Will the Bears be a Playoff Team?

I said early on in the season that we would know what kind of team these Bears are around Thanksgiving.  Because of the new coach, new players, and infrequent schedule early in the year I expected them to look sluggish for a while.

It would appear that Coach Haviland was kind of expecting something similar.  All season long the Bears have played similar as they did on Wednesday night (poorly if you weren't there) and he hasn't said much about it outside of general coach-speak.

But that changed Wednesday night.  He let his frustration through in his post-game remarks:

“Again, we had way too many passengers tonight,” Haviland said. “Way too many. It's just a common theme right now. I don't know if we need to figure something out here.

“We've moved guys in and out of the lineup. Guys have gone in and have done nothing with it. Guys have gotten taken out and trying to wake up and they've done nothing with it. I don't know what guys are waiting for. The next step, we all know what that is.”

Coach Mike Haviland can see it.  Guys don't seem to want it.  They don't want to to work hard for the puck.  They don't want to get their noses dirty.

The problems in the organization run much deeper than that (more on that later...this might turn into a long post), but the problem with this team is simple...

No energy.  No passion.

On nights where the Bears take the body and hit the opponent often, they play better and actually win.  We saw it last Saturday against Binghamton.  They came out fast, hit guys, and skated away with a huge victory.

Then they came out Sunday and stood around and watched as the Senators moved the puck all around them and took back all of the good feelings from Saturday night.

It really is simple.  Look at the teams Hershey won championships with.

2005-06 had guys like Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, Graham Mink, Boyd Kane, Dean Arsene, and (possibly most importantly) Louis Robitaille.

I know Louis wasn't a great hockey player by any standard...but he brought an energy with him to the rink.

2008-09 saw Kip Brennan, Minker, Jay Beagle, Arsene, Greg Amadio, and (again, possibly most importlantly) Steve Pinizzotto.

Pinizzotto was (and is) a better player than Louis, but he brought the same kind of energy to the rink every night.  His role was to be the agitator, to hit guys, and to by physical.  He did it well.

2009-10 saw many of those same players take the ice.  Obviously the play of Alexandre Giroux, Keith Aucoin, Andrew Gordon, and Chris Bourque at the offensive end was especially important, but without the energy and physical play the other guys brought, it would have been a different team.

The last few years has seen those physical players dwindle in Hershey.  And this years team is again limited.  They have plenty of guys that can (and want to) score, but no one to clear a path to the net to open up lanes for the puck.

Think about it.  Pinner would come out and hit people for 30 seconds while going 100 miles per hour and then a line with Giroux Aucoin and Mink would come out and score a goal.  Mink would crash the net and disrupt the defense while Giroux and Aucoin dazzled everyone.

Now?  Nothing.

The general belief is that fights get the crowd and players into it.  It gives them a boost of energy.  And that is true.  But you know what else does...a huge (legal) hit in open ice or in the corners.  Or just a guy skating around at 100 mph hitting everyone on the other team.

Hershey has a guy similar to that right now.  And I can't believe I am going to say this, but...

Joel Rechlicz needs to play every single game AND he needs to get regular ice time ALL GAME LONG.  He brings the energy that this team needs.

As soon as he steps on the ice you can feel the vibe change.  Opposing players don't want to hold on to the puck for as long if he is nearby.  The crowd gets into it as he skates as fast as he can in what appears to be no particular pattern.

Is Joel a good hockey player...he obviously is good enough to be on an AHL roster.  The only Joel would need to learn in this new role is that his job IS NOT TO FIGHT.  Fighting isn't a problem necessarily, but what the Bears really need is the energy.

Pinner, Louis, and Amadio could all fight if necessary (although some might question Robitaille's desire), but that wasn't their #1 role or goal when the stepped on the ice.

There are other guys on the Bears that can play this way too.  Dane Byers has been doing a good job of it so far this year.  Garrett Mitchell used to do it, but has seen his play (and ice time...he was actually a healthy scratch recently) drop this year.  Brandon Segal can hit and has at times.  Josh Brittain brought energy to the lineup when he played.  Jeff Taffe can hit and does, some games more than others.

But I don't think any of them (other than Joel and Dane) are in Pinner or Robitaille's class when it comes to hitting and agitating.

Problem is...Dane is also trying to score goals and LEAD the team while Joel rarely gets a sweater to wear.

Maybe that will change now.  Coach Haviland's words seem to indicate that guys will be held more accountable...we will see.



Now for the organizational problems that are causing problems in Hershey (and Washington).

An inability to recognize talent AND an inability to be realistic about expectations.

Tomas Fleischmann.  Cody Eakin.  Filip Forsberg.  Mathieu Perreault.

Right there are 4 players that could be helping the Washington Capitals right now if GM George McPhee hadn't determined they were expendable.

Ok, sometimes you have to trade good players to get better.  I get that.  So let's see...

Flash was traded for defenseman Scott Hannan.  He doesn't play for the Caps anymore and only did for the rest of that one season.  Fleischmann has averaged over .5 point per game over the last three years and isn't even 30 years old yet.

