På djupfryst Blog› noterar saknaden 60: Andy Rooney och mig är Cranky

Den lone legitima läkarundersökningbluelineren är John Erskine, vars lekoverall har varit en angenäm överrrakning, men vem är självfallet sårbart till den rusade yttersidan. It’s worth noting that the Caps did make a reasonably strong play for Zdeno Chara this past summer.

Steve Eminger simply isn’t making the sort of progress he ought to be given his skill set, experience, and minutes. Shaone Morrisonn follows strong outings and shifts with maddeningly numbskull ones. Overall, the unit is improved from a year ago but very much a work still in progress, and it’s hard to fathom it being a source of sting for the opposition so long as your no. 1 minutes-eater there Ã¢â‚¬â€ as well as your nos. 2 and 3 Ã¢â‚¬â€ can’t clear the crease.

These things, along with Kris Beech’s underwhelming productivity, could reasonably have been forecast.

But Brooks Laich’s fall from grace is a stunner. Recall that last September he had a mediocre camp, was dispatched to Hershey, put up huge number for the Bears in October, was summoned back to D.C., and spent the remainder of the year playing outstanding hockey in both ends for the Caps. But then he went back to Hershey for the AHL postseason and the Bears’ Calder Cup run, and he ended up playing well over 100 pro games last season. This morning I wonder if that calendar didn’t foster a bit of hockey hangover for Laich.

Brooks is no scapegoate, however. Brian Sutherby’s offensive production isn’t where it ought to be. Richard Zednik is another model of inconsistency. The Caps really needed impact Hershey graduations from one defenseman and at least one forward, and they’ve only gotten it from Mike Green so far. George McPhee had hoped that Nicklas Backstrom would play center in Washington this season, but that didn’t happen.

Going forward, it’s difficult to envision this club as comprised stitching together a notable winning streak and making a serious run for the playoffs with the two glaring holes and some unexpected inconsistency from the likes of Laich, Eminger, Morrisonn, and Sutherby. Conventional wisdom three weeks ago was that GMGM might be in a positoon this winter to make a deal bettering the Caps’ playoff chances. This week, however, one wonders if a deal might merely address an unanticipated disappointment. Or three.