Who else wants the Kingston sixth graders replacing the entirety of the City Council?
“Kids are becoming fat and fatter,” Schobel added. “So how are kids going to stay fit (when they are only) able to play for one hour? Think about it, you are wasting your time and your kids’ childhood.
“This is the lazy generation.”
Not among Kingston ’streeters, it isn’t. On a day when we below the 49th parallel remember the American Revolution, let’s salute too one every bit as principled by those who just want their game back.
Enjoy the holiday weekend with puck soda in hand.
Celebrate, too, that development camp starts on Monday.
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How are you handling the news that the Seattle Sonics are bolting town?
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The Capitals have announced another free agent signing, but it’s not the center you might think. Keith Aucoin was signed to a two-year contract.
From the press release:
Aucoin, 29, split last season between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League (AHL). He played 38 games for both teams and tallied 13 points (5g-8a) for Carolina and 45 points (8g-37a) for Albany. Aucoin was with Carolina for the final 27 games of last season. The 5’9”, 187-pound Aucoin has played in 53 career NHL games, all with the Hurricanes, and has scored five goals, handed out 10 assists and notched 14 career penalty minutes.
[Update] Per John Walton and the Hershey Bears:
Keith Aucoin is coming to town [Hershey] after signing an NHL two-way contract. The official team release is below. One thing we know right now about next season: This team is going to have some serious offensive weapons.
HERSHEY – The HERSHEY BEARS announced today in conjunction with the Washington Capitals that center Keith Aucoin has been signed to a contract for the 2008-09 season. The announcement was made today by BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst and Washington Capitals VP/General Manager George McPhee.
Just how important was Mike Green’s signing this week? Nearly as important as Alexander Ovechkin’s back in January.
Green isn’t just the Capitals’ no. 1 gun from the point — the slick-passing, even slicker skating, indispensable-in-the-new NHL engine from the back end. He’s their Mohawked Mojo, their Titan of ‘Tude, the galvazer of Gang Green. He is supremely skilled swagger on skates. He represents something this organization has never had: rock star star hockey player.
And that’s a very good thing.
You in the Grandpas of Capsdom might suggest that the Wild Thing, Al Iafrate, was such a figure 15 years ago. Iafrate’s game was special, but it was highly specialized in its impact — a really big (triple digit) slapshot, and some really big hits on the back end. And like Green he could skate like the wind. But he wasn’t quite the passer that Green is. He could deliver big hits for sure, and gracious he was fun to watch, but he was more enigma than star. Big Al never really offered the promise of being a 30-minuter-a-gamer who could, as Green showed in the Capitals’ first post-lockout playoff game this past April, outshine even the greatest hockey player in the world.
To those for whom Mike Green’s $5-million-plus pricetag seems too hefty, I ask this: you either agree or disagree that Mike Green, today, is a peer-in-ability-and-impact with Sergei Gonchar, the Penguins’ $5 million dollar man. Which is it? I happen to think he is, and that his upside, at both ends, is appreciably higher than Gonchar’s. And hypothetically, were Gonchar a free agent this summer, he’d command, on either the open or closed market, a salary likely higher than what Green got.
Also, what are the odds that in three or four years’ time this deal looks inflated and wasteful? Not real strong, methinks. In fact, seeing as how Green will be on the prognosticating minds of many hockey followers for Norris Trophy candidacy beginning in about three months’ time, the odds are better that as with his teammate Ovechkin, the deal looks fair and a good value before the ink is dry on it. Lastly, if you agree with George McPhee that the post-lockout NHL places a premium on reliable and creative puck-moving blueliners, how do you evaluate Green’s skillset in that regard?
Or put another way: can you imagine anyone else in the Capitals’ organization playing the role of fair substitute for Green’s game?
But there is also this consideration, which while somewhat intangible I think nonetheless played a direct and powerful impact on the Caps’ negotiations with Green: aside from his numbers, aside from his potential, aside from his present value in today’s NHL, Mike Green is a marvel of an entertaining hockey player to watch perform. He is dynamic with his instincts, his footwork, his howitzer of a point shot; he is a breed of blueliner we haven’t seen in these parts . . . perhaps ever.