Eakin was traded to Dallas for Mike Ribeiro.  Oh and GMGM also sent a 2nd round pick to Dallas in the deal (more on the picks later).  Ribeiro was a really good player for the Caps....for one (shortened) season.  Then they let him walk for no compensation.  Eakin has 14 points in 24 games for the Stars this season and is 22 years old.

Forsberg was traded to the Nashville Predators for Michael Latta and Martin Erat last season.  The jury is still out on Forsberg as he is only 19, he has 1 goal and 4 assists in 12 NHL games this year as well as on Latta, who doesn't have the same level of expectations.  But Erat was thought to be a key piece of this deal that would make it worth while for the Caps.  Well...apparently not.  He has spent much of 13-14 on the 4th line and has recently requested a trade.

Perry was the odd man out in camp this year so the Caps sent the diminutive pivot to Anaheim for...John Mitchell and a 4th round pick.  Nothing against John Mitchell...but the Caps will have to get a hell of player with the pick to make this even out.  Perry has 5 goals and 10 assists in 26 games with the Ducks.  Oh and he is only 25.

So, let's recap:

Capitals trade four players, Fleischmann, Eakin, Forsberg, and Perreault, who are all STILL under the age of 30 for Erat, Latta, and Mitchell.  Maybe that's short sighted since there were other players involved, but the fact is...each of the 4 could still be in Washington...producing at a young age...but instead the Caps have nothing for them.


OH...and Dmitry Orlov has demanded a trade too.  Funny thing is...I just told my wife the other day that the Caps should probably trade him.  He is no different than the other names on this list.

A talented player that the Caps either can't find a spot for or can't develop.  Might as well trade him for a few pucks and a 7th round pick.

Quite honestly, his value isn't going to up anymore with the Capitals.  They obviously don't want to play him in Washington so he can't prove his worth there.  Maybe that's the right call by Oates, I don't know, but the longer he stays in Hershey the more teams are going to question his abilities and the lower his value will drop.

Ok.  So maybe I cherry-picked some data there.  I am sure McPhee has made some shrewd deals.  The Varlamov deal was pretty good.  But the fact remains the same...he is shipping out young talent and getting very little in return.

I said it last spring when they did the Forsberg deal.  McPhee's goal each year is to make the playoffs.  That's it.  He will sell the future for the present each and every time and is incapable of seeing a teams true potential and/or limitations.

Damn near every person on the planet knew the Capitals weren't a Stanley Cup team last year (could you have imagined them against the Hawks in the finals?  HA).  Except for one, George McPhee.

This year isn't much different.  Despite their high position in the worst division in hockey, the Capitals are NOT a true Stanley Cup contender.

And they aren't one or two players away either.  Yet come trade deadline time you can bet that McPhee will add one or two pieces at the expense of the future because he is seeing this team through rose-colored glasses.




Ok...but what the hell does this have to do with the Bears?  All those trades impacted the Caps mainly and if anything only helped the Bears with depth.

The Bears best years were built on the backs of Capitals prospects.  The last few years have seen very few high-end Capitals prospects in Hershey, outside of the goalies.  That's thanks to 2 reasons:

1.  Trading Draft Picks for Aging Vets.

I couldn't find a complete list of McPhee trades online and wasn't going to create one.  BUT I know he constantly traded picks for players in the 2009-2011 time frame.  One I distinctly remember was the Caps getting Joe Corvo in the 2010-11 season for a 2nd round pick.  Not a good trade.

2.  Consistently Drafting European Players.

Alexander Ovechkin and Nicholas Backstrom are great players.  So are many of the other European born NHLers.  And there are certainly plenty of North American born players that don't pan out.

The problem for the Bears and Caps is that European players don't always even want to play in the US.  And most definitely don't want to play in the AHL.  They figure that they can get enough experience in their home countries.  Sometimes it is true...other times it isn't.

You combine those two things and you see that the Caps have had fewer top end draft picks in recent years AND they continuously draft European born players who will never play in the AHL with the few picks they have.



The pick trading phase slowed in recent years and there are players in the Capitals pipeline that will likely play in Hershey that have talent and will impact the Bears.  And that kind of problem is generally a temporary one anyways as teams organizational depth varies from year to year as draft picks are made and signed.

It helps to explain though why the Bears have been an average AHL team the last few seasons...they just don't have the talent of other teams.  You can look it from any number of angles, but the higher the pick the more talent he has.  Sure guys that are undrafted or late round picks surprise from time to time, but while you hear those stories told a lot, there are more players helping AHL and NHL teams that were 1st and 2nd picks than 6th and 7th rounders.

The next few years will see more and more young talent in Hershey.  But until then the Bears have to find a way to work with what is there.

They have talent, they have speed (some of it anyways), and they have some young guys.  Now what they need is a group of guys that actually wants to win at any cost.

