Not Enough for the Redskins

After wrapping up the draft last weekend, the Redskins appear to have achieved a complete transformation from their 2009 team. They now head into the summer with a new general manager, head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators, new quarterback, and many new players as they attempt to rebound from a dismal 4-12 season. The Redskins, however, have barley addressed their offensive line. This was by far their biggest weakness from last season and, while they have made some changes, it will take more to fix a line that allowed their quarterback to be hit 97 times and sacked 46 times.

Heading into the offseason, the Redskins seemed committed to changing their ways and developing a team rather than just bringing in big name players. They then proceeded to bring in big name players and ignore the offensive line. To add depth on offense, the Redskins signed running backs Larry Johnson and Willie Parker. This will allow some rushing flexibility for a team that seemed lost whenever Clinton Portis went out with an injury. Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, and Quinton Ganther performed admirably in relief, but just did not provide much of a threat.

Of course the biggest moves came at quarterback. The Redskins looked ready to give Jason Campbell a short leash this season replacing backup Todd Collins with Rex Grossman, but then shocked the NFL with a trade for Donovan McNabb. While many questioned this move, I felt it was a welcome change. Yes, I have always been vocal in my criticism of Campbell, but the move allowed for the Redskins to focus squarely on the offensive line during the draft. Without trading for McNabb, the Redskins most likely would have had to take quarterback Jimmy Clausen with their first round pick. While we know now that Clausen fell considerably in the draft going midway in the second round, it is unlikely the Redskins would have risked losing him. This would mean not getting an lineman until the beginning of the second round, the best of which available was Zane Beadles from Utah, who in his four years at Utah played primarily from a two point stance. This was not a player you could guarantee would be ready to start in the NFL right away. With McNabb, the Redskins were free to draft Trent Williams who will be a starter come week 1 against the Cowboys.

By now, no doubt, you've heard the questions surrounding the decision to take Williams over Russell Okung, who many thought was the safer pick, but Williams made a lot more sense for the scheme Mike Shanahan wants to run. This is not the problem I have. In a recent interview, Chris Foerster, new offensive line coach for the team, gave his projected starting line: LT Trent Williams, LG Derrick Dockery, C Casey Rabach, RG Mike Williams, and RT Artis Hicks. Looking at this lineup have the Redskins really done enough to fix the problems on the offensive line? Trent Williams replaces the now retired Chris Samuels, the best lineman the Redskins had. Artis Hicks comes from Minnesota to take over the right tackle position and Mike Williams is switching over to right guard. Otherwise, we see a very similar offensive line. The Redskins have a rookie playing in place of their best player, a solid lineman from Minnesota, and three starters from last season. Is that really enough?

The offensive line was a huge factor last season, but with McNabb it could prove disastrous. The constant pressure on the quarterback really hurt Campbell's performance. Granted, McNabb is a much better quarterback, but he is also injury prone. Injuries have plagued him his entire career. I may not have liked Campbell, but the man could take a beating. McNabb is more mobile, but he can't take nearly the same pounding Campbell took last season or he'll be out really quickly. Isn't bringing in one seasoned veteran and one rookie starter to replace your best player and to fix the offensive line like trying to fix the Titanic with duct tape? What good is a new offense if you can't protect it? I sure hope Shanahan has a few tricks up his sleeve.

McNabb Traded To Redskins in Curious Move, Could it FINALLY Be the End of Campbell?

On the day of Tiger Woods' press conference and baseball's opening day (Nationals already coming out swinging with an 11-1 loss to Philadelphia) the big story in Washington is...football. Last night the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins reached a deal sending quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins for a second round draft pick and a fourth round pick in 2011 which could turn into a third round pick.