He is two parts Steve Austin (but a whole lot less nerdy), one part Steve McQueen.
Recall his third-period magic in that game 1 against the Flyers this spring, when the Flyers held what shoud have been a lock-down, third period lead. Green took over that third period. And it was no fluke — we’d seen glimpses of that kind of command performance in the regular season as well, particularly after Bruce Boudreau came in. They just never had the stage that that postseason night did. It was a performance that led Flyers’ Coach John Stevens to single out Green for special coverage attention thereafter.
Now consider this: he’s certain to get better. It isn’t hyperbole, given the gusto of his game, to imagine a post-Nicklas Lidstrom NHL being Green’s to preside over when it comes to heavy hardware for the league’s reargaurds. He’ll have superb company (Phaneuf, Campbell, two or three names from the ‘08 draft as well, perhaps), but he’ll enter 2008-09 as a First-Team All Star candidate. The Sporting News this year named Green to its All Star team, where he joined Ovechkin.
Mike Green occasioned Gang Green in Verizon Center this past season. His puck rushes over the next four seasons in Washington will at times generate a mass rising in the home seats. That kind of response from and relationship with fans is a rarity in hockey — in sports in general. From management’s perspective, that’s no small part of his value.
If Washington is going to rise to some stature of a hockey town in a way it never did in the Capitals’ first 30 years of existence, Mike Green will play an outsized role as architect.
Perhaps newly signed Chicago Blackhawk Cristobal Huet would like to forget this night as netminder for the Montreal Canadians. Alexander Ovechkin victimized him for 3 goals in regulation and the game winner in overtime. When all was said and done, Ovechkin had 5 points, 4 goals, stitches in his lip, and a broken nose in a 5 - 4 OT win.
“Today was a special day,” Ovechkin said with a smile. “I broke my nose, have stitches [and] score four goals. Everything [went] to my face.”
Do you think Ovechkin is hoping Huet is in net when the Caps face the Hawks?
Thanks to Sean Leahy from Going Five Hole for posting the video.
The Russian reaction to Capitals’ goaltender moves from Sovetsky Sport, including Alex Ovechkin’s take on things (translation courtesy of Dmitry Chesnokov):
The Caps management did everything right. The club saved about $1 million. The club also got an experienced goaltender. And now they will start to develop Varlamov and bring him closer to the first team, even though he will most likely start the season in the AHL. Considering the fact that Theodore’s contract is only for two years, the plan is to have Varlamov as the number 1 starter by the start of the 2010-2011 season.
Alex Ovechkin thinks this is the case. He confirmed his opinion in a conversation he had with Pavel Lysenkov:
“I think there is a possibility for Varlamov to debut in the NHL this season. At least Semion will compete for the number 2 role with Brent Johnson.”
What do you think about Theodore’s arrival in Washington?
“We needed a good goaltender because we were losing Huet. And our management made a thought-out move. I have only played once against Theodore in my career. It was last season; we played Colorado at home and won 2:1. Although, I didn’t score.
It is a shame that Huet didn’t stay [with Washington]. He was a great goaltender. But our future now lies with Theodore, and I am sure he won’t let us down.”
As Pucksandbooks pointed out in his recent post, his assessment of the Capitals’ goaltender situation was his own. Now I don’t dispute Pucks’ facts, nor are his conclusions irrational — but from my perspective they seem a bit dire and premature mere hours after the signing. So, as a counterpoint, here’s my take on the situation which, while hardly sunny, is a more optimistic outlook.
Let’s start with the bad: There’s no doubt that a combination of bad planning and bad luck has left the organization with a goaltender dilemma — one that has been hanging over the team, Sword of Damocles-like, for years now. Olie Kolzig’s career naturally progressed from stellar to solid to adequate as he aged; a successor needed to be a top team priority before Kolzig’s ability to carry a starter’s workload was in doubt. As Pucks pointed out, the organization made such an attempt by bringing in Maxime Oulett from Philly; sadly, Maximus turned out to be more of a minimus.
