As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is center Jeff Halpern, who played his first season in seven years but his fifth overall with the Capitals on this campaign.

Season Summary: Halpern played in 69 games this year for the Capitals, tallying four goals, 12 assists, a -1 rating, and 24 penalty minutes.  His corsi rating was -0.65, the fifth best on the team among forwards at even strength, and he did it against the fourth toughest competition among Washington attackers.  Most importantly for Halpern, however, he won faceoffs at a 58.4% clip, which led the team by a significant margin and was 7th in the NHL among players that took 300 or more draws.  He played pretty much every night until the late stages of the year, at which he point was clearly frustrated with his performance and the way he was being deployed.  69 games isn't shabby, but for a guy like Halpern, he expected more, and he said so in his end of year media availability. Grade: B-

Role Play: Halpern was brought on to this team to do exactly what he did - provide a stable, reliable defensive player in the bottom six that can win faceoffs, kill penalties, and provide a little bit of offensive pop.  Halpern did all of those things very well, and, as far as we know, was steady in the locker room the way you would expect a former captain to be steady in the locker room.  When McPhee signed him, he knew exactly what he was getting, and Halpern was just that.  He had a right to be frustrated with his playing time down the stretch, without a doubt. Grade: B+

Playoffs: Halpern only played in two playoff games, both against the Rangers; he was only inserted into the postseason lineup because of an injury to Jay Beagle and I was disappointed to see him not get ice time at the expense of Keith Aucoin.  In those two playoff games, Halpern was held pointless with a -1 rating and four penalty minutes, so he didn't exactly play great; to be fair, those two games were his first game action in over six weeks at that point. Grade: C-

Future Potential: An unrestricted free agent, Halpern has stated that he wants to continue playing at age 36.  As he proved this year, Halpern can still be a very valuable fourth line player for a competitive team because he can play tough minutes and come through on both sides of the puck, as well as in the faceoff circle.  There is no way that he is done as an NHL player, and I would really like to see him back in DC next year at the right price (750-800k). Grade: B-

The next report card will feature center Mathieu Perreault.

As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.

Next in line of Rock the Red's Capitals Awards Ceremony is the Vezina Trophy, presented to the Caps most outstanding goaltender during the regular season. The Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who has "adjudged to be the best at this position," is the third oldest individual award (behind the Hart and Lady Byng). The winner is selected by a poll of the 30 General Managers of the teams in the NHL following the season, however today's winner was determined by a poll of Rock the Red's bloggers.  The current holder of the trophy is Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins. The finalists for the 2011-12 season are the Los Angeles Kings Jonathan Quick (first nomination), the Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne (second nomination),  and the New York Rangers Henrik Lundqvist (first nomination). The Caps have had two Vezina Trophy winners in its history: Jim Carey (1995-96) and Olaf Kolzig (1999-00). On the homefront, the 2010-11 Capitals Awards Ceremony winner was Michal Neuvirth, and the 2009-10 winner was Jose Theodore.

And the nominees are, in alphabetical order:

Braden Holtby 

Braden Holtby played in seven games for the Washington Capitals during the regular season, making his 2011-12 season debut February 13th in a 5-3 loss at the hands of the San Jose Sharks.  While his first start wasn't impressive, the next time Holts got the nod he took the chance and ran with it- allowing just four goals on 57 shots against Philadelphia and Detroit, and capping it off shutting out the Minnesota. He finished the season with a record of 4-2-1, and compiled a 2.49 GAA and a .922 Sv % working as the third stringer behind Neuvirth and Vokoun.

Michal Neuvirth

Coming off of a 2010-11 season in which he wrestled the starting netminder position away from Semyon Varlomov, 24-year old Michal Neuvirth looked to be the go-to guy for the Caps this season. When Washington inked Tomas Vokoun in free agency, many wrote Neuvi off as a back-up but he performed well enough to win the opening night nod - and injured himself in practice the next day. The rest of his 2011-12 season seemed plagued by injuries and mercurial play. In his 38 games played (30 starts), Neuvi posted an average 13-13-5 record en route to a 2.82 GAA and .903 Sv %. 

Tomas Vokoun

The Washington Capitals signed Tomas Vokoun after free agency had ended to a one-year, $1.5 million contract - which was regarded by some as the steal of the off-season. The Vokes-Wagon started the season strong following a Neuvirth injury, compiling a six game win streak, but then quickly became unreliable due to injury and inconsitant performances.  Vokoun went 25-17-2 in his 48 games this past season, posting a 2.51 GAA and .917 Sv % (his worst since the 2003-04 season) and was considered a dissapointment by many.  Part of Vokoun's season can be attributed to the Caps' road woes - his GAA balloons from 2.05 to 3.03 when playing away from the Verizon Center- or the Caps' offense failing to put the puck in the net (.941 Sv % in wins vs .881 Sv % in losses).