They need guys that will block shots with their face if necessary (although definitely not encouraged).  They need guys that will put opposing players through the glass if given the opportunity.  They need guys that will go to the front of the net and get cross-checked in the back in order to obstruct the goalies view.

They need guys who want to play hockey...not just score goals and make pretty plays.


If you made it this far, thanks for reading.  That was a long post and probably rambled on at times.  I appreciate your commitment to reading my rant.

What Ails our Bears?

The Hershey Bears currently sit in 5th place in the East Division with 7 points.  They are 5 points back of 4th place Binghamton and 10 points back from 1st place Wilkes-Barre.

The Bears currently reside in 12 place in the Eastern Conference, just 2 points from last.

The Bears have won 2 games.  That is more than only the Utica Comets, who haven't won a game.

The Bears have been outscored 12-2 in the 3rd period of games this year.  That is easily the worst in the league.  (They are actually outscoring the opposition 10-7 in the first and 11-7 in the second.)

The Bears rank 22nd in goals scored per game with 2.56.

The Bears are 23rd in goals allowed per game with 3.22.


I might not know a ton, but I know that this is about as bad a start to the season as you can have.  Especially considering the expectations that this team brought with them into the season.

So what gives?  Why is this team "under-performing"?

Well, for one, I figured they would be a slow starting team already.  Lots of new faces and a new coach usually spells a slow start for teams.  The 2006 Calder Cup winning Bears lost 5 of their first 9 games.

So some of this is to be expected.

But even that team won 4 in their first 9.

Now maybe if the referees this past weekend wouldn't have (potentially) blown 2 calls the outcomes would have been different.  If you haven't been paying attention there was a goal waved off in the Wilkes-Barre game on Saturday that sure looked in to everyone but referee Ryan Fraser.  And on Sunday another goal was waved off due to a phantom hand pass.

The thing will sports (and life) is that you can't know what would have happened if those calls go the other way, but we would all love to believe things would have worked out.

Hershey would have tied the game Saturday 3-3 and likely gone to overtime against the Pens.  And Sunday the Bears (theoretically) would have been up 4-2 after one period instead of 3-2.  And (theoretically) it would have ended 4-3.

Obviously that is a short-sighted look at it, but it's my blog and I chose to do that.

If the Bears manage to win those 2 games then they would have 4 wins and 5 losses after 9 games...the same as the 05-06 Bears.

But just because there is a new coach and players doesn't explain it all either.  Yes it will take time, but at some point things have to start going better.

Why hasn't that happened?

My personal belief?  Too many mouths to feed and a lack of consistency in the lineup.

Hershey has not had the same lineup for any 2 games this year.  9 games...different lineup each game.  And that is just the overall lineup.  My guess is you have seen different lines and defensive pairings in each game as well.

The problem with this is that guys can't learn tendencies and adjust to each other on the fly if they aren't playing with each other on a regular basis.

Look at the Caps.  When healthy they generally run the exact same lineup out each night with maybe a slight adjustment on the 4th line.  They don't change the top lines and pairings unless a guy is struggling or there is an injury.

You could make the argument for practice, but you can't accurately simulate game moments during practice.
Now this isn't to say that the Bears will never get it unless Haviland sticks with a certain lineup.  No, they will figure it out, but the longer he toys with lineups and lines the longer it will take.

Some of this is out of Haviland's hands.  When the Caps send Dmitry Orlov down on a Sunday with the express purpose of him dressing and playing, he has to do it.

But the more you can go with a constant lineup the better the Bears will get.

Part of this problem goes beyond Haviland and onto Yingst for signing too many veterans for the 3rd straight year.  I understand wanting to have veteran leadership in the locker room, but to have 6 guys for 5 spots seems like you are just asking for trouble.

Sure, it often times 'works itself out' with injuries, but it is more often an issue.  Right now you have 6 veterans and Strachan is the only defenseman.  He sat out one game.

Derek Whitmore, Jeff Taffe, and Dane Byers are veterans and they have played every game so far.  Rightfully so as they are probably 3 of the best players so far.

But that means that between Jamie Johnson and Brandon Segal, one guy has to sit every night.  Both of those guys can play, but they play different roles.  Segal is a physical guy that can play on the bottom two lines, while Johnson is an offensive-minded player with more skill situated best on the top 2 lines.

So when Johnson is in the top 2 lines see a change and then when he sits someone else moves up.  Segal moving in and out of the lineup is less disruptive as he has mostly played on the 4th line from what I have seen.

Obviously this is all a small sample size look at things and probably an oversimplification of the problem, but until Haviland settles on a lineup, forward lines, and defensive pairings the Bears are going to struggle to string together consistent performances.

What you end up with are periods of solid play followed by stretches of guys looking lost.  This happens because guys don't "know" their teammates yet.

Giroux and Aucoin were so good together because they knew exactly where the other was going when a certain situation presented itself.  But that didn't happen right away, it took them time to get there.