Varlamov and Neuvirth are top prospects and progressing quickly; it is certainly feasible to see one if not both in Caps’ uniforms come 2010-11. Yet, really, a top-tier netminder was needed five years ago to avoid the team’s recent stop-gap measures. Easier said than done, to be sure . . . building and maintaining a team is tough. But if it were an easy job then it wouldn’t pay well, and GMGM couldn’t afford all those snazzy suits.
While the team’s need for a “bridge” goaltender, and its difficulty in addressing that need earlier, led to their shaky netminder situation this offseason, the team could do little to change the past on July 1, 2008.
So let me say this: the organization made the right call with Huet. The information slowly revealing itself indicates that, while the Capitals tried to lowball Huet initially, they were more than flexible in eventually giving him exactly what he asked for . . . only to have Huet reject the contract like James T. Kirk scoffed at alien STDs.
Once Huet made the business decision to squeeze a bit extra from another team, the Caps immediately snagged the best guy still available: Jose Theodore. General consensus saw Huet and Theodore as the two best ‘tenders in this year’s admittedly goalie-light free agent pool. Some would say they were equal; some feel Huet was #1 and Theodore #2 or #1A.
Regardless, once Huet made it clear that he wanted more money and a four-year deal, the Caps acted quickly to get the remaining free agent with the best potential as a starting netminder.
Huet returning for 3 years at a reasonable price would have likely been the best outcome for the Caps. But Theodore is no slouch; their styles are different, yet in many ways Huet and Theodore have similar pasts, similar potential, and similar stats. Remember, too, that expectations for Huet would have been intense based on his 20 games in a Capitals sweater . . . a mercenary like Huet may be one of those archetypal contract-year wonders who slip back to normalcy once they get their big deal. Tying up $22 million for four years of average play is not what the Capitals need — particularly not with a pricey Alexander Semin contract just a year or two away.
Has the loss of Huet impacted the Capitals’ chances of a deep post-season run in the next two or three years? Perhaps a bit — but mostly due to the team adjusting to their third starting goalie in less than a year, and the impact that may have on defensive strategies and cohesiveness, than a significant drop-off in goaltender skill.
Change is scary; changing a goaltender doubly so. But with a well rounded roster, stars like Ovechkin and Green, and top-notch coaches and staff (notably in Theodore’s case, superstar goalie coach Dave Prior), the 2008-09 Capitals hardly project to be bottom-feeders.
Let’s see Theodore don his new Capitals’ sweater and get a few games under his belt before deeming his signing a failure or a success.
Well, I suppose it’s worse to be in Cleveland, where their star hoopster apparently is making love-eyes at the Big Apple. We know for sure where Alex Ovechkin will be in 2012. And 2018. Then again, one more goalie to play in front of like Jose Theodore, and the Gr8 may rethink the merits of that new pro hockey league in Russia. Could you blame him? When you’re a hockey town in training and you’re looking down on Cleveland, things ain’t so swell.
It’s almost criminally cruel to have seen vanquished what we did yesterday in mere hours’ time. Namely: the Capitals’ Stanley Cup aspirations for the next two years. Or perhaps — and here I’ll channel my inner Puck Daddy — you think a journeyman netminder is somehow guiding the Caps to glory between now and 2010? Please, pass me a little of the crystal meth you’re consuming. Or perhaps you believe Capitals’ GM George McPhee, who’d have you believe there’s precious little difference between Cristobal Huet and Jose Theodore, despite the fact that the Caps offered their new no. 1 netminder — in the 31-year-old prime of his career — the lavish term of two years. And if not sub.-no.1 money, mediocre no. 1 dough. That term is code for: Simeon, get your game on, fast, in Hershey.
The point isn’t that Theodore and Huet are about the same age and have won the same number of Stanley Cups (zero). Or that their respective numbers aren’t all that different. It’s that Theodore has been in the league a lot longer, has been booted out of cities for his play, has broken a lot of hearts, and requires an oppressive trap to try and hide his inconsistency. Which the Caps won’t be playing.
It’s that one has been an All Star lately. It’s that one would have made a real run at the Vezina had he arrived in D.C. earlier this past season. Huet got UFA-to-be dealt out of town by the Eastern conference’s no.1 team, donned a strange sweater and played behind stranger defenders in a crisis-every-night environment, for a rookie coach recently promoted from the ‘A,’ and . . . dominated the league.
