, it’s looked okay. Erskine has, to this point, compensated for his lack of speed with acceptable positioning, and utilizing some sweep and poke checks when he’s getting beat (see the Carolina game). He’s thrown some solid hits, and has generally played within himself.

In the future: Erskine seems to have played himself in front of Muir (who has reverted to his previous form), and he hasn’t done anything particularly obvious to play himself into the press box, or back to Hershey. A defender with size, an edge to his game, and a defensive-oriented mind-set has been something that many Caps fans have been hoping for, and Erskine seems to be, in true knee-jerk tradition, the answer for that at this point. If he can keep his minor penalties down, and compensate for some of his shortcomings with smart defensive positioning, then he’ll likely be in a Caps sweater often. Two games isn’t much of a sample to judge a player on, however, and how long-term a solution Erskine represents is still very much up in the air.