2005 WASHINGTON CAPITALS PREVIEW

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2005-06 Washington Capitals preview

(MySportsbook.com) - The Washington Capitals certainly have a tough road ahead of them, as the firesale that went on at the end of 03-04 campaign essentially left a shell of a roster.

There isn't much depth in terms of forwards or defensemen, and their highest- paid player is a goaltender who is nearing the end of his career.

But the one bright spot amongst the darkness is 2004 No. 1 overall pick Alexander Ovechkin, who was the clear cream of his draft class. Ovechkin is a dynamic player who should thrive in the new and exciting version of the NHL, and he differs from many of his countrymen in that he is sound at the other end of the ice too.

The most notable acquisition by the Capitals was that of veteran center Andrew Cassels, a playmaker who can skate on one of the top two lines. Aside from that, most of the other additions were mediocre veterans who will merely fill a spot on the depth chart.

It almost seems as if the Capitals are waiting to see how their youngsters can develop before making a big splash into the market the way other teams did. They appear willing to suffer through one or two seasons in the gutter in order to build from the ice up.

FORWARDS - Ovechkin has spent the past four seasons playing with Moscow Dynamo in his homeland. He tallied 13 goals and 14 assists in 37 games during the 04-05 season, and decided against playing in Russia in exchange for NHL action. He opted out of a lucrative deal with Avangard Omsk to skate for the Caps.

That leads us into the remainder of the forward corps, which isn't pretty. Gone are the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra and Steve Konowalchuk and what's left is a ton of uncertainty. Dainius Zubrus hasn't been healthy for a full season at any point of his career and, despite having big-time size, is not a first-line centerman.

Cassels, meanwhile, has the playmaking skills to make those on his line better, but injuries have been a concern for him in recent years as well. He was healthy in 2002-03 for Columbus and posted 20 goals and 48 assists.

A player to keep an eye on is former first rounder Boyd Gordon, who will step up in class after a terrific season with Portland of the AHL last year. Gordon posted 17 goals and 22 assists in 80 games, and could wind up playing on Ovechkin's opposite side of the first line.

Jeff Halpern is one of the few veterans who began the last season with the team who is still on the roster. Halpern posted 19 goals and 27 assists in 79 games back in 03-04, but is more valuable as a third-line checking centerman.

DEFENSE - If the forward corps is lean on experienced players, then we must think of a lesser word to describe the group on the blueline. Brendan Witt is the only rearguard with a relevant NHL tenure, and this is in a new era where having quality defensemen to counter the offense-friendly rules will be key.

Witt has been a nasty guy who can rack up penalty minutes, but he really isn't an anchor and never has been. Making matters worse is the fact that he realizes how bad the Caps' situation is and he has requested a trade.

Steve Eminger and Shaone Morrisonn both have potential, but neither of them have played an entire season in the NHL. Ivan Majesky joins his third team in three NHL seasons, and didn't make a great first impression by failing his training camp physical. Mathieu Biron will also be in the mix, but his lack of experience places him in the same boat.

The Capitals' approach not to go after any big-ticket players can be understood, but it is a bit of a surprise that GM George McPhee did not acquire any inexpensive veteran blueline help to aid the youngsters.

GOALTENDING - Kolzig is a former Vezina winner, but he is now 35 years old and has no proven defense in front of him. The 6-3, 225-pounder still should be able to steal a few games for the Caps, but don't expect a whole lot. He started 63 games in 03-04, going 19-35-9 with a 2.89 goals-against average. That defense was better than this one, but still very suspect.

Maxime Ouellet is a former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers who was obtained in the Adam Oates deal a few years back. He has been up-and-down in terms of his AHL performance with the Portland Pirates. Last season he went 15-20-3 with a 2.89 GAA in 40 appearances for the minor league club.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - The Capitals will be bad. It's just a matter of how bad. Ovechkin and fellow youngster Alexander Semin are nice prospects to build around, but with little else on the roster their growing pains are sure occur often. Expect this club to battle for the first-overall pick in the next couple Entry Drafts, a strategy that may pay dividends five years from now but won't accomplish a thing in the immediate future. The Capitals were hardly drawing fans before the lockout, so expect many nights where you can hear the echoes in the sparsely-populated MCI Center.

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