Forgive me for wanting to sign up for a few more years of that. And while the Caps made a spirited attempt to do it, the cold hard reality is that there was no safety net for failure. More on that in a moment.
In Gabby’s get-up-and-go system, netminders get tested all right. It’s wise to have a talented and consistent netminder facing the necessary barrage when it arrives. Of Theodore, it can be said that he possesses talent.
Theodore’s claim to fame was winning the Vezina and the Hart in the same season, a while ago, in 2001-02. The next season his goals-against average ballooned up by almost a goal a game. Almost a goal a game. He was allowed to wear pads that season. Then in 2003-04 his goals-against plunged back down into elite status. Then, post lockout, it skyrocketed back up — well over a goal-a-game up, this time — to the point where a second Montreal Riot was fomenting before he was shipped out. The sigh-inducing numbers litany can be found here.
Let’s put it this way: news of the signing was about 45 minutes old yesterday when an MSM reporter who shall not be named emailed me and said, “We’ll take in an Ovechkin 5-goal game next season — in a 6-5 loss.”
I have a rule for playing the Because-he’s-now-wearing-our-sweater-unprecedented-consistency-and-elite-performance-will-miraculously-emerge game: with your wager go instead with the 10 years’ performance pattern you know, hedging on its hard lessons.
It is positively true that Cristobal Huet treated the Capitals’ organization shabbily during the prelude to and opening of summer free agency. It is also likely that the Capitals were in no position to match or beat the term and largesse Huet agreed to in Chicago. Be all that as it may, it’s nonetheless hard to deny the profound sense of something great and magical irrevocably being lost in yesterday’s stunning reversal of city-enveloping puck fortune — really the first such in the Bruce Boudreau Era.
It’s also hard to avoid recognizing this increasingly disturbing trendline: the planet’s greatest hockey talent really has yet to be accorded a netminding talent, in durable fashion, commensurate with his status. Gretzky had Fuhr. The Flower had Dryden. Lemieux had Barrasso. Bourque at the end had Roy. Ovie gets a geezing Olie, a smattering of backup BJ, a cup of coffee with Huet, and now JT the Propecia spokesman in pads. The hope inside the organization is that perhaps in two years’ time — after Ovie’s labored some five NHL seasons — one of Michael Neuvirth or Simeon Varlamov is ready.
Yesterday was the culmination of years of failure by the Capitals’ organization to adequately address an heir for an aging Kolzig. You cannot blame management for not trying — they obtained, for aging Adam Oates, what they reasonably thought would be a worthy successor (first-round prospect Maxime Ouellet). By 2006 and Ouellet’s clear failure, they went into desperation mode, selecting two goalies among the first 34 players drafted in 2006. It appears as if those were strong selections. It also appears as if they occurred about four or five years too late. The rebuild, in front of the net, is over.
Late yesterday afternoon George McPhee attempted to equate the replacement of Huet with Theodore akin to that of Dainius Zubrus with Viktor Kozlov. But second- and third-line wingers are absolutely replaceable, every summer, every week of the calendar year. No. 1 netminders, not so much. Get it wrong in goal and every other move you make is academic.
Something truly magical happened to the Capitals late this past February when Cristobal Huet arrived here. In their negotiations with him, the Capitals clearly believed that. But in those they weren’t ready for business failure.
At least, not Rock the Red ready.
Get ready for firewagon — and abbreviated postseason — hockey.
The Hershey Bears today announced the return of a key cog from a glorious past: Graham Mink will be back in a Bears’ sweater for the 2009-09 season. Mink played a huge role in the Bears’ 2006 Calder Cup championship. From the Bears’ press release:
“Mink, 29, returns to HERSHEY after two seasons with the Worcester Sharks (AHL). In his two years in Massachusetts, he scored 55 goals and 118 points in 132 games played. Despite the laudable personal statistics, the Sharks only played in six postseason games in that span.
“It feels like I’m coming home” Mink said. ”We had so much success the year I was there, (in Hershey) and when you leave and don’t have that success, it makes you want it all the more. Being a part of a championship team is an honor, and it’s something that meant so much to me. It’s something you strive for and something you want.”
