A season-ending statement from owner Ted Leonsis that he would be reinvesting in the team this summer further fueled speculation that one of those centermen might be suiting up in the Caps’ new red, white and blue uniform. However, an immediate superstar splurge may not be in the immediate plans.
“I’m not ruling it out, but, just to make a splash, we’re not going to make a long-term investment,” Leonsis said in a recent one-on-one interview, when asked if the Caps would pursue a top-tier free agent this summer. “Could we pursue a [Chris] Drury or [Daniel] Briere? I don’t know. But everyone has got their eyes open when it comes to long-term contracts.”
Three times during the interview Leonsis noted that if a team makes the wrong long-term deal with the wrong player, “you’re stuck.” Call it an interpretation of tea leaves if you want, but the Caps’ owner certainly didn’t sound like someone about to make a substantial foray into the free agent market. Rather, it sounded like a very educated owner, with a few pieces of Jaromir Jagr’s contract stuck between his teeth, rationalizing heading in another direction.
“Everyone in the league is sanguine about marquee free agents,” Leonsis said. “But it better be the right player. When you’re looking at a five, six, seven-year deal, there’s no way to get out of it. The money is guaranteed and [if it doesn’t work out] the player becomes difficult to trade.”
Leonsis went on to echo his past statements that the team has a plan to build from within and, eventually, contend for the Stanley Cup each and every year. He also added that he likes where the organization is at, noting the young core of Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Mike Green, Jeff Schultz and the newly-signed Nicklas Backstrom. For all of the optimism surrounding those players, however, there’s no denying that the Capitals have an abundance of holes that have left them sinking to the bottom of the standings for the past two seasons.
The bottom-five finishes of the past two years led Leonsis to say there would be improvements this summer, and there most certainly will be, but reaching for the aforementioned free agent stars of the “six-year, $6 million per” variety might be too much, too soon for The Plan. Caps fans may grumble, but there is reason for restraint.
The dilemma for the Capitals lies in whether one or two top names will be enough to make Washington a playoff contender next season. As promising as the Caps’ youngsters may be, do they form a nucleus strong enough to complete with just one or two missing pieces? Can one big name and another year of experience improve on the Caps’ average of 33.3 shots allowed per game from last year? As nice as the addition of a playmaker like Briere or Drury or Gomez would be, it seems it would be a luxury Washington shouldn’t afford itself, given that the biggest liability the past two years has been on the blue line. In this year’s market, a guy like Ottawa’s Tom Preissing might have a much greater impact for a smaller price tag.
Furthermore, under the new collective bargaining agreement, players reach free agency at a younger age each year until, eventually, 27-year-olds will be declared unrestricted free agents. If you’re going to commit top dollar to long-term deals, wouldn’t you want more of the player’s prime years to be included in that term?
Since blowing up the team just before the lockout, Leonsis’s goal has been the Stanley Cup, not the playoffs, and even now he’s keeping his eyes on the prize and sticking to his plan to build a perennial winner.
Balancing against that, however, is the state of a fan base that longs for a winning product. Since the start of the rebuilding process, the Caps have suffered at the gate, finishing 28th and 27th in attendance in 2005-06 and 2006-07 despite having one of the game’s top talents in Ovechkin. Apparently, it’s going to take more than star power to fix Washington’s fiscal fortunes.
So this summer, it’s up to general manager George McPhee to find the right pieces at the right price to take the next step in the rebuilding process. If the Caps continue losing and show no progress, next summer becomes even harder, and likely, more costly. Will free agents be willing to come to a team that hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2003 over a contender? Will Ovechkin be content? And what will the promotions department have to do to fill Verizon Center’s empty seats?
Leonsis’s plan may be the right one. The Caps’ core of youngsters may be the right group. And passing on this summer’s top free agent centers, assuming the Caps do, may be the right move. At some point though, that plan, that core and these moves have to pay off in the standings.
Come to think of it, weighing the potential risks of future failure against this off-season’s decisions might have all the drama of a summer blockbuster after all — with or without a first-rate star.
Further Picking:
• While Leonsis did not directly mention Sabres’ center Daniel Briere (due to tampering issues), when asked if a player’s contentious past encounters with the Capitals might deter the signing of an extraordinary talent, Leonsis responded by saying “You have to look at his performance, health and how a player fits in the locker room, how he fits with the players you have. You have to perform due diligence because if you mess up, you’re stuck.”
Briere speared two Capitals players in games last season, including Ovechkin.
Would Leonsis shell out guaranteed money to a guy who tried to impale (maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the motion is the same) his franchise player? It’s only a guess, but I’m confident that “No” would be a good one.
• Money and contract terms are usually the biggest deciding factors in signing free agents, but all sorts of factors can have an impact. Leonsis says his free agent pitch includes selling his long-term plan for sustained success, emphasizing Washington as an attractive market with a great quality of life and listing the appeals of the new practice facilities at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, a facility Leonsis believes to be “best in class.”
That facility will also host a uniform unveiling and draft party on June 22. For more information on the event, visit www.washingtoncapitals.com.
• Perhaps the Iceplex will help to lure one or more of these free agents that might appeal to Washington on a short-term contract basis: Paul Kariya (a team-leading 76 points for the Predators), Peter Forsberg (a mentor for fellow Swede Backstrom? Well, when he’s not injured anyway.), Slava Kozlov (28 goals, 52 assists with the Thrashers), Scott Walker (a gritty, 51-point scorer last season with the Hurricanes) and Ken Klee (a former Capital defenseman whose +18 rating led the Avalanche last season).
• Articles from the San Francisco-area press hint that center Patrick Marleau might be available in San Jose, where a disappointing playoff run has been pinned largely on the center’s lackluster postseason play. It would likely take more than the Caps want to offer to pry him loose in a trade, but a line of Ovechkin, Marleau and Chris Clark would haunt goalies’ dreams.
• TV ratings continue to sag for the NHL since the lockout, but Leonsis doesn’t necessarily see those figures as a reflection of the sport’s popularity.
“Everyone is looking at this like it’s a hockey problem, but the No. 1 prime time shows have been getting lower ratings also,” he said.
Leonsis went on to admit that while the Versus network has “fabulous” production quality, they need to promote the NHL better in the manner that ESPN was able to with their family of networks.
“On ESPN they were able to drive viewership by teasing and promoting games from ‘Sportscenter’ and on other networks. On Versus, they’re doing that, but before hockey they have rodeo or bicycle racing. It’s a totally different audience.”
• The Capitals’ attendance was up about 26 fans this season, climbing to 13,931 from 13,905. While it’s not much of an improvement, the numbers mark the first up tick in those declining figures since 2001-02.