This trade caught many completely offguard. Last week Oakland and Buffalo emerged as the front runners and even if they couldn't close the deal, who would have expected that Philadelphia would trade McNabb to a division opponent? The Eagles will now have to face the best quarterback in franchise history twice in 2010 as both teams are in the NFC East. Usually teams will not make big trades within their division. Take for example, Green Bay, who refused to trade Brett Favre to a team within the NFC Conference in an attempt to avoid playing against him at all. But Philadelphia decided to take the plunge after McNabb's agent made it clear that he did not want to go to Oakland or Buffalo. Still, you have to wonder. Ok, so it was clear Philadelphia wanted to move forward with Kevin Kolb so McNabb needed to go. That's understandable. But even with McNabb making objections and encouraging talks with Washington, Philadelphia still needs to look after its best interests. I'm sure that Philadelphia could have found someone outside of the division willing to make a deal other than Oakland and Buffalo so why help make a division opponent better with a major trade? If Philadelphia really made this deal strictly because of McNabb's wishes, that's honorable I guess, but it's pretty foolish.

Another possibility is that they know something that the rest of the NFL doesn't. I'm not into conspiracy theories, what I'm saying is that Andy Reid and the Eagles' organization know McNabb better than anyone in the NFL. They may be expecting a dramatic drop off in play, which would explain setting up a Kolb/McNabb matchup and putting together a trade package that included a 2011 draft pick. Just a thought.

What also made this deal surprising was the fact that this did not seem to be the route the Redskins were taking this offseason. With quarterbacks Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow all available in the draft and the Redskins in full rebuilding mode, most expected the team to bring in a young quarterback to replace Jason Campbell or at least force him to perform. Instead they brought in a veteran quarterback who most likely has already peaked.

This trade will certainly change their tactics come draft day. Both Bradford and Clausen have met with the Redskins, so perhaps head coach Mike Shanahan didn't see what he wanted to out of the pair. In any case, the Redskins now have to take an offensive lineman with their number one pick. There can be no debate here. Their offensive line was absolutely atrocious last season. McNabb is 33 years old, which is advanced for most NFL players, and has been plagued with injuries throughout his career. Without building that offensive line up then the Redskins are playing with fire. They need to start taking a look at Russell Okung from Oklahoma State, Trent Williams from Oklahoma, and Bryan Bulaga from Iowa. Any of the three would provide a major boost to that weak offensive line.

So was this the right move? One worrying aspect is that this trade reeks of Dan Snyder. Trading for a big name player already in his 30s as a quick fix? I certainly hope this is the work of Bruce Allen and Shanahan, but it really seems to have Snyder's finger prints all over it and we've seen how well those moves have worked. Even so I like this trade if the Redskins follow through and build that offensive line. If they don't then this trade was a waste of time, draft picks, and money. McNabb can't take the kind of beating Campell did last season. While McNabb may be a more mobile quarterback, this does not make up for the complete lack of consistent blocking up front. Sitting with that number four overall pick, the Redskins may well find themselves having to choose between an offensive lineman and the real popular Ndamukong Suh, but they MUST ignore the flashy pick and take what they need. I like this trade only if you get the line to protect McNabb, otherwise it's only a matter of time before Campbell is called in as McNabb is carted off the field.

A lot of curious thinking allowed for this big trade. With one trade the Redskins took a big step forward towards making themselves competitive again. I've been very vocal with my criticism of Campbell and I truly believe he was holding this team back. I will also admit, however, that the offensive line was an even bigger problem. Bringing in McNabb means nothing if they do not continue to improve on the line because McNabb cannot handle the pressure and the beating he will receive throughout the season without it.

Caps Make Deadline Move for Stanley Cup Push

The trade deadline has come and gone and the Washington Capitals have four new players from four different teams to use for their run at the Stanley Cup. The Capitals traded four draft picks, prospect Oskar Osala, and defenseman Brian Pothier, for winger Scott Walker, center Eric Belanger, and defenseman Milan Jurcina and Joe Corvo. Despite General Manger George McPhee expressing caution before the deadline he showed he was committed to making this team better. How'd he do?