“Mink’s season in Hershey was one of the best statistical seasons of his career, as he compiled 21 goals and 40 points in just 43 regular season games. He shone brightest in the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs however, scoring eight goals and assisting on 13 others for 21 points in 21 games played. Perhaps the biggest goal of his professional life came in Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals against the Portland Pirates when he scored in the closing moments to tie the game and force sudden death overtime. With Eric Fehr’s eventual OT winner, the game put the Bears back in the Calder Cup Finals for the first time in nine seasons.
“Any given year, there are four or five teams that can win it all, and I want Hershey to be one of those teams this year” Mink said. “It’s an honor to play for the HERSHEY BEARS, and I can’t wait for the season to start.”
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| FORWARDS | |||
| Player | Position/Vitals | DOB/Draft | 2007 Club |
| Andrew Gordon | RW; 5 ‘11, 180 | 12/13/85 (’04, 7th Rd.) | Hershey/S.Carolina |
| Steve Pinizzotto | RW; 6 ‘1, 195 | 4/26/84 (Free agent, ‘07) | Hershey/S.Carolina |
| Francois Bouchard | RW; 6 ‘0, 180 | 4/26/88 (’06. 2nd Rd.) | Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)/Hershey |
| Mathieu Perreault | C; 5 ‘8, 151 | 1/5/88 (’06, 6th Rd.) | Acadie Bathurst (QMJHL)/Hershey |
| Jay Beagle | C; 6 ‘3, 201 | 10/16/85 (Free agent, ‘08) | Hershey |
| Oskar Osala | LW; 6 ‘4, 217 | 12/26/87 (’06, 4th Rd.) | Blues (Finland) |
| Maxime Lacroix | LW; 6 ‘0, 180 | 6/5/87 (’06, 5th Rd.) | Quebec (QMJHL) |
| Phil DeSimone | C; 5 ‘11, 193 | 3/19/87 (’07, 3rd Rd.) | New Hampshire (HE) |
| Brett Lefler | RW; 6 ‘0, 198 | 5/19/89 (’07, 5th Rd.) | Regina (WHL) |
| Justin Taylor | C; 5 ‘11, 180 | 2/8/89 (’07, 6th Rd.) | London (OHL) |
| Andrew Glass | LW; 5 ‘11, 180 | 7/14/89 (’07, 7th Rd.) | Nobles (USHS) |
| Joel Broda | C; 6 ‘0, 196 | 11/24/89 (’08, 5th Rd.) | Moose Jaw (WHL) |
| Greg Burke | LW; 6 ‘1, 185 | 5/16/90 (’08, 6th Rd.) | New Hampshire (EJHL) |
| Stefan Della Rovere | LW; 5 ‘10, 196 | 2/25/90 (’08, 7th Rd.) | Barrie (OHL) |
| DEFENSEMEN | |||
| Player | Position/Vitals | DOB/Draft | 2007 Club |
| Patrick McNeill | D; 6 ‘0, 195 | 3/17/87 (’05, 4th Rd.) | Hershey/S.Carolina |
| Sasha Pokulok | D; 6 ‘5, 220 | 5/25/86 (’05, 1st Rd.) | Hershey/S.Carolina |
| Josh Godfrey | D; 6 ‘0, 197 | 1/15/88 (’07, 2nd Rd.) | Sault St. Marie (OHL) |
| Karl Alzner | D; 6 ‘2, 206 | 9/24/88 (’07, 1st Rd.) | Calgary (WHL) |
| Keith Seabrook | D; 6 ‘0, 198 | 8/2/88 (’06, 2nd Rd.) | Calgary (WHL) |
| John Carlson | D; 6 ‘2, 212 | 1/10/90 (’08, 1st Rd.) | Indiana (USHL) |
| Eric Mestery | D; 6 ‘5, 190 | 5/28/90 (’08, 2nd Rd.) | Tri-City (WHL) |
| GOALTENDERS | |||
| Player | Position/Vitals | DOB/Draft | 2007 Club |
| Simeon Varlamov | G; 6 ‘1, 183 | 4/27/88 (’06, 1st Rd.) | Yaroslavl (RSL) |
| Michal Neuvirth | G; 6 ‘1, 197 | 3/23/88 (’06, 2nd Rd.) | Plymouth/Windsor/Oshawa (OHL) |
| Dan Dunn | G; 6 ‘4, 200 | 6/20/88 (’07, 6th Rd.) | St Cloud St. (WCHA) |
| Braden Holtby | G; 6 ‘1, 205 | 9/16/89 (’08, 4th rd.) | Saskatoon (WHL) |
On this the opening day of ‘08-09 NHL free agency Washington Capitals’ fans confronted the opposing twins of personnel movement outcome: morning elation with Mike Green’s signing and afternoon agony in the club’s failure to come to terms with season-salvaging, starting netminder Cristobal Huet. The Capitals this afternoon, having reached an impasse with Huet and his agent, signed Colorado’s Jose Theodore to a two-year deal.
