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Image Courtesy of the Washington Post
Don't ever play poker with George McPhee. The guy just knows how to keep everything tight to his vest. At the 2008 trade deadline, he sent waves through the Captials' organization by acquiring Sergei Fedorov, Matt Cooke and Cristobal Huet. Last season, he decided to stand pat, acknowledging that he would have seriously overpaid to acquire any upgrades. On Wednesday, McPhee kept things reasonable, but brought in four players that should help the Caps in some way during the stretch run.
The overwhelming factor in all four acquisitions was experience. However, will these guys be enough to put the Caps over the top, provide a little insurance and depth, or be low impact character players? Let's take a look at each of the four (read: three new, one old) Capitals and their expected impact:
Milan Jurcina, D
Let's start off with what we know the best. Juice is back in town after a little two month vacation out in Columbus. Jurcina is on the shelf for at least four weeks with a sports hernia, but McPhee most certainly brought him back for his size, physicality, and experience in the system. Don't expect Juice to rise above the bottom-pairing, but that's all Boudreau needs out of him.
Overall Impact: Medium
Any move that pushes John Erskine back into a press box role makes me a happy camper. Juice isn't the best guy with the puck, but he certainly can clear the crease if the Caps really need him to. And he's not John Erskine.
Joe Corvo, D
Corvo's had his share of iffy moments in the past (read: brushes with the law), but that all seems behind him. He's had a bit of an injury plagued season after being cut in the calf by Karl Alzner's skate a while back. Corvo is known as a puck mover, and a bit of a gambler, which isn't exactly what the Caps needed on the back end, but he provides a great insurance policy if Mike Green fails to show up again this postseason. In fairness to Joe, he's not a bad penalty killer and he eats up a ton of ice time. He also has a bit of a nasty streak on the ice, which could come in handy come playoff time. Furthermore, anyone that pushes Erskine down the pecking order is fine by me.
Overall Impact: High
Whether that 'high' rating is good or bad remains to be seen. The Caps need Corvo to contribute offensively while avoiding his Uh-Oh-Joe personality. Look for him to pair with a guy like Tom Poti regularly and for Poti to lean more into a 'defensive' D role. If Corvo can produce and limit his mistakes, he could be a great acquisition. He also takes a lot of pressure off of Greener.
Scott Walker, RW
I'm going to curb my own enthusiasm about this guy after his two-goal debut last night against Tampa Bay. Walker is up there in years (36) and won't be expected to contribute any more than fourth-line minutes. He's a solid teammate and a "good soldier" according to Paul Maurice, so he should fit right in, even if it is in the press box. His scrappiness could come in handy in the playoffs, and he offers solid depth and experience. His overall penchant for scoring critical goals doesn't hurt either.
Overall Impact: Low
Walker will get some ice time in order to get acclaimated to Bruce Boudreau's system, but I don't expect him to take a jersey away from Matt Bradley when the games really start to count. It is a wonderful convenience to have him as an experienced guy, but he probably shouldn't get a regular sweater come playoff time unless injuries play a factor. He should be a good locker room presence, and for a seventh-rounder, what more can you ask for?
Eric Belanger, C
We all probably know the least about this guy, considering that he's coming from a non-conference, defensive-minded team. With that in mind, I asked Derek from The State of Hockey News to tell us a little bit about our new French-Canadian pivot:
If I had to describe Eric Belanger's game, it's that of a versatile two-way centerman. Belanger has decent speed, above average faceoff skills and can play a limited offensive role if need be. He will never be a big time scorer, but is generally good for about 12-15 goals and 35-40 points per season if given enough ice time, if only used as a 3rd or 4th line player you could probably expect around 10-12 goals and 30-34 points. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native is not a physical player, but possesses a wiry frame and can weather big hits and keep going. He is a good penalty killer who plays well positionally speaking, using a good active stick to disrupt passing and shooting lanes. Belanger is also the consummate professional on and off the ice and rarely takes a shift off. He works hard and provides candid, honest comments to the media and simply exudes class. Bottom Line: The Caps have acquired an above-average role playing centerman who can win draws and chip in a bit offensively as well as being solid in the defensive zone.
Sounds pretty encouraging, right? Bellanger will be given immediate PK time, and should be able to post some OK numbers skating on the 2nd or 3rd line (depending on the night). While I don't believe he's a true #2 like McPhee was looking for, he provides enough punch and defensive responsibility to really help out down the stretch. The only problem is that either David Steckel or Boyd Gordon will see a lot more of the press box as a result.
Impact: Medium
If Belanger can get comfortable, he can be a real difference-maker, but I see him contributing more in the unnoticed areas of the game in the playoffs. Look for him to contribute some important points, but offer a little extra punch on faceoffs and PKs. Considering one of the Caps' homegrown pivots will have to sit, this is will have a reasonably large impact on the roster.
Overall Impressions:
More than anything else, I think McPhee added important insurance should injuries affect his roster in the spring (and they will). The biggest test for the Caps will be developing chemistry with these new players. Can they put egos aside for the betterment of the team, or will ice time pull them apart? This is certainly a different environment than last spring, and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Here's hoping it all works out for the best.
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