Well, the first plus is that the Caps really didn't give up anything. This Washington team is young and affiliate Hershey is packed with top prospects. Draft picks are definitely valuable, but it's not really what they need right now and neither is Osala. Brian Pothier has been a great player for the Caps since he was brought in, but this was a good move. He really hasn't been the same since a concussion kept him out for over a year and he really has been in and out of the line up this season with injury problems. Durability was a major concern and this Washington team wants to make a long run this spring.

Despite having the best record in the league, there were some areas of concern for this team heading into the deadline and the post season. The major concern was goaltending. No moves were made there, but that's understandable. The Capitals already have three, all of whom are capable of great play, but can they keep it up? Can Varlamov stay healthy or Theodore keep up the pace? The Caps are poised to have a strong goalie situation in years to come with Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. With all three playing well, it makes no sense to muddy the water further with another goalie. It would really undermine the confidence of Varlamov and Theodore and no one would get the playing time they needed or deserved.

With this in mind, what they desperately needed was defensive help. When the Caps announced that they had acquired Belanger and Walker, my initial reaction was why? They have the best offense in the league, there is no need for more players up front to ruin the lines that have worked so well and still leave the defense in question. But these two may actually boost the Capitals defense. Walker was not playing up to his potential in Carolina anymore. He adds a strong locker room presence and is also known for being a real tough, gritty player. He will best serve the caps if he replaces Erskine. Erskine has been a staple for the Capitals this season because he is the biggest fighter they have. Without an enforcer teams really go after Ovechkin. Erskine had to stay in the lineup, but he really doesn't have the talent to keep a regular spot on the team. If they don't need him, it opens up a spot for a better player.

Belanger is really needed to help on the penalty kill. Washington currently ranks 25th in penalty kill, which is awful. It is a real area of concern. A center is a big part of the penalty kill because faceoffs can kill a lot of time. The problem the Caps have is that their centers really aren't the gritty penalty kill type. Belanger adds another body on the penalty kill and a faceoff that can help the Caps clear the zone.

For the defensemen they did pick up, they might be a great fit, but it may not be far enough. The idea of trading for a defenseman we already traded away bothers me. Jurcina was splitting time with Erskine, Sloan, and Alzner. I think he is a good fit for the Caps, but what made them realize that now? If they brought him in to be a regular presence on the blue line, great. If they brought him in to split time again, then I really don't see the point. Corvo will be a great fit if he can recognize what he is being brought in for. The Caps can score. Everyone and their mother knows that. What they need is defense. Corvo is more of an offensive minded defenseman, like Mike Green. The problem is that he wasn't (or should not have been) brought in to score and so I have to wonder whether he was the right pick up for this team.

My initial reaction to the moves the Caps made today was 'eh,' but what you really have to realize is that this team did get better. That much is clear. As they were already the best team in the league, that means a lot. What also makes me feel good is how pumped Barry Melrose is. Watch the trade deadline video on ESPN.com. While I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about hockey, Melrose is one of the few people I will freely admit is miles ahead of me. When asked who got better today, the first thing he said was Washington. He clearly believes today's moves were the right moves. Let's hope it is enough to get us our first Stanley Cup.

Moves in New Jersey Force Move by Capitals

As the Olympics come to a close, its back to business for the NHL. The trade deadline is quickly approaching (March 3), and George McPhee no longer can afford to watch it pass by. A few weeks ago I wrote about McPhee's reluctance to make any trade deadline moves. "I really don't know why we'd change anything. The team is performing about as well as it can. Why change the mix?" He has always been cautious when it comes to making big trades because he worries about the future of the team. The problem is that now the team is a major competitor for the Stanley Cup. For McPhee to intentionally handicap the team is inexcusable and if last season is any indication, making no moves does in fact handicap the team.

