Dyn-o-mite - Washington Capitals, and other hockey teams in the Southeast Division

Hockey Digest, Nov, 2001 by Barry Wilner

With J.J. (a.k.a., Jaromir Jagr) coming to town, these should be good times for the Washington Capitals

IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH FOR THE Washington Capitals to swing the Southeast Division in their favor. Only one of the biggest heists in history of the NHL.

Jaromir Jagr, the five-time NHL scoring champion--who, at 29, still is in his prime--cost the Capitals close to nothing. To bring in such a proven, albeit sometimes lazy and petulant player, without giving up any established skaters is nothing short of grand larceny.

Bringing him to the Washington D.C. should be enough to keep the Capitals atop the mediocre Southeast, where only the Carolina Hurricanes are a viable contender. Will Washington rise to elite status in the East, a place it rarely has reached? Only if Jagr fits in well and gets help from a variety of non-stars who now are his teammates.

"I do hope it answers two questions," Capitals owner Ted Leonsis says of the Jagr trade. "One, can we get great players to come to Washington, D.C? Two, I hope it knocks the chip off of people's shoulders. We're as good a team as any others now, and I hope the attendance and ticket sales prove it.

"It's kind of like when we got Michael Jordan, right?" Well, not exactly. Jordan, of course, was hired as an executive. Jagr still is a big-time player--although nowhere near the category of MJ.

Only the Caps and Hurricanes made the playoffs last year from this division, where the other three members can be charitably described as also-rans. But neither Washington nor Carolina got past the first round, falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils, respectively.

There was not much upheaval by the Canes, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Atlanta Thrashers, who will rely on developing their youngsters. Only the Florida Panthers, under new ownership that includes former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, were particularly aggressive in the marketplace, uniting the Bure brothers, by bringing in Valeri from Calgary to join Pavel.

The separation between the top spot (Washington), the runner-up berth (Carolina), and the rest of the Southeast will be a Grand Canyon again this season. The Capitals and Canes have the best goaltending in the sector and more experienced players. While the other teams seem willing to spend, they don't seem to be spending all that wisely.

1. Washington Capitals

2000-2001 Record:   W     L     T     OTL    GF     GA     Pts.
                    41    27    10     4     233    211     96

WHILE SOME TERRIFIC PLAYERS have made their way through Washington, the Capitals never have had a franchise player like Jaromir Jagr. He'll come in particularly handy in the playoffs, when, except for their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998, the Caps have been underachievers. Of course, heal have to upgrade his recent postseason work.

No team will rely more on Europeans than Washington, and how ironic is that? Arguably, the four best players are Jagr (Czech Republic), goalie Olaf Kolzig (Germany), winger Peter Bondra (Slovakia), and defenseman Sergei Gonchar (Russia).

On the attack: With Jagr, Bondra, Adam Oates, Ulf Dahlen, Steve Konowalchuk, and the rapidly improving Jeff Halpern, the Caps won't bore people to tears on offense. When Gonchar is making the right decisions from the blue line, the entire unit can be formidable.

Bondra had 22 power-play goals last year and his line could be devastating with Jagr and Oates joining him. Halpern quickly has become a favorite with his hard work and versatility. Overall, though, there isn't much depth up front, and Washington's third line doesn't match up against better teams.

Under fire: Gonchar is too flighty, so coach Ron Wilson often has to remind the blue-liner that his first duties are defensive. Calle Johansson is solid, but more is needed from Ken Klee, Jason Marshall, and Brendan Witt.

Between the pipes: Kolzig, one of the biggest NHL goalies, has become one of the most dependable--during the regular season. But his implosions in the playoffs are worrisome. With no solid backup, Kolzig will play about 65 games. He tallied 37 victories last season but wasn't steady enough vs. the Pens in the playoffs. Craig Billington has been the No. 2 netminder, but the Caps are looking to upgrade.

Behind the bench: Wilson took a perennial postseason flop to the Finals in '98. But he hasn't been able to recapture that magic, and with Jagr on hand, the pressure will mount. Still, Wilson can be a fiery motivator, and he has a chance to open things up a bit with the team's upgraded offense.

Bottom line: There is so little competition in this division that the Caps probably would have won it without getting Jagr. Now, they should have their eyes on bigger prizes, such as chasing down the East's elite teams.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

2000-2001 Record:   W     L     T     OTL    GF     GA     Pts.
                    38    32    9      3     212    225     88

IT ISN'T DIFFICULT TO MEASURE what last year's playoff appearance meant to the Canes. By pushing the New Jersey Devils to six games, they made hockey a viable option on Tobacco Road. It won't ever rival college hoops, nor will it challenge NASCAR. But people have become interested in Raleigh's hockey club, which got a real boost in season-ticket sales. "We've had some really great crowds in here at some key times, and they've always pushed our team," coach Patti Maurice says. "Maybe people from the outside will say, 'Wow, they've got something going on there.'"