I have faith that these Bears will get there too, but it would behoove Haviland and the Bears to sacrifice guys 'feelings' and roll out the same lineup for a few games.  I suggest something like this:

Whitmore - Taffe - Wellman
Walker - Johnson - Deschamps
Byers - LeBlanc -  Mitchell
Syner - Watkins - Rechlicz

That leaves Segal, Brittain, Mitchell (John), and the largely useless Ryan Stoa watching from the press box most nights.

Defense is a little less important as the roles are more defined and straight forward.  But for the sake of this post I would leave Wellar and Brouillette in suits most games.

And start Grubauer in net 2 out of every 3.  Leggio was phenomenal on Saturday, but I haven't been as impressed in his other games as of yet.

Roll that lineup out for both games this weekend and keep it together for the 3 games next week and lets see where the Bears are then.



Oh By The Way:

The lone two game stretch that saw consistent lineups...the trip to St. John's.  The only change from game 1 to 2 was Orlov for Kundratek.  And how did the Bears do in the 2nd game?  That's right...a 4-0 win.

Why Johnson over Segal as the 5th veteran...in the 5 games where Johnson played over Segal the Bears have collected both of their wins and 6 of their 7 points.

Tyler Ruegsegger was loaned to Reading earlier today and Orlov was re-called by the Caps yesterday.

Bears on Twitter

As I mentioned the other day I would attempt to compile this list of Bears on Twitter.  I will link to this post from the roster page and will try to update it when it is necessary.  If I missed anyone, let me know.

2 - Nate Schmidt - @nateschmidt29 

4 - Chay Genoway - @chaygenoway

5 - Tyson Strachan - @tstracks

11 - Derek Whitmore - @dwhitmore21

12 - Nathan Walker - @NathanWalks10

13 - Josh Brittain - @realjbrittain

15 - Michael Latta - @Latta17

19 - Joel Rechlicz - @TheRecker19

20 - Jeff Taffe - @JeffTaffe

21 - Casey Wellman - @CaseyWellman
25 - Stanislav Galiev - @Galixon_97
26 - Brandon Segal - @Brandon_Segal
29 - Julien Brouillette - @Brouillette86
30 - David Leggio - @DLeggio33

33 - Patrick Wellar - @PWellar33

34 - Tomas Kundratek - @Kundrc84

36 - Garrett Mitchell - @Mitchy1_0

38 - Dane Byers - @byzee34

That's all I can find for the current roster.  If I missed someone, let me know.  Sweetest Hockey on Earth did a post almost a year ago that listed a bunch of former Bears Twitter accounts.  (And I borrowed their image for this post...thanks!)

Others you might want to follow for Hershey news:

Tim Leone - @timleone

Scott Stuccio - @scottstuccio

Hershey Bears - @theHersheyBears
SHOE - @sweetesthockey
Kyle Mace - @kyle_mace

Looking for some Capitals news or Caps players (former Bears at least):

John Walton - @WaltonCaps

Mike Vogel - @VogsCaps

Braden Holtby - @Holts170

Steve Oleksy - @StevenOleksy

Mike Green - @GreenLife52

Karl Alzner - @KarlAlzner

John Carlson - @JohnCarlson74

Eric Fehr - @EricFehr

Brooks Laich - @BrooksLaich

Michael Neuvirth - mneuvirth30

Hockey Back in Hershey

Well if you are a regular reader of this blog then you were probably starting to wonder if I was ever coming back to write again.  My last post went up on the 15th of July.

Sorry about that.

I would like to take this chance to makes sure that anyone reading the blog should also like the blog page on Facebook so you can continue to get updates.  The blog might only see sporadic updates, but there are things posted or shared on the Facebook page on an almost daily basis.

But now that we are (almost) back to hockey in Hershey I figured I would make my triumphant return to the blogging world.


Camp Has Begun

Monday was technically the first day of preseason camp in Hershey.  Many of the guys had started in Washington's camp so they have been skating with each other for a bit, but some guys were waiting for the Bears to start.

Yesterday was the first on ice practice of the season and it seems like things are starting off fast.

“It was a good skate, a really fast pace out there,” winger Brandon Segal said. “It's nice coming in and getting a skate in like that. Obviously, it just bodes well for the weeks ahead.”

This is coach Mike Haviland's first Bears camp so many of the players will be adjusting to how he does things in the coming weeks.  In addition to getting used to the system, which will be similar to the one run in Washington, the players have to 'show off' for their new coaches.

“I'm a new coach,” Haviland said. “I haven't had many of these guys. I'm watching them every time they step on that ice and off the ice, how they conduct themselves. They're being evaluated."

Haviland also said that he is always very honest with players so they will know where they stand.  That will hopefully help what is going to be a very crowded Bears lineup over the next week.

The Capitals still have 33 players in camp and need to get down to 23 next Monday.  With another preseason game tonight I would expect another couple of cuts tomorrow.

The roster in Hershey is going to be deep and talented...on paper.

But we all know that 'on paper' means less than nothing.  Entering the season each of the past 3 years I think many people thought the Bears looked good 'on paper' only to see their season end early each year.

Will this year be different?  I sure as heck hope so.  And, as always, I fully expect it to.