And the winner is...

Some exciting news just arrived from our friends at Defending the Blue Line! The organization just announced that it will be hosting an NHL Players Charity Game on Wednesday, June 20th at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota Campus. The game will feature Minnesota native Matt Hendricks of the Washington Capitals, as well as Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils, Josh Harding and Nate Prosser of the the Minnesota Wild, and many many more. Tickets for the event are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and can be purchased at www.DefendingTheBlueLine.org. In addition to the autograph session prior to the game (free with paid admission to event), DTBL will also be auctioning off player worn sweaters after the game along with other goodies.

If you are not familiar with DTBL, they are a non-profit organization that works to ensure that children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey by providing free equipment for military kids and financial assistance for registration fees, hockey camps, special events,  game tickets, and other costs associated with hockey. All of the proceeds from our t-shirt sales are donated to the charity.

SportsPro Media, a multi-media team that delivers news, insights and analysis on sports, recently named their list of the world's most marketable athletes in 2012. Athletes were chosen not only by home market appeal and sporting performance, but also value for the money, age, charisma, willingness and crossover appeal. Alex Ovechkin was named 11th on the list, being ranked ahead of notable athletes like basketball stars Lebron James and Kevin Durant, multi-sports star Shaun White, and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. Ahead of Ovechkin were NFLer Tim Tebow, golfer Rory McIlroy and sprinter Usain Bolt.

The post heralded Ovechkin as "his country’s biggest sporting star," and detailed his relationship with Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko as well as his deals with Bauer and Nike.

The only other hockey player on the list was Pittsburgh Penguins Center Evgeni Malkin, who was ranked 33rd. The SportsPro Media website offers that Malkin (and possibly fellow country-man Ovechkin) were chosen due to their marketability which is "set to soar over the next couple of years in the lead up to his home Olympics in Sochi in 2014" similar to the "swirl of commercial hype that enveloped Crosby around the time of his home Games."

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is defenseman Jeff Schultz, who finished his seventh and most turbulent year with the organization this past season.

Season Summary: As noted above, Schultz endured the most tumultuous season of his NHL career during this campaign.  Sarge started out the season where he belonged, in the lineup, and performed well for the most part.  After Dale Hunter was hired as coach, Schultz played less and less in December before being benched in favor of John Erskine for the entire month of January despite being substantially better than him.  After February 1st, however, Schultz played almost every night until being sat down in late March; he played in 52 games total, his lowest by far in a full NHL season.  He posted a goal, five assists, and a -2 rating to go along with 12 penalty minutes; he also had a -4.94 corsi rating at even strength, the fourth-worst among the eight defensemen that played in more than 20 games.  He did all of this, however, while facing the fourth-hardest even strength competition among those eight defensemen. Grade: C

Role Play: Jeff Schultz came into this season as the sixth defenseman, and he played that role.  What you want from the sixth best defenseman on your roster is someone who doesn't mess up every time he is on the ice, is defensively responsible, and can block shots.  Contrary to popular belief, Schultz can do all of those things, as evidenced by his statistics and the fact that he blocked 58 shots.  No one expects Schultz to be the best defenseman on the ice, but as a complementary player, he did well.  Good thing, too, because that's what Schultz is. Grade: B

Playoffs: As relatively solid as his regular season was, Schultz's playoffs were not so hot.  He played in ten games, going -7 in them and being held pointless.  He also had the worst even strength corsi rating on the team among defensemen, at -22.28 - and he did that against the easiest competition among all defensemen.  His defensive partner, Dennis Wideman, was certainly to blame for part of that, but Sarge was a constant question mark when he did enter the lineup.  A very poor playoffs from him; I was dissapointed that Dmitry Orlov remained on the bench while Schultz continued to play. Grade: D

Future Potential: Schultz has two more years on his current contract at a salary cap hit of $2.75 million.  Because of his down season and his relatively high price tag, he would probably be tough to trade should the Capitals try and go that route, but he could always been fodder for a team looking to get to the salary cap floor, especially at the draft.  If he stays with the Caps, though, expect more of the same; he would probably play almost every night next season, however, because of the likely departure of Dennis Wideman.  At age 26, Schultz may even get better before he gets worse, but we just don't know at this point. Grade: C+

The next report card will feature center Jeff Halpern.