What McPhee needs to ask himself is whether winning one Stanley Cup is more important than being a competitive team for 5-10 years. It is a tough question because trade deadline moves never guarantee a Stanley Cup, but neither does trying to hold the team together. While a big trade could potentially hurt the Caps' future, some players may get impatient if they feel McPhee is not willing to do what it takes to bring the Cup to Washington. What would be the point if Washington missed out on this opportunity and in three years we looked back and realized this was our best chance?

Last season, every team around the Caps got better at the trade deadline, including the eventual Stanley Cup Champions (who will not be named). Now, McPhee needs to take a long hard look at New Jersey. The Devils picked up superstar winger Ilya Kovalchuk from the Atlanta Thrashers before the Olympic break. So far, the result have not been anything to write home about, in six games the Devils have won twice and Kovalchuk has only one goal and four assists. The problem is that the Devils have beaten the Capitals three out of four times this season, have one of the best goalies in the NHL, and have allowed 33 fewer goals than the Capitals with the lowest goals against in the league. Of course you can counter that the Capitals are currently 13 points ahead of them in the standings (a huge margin for the number one and two teams in a conference) and have scored a whopping 85 more goals. This is why the Devils traded for Kovalchuk, they need that offensive boost. I am a firm believer, however, in the saying offense wins games, defense wins championships. Playoff hockey is very different from regular season hockey in that defense becomes the deciding factor for most series. When the playoffs start, I would have picked the Devils as the favorite in a coin toss over the Caps, but now with Kovalchuk I think they have really pulled ahead. The strength of New Jersey's defense and goaltending mixed with the new offensive threat the Devils present puts them ahead of the Capitals.

Washington can't just be worried with New Jersey alone. If there is one thing you can take away from the Olympic tournament, it's that Ryan Miller is a top goaltender and his ability can really vault Buffalo into the conference conversation. Pittsburgh has proven they can compete come playoff time and that they are willing to make deadline trades to do so. You can expect many more trades come March 3 as teams look to counter the offensive strength of the Caps.

The bottom line is that the Capitals must bring in a big name defenseman. While Jose Theodore, Semyon Varlamov, and Michal Neuvirth have all played well, each has their problems. Theodore is known for his inconsistency (see game one against the Rangers in the 09 playoffs), Varlamov has been troubled by a groin injury for two months, and Neuvirth's strong play is frequently mixed with rookie mistakes. The Capitals currently rank 17th in the league in goals against, behind probable playoff competitors New Jersey, Buffalo, Boston, Philadelphia, and Montreal.

The Capitals need to look at the teams that have no hope of making the playoffs and have thrown in the towel: Florida, NY Islanders, Carolina, Toronto, Edmonton, Columbus, and maybe Minnesota and St. Louis. Of those teams, you can throw out Carolina and Florida since division opponents are not likely to make trades with one another. Look at the blue lines of the teams left. McPhee is going to have a problem making a trade since he is reluctant to give up any prospects and that's mostly what these teams will ask for, but if he's willing to trade captain Chris Clark, he can find someone else he's willing to let go. Don't forget, two years ago the Caps managed to pick up goalie Cristobal Huet with only a second round draft pick. If McPhee wants to make a trade, I guarantee he can find someone that will listen.

Even with a 14 game winning streak, the Capitals really seemed to struggle as they frequently played from behind. In the six games prior to the Olympic break the Capitals allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game. That's just not good enough. In the past two post seasons, the Caps weren't able to change their style for playoff hockey and they were sent home because of it. If the Caps can't make it deep into this postseason because McPhee won't make a deadline trade, they will have missed a golden opportunity.

Wizards Unload, Look to the Future

Fifty games into a hugely disappointing season, the Washington Wizards have begun unloading their big name players and rebuilding for the future. Washington first sent Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas in exchange for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, and James Singleton. They then traded Dominic McGuire to Sacramento for a 2010 second round draft pick. Finally, in a three team deal, the Wizards sent Antawn Jamison to Cleveland and newly acquired Drew Gooden to the LA Clippers. In return they got Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Al Thornton, a 2010 first round draft pick (from Cleveland), and the rights to Emir Preldzic, a second round pick from last year.