An absolute bulwark of the Caps’ stunning late-season surge to a Southeast division crown, Huet’s heroics won’t be returning, the fallout of which is this sobering question: have the Caps’ Cup contention plans necessarily taken a step back? It’s a demoralizing outcome, most particularly in light of widespread reports, from reliable organization sources, that Huet’s return was largely a fait accompli.
It would be difficult to imagine a netminder better auditioning for the role of go-to guy, of in-his-prime, no. 1 stud, than Huet’s with the Caps this past spring. He went 11-2 in his 13 regular season starts with the Caps, posting two shutouts, a stunning .936 save percentage, and a microscopic 1.63 goals against. Those numbers weren’t as impressive in the playoffs against Philadelphia, but after the Caps fell behind three games to one in the series, Huet was rock solid and at times spectacular in net in nearly leading the Caps to a dramatic series comeback.
As for Theodore, this from the Caps’ press release:
Theodore, who will turn 32 on Sept. 13, won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 2001-02. The 5’11”, 182-pound native of Laval, Quebec, is a 12-year professional who spent the last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. He was 28-21-3 with three shutouts, a 2.44 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 2007-08, including a 21-13-2 record, a 2.24 GAA and a .919 save percentage in his last 37 starts.
2007-08 was indeed a rebound year for Theodore, but that’s also cause for concern for Caps’ fans. His has not been a career of model consistency, to put it charitably (he was run out of Montreal). In his previous two seasons, with Montreal and Colorado, Theodore put up sub-.900 save percentages and above 3.00 goals-against numbers. Perhaps more troubling is this: Avalanche Head Coach Joel Quenneville collapsed a trap around him this past season, almost certainly boosting his numbers.
Disappointment over Huet’s departure should not necessarily draw savage criticism of General Manager George McPhee, who was poised today with a viable Plan B. According to the Washington Post’s Tarik El Bashir, the Caps met Huet’s demands of three years and $5 million per only to learn of his wish to test the proverbial waters, apparently with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Tonight a stunned HockeyWashington, still in mid-summer swoon over so spectacular a 2007-08 season, has seen the sport’s best momentum here in 30-plus years come to a screeching halt.
Today in D.C. there’s palpable disappointment surrounding the personnel outcome for the most important position on the ice. A beautiful bride has run off; left behind is her ok-looking bridesmaid.
One of the things we want to do in the 2008-09 hockey season is increase our production of original photography. Last season, on the April evening that the Capitals clinched the Southeast division title, the moment we arrived at Sergei Fedorov’s locker, we knew we had a great image to capture. That photo that Gus grabbed turned up last weekend in Gazeta.ru, an online news source read daily by thousands of Russians. From Simeon Varlamov to Alexander Semin to Alexander the Great, perhaps even to Sergei Fedorov again, the far-East interest in Washington’s Russian hockey players is only likely to increase, and we hope to offer a helping hand in the coverage.
On Canada Day, the Caps announced the signing of a very important Canuck: Mike Green, for 4 years.
From the press release:
The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Mike Green to a four-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Mike has developed into an impact defenseman in the short time since we drafted him, and he will be a key part of our team moving forward,” McPhee said. “We look forward to his further contributions as we continue to improve the hockey club.”