But I do think that the season will start off slowly.  It isn't that Hershey's schedule is daunting, only 4 games in the first 3 weekends of the season, but when you have a new coach it can take some time.

The slow start will help get the system in place, but it won't let Haviland really experiment with the roster that much either.  Which means the roster tweaking may continue into November before a core set of guys and lines are formed.

Either way it promises to be an exciting season.


Tomas Kundratek

The Capitals have placed Kundratek on waivers with the intention of him reporting to Hershey when he clears.  Tomas played much of last season in Washington and was expected to get a shot there again to start the season, but the strong play of Connor Carrick (more below on him) has made him somewhat expendable.

An advantage to putting a guy through waivers now instead of on the 30th is that teams aren't looking to add guys at this point.  They have their own roster decisions to make and don't want to add another one.


Connor Carrick and Tom Wilson

I got a question on the Facebook page about why Tom Wilson is not eligible to play in Hershey this season.  This is because he was drafted out of the CHL (Canadian Juniors) and there is an agreement in place between the leagues that any player drafted out of there that isn't 20 by December 31 of that season or that hasn't played in at 4 seasons in the CHL is not eligible to play in the AHL.

This was put into place to keep the competitiveness up in the CHL.  If they allowed younger players to play in the AHL then surely NHL clubs would send all of their prospects straight to the minors so they could have more 'control' of their development.Wilson doesn't turn 20 until March and has only played in 3 CHL seasons, making him ineligible for Hershey.

However, it would appear as though he is nearing a spot on the Capitals in which case we may never see him in Hershey.  The Caps needed to clear cap space in order to keep him in Washington and the demotion of Kundratek signals that move being made.  The Caps would now be able to keep Wilson and stay under the salary cap for 2013-14.

Connor Carrick is included in this discussion because he is also 19 and actually 2 weeks younger than Wilson.  Except Connor was NOT drafted out of the CHL and is therefore eligible to play in Hershey this season.  He has been impressing everyone in Caps camp and is right now considered to be possibly in their plans to start the season.  Should he not make the Caps it seems likely he would spend the season in the AHL.


Nathan Walker

Here is Tim Leone's piece on the skating Aussie.  Nathan Walker is trying to become the first Australian to ever play in the NHL.  He was signed to a Hershey contract and is expected to play here this season.

Walker is in a unique spot though as he is still draft eligible.  That means that despite him playing in Hershey this upcoming season, he will be entered into the NHL draft next summer and could be drafted by any of the 30 teams.   It will be interesting to see how he fits into the plans in Hershey and/or Reading for this season and what that does to his draft stock.  This doesn't seem like a common situation.


Camp Roster (from PennLive)

GOALTENDERS (4): Brandon Anderson, Riley Gill, David Leggio, Matt Tendler.

DEFENSEMEN (12): Mike Banwell, Julien Brouillette, Erik Burgdoerfer, Brett Flemming, Chay Genoway, Ryan Kavanagh, David Kolomatis, Bryant Molle, Cameron Schilling, Nate Schmidt, Patrick Wellar, Patrick Wey.

FORWARDS (19): Josh Brittain, Nicolas Deschamps, Stanislav Galiev, Dustin Gazley, Jamie Johnson, Peter LeBlanc, David Marshall, Garrett Mitchell, Domenic Monardo, Louke Oakley, Tyler Ruegsegger, Brandon Segal, Ryan Stoa, T.J. Syner, Jeff Taffe, Nathan Walker, Matt Watkins, Casey Wellman, Derek Whitmore.



That is it for my first post in 2 months.  The Bears play 3 preseason games this weekend before opening the season at home on October 5.

Bears add more toughness

The Caps didn't trade Ribeiro to replenish the organizational depth yesterday.  No, they went the opposite way and traded one of their best prospects, Filip Forsberg, for an old winger in Martin Erat.  I am not a fan of the move...BUT it brings a new player to Hershey so at the end of the day it works out.

Michael Latta is a 6 foot, 213lb center who will be a prime candidate for an energy/checking line.  Latta comes from the Milwaukee Admirals were he had 9 goals and 26 assists in 67 games this season.  Last year, his first full pro season, he had 14 goals and 13 assists in 51 games.

Oh and he has 184 penalty minutes this year.

That now ranks 1st on the Bears.

So far this season the Bears have earned 965 penalty minutes.  Second fewest in the Eastern Conference.

That should change now.

With the addition of Latta, Dane Byers, and Joel Rechlicz the Bears added 478 penalty minutes.  That's a lot.

Geez, what do you think Yingst and company thought was the weakness on this team??? 

Latta could be the most interesting of the three.  We all know what Wrecker brings to the table and he will be an incredible addition to the general atmosphere surrounding the team.  Byers is a big body that has seen some pretty good success in the AHL over the years and is looking to turn things around in Hershey this year.  I don't remember seeing him play, but I am envisioning a Graham Mink like player.  This year he has struggled with only 6 goals and 4 assists in 58 games, but just last year he scored 16 goals and added 23 assists in 61 games. 

