When the Washington Capitals hit the ice in Atlanta on October 5th, the forward and defense groups will likely have some new faces, but one constant will remain: big #37 will be guarding the net.
In our final look at the organization over the Summer, we focus on the guys in the masks.
Olaf Kolzig — On D.C’s organizational depth chart, 1st line left wing is one of the two spots about which there is no debate; starting netminder is the other. Kolzig, the acknowledged leader of the team, is coming off a season that included some forced time off due to a knee injury, and was the authoring netminder for 22 of the Caps’ 28 wins. For all the talk of reducing the workload for the 37-year-old, Kolzig played 54 of a possible 69 games he wasn’t injured for, which more or less translates to a 64-game pace over the space of 82 games. When the team was trying to find its legs early in the season, it was Kolzig’s play that kept them in games. Big, competitive, and well-conditioned, Olie’s contract is up at the end of the year, but if his play continues to it’s usual standards, it’s hard to believe the Caps and he won’t come to an agreement.
Brent Johnson — Another big goaltender, Johnson is the default backup to the workhorse Kolzig, and possesses a lot of qualities you’d like to see in a 2nd backstop: he’s popular in the locker room, works and gets along well with Olie, and can be counted on for some decent play when needed, though his save percentage in the past season wasn’t his strongest and he probably hopes to improve this season. Johnson’s signed through the 08-09 season, which is an indication of the timetable the Caps might have set for their younger netminders.
Frederic Cassivi – The third 6′3″-plus goaltender in the organization, Cassivi has been a stalwart for the Bears, backstopping them to back-to-back Calder Cup finals, and was playoff MVP in the Bears’ 05-06 championship season. Cassivi seems a lock to again man the pipes in Hershey, and be the first call-up if the Caps have need of another veteran crease presence.
Simeon Varlamov — Recently signed by the Caps, Varlamov was the first of two goaltending prospects selected by the club in the early rounds in the 2006 Entry Draft. Goaltending coach Dave Prior is not known to push to draft netminders too often, so it’s safe to say that he sees something in the young Russian’s game that he likes. Varlamov is a gifted athlete who bases his game on his quickness and reflexes at the moment, but Coach Prior is likely to work with him in positioning and rebound control, definite areas for improvement. Simeon’s contract is such that he will return to the Russian Super League if he does not make the Caps in training camp, which is probably how things will work out.
Michal Neuvirth — Somewhat the opposite of his 2006 draft-mate, Neuvirth plays a solid positional game, squaring up and cutting off angles. Sharing netminding duties with 2007 pick Jeremy Smith in Plymouth last season, Neuvirth has signed with the Caps and has stated he hopes to play professionally in the 07-08 season. Washington management seems to be taking more of a ‘wait and see’ approach, and has said that it’s likely that Neuvirth will be returned to the OHL after training camp. There’s some speculation that Plymouth will look to trade one of its two talented goalies in order to get the other starting minutes, which will help the development of both.
Darren Machesney — Seemingly a forgotten man amongst some, the youngster had an interesting first professional season, including stops in South Carolina for the Stingrays, in Hershey for the Bears, and even finding himself in a back-up role in the NHL. That is upward mobility. The Hamilton native may find himself backing up Freddie Cassivi in the Giant Center, or could conceivably be with the Stingrays, getting starting minutes at the pro level.
Upon examination, it appears that there are two goaltending spots open along the depth chart, as Kolzig, Johnson, Cassivi and Machesney will be playing professional hockey somewhere in Washington, Hershey, or North Charleston. How these holes may be filled is up in the air, for example, does Neuvirth show the composure and competitiveness to earn a spot in South Carolina? Will Machesney be getting back-up minutes or a heavy workload? What if Varlamov has a stellar camp?
There are several questions that training camp should answer, but there’s no confusion about who you’ll find in the cage on Opening Night.
5 Comments
I hope Olie’s health holds out. It’s not too hard to imagine a scenario where Olie breaks down as the young skaters are blossoming but before his replacement, whichever kid that might be, is ready. I have little faith in Johnson with a young D in front of him.
To me, this is the Achilles’ heel of the rebuild. I’m not sure Johnson merited the contract he received.
I agree Maruk — I’d love to see Olie play at a high level for 3-4 more years, but productive 40-year-old goalies aren’t particularly common. But the Caps see the smoke on the horizon, and their Neuvirth & Varlamov picks should bolster fans’ confidence.
I disagree about Johnson though; the contract is quite reasonable for a solid backup. Since the youngsters will benefit much more from significant playing time, having Johnson ride the bench & spell Kolzig as needed makes good sense at this point in the rebuild. Johnson *was* a reliable starter back in the day; even if he doesn’t regain that form he still has solid experience as a #2 guy.
But how much of that was Johnson and how was of that was MacInnis and Pronger, et. al? But I do see your point.
I guess my problem is I see this through my admittedly irrational prism that the backup should be just as good as the #1. By definition, that ain’t gonna happen.
I’ll just hope for the Johnny of two years ago, as opposed to the Johnny of last year.
Both Neuvrith and Varlamov looked pretty good @ Kettler in June. I think the future looks good in 2+ years; not sure either one will be ready for prime-time this year or next, but we’ll see.
v/r
Doug
Doug,
I think 3-5 years is a little bit more reasonable. I think the ups and downs of Lehtonen serves as a great reminder of what happens to teams that push younger guys forward.
I wrote up a little summary of the Caps goalies during development camp and did some statistical analysis of Olie on my blog. Check it and let me know what you think. Regards.
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