Stanley Cup Playoffs 2010

Thanks for the info Dirtbag. I am glad the Caps have some nice prospects. I was pissed the Habs kicked their keisters, but the Wings have had first round upsets the past decade also, only to bounce back and win the Cup again. Only team I cheer for more than the Caps is the Wings of course. We better win tonight or we are next on the chopping block.

Thanks for the info Dirtbag. I am glad the Caps have some nice prospects. I was pissed the Habs kicked their keisters, but the Wings have had first round upsets the past decade also, only to bounce back and win the Cup again. Only team I cheer for more than the Caps is the Wings of course. We better win tonight or we are next on the chopping block.

No problem, good to see you still have the Wings who have little problem on defense with Howard and Lindstrom. In the meantime some other Caps news.

For Backstrom, $7 million?
7:28
AM ET
Nicklas Backstrom | Capitals Top Email

Nicklas Backstrom is set to cash in this offseason as an unrestricted free agent and, after making $2.4 million this season, analysts expect that number to perhaps triple in this new contract.

Backstrom will be priority No. 1 for the Caps, and he hinted to CSN that he doesn't have the urge to leave (so he won't go hunting for an offer sheet anywhere.)

So three times $2.4 million is $7.2 million, which is how much GM George McPhee should budget for Backstrom as he signs other free agents like Eric Fehr and Tomas Fleischmann. And what will make that number stay that high is how the Caps gave Alexander Semin a one-year, $6 million extension early this season. And by all accounts, Backstrom is the guy they want to keep for the long-term. Semin might even get traded before his contract is up.

Belanger's likely back
7:22
AM ET
Eric Belanger | Capitals Top Email

Eric Belanger is the only trade deadline acquisition the Washington Capitals are likely to retain for next season.

Belanger told the Washington Post, "It's my priority number one right now to see if we can get something done before July 1."

Scott Walker and Joe Corvo, the other two deadline acquisitions, probably won't be back. Part of it is that their collective cap hit was about $5 million this year, and the Caps will need that money to retain some other guys.

Meanwhile, Belagner, 32, came over from the Wild and made $1.75 million this season.

Theodore hitting the market
7:17
AM ET
Jose Theodore | Capitals Top Email

Despite the painful playoff loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals goalie Jose Theodore finished the regular season on an incredible hot streak.

However, Theodore probably won't be retained this offseason when he becomes a free agent. The Washington Post speculates that it doesn't, since he was replaced early in the playoff series by Semyon Varlamov, the Caps might look another direction this offseason.

Now, depending on what the Caps feel about their young goalies, they might sign a veterans free agent, if they think it's their one barrier to a Stanley Cup -- Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov are available. However, the Caps have both Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth so they may choose to go with these two youngster, although there is risk involved in going with guys who are barely 22.

I don't know why but ESPN Insider can't seem to fathom the fact that the Caps interest in taking on another veteran net minder is luke warm at best.

Nabokov might be a good pickup like Hasek was for the Wings a few years back to start til the youngsters are ready. I am sure Varmalov could do well in the regular season, but the playoffs is another matter when it comes down to the best of 7 and one game might be for all the marbles. It could go either way, these rooks can lock things down also, but being able to put in a cool customer in the net when it is all on the line is nice.

Amazing that they still have talent coming up through the ranks. I don't know how Semin would take to being traded. Personally I wonder weather or not he would become depressed seeing as how the only guys he can really talk to are other Russians. Sending him to a team without Russians could leave him feeling isolated.

They also have another Sweed coming up through the ranks in Anton Gustafsson who could end up being that second line center we need. People wonder why we don't make big trades and the like, in reality it's probably because they have so much talent at the devleopmental level that screwing up their cap situation wouldn't be worth one or two big names with hard to move contracts. Not to mention the cost of probably giving up one of these players that could be the next great young Cap.

i feel like he is gonna hang around next year and then head back to russia and make money back there he really seems to hate america, i just don't see him staying in the nhl and not playing fo the caps

i'd like to see this guy get more playing time next season. he's one of those real scrappy guys, always hustles. he had 4 goals and 5 assists in only 21 games this season.

Mathieu Perreault

Freaking Halack. Guy can't help but stop pucks. Makes me feel a little better about loosing to Canadians. If there was any possible 8th seed team that the NHL would have felt good about beating both Sid the Kid and OV it would have been Montreal.

Schadenfreude (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude)

.gif fail

Schadenfreude (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude)

.gif fail

Ha ha, that is so me right now. I'm rooting against Pittsburgh and Lebron right now to justify OV and the Caps first round loss.

Ha ha, that is so me right now. I'm rooting against Pittsburgh and Lebron right now to justify OV and the Caps first round loss.

Me too. Misery loves company. It's great seeing Queen James crap the bed, and man oh man it was so sweet seeing the Pens crap the bed at home in Game 7. Fleury tonight reminded me of Varly in game 7 vs the Pens last year.

just want to reaffirm the last couple of posts itt