Guys who come to Hershey generally experience better offensive numbers.  It was always this way in the past under Boudreau and Woods and it is continuing under French.  Proof?  Look at the forwards who have come this year:

Casey Wellman -

• Before Hershey - 37 gp | 7 goals - 16 assists
• Since Hershey - 24 gp | 8 goals - 15 assists

Peter LeBlanc -

• Before Hershey - 34 gp | 4 goals - 8 assists
• Since Hershey - 24 gp | 5 goals - 9 assists

Nicolas Deschamps -

• Before Hershey - 50 gp | 7 goals - 9 assists
• Since Hershey - 7 gp | 3 goals - 1 assist

All of those players improved their points per game numbers with Hershey.  Hopefully Byers (and Latta) can continue this trend.

Latta is thought to have NHL potential.  Not as a top 6 forward, but as a Boyd Gordon like player I think.  Or a Jay Beagle if you would rather a current Caps comparison. 

Here is HockeysFuture.com's thoughts:

Latta may not have ideal size for an NHLer, but he has shown that he has ample heart. He's displayed a willingness bordering on zeal for competing in the corners and in front of the net. Latta's an effective playmaking center who improves his linemates both through skill and by setting an example on how to pay attention to the intangibles that separate winning teams from the mediocre ones.
 

I envision him as a Beagle or Steve Pinnizzotto type player.  Someone who can probably give you 15-20 goals a season and be an absolute pest on the forecheck.  Willing to stand up for teammates, finish their checks, and just make the opposing player think twice before carrying the puck too long.

It's hard to really gauge a players role without having seen him so take my comments on Byers and Latta lightly until we see them play this weekend.  But based on what I am reading and seeing with their measurables, I think I am probably pretty close.


A commenter a couple of days ago said that this might just be an average Bears team and that we shouldn't expect too much.  I disagree with that.  Yes, maybe the team that started the season was average, but it seems to me that with the trades the organization has made the Bears are in much better position heading towards the playoffs. 

Will it payoff?  We will see.  But it will be fun to watch and follow along over the next 3 weekends.

New Bears, Old Bears...and my opinion on the Caps and Ribeiro

Tomas Kundratek and Dmitry Orlov were re-assigned to Hershey yesterday.  I am guessing that means Kundratek is healthy and ready to play, but he has missed games in Washington recently due to injury and I am not certain on his status.

It helps the Bears immensely as they shipped defenseman Garret Stafford to Oklahoma City for left wing Dane Byers earlier last night.

At first glance (if you don't or didn't know who Dane Byers is) was that maybe this was a move to get under the veteran limit and not have the difficult decision of which veteran to sit each night.  But it isn't.  Byers is also an AHL veteran and has served as team captain multiple times in his career.

No, this was strictly a move to improve the Bears toughness and grit. 

“It's clearly a thing of trying to add a quality that we think we need to win.”
 

That was Mark French's comment on the Stafford trade.  The team obviously feels like they aren't playing physically enough and in order to get tougher they traded a solid defenseman.

Further proof that I wasn't entirely off base on Monday with my post...

The Bears/Caps traded Matt Clackson to Phoenix for Joel Rechlicz.  Obviously I don't have to tell you much about Joel, but he isn't here to help in the goal scoring department.

In Clackson's defense...the team didn't really give him the chance to truly succeed in Hershey.  He dressed in only 19 games so far this year, including just 2 of the last 22.  It's kind of hard to really get and stay in game shape, both physically and mentally, when you are playing so infrequently.

In the Bear's defense...even when he dressed he didn't seem to fill the role they were looking for.  He just didn't seem to have the 'edge' to his game that everyone expected.  I really expected more of a physical player that was willing to drop the gloves whenever given the chance.  But I don't think that was the case this season. 

Overall, I like the moves.  The Bears needed to get more physical and adding these guys will do that.  BUT, I don't see Byers getting into a ton of games unless he starts scoring.  Who do you sit instead...Kane? Taffe, DiSalvatore, Crabb, Potulny? 

I am sure Byers will get his chances early on.  This is a guy that has scored 20+ goals in multiple AHL seasons so the potential is there. 

As for Joel...he brings an energy to the team and game when he is playing.  He will get his chances, but he will also be little more than a cheerleader come the 3rd period of games.  Same as last year.  He is a good guy, a great teammate (based on things I read), and obviously a energizing presence, but his skill set is limited.  I welcome him back to the roster and hope that he can breathe some life into this roster.


NHL Trade Deadline:

The big debate, which probably isn't much of one anymore considering their recent success, in Washington the past week has been...do you trade Mike Ribeiro.  Since my opinion is never requested, I just figured I would offer it.

Personally I agree with this view from RMNB.

I think the Caps should be sellers at today's NHL trade deadline.

Why?  Because your goal at the beginning of each season is not to just make the playoffs.  Your goal, every season, should be to win a championship. 