This is clearly a step in the right direction for a team that was going nowhere. It can be very hard for teams to recognize that they have no chance of going forward and that they need to get rid of the talent they have. Butler, Haywood, and Jameson are all very good players. The problem is, it wasn't working. You can load a team with talent, but if they don't win, it doesn't matter (are you listening Dan Snyder!?!?!). You have to start over. The Wizards' 2009-2010 season is over. Now it is time to save money and build a team that will be in a position to win two-three years from now.

That may seem steep, but that is how long it takes. The obvious example comes from the team that shares the Verizon Center, the Washington Capitals. Despite star players Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra, Sergei Gonchar, Robert Lang, and several others the team could not win. They then unloaded all their large contracts for draft picks and prospects. The team grew together and in three years won their division and now sit atop the NHL with the best record in the league. While the financial situation for the Capitals was more dire with an NHL lockout looming, it is still something the Wizards need to be aware of. There is no point in continuing to lose money when you've already thrown in the towel.

So let's look at how the Wizards have done so far. Step one is to get rid of the expensive talent. Trading Butler, Haywood, and Jameson had to happen. They all are on the older end of the spectrum; 29, 30, and 33 respectively; and have high contracts, the lowest of which being Haywood's $6 million this season. Step two is to acquire draft picks and younger players. First round picks are always great regardless of how low that pick will be. A second round pick from Sacramento is also good, as Sacramento is likely to have a very high pick. That's two good pickups, not including the very high picks the Wizards will get themselves. As for their player pickups, they got what they could, but not really what they needed. Ross and Singleton are both 28 and have contracts of $1.03 million. Older than the Wizards would have liked, but perhaps future leaders over the next few years. Thornton is a very nice pickup at 26 years old, a $1.9 million contract, and a lot of potential. Right now he averages 10.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and 1.2 apg and those numbers are likely to continue to go up.

The two guys that make you wonder are the big name pickups. Howard is 29, an inconsistent shooter, and expensive ($10.89 this season). While the Wizards may be thinking that Howard will be the team leader over the next few years, what is more likely is that Dallas wanted Howard included in the deal. To add around $19 million to the salary cap, someone has to go. Howard was the obvious choice. The same goes for Ilgauskas. The Cavaliers needed to add more support for LeBron James for a title run and picked up Jamison. To clear room for his $11.64 million they needed someone to take the $11.54 million Ilgauskus who is in the last season of his contract. Hopefully the Wizards have zero expectations for him. He has been a Wizard for less than a week and is already talking about buying out his contract. With his departure at the end of the season, the Wizards will have plenty of cap space to make some moves.

The biggest question for the Wizards, however, remains unresolved. Gilbert Arenas is still a Wizard. At the moment there is really nothing that can be done. No one will trade for a suspended player and as Arenas has already been punished by the league for his idiotic gun joke, the Wizards cannot release him without having to buy out his ridiculously huge contract. Yet, despite all the controversy surrounding Arenas, team president Ernie Grunfeld said that he would be back. "He's under contract and he's going to be with us. He's part of our organization. If he wants to play, he's going to play here." This statement is rather odd. If Grunfeld thinks he is going to build a team around Arenas, he's dreaming. He already tried and it didn't work. Arenas will be even less dependable when he returns as he continues to get older. Arenas has yet to show that he can continue to play at a superstar level and to assume he can lead the Wizards after failing to do so in the past is just plain stupid. I hope the motivation behind this comment was to encourage Arenas to come back. If Arenas were to buy out his contract, it would save the Wizards a lot of money, but the Wizards would still lose his trade value. Even so, Arenas buying out his own contract may still be the best option. The Wizards need young, cheap talent. Teams can't afford to trade draft picks for Arenas since his contract is so expensive (over $16 million per year). The Wizards might be able to get two or three prospects for him, but ultimately teams may not want to take the risk or pay him that much money. This would leave the Wizards with the choice of buying out his contract themselves or keeping him for another season which would honestly be the worst case scenerio.

