Capitals Reject Shake-Up
No Major Deals Likely at Deadline
By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 18, 2002; Page D04
EDMONTON, Alberta, March 17 -- The Washington Capitals have been one of the NHL's biggest disappointments this season, but General Manager George McPhee said he has no plans to disband the club heading into Tuesday's 3 p.m. trade deadline.
McPhee and majority owner Ted Leonsis have been encouraged by the team's improved play of late -- 7-5-2 since the all-star break and battling even in defeat -- and believe this group could overcome a four-point deficit and earn one of the final Eastern Conference playoff spots. Rather than trade important veterans such as Adam Oates for draft picks, McPhee will try to bolster the club's weak defense and lack of depth at the center position.
"Certainly, we're not going to give up on anything," McPhee said. "We see this as an opportunity to try to improve the club. In this business you can be six or seven points out at this time of year and make a push into the playoffs."
Washington (27-31-10-1) was expected to cruise to a third straight Southeast Division title after acquiring Jaromir Jagr in July, but sits 11th in the Eastern Conference with only 13 games left. The team is two games into a season-defining eight-game trip and mired in a three-game losing streak.
No one in the organization foresaw this predicament, but poor defensive play and goaltending as well as debilitating injuries have taken a heavy toll. The Capitals hoped to be an elite team looking to fortify a Stanley Cup run in March, not a club scrounging for help just to qualify for the playoffs.
"Of course, it's disappointing," McPhee said. "We thought we had put together a pretty good team and if we added a guy or two we could be a very good team. Unfortunately, we've only had a handful of players -- and maybe not even that many -- play well from the start to finish. We've had key injuries and our defensive play, who would have thought we would be this porous? We've never played this way before and hopefully this is just something awry this year and not next year."
The Capitals need a physical defenseman to pair with offense-minded Sergei Gonchar but are highly unlikely to land an impact player now as opposed to the offseason.
Pittsburgh appears content to keep Darius Kasparaitis and contenders such as Detroit and Colorado will be willing to over-pay to land Lyle Odelein from Columbus. Bob Boughner (Calgary) could become available, and Cory Sarich (Tampa Bay) is a player Washington has inquired about in the past. Defensemen Richard Smehlik (Buffalo), Bill Houlder (Nashville) and Jiri Slegr (Atlanta) are also expected to be dealt but lack the bite Washington needs.
The club also lacks a third- and/or fourth-line center, with only two natural centers on its roster. Landing a star center such as Robert Lang (Pittsburgh) or Bobby Holik (New Jersey) is extremely improbable now, sources said, but veterans such as Bob Corkum (Atlanta), Tony Hrkac (Atlanta), Mike Sillinger (Columbus) and Tyler Wright (Columbus) could provide an upgrade over the current options. Such minor deals would fortify depth, not shuffle the balance of power among playoff hopefuls.
"There isn't much out there to buy right now," McPhee said. "But you never know what can come up between now and Tuesday."
Washington is not in a position to make a blockbuster trade without gutting its roster -- something McPhee said he has no plans to do -- and with so many teams still in the playoff hunt the option for trades are scarce. McPhee said he would not trade one of Washington's two first-round picks unless a premier prospect came in return and sources said Chris Simon, Joe Sacco, Dmitri Khristich, Ken Klee and Frantisek Kucera remain candidates to be moved, although there is minimal interest in most of those players.
No Major Deals Likely at Deadline
By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 18, 2002; Page D04
EDMONTON, Alberta, March 17 -- The Washington Capitals have been one of the NHL's biggest disappointments this season, but General Manager George McPhee said he has no plans to disband the club heading into Tuesday's 3 p.m. trade deadline.
McPhee and majority owner Ted Leonsis have been encouraged by the team's improved play of late -- 7-5-2 since the all-star break and battling even in defeat -- and believe this group could overcome a four-point deficit and earn one of the final Eastern Conference playoff spots. Rather than trade important veterans such as Adam Oates for draft picks, McPhee will try to bolster the club's weak defense and lack of depth at the center position.
"Certainly, we're not going to give up on anything," McPhee said. "We see this as an opportunity to try to improve the club. In this business you can be six or seven points out at this time of year and make a push into the playoffs."
Washington (27-31-10-1) was expected to cruise to a third straight Southeast Division title after acquiring Jaromir Jagr in July, but sits 11th in the Eastern Conference with only 13 games left. The team is two games into a season-defining eight-game trip and mired in a three-game losing streak.
No one in the organization foresaw this predicament, but poor defensive play and goaltending as well as debilitating injuries have taken a heavy toll. The Capitals hoped to be an elite team looking to fortify a Stanley Cup run in March, not a club scrounging for help just to qualify for the playoffs.
"Of course, it's disappointing," McPhee said. "We thought we had put together a pretty good team and if we added a guy or two we could be a very good team. Unfortunately, we've only had a handful of players -- and maybe not even that many -- play well from the start to finish. We've had key injuries and our defensive play, who would have thought we would be this porous? We've never played this way before and hopefully this is just something awry this year and not next year."
The Capitals need a physical defenseman to pair with offense-minded Sergei Gonchar but are highly unlikely to land an impact player now as opposed to the offseason.
Pittsburgh appears content to keep Darius Kasparaitis and contenders such as Detroit and Colorado will be willing to over-pay to land Lyle Odelein from Columbus. Bob Boughner (Calgary) could become available, and Cory Sarich (Tampa Bay) is a player Washington has inquired about in the past. Defensemen Richard Smehlik (Buffalo), Bill Houlder (Nashville) and Jiri Slegr (Atlanta) are also expected to be dealt but lack the bite Washington needs.
The club also lacks a third- and/or fourth-line center, with only two natural centers on its roster. Landing a star center such as Robert Lang (Pittsburgh) or Bobby Holik (New Jersey) is extremely improbable now, sources said, but veterans such as Bob Corkum (Atlanta), Tony Hrkac (Atlanta), Mike Sillinger (Columbus) and Tyler Wright (Columbus) could provide an upgrade over the current options. Such minor deals would fortify depth, not shuffle the balance of power among playoff hopefuls.
"There isn't much out there to buy right now," McPhee said. "But you never know what can come up between now and Tuesday."
Washington is not in a position to make a blockbuster trade without gutting its roster -- something McPhee said he has no plans to do -- and with so many teams still in the playoff hunt the option for trades are scarce. McPhee said he would not trade one of Washington's two first-round picks unless a premier prospect came in return and sources said Chris Simon, Joe Sacco, Dmitri Khristich, Ken Klee and Frantisek Kucera remain candidates to be moved, although there is minimal interest in most of those players.