The Capitals, as they are built right now, don't seem capable of doing that.  There is obviously something to be said for just getting a chance and possibly getting hot and making a run, but considering the teams at the top of the conference, it seems unlikely that the Caps will be able to win 16 games after the regular season ends.

Ribeiro is 33.  He is having a career year point-per-game wise (only 1 other time in his career did he average a point-per-game like he is this year) and his other measurables (faceoff wins and puck possession time) are lacking. 

He has made it clear that he wants a 5 year deal.  Surely at about $6 million a year.  That means you would be paying a 38 year old center $6 million in a few years.

Simply put...that would be a mistake.

And if they don't trade him and don't resign him, then they are getting nothing for him. 

I understand that the organization has been looking for a 2nd line center for a while, I get that.  But do you really think there is only one guy that can fill that role?  Evgeni Kuznetsov is expected in Washington sometime next season and is expected to play center.  I am willing to bet that he can win as many faceoffs as Ribeiro and while he will likely take a year or 2 to adjust to the NHL game, he will surely be better (or at least as good as) Ribeiro shortly.

Ribeiro has huge value right now.  Sometimes you have to plan for the future and make a move that sets you up better for the future for a negative now.

I won't pretend to know what some team will pay for Ribeiro, but seems like a high pick and a couple of prospects would be a good starting point.  There has to be a team out there willing to give up a lot for a player playing to Ribeiro's caliber right now.

Trade Ribeiro, replenish your farm system (weak right now, let's be honest) with picks and prospects and address the 2nd line center role through free agency this summer.  Surely they can find a stop-gap player to fill the role for a season until Kuzentsov is ready to go. 

Hell, I think you trade Mike Green too.  And Jeff Schultz...if you can get anyone to take him.  And maybe even Neuvirth. 

Time to fix the problem you created by selling prospects and picks for fringe players at past deadlines and look towards the next few seasons, instead of a possible playoff berth this spring.

I fully expect the Caps to stand pat at the deadline and try and make the playoffs.  If they go that route...I hope they make the playoffs and I hope they make a run to the Cup finals.  But that won't change my opinion.

 

Bears Go Shopping

After sitting by on day 1 of free agency the Bears have made a pretty big splash this holiday week.  On Monday the Bears signed 4 players to AHL only contracts and then added another yesterday.  Prior to that the Capitals made a signing that could (likely will) influence Hershey.  Without further delay...

Jeff Taffe

This is probably the most recognizable name to Bears fans.  Taffe played for the Baby Pens in 2007-08 and 2008-09.  In fact, his best career season, in regards to total points, was 08-09 when he recorded 25 goals and 50 assists in 74 games.  His career for goals in a season is 30, recorded two years ago while playing in Rockford.  His linemate in Rockford that season...Ryan Potulny.  Just sayin'.

Last year, while playing in Houston, he recorded 18 goals and 35 assists over 73 games while also picking up 2 assists for the Minnesota Wild in 5 NHL games.

Taffe has played in more than 320 professional games and is will count against the Bears veteran limit.  He is actually signed to an AHL one way contract right now as that came with more money than a two-way deal would have at the AHL level.  He has played in at least 1 NHL game in every season since he finished his college career and expectations are that the Caps will not hesitate to sign him to an NHL deal should they need him.

Jon DiSalvatore

This name is, to me anyways, much less recognized.  He has spent the past three years in Houston, playing alongside Taffe last year, and has been their captain all three years.  He has played 9 AHL seasons and has scored 20 or more goals in all of them.  He has scored 28 in each of the last two seasons.

He is durable as well.  He has missed only 1 game the past three regular seasons and has played in 72 or more games in all but one of his 9 AHL seasons.  And that one season he still played in 66 games.

Like Taffe, he will count against Hershey's veteran limit.

Alex Berry

Last season Berry was a member of the Portland Pirates but suffered a compound arm fracture in training camp and missed the whole season.  Prior to that the 26 year old right wing spent the 2010-11 season with the Norfolk Admirals where he recorded 14 goals and 20 assists.

Steve Oleksy

Oleksy has played in only 67 career AHL games so he is more of a depth signing than anything, especially considering the players already under contract on the blue line, but as we have seen in recent years...you can never have too much depth.  Last season he played 50 games for Bridgeport.  He scored 1 goal and added 14 assists while also finishing a +16 (third on the team).

Mathieu Beaudoin

Mr. Beaudoin broke into the AHL back in 2007-08 and played 7 games for the Bears that season before moving on to additional playing time and opportunity.  In 2010-11 he scored 21 goals and added 30 assists in just 63 games as a member of the San Antonio Rampage and played in the AHL All-Star game in Hershey.

Last season he battled a thumb injury for much of the season and only played in 47 games for Portland, recording 5 goals and 17 assists.  He was also a member of the Texas Stars in the 2010 Calder Cup finals against the Bears.

One of the best qualities that he brings to the team this year is that he is not a veteran.  So he is an offensive skill player that will not count against the teams veteran limit which should open the door to plenty of playing time.  Unlike DiSalvatore though, he appears to be a bit more fragile.  He hasn't played in more than 72 games in any of his professional seasons.

