What To Expect From Marcus Johansson

On paper, Marcus Johansson doesn't stand out in any particular way.  The Washington Capitals prospect nicknamed "Mackan" in Sweden is not the biggest player at 5'11 and 190 pounds and he doesn't have flashy numbers.  Even scouts who see him play will say that he doesn't have any particular facet of his game that stands out [Hockey's Future, NHL Draft Scouting Report, Scouting Report, Draft Story]. 

Marcus Johansson on draft day 

Rather, it is his all-around game that is his strength.  A left-shooting forward, he can play center and left-winger equally well.  He is a smart, fast player adept at both offense and defense and he usually comes away with the puck in the corners.  He likes to play with the puck and can usually find the open man with a pass, but he also has a nice shot selection he needs to use more often.  He has good stickhandling skills and good hand-eye coordination, skills that serve him well when he often plays in the heavy traffic areas.  He can be physical but doesn't usually seek contact, which is not surprising considering his 3 concussions, though there have been exceptions:

Boyd Gordon's Past and Future

Washington Capitals checking forward Boyd Gordon is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.  He made $761,250 last season.  In order to retain his services, the Capitals will have to tender him at least a 1-year qualifying offer of 110% of his 2009-10 salary, which equates to $837,375.  Judging by his history and his recent season, all indications point to him accepting his qualifying offer. 

#15 Boyd Gordon

Jeff Schultz's Contract

Washington Capitals top-pairing defenseman Jeff Schultz is a restricted free agent this summer.  He made $715,000 last season.  In order to retain his services, the Capitals will have to tender him at least a 1-year qualifying offer of 110% of his 2009-10 salary, which equates to $786,500.  Judging by other young defensemen around the league, Schultz should earn quite a bit more than that, a multi-year deal in the millions.

#55 Jeff Schultz

Faceoff Comparison: Philadelphia-Washington

I have broken down the faceoffs between the centermen on the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers.  For the purposes of this comparison, I am including numbers from both the regular season and the playoffs (through April 25th.)

I will focus this discussion on the four primary Washington Capitals centers who took the most draws against the Flyers this year:  Brendan Morrison, Nicklas Backstrom, and David Steckel.  I will also include notes on two leading Capitals faceoff men who saw limited action against the Flyers this year: Boyd Gordon (2 games) and Eric Belanger (1 game).

From the Philadelphia Flyers, I will focus on Mike Richards, Blair Betts, and Claude Giroux, the three healthy players who have taken the most faceoffs for the Flyers this season.  Top faceoff winner Jeff Carter (52.1% of 1,378 draws this season) is out indefinitely after foot surgery, surgery that is required because the Flyers shot themselves in the foot. 

Injured #17 Jeff Carter

It looks like the Capitals will have a tougher time in the faceoff circle this series than they did against the Canadiens.  Even without Carter, the Flyers have better faceoff men than the Habs and certain matchups are less than favorable.  That does not mean the Capitals will struggle, though.

Is it time for fresh troops?

With the uninspired play displayed by several Capitals in Game 5, it might be time to deploy new soldiers for Game 6.  The first reason is the players who were benched will be raring to go, the second reason being the players who get benched will be raring to go the next time they play.

The question becomes, what do the Capitals have on the bench and what does that mean for the lineup?

Forwards
Center David Steckel is a known quantity in these playoffs, having already appeared in the first two games of the series.  He had a +1 rating, no points or penalties, and won 14 of 24 faceoffs (58.3%). 

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#39 David Steckel

Capital Milestones, 4/22/10

After last night's game in Montreal, several Capitals have achieved milestones.

-Semyon Varlamov won his 10th career playoff game.  With his 3rd win of the season, he has moved into second place in team history in wins by a rookie, behind himself.  Remember he turns 22 in five days.  

#40 Semyon Varlamov

Caps Notes 3/30/10 - Perreault Continues to Impress

-Congratulations to Jason Chimera, who recorded his 100th NHL assist last night on Mike Green's goal.

-Mathieu Perreault continues to make his case:  he already has as many goals (4) and points (9) this season as Alexandre Giroux has in his entire NHL career.  I think I know which one won't be recalled again this year.

Perreault already knows how to celebrate like a pro.

-We'll need Boyd Gordon's 60.1% faceoff win percentage come playoff time. After Gordon and 4th line center David Steckel (59.7%, 609 of 1020), the Capitals faceoff leaders are Brendan Morrison (51.2%, 486 of 948) and Nicklas Backstrom (49.9%, 620 of 1242).   Yikes.