As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is forward Cody Eakin, who finished his first professional season this year with the Capitals and their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Season Summary: As many expected he would in his first season out of major junior in the Western Hockey League, Eakin split his time between Washington and Hershey throughout the season.  Eakin was called up a month into the season and played pretty much every night for a month before his lineup time dwindled in late December.  It picked up again in mid January, but Eakin only played in one game after February 1st, and it was as an injury replacement.  Overall, the young center played in 30 games, recording four goals, eight points, a plus-two rating, four penalty minutes, and 31 shots on goal.  Eakin's corsi rating was -1.12, not good, but not terrible either, compared to some of the other numbers on this team this season. Grade: C

Role Play: Eakin was called up to be a spark, and during his first month in the Washington lineup, he was just that, recording two goals and five points in November.  But after that, he really cooled off, being relied more upon a checking role that he struggled in.  Overall, however, I would say that for a third round pick playing his first professional season, Eakin was pretty darned good considering all of the circumstances.  I didn't expect him to do much at all, and though I feel as though I was in the minority here, he didn't disappoint me. Grade: B

Playoffs: Eakin did not play in a single playoff game this season, though he was recalled as one of the "black aces" after the Bears were eliminated from the playoffs in late April. Grade: N/A

Future Potential: Eakin is a player that has been highly touted his entire junior and professional career so far, at one point being traded in the WHL for five players and three draft picks.  However, after this pro season, I think his value took a bit of a hit.  To me, he still profiles as a third line center or, at best second line winger; the kind of guy who can give you between 40 and 50 points a season with good speed and a solid defensive presence.  Eakin will be good, but I don't think he will be as most think he will.  I would not be suprised if Georege McPhee dangled him a trade bait this offseason to try and address needs, especially because he is the type of player that some executives may really desire; one they would want in exchange for a player the Capitals require.  Regardless, I have no doubt he will be a productive, if unspectacular, NHL player. Grade: B+

The next report card will feature defenseman Jeff Schulz.

As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is rough and tumble defenseman John Erskine, who completed his sixth, and most frustrating, season in the Capitals organization this year.

Season Summary: During this campaign, Erskine suffered through by far the most turbulent season in a Capitals uniform.  After being injured at the start of the year, he was in and out of the lineup for a prolonged period before finally being yanked for basically the remainder of the regular season in early February.  Overall, Erskine posted zero goals, two assists, a plus-three rating, and 51 penalty minutes in 28 games, the second fewest he has ever played at the NHL level.  Erskine also had the sixth-best even strength corsi rating among Capitals defensemen (-5.07) who played more than 20 games, and he did it against the second-easiest competition on the team. Grade: C-

Role Play: John Erskine is a guy who is on your team to hit people and clear out the front of the net.  He's not offensively gifted, he's not a shot blocker.  He's a low-end sixth defenseman/healthy scratch.  That's what he was this year.  When Erskine was in the lineup, he was physical, he was mean, and he was tough.  He cleared people out in front of the net and he hit people.  But that's what is expected of him, and it's not particularly valuable to this team, or any team, really.  Nevertheless, he did what many people pegged him for heading in to this season, which was, quite frankly, not much. Grade: C+

Playoffs: Erskine saw action in four playoff games, compiling a single assist, a minus-one rating, and zero penalty minutes.  He also had the second worst corsi rating (-21.35) at even strength, but this time, he did it against the toughest competition among Capitals defensemen.  I thought Erskine's playoffs were not that bad, all things considered, but his insertion into the lineup, it seemed, was almost always a reactionary move.  He was big and physical against big and physical teams, so I don't slight him for that.  But the fact remains that he simply isn't a very good defenseman, particularly in Hunter's system because of his lack of shot blocking skills. Grade: C

Future Potential: Erskine has one more year left on his contract at a minimal salary cap hit of $1.5 million.  That's not a ton, but it's not even close to ideal for a defenseman who plays fewer than 30 games.  With the uncertainty surrounding Dennis Wideman, Mike Green, and John Carlson, who are all free agents in some capacity this offseason, I expect Erskine to stick around.  If (when) Wideman leaves via unrestricted free agency, and Green and Carlson stay put as restricted free agents, as I expect them to, that would leave one lineup spot, which I would hope would be filled with Dmitry Orlov, meaning Erskine would be the 7th defenseman once more.  For someone who will be 32 at the end of June, Erskine's career arc is firmly trending downward.  Don't expect much from him this year or in any years after that.  Grade: D+

The next report card will feature center Cody Eakin.

As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.