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| elvafeng |
Posted on 03-07-17, 09:10 am
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Karma: 100 Posts: 3/4 Since: 03-07-17 Last post: 2951 days Last view: 2951 days |
With the NHL’s trade deadline approaching, Washington Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan called Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin into his office a few weeks ago to ask the faces of the franchise how they felt about the construction of the team.
Washington tore through January and much of February, moving into first place in the league standings. MacLellan was happy with the team and didn’t see any holes that could burn the Capitals in the postseason, but he wanted his players’ perspective. So he asked the two mainstays who’d endured the most failed playoff runs with this organization. “They’re usually thinking a little differently because of their personalities,” MacLellan said. “Ovi’s like, ‘Just get someone.’ Nick’s, ‘Wait, wait http://www.wacapitalsjersey.com/jay-beagle-jersey-c-2.html, wait, wait, don’t.’ It’s kind of a fun dynamic. Our team, they’re the key guys — those two and [goaltender Braden] Holtby. We’re trying to do everything around them. Make their lives easier so they can compete hard.” [The biggest moves and takeaways from the NHL trade deadline] Not that MacLellan was getting his marching orders from Backstrom and Ovechkin, but his one significant move before Wednesday’s trade deadline made both Backstrom and Ovechkin happy, even if it seemed their opinions differed slightly. MacLellan got arguably the best player available on the market in defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. In doing so, he didn’t upset the chemistry of the team by trading away anyone off Washington’s regular NHL roster. MacLellan also showed his superstars how invested he is in this season, dealing a valued prospect in forward Zach Sanford and more of what few high draft picks the organization has for a rental player that gives the Capitals the best defensive depth in the league. “This is an all in thing from his standpoint,” Backstrom said. “I feel like he’s really trying to make this team better, so we can have better success in the playoffs.” [Caps make one last move on deadline day] Backstrom said he saw that meeting as MacLellan asking Backstrom and Ovechkin, two captains who have been with the organization for a decade, how the team was feeling about its postseason chances. While Backstrom gave MacLellan his opinion that he was encouraged by how the team had been playing Dmitry Orlov Jersey, he didn’t consider the conversation MacLellan asking him or Ovechkin what the organization should do. In the same vein http://www.wacapitalsjersey.com/lars-eller-jersey-c-3.html, Ovechkin didn’t necessarily push for MacLellan to make a big move. “Yeah, I’m always texting him,” Ovechkin said sarcastically. “No, obviously, we talk. It’ll stay between us. Right now, the situation is you can see the organization thinks this is a team who can do it. It’s a good sign.” Even before the trade for Shattenkirk on Monday night, MacLellan said he was trying to instill a sense of “urgency” into Washington’s locker room. This is the second season of what MacLellan has previously referred to as a “two year window” with this corps of players. The Capitals entered the season with 10 players in a contract year, including four scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. Pay raises for restricted free agents such as Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky and Dmitry Orlov mean Washington will be limited in which unrestricted players it can re sign, potentially forced to part with T.J. Oshie, Justin Williams and Karl Alzner. That’s something Williams has brought up in team meetings throughout the season, and it’s one of the reasons the group is so close knit and didn’t want to see anyone go before the trade deadline. [Banged up T.J. Oshie, Brooks Orpik close to return] There’s also the reality that Ovechkin, 31, and Backstrom, 29, are running out of opportunities to lead a team past the second round of the playoffs — uncharted territory for them. The team has reduced the ice time for both players to help keep them fresher for the postseason. Backstrom is leading the Capitals in scoring, but Ovechkin’s goal production is down, he is unlikely to extend his streak of 50 goal seasons to four in a row, and he’s averaged fewer shots on goal in the process. Asked if this is the best team that’s surrounded Ovechkin and Backstrom, MacLellan said it is. “I’m not going to say, ‘This is the year,’ ” Backstrom said. “But we’ve been playing good so far, and we’re first in the standings. … We’ll see what’s going to happen in the playoffs.” Sports Daily newsletter Sports news with a focus on D.C. area teams. Sign up Washington will again have a challenging playoff path because its division is so competitive. Should the Capitals win their first round matchup, they’d likely have to play the winner of a series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round. Those two teams have the second and third most points in the Eastern Conference, and Pittsburgh is the defending Stanley Cup champion and last team to oust Washington from the postseason in the second round. At past trade deadlines under MacLellan, the Capitals were mostly quiet with the exception of depth moves while their rivals went for the splash. Washington’s push for Shattenkirk took some members of its locker room by surprise. “It’s pretty neat,” Alzner said. “You’re usually sitting there and thinking, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that team picked so and so up, and this is going to be really good for them.’ Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. The rumor that I heard is that we were battling for Shattenkirk against Pittsburgh, and you definitely don’t want them to have him. So, it feels good that we could pick him up. It’s nice to see that we’re the team that got the prize at the end of the day.” So, now what? “Every year we talk about http://www.wacapitalsjersey.com/nicklas-backstrom-jersey-c-1.html, ‘This is our year, this is our year,’ ” Ovechkin said. “Enough talking. I think it’s time to do something.” |
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