Garrett Stafford

This is the only player of this group that is a Washington Capitals signing.

Stafford played his 2011-12 season split between Hamilton and Portland.  He only played in 48 games between the two teams but recorded 9 goals and 19 assists in those games.

Like Beaudoin, he was a member of the Texas Stars 2010 Calder Cup finals team against Hershey.  In fact, Doug Yingst had this to say about Stafford:

“We collectively [with Washington] designated Garrett as the No. 1 right-handed defenseman available on a two-way contract for the American Hockey League,” Yingst said. “We thought when Texas played against us -- they had him and Andrew Hutchinson as their No. 1 and 2 -- we thought Stafford was better. Our need, obviously, on our depth chart is for right-handed D.”

Stafford will also count against the veteran limit.

Kevin Marshall

Marshall has agreed to terms for the 2012-13 season.  As a restricted free agent this doesn't surprise me too much, but it always good to officially get guys under contract with time to spare.

News around Hershey

So a guy goes on vacation for a week and a few things of note take place.  Obviously a good deal has happened this offseason so far and I haven't exactly been updating with any type of frequency.  Let's take a second and look at some of the stories I haven't mentioned to date.

Cody Eakin traded

The Capitals traded the young center and a 2nd round pick to the Dallas Stars for Mike Ribeiro.  Eakin was likely destined for the Bears roster for at least part of the upcoming season so this can be considered to have a direct impact on the Bears 2012-13 roster. 

For the Caps I love this trade.  They have been missing a true 2nd line center since Sergei Federov left and Ribeiro should fill that role admirably. 

For the Bears I don't hate this trade.  Yes Eakin was a good young talent and always played hard, but he would have been a top recall option for the Caps this season and likely wouldn't have been much of a factor come playoff time assuming the Caps make the playoffs and bring up some extra bodies.  So yes I think Eakin would have been a member of the Bears for much of the season and would have been a top contributor, but at the same time I think this allows the Bears to go out and sign a free agent that has a better chance to last in the AHL this season.

Rule Changes

The AHL is getting video replay for questionable goals.  This is obviously a good thing for the game as there were some questionable goals scored against (and surely for) the Bears this past season.  In theory, the replay will remove the doubt from some of the goals. 

My only concern is how the equipment works on an arena by arena basis.  Unlike the NHL system this will be done by each team and will be all in house.  Therefore, you could come across a situation where the equipment at one arena is inferior to the equipment at another.  Time will tell, but overall I don't see where this is ever a bad thing. 

One other rule change that you will notice immediately is being done at the request of the NHL.  A variation of a no-touch icing rule will be in effect until November 19, 2012.  Basically if the puck is already across the goal line and the defensive player is the first to reach the faceoff dot, the play is whistled at that point. 

The theory behind the no-touch icing is to eliminate the collisions that take place when players are racing for the puck beyond the goal line.  I don't see how this changes anything.  Within the current rules injuries are probably rare when the defenseman reaches the faceoff dots first anyways as the forward likely isn't coming that hard anymore.  The times when injuries surface are when two guys are still neck and neck at that point, which will not be affected by this rule.

Both rules are for the betterment of the game and I don't think either is, in any situation, bad for the game.  But I also don't think they are earth shattering changes.

Jacob Micflikier to Europe

I honestly believed that the Bears/Caps were going to give Micflikier another contract and the diminutive winger would be back in Hershey for at least another year.   Alas, that isn't going to be the case as he has signed to play in Switzerland for the upcoming year.  Based on the linked article from Tim Leone, it sounds as though he was close to resigning with the organization but is hoping a shift to a different league might give teams a different view of him.

At the age of 28, Micflikier is running out of time to impress NHL staffs and get a legitimate shot in the league.  I am not convinced that going to Switzerland is really the best thing for any player.  The game in Europe is much different than the North American game and you rarely hear of players having success with "re-launching" their careers in Europe.  If they do it is surely when they play in either the KHL or Swedish Elite League.

Chris Bourque played in Switzerland for the 2010-11 season before returning to the AHL last season and having an MVP caliber season.  If Bourque gets an NHL opportunity this upcoming season he will have this past season to thank...not his year in Europe.

The AHL is arguably the second best league in the world.  Maybe the financial parts of his deal were more influential than we realize (I have no idea what the terms are), but if he is truly using this as a launching pad then I question the logic.

But hey, what do I know.  Good luck Jacob!

Mike Carman is signed for 2012-13

Carman was a restricted free agent and the Capitals had tendered him an offer so the chances of him leaving were slim to none already.  But yesterday it was made official as he signed a one year contract with the organization.  Based on numbers from Capgeek.com he will make $65,000 in the AHL this season, a $5,000 a year raise from last year. 

Carman played in 32 games for the Bears in 2011-12 after coming over in a trade from the Colorado/Lake Erie organization.  He scored 7 goals and added 5 assists while bouncing around from the