Comments on: Bears with Near-Term Promise

By: Interview with Andrew Gordon « the red skate

Interview with Andrew Gordon « the red skate — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:05:23 +0000

By: usiel

usiel — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:28:13 +0000

Finley is the only D prospect in the pipeline who would likely bring a physical presence on the D-side but he’s years away at this point and not even there yet.
This is off season speculation but I would imagine that GMGM will try to find a veteran dman who is a notch up from Erksine.

By: greg

greg — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:14:40 +0000

There is another in Hershey that could make the Caps potentially. he isn’t a youngster either, Josef Boumedienne is a strong D-man that plays big and plays well. He has had some injuries this year but he is a solid defenseman that might be able to play at the next level.
I think Beagle needs one more year and Bourque would be curious on the next level. he is very talented and tough but obviously small. I don’t know if he will be able to find enough space in the NHL though. Gordon isn’t very big yet either. He is taller than Bourque but not very strong.
The young guys Mathieu Perrault and Francois Bouchard are also two to watch. Bouchard has looked good in his first couple games in Hershey and Perrault might play tonight. With a summer of work and good camps they could be potential Caps next season. Perrault is a little small but Bouchard has the size right now to play in the NHL.
I know everyone is tired of Flash but I still think he can be successful in the NHL. But I have a theory on that. Jagr wasn’t as successful when he didn’t have other Czechs on his line. Flash was much better when Jakub Klepis was his center in Hershey, a fellow Czech. I think if Flash goes somewhere else and plays with another Czech or two we will regret seeing him leave. Jagr also had success with Nylander though, but Flash didn’t have much of a chance to work with him this year. So next year, if he is back, he should get a chance to play on Nylander’s line.

By: Geo

Geo — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:06:08 +0000

This is all great, but I wish they’d find one big defenseman who plays like a big defenseman (clears the crease, defends his goaltender when he gets run over etc.). I know you can’t just pluck Rod Langway Jr. and Scott Stevens Jr. from trees, but it doesn’t sound like anyone at Hershey is shaping up to be that kind of defenseman.

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:19:47 +0000

Mullet man, there is another tangible piece in favor of getting younger. Cost per player. Cooke will want close to 3 times minimum NHL salary. If we can get a young, hungry guy for $500K, we will probablay go that route. We probably need more toughness as well. Personally, I predict that both Cooke and Gordon are replaced with guys from the Hershey roster. We might also go with a 20 year old goalie next year as well. You can’t have everything, and the owner says he will lose $10M next year. Salary for next year will be at least $15M more than this year. Get my drift?

By: MulletMan

MulletMan — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:46:25 +0000

But, the Caps are still so young and inexperienced, do we really want to feed more rookies into the mix? I really haven’t been that dazzled by Flash this year and thought that Steckel, Laing, and Fehr were a better fit because of their play and aggression.
Yeah, they were all injured for a time but I just didn’t see the big spark from flash.
The teams that I have seen that make it deep in the playoffs have maybe 2 or 3 rookies and maybe 2 2nd year players. I know it’s going to be a tough decision but I really don’t think we need to get younger.

By: b.orr4

b.orr4 — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:36:14 +0000

If the Caps were to resign Federov and Cooke, there wouldn’t be any room for any of the Bears’ forwards to make the jump to the big club. And based on what you’re reporting, it doesn’t sound like Bourque needs any more time in the AHL. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with Sergei and Matt in the off-season.

By: odessasteps magazine

odessasteps magazine — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:53:14 +0000

Bourque really was great this year, well-deserving of the MVP award. I’d gather to say he is the most popular Bear (if you discount the cult of personality for Louis Robitaille). My only concern for him at the next level is his size, but maybe in the new NHL, it’s not so much of a big deal.

By: Capital Fanatic

Capital Fanatic — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:30:58 +0000

There is no doubt the competition for a roster spot this fall is going to be fierce. Besides the names you have mentioned we will also have Karl Alzner, Semeon Varlamov, Michael Neuvirth, Daren Machesney, Francois Bouchard, and possibly Jeff Finley all with an opportunity to secure a spot with the big club. It’s going to great to see all of these guys in summer camp again before training camp opens in Sept. Next year’s roster is looking stronger than ever.

By: pucksandbooks

pucksandbooks — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:07:18 +0000

uncatim – in Hershey this season, I think even the public address guy and the mascot spent time on IR.