Sit back Wizards' fans, the next few seasons are going to be pretty long. If they continue to do things right, they may be playoff bound in two or three years, but they cannot get impatient. Keeping Arenas are bringing in players that just don't fit the system will only set them back. If the Wizards want to rebuild, they need to commit and go all in.

George Mcphee's Short Memory

Ok, I know the trade deadline has been a pretty frequent topic of mine in this blog, but Capitals' general manager George McPhee is not putting my mind at ease. ESPN analyst Pierre LeBrun asked McPhee about the trade deadline and he responded saying "Well, at this point, I really don't know why we'd change anything. The team is performing about as well as it can. Why change the mix? Certainly if there's something there that would make us better, we would consider it. But there's a lot to be said about chemistry and the intangibles, and we certainly have all that right now. Why give away good young players or picks...we want to be a good team for a long time, not just one season."

McPhee is half right. We absolutely want the Caps to be a good team for a long time, but the top priority is winning the Stanley Cup. The lesson of last season must be learned. Last season the Caps went into March as the number two team in the conference. They looked good, a playoff berth was not in question, and everyone thought they were going to be one of the major competitors for the conference championship. McPhee decided to err on the side of caution and made no moves, presumably for the same reasons he listed above. It looked like sound reasoning, but EVERYONE around the Caps in the standings got better. The result? The Caps struggled in an opening round matchup against a much weaker team and were eventually beaten by the hated Penguins; a Pittsburgh team that DID make deadline moves and ended up winning the Stanley Cup.

This season it is even more important to make a move. Yes, the Caps are red hot, but eventually this streak will end and with it will most likely come the inevitable let down. A good way to relight the fire is with a trade to mix things up. This alone, however, isn't reason enough to make a move. The importance is that the Caps have the bullseye. They are the team to beat in the east. The road to the Stanley Cup in the east runs through Washington. When teams head into March, they will be thinking about the Caps. Teams will be building up for a matchup against the Capitals. Why yield the advantage? Why allow other teams to close the gap? Especially with question marks regarding the defense and goaltending. There is room for improvement despite how good they have been playing and there are moves to be made.

When it comes to winning there is always a limited window of opportunity. I'm not saying that the Caps won't be good for very long, but success like we have seen this season should be a sign that now is the time to make a run. McPhee has always been thinking about the future success of this team, but at some point he has to think about the present. If a winning streak of 11 games and counting plus a 10 point lead in the conference aren't enough to convince McPhee that it's time to start chasing Lord Stanley, what will?

Caps Make Big Trade for a Big Enforcer

On Monday the Capitals announced they had traded captain Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina to Columbus in exchange for left wing Jason Chimera. Chimera is known to Caps' fans as the guy who injured Ovechkin earlier this season. The trade came as a complete surprise to most especially as the the Caps were currently the first place team in the NHL. Many wonder why risk team chemistry when they are playing so well together? Also, trading away your captain can leave your team with a major leadership void. Its affect can be seen on the last two games in which the Caps have lost both by a three goal margin. It's one thing for a guy to step up into a leadership role, it's quite another for a guy to be forced into one, and that is not always a recipe for success.

There were many reasons, however, that made this move not only smart, but necessary. Clark has been plagued by injuries the last three seasons, playing only 88 games. Though he has remained healthy this season, his playing time has diminished substantially. Milan Jurcina has struggled for a regular spot on the Caps' crowded blue line. One thing the Caps did not have, however, was a consistent enforcer. Both Clark and Matt Bradley aren't ones to shy away from a fight, but the Caps didn't have another player to really put the hurt on opponents other than Alexander Ovechkin. After receiving a 2 game suspension earlier this year and an upper body injury that kept him out of the lineup for two weeks, the Caps really needed another physical presence on the ice to take some of the physical pressure off Ovechkin. Chimera gives the Caps the enforcer they desperately needed, but without taking away from the lineup. Many can point to Jon Erskine as a legitimate enforcer, but he has the same problem as Donald Brashear: he's a terrible hockey player. Unlike Brashear, however, Erskine is a defenseman. Erskine's complete lack of talent really hurt the Caps in their own zone. Whenever he was caught out of position, which was frequently, he gave up a goal or a penalty. Chimera adds skill and speed to the lineup. If he knocks Erskine out of the regular rotation on the blue line, he may have made the team a lot better than anyone would have thought.