Recently we found out about the existence of Lee Twombly Pond in Falmouth, Maine. It’s claim to fame — aside from being astoundingly gorgeous — is its existence as “Northern New Engalnd’s only refrigerated outdoor skating surface.”
They actually Zamboni this outdoor sheet numerous times each winter day, weather permitting. The Pond House at the Pond is available for rent for parties and such and features both indoor and outdoor fireplaces.
Imagine perhaps 20 of your buddies renting out a late Saturday afternoon sheet for shinny there and taking refuge from the Maine winter in such a backwoods setting. Um, pass along the signup sheet, please.
In the dead of winter a lot of Americans make plans for following summer vacations in sun-baked recreational settings. Guess what we’re doing with our vacation plans right about now for six months’ hence?
Forgive us this hiccup of indulgence — yesterday the makers and marketers of the documentary ‘Pond Hockey’ referred to OFB as their favorite blog.
Well, from the early looks of things, they’re our favorite documentarians. Now that July in D.C. is upon us (and Happy Canada Day to our cousins to the North!), be sure to visit the film’s web site when you need a helping hand in getting cooled off during these dog days of summer.
SovetskySport’s Pavel Lysenkov spoke with Alexander Ovechkin on Monday about free agency and other hot hockey topics, including Sergei Fedorov’s status. SovetskySport’s Dmitry Chesnokov passed along the info to us just moments ago.
Lysenkov: People wonder if you ever thought that you may have miscalculated signing a thirteen year $124 million contract . . .
Ovechkin: “Why would I think that?”
Lysenkov: Because the cap in the NHL is rising and in a few years your $9.5 million per year on average contract might look “average” comparing to other offers. Jagr is not too excited about getting $6 million nowadays.
Ovechkin: “I only look positive at the fact that Jagr is getting offered a lot of money. Jaromir deserves a big contract. And let me have my fixed salary. You know the saying that you cannot make all the money in the world? I like it. It is so much easier to know that I will not have a headache about money until I am 35. It is better than to test the free agency every two or three years and negotiate contracts.”
Lysenkov: If in a few years your $9.5 million look “average” will you ask Ted Leonsis for bigger bonuses?
Ovechkin: “I wouldn’t do that. The contract I was offered in Washington is good enough. I haven’t received any money from it yet, though, because it doesn’t kick in until next season.”
Lysenkov: Do you know if Sergei Fedorov is going to stay in Washington?
Ovechkin: “I am voting with both of my hands and legs in favor of Sergei staying! Of course, the decision doesn’t rest with players, but with the Caps management. I know that Sergei has a great desire to play for our club. He really liked it in Washington.”
Lysenkov: The last time you spoke was in May after the World Championship?
Ovechkin: “No, we keep in touch all the time. For example, we spoke on the phone just a couple of days ago. And Fedorov confirmed that he would prefer to stay in Washington.”
Lysenkov: Could Jagr really come to play in Russia?
Ovechkin: “I think that Jaromir himself will decide where he will play. He is one of the best hockey players in the world. And I am sure that he will earn every penny of the contract he will sign. And if it so happens that he actually ends up in the KHL, it will be a major plus to our hockey. Players like him are not only the face of a team, but the face of the league.”
Lysenkov: Do you think Washington should be active on the market this summer? Does the team need to strengthen?
Ovechkin: “The first thing we need to do is to keep the players whose contracts have ended. Mike Green, for example, who is set to become a RFA. But of course other players can also help. That’s because we are setting our sights on the Stanley Cup. Actually, George [McPhee] knows what to do. So I don’t want to say anything to disturb him.”
Lysenkov: How are you spending your summer?
Ovechkin: “Having a lot of fun! Because I will have to start working out soon. A few days ago I got back from Turkey. I am going to visit St Petersburg soon.”
Lysenkov: Are you going to have your summer workouts there?
Ovechkin: “Dmitry Kapitonov, my personal trainer, hasn’t picked a place yet. But most likely we will do it in Moscow.”
The original SovetskySport article can be found here.
Yeoman’s work by Corey Masisak at the Times, who has posted his discussions with the agents for Cristobal Huet and Brooks Laich with a promise to update his blog with more information/discussions as they happen. Check it out here.
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