The Caps also added $2.2 million of cap space with the trade. Last season the Caps decided to make no moves at the trade deadline. The result: well, the Caps may not have hurt the team chemistry, but they watched Boston, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia get better. The Caps aren't going to make the same mistake this year. If Varlamov can stay healthy and consistent, the Caps are one solid defenseman away from seriously contending for the Cup. After sending Michael Nylander to the minors and making this trade, the Caps are gaining a lot of cap space. Watch for the Caps to make a move to bring in a big name defenseman and counter moves made by Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Buffalo, and whoever else tries to compete. The front office is looking at the future of this team.

Possible Moves by the Caps May Provide Spark

After a 2-2-2 start for the Washington Capitals, rumors are already flying about possible moves as ESPN.com reports. This is not surprising considering the high expectations for the Caps heading into this season. In the 2008-2009 season, the Caps finished with a franchise record 108 points and won their second straight Southeast Division title. After watching the rival Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup, this Caps team was very motivated heading into this season. The organization demanded results as well. In the home opener, the Caps celebrated their 2008-2009 division championship with an intentionally abbreviated ceremony. A short video was followed by the unfurling of the banner from the rafters rather than the slow ceremonial raising seen the season before. The message was clear, a division championship is no longer good enough. The season, however, has not gone according to plan thus far. After winning their first two games, the Caps have lost their last four. Last season the Caps did not lose a game at home in regulation until December. This season it took only two games.

Why the drop in play? While they did lose Sergei Federov and Viktor Kozlov, they were able to acquire Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison which are suitable replacements. The Caps did little else in the off season expecting their young players to develop. At this point in the season, however, it seems that they did not develop quit as much as the team hoped. Goalie Simeon Varlamov has shown that while he has potential to be an all-star player, he is not yet ready to take over the team. Jose Theodore has performed well thus far as the number one. The real concerns come from the young players on the third and fourth lines and on the blue line. The Caps have gotten very little secondary scoring this year from their bottom two lines, who have contributed one goal and four assists. Defensively, the Caps have allowed 3.33 goals per game. Not exactly the performance they were looking for.

While there may be some talk about possible moves for the Caps, rumors are still...well, rumors until something happens. The Caps have shown repeatedly that they are very reluctant to give up any of their young prospects for any type of trade. Trading Theodore seems unlikely given that Varlamov has struggled so far this season. If they are considering a trade at the moment, then Michael Nylander is most likely the guy on the table. It will be interesting to see what the Caps can get for him at this point in the season since he comes with a huge price tag. Then again, a change for the Caps may not mean a trade. AHL affiliate Hershey is full of prospects. Coach Bruce Boudreau might be thinking of bringing up players like Karl Alzner. He may just be thinking of shaking up the lines. Alex Semin played on the second line in the last game against New Jersey after being a top liner to begin the season.

Whatever is being discussed in DC, it is a step in the right direction. It shows a real desire to win the Cup and a recognition that the window of opportunity will not be open forever. The last time the Caps made a move early in the season, the Caps fired coach Glen Hanlon on Thanksgiving Day and promoted Boudreau, then the coach of the Hershey Bears. As a result, the league's worst team went on the win the Southeast division. While I'm not saying a coaching change is needed, I certainly believe that some sort of change is needed that can provide the same kind of spark. This will let the team and the fans know that the Caps are playing to win. Let's hope they think of something quick, or a season filled with a lot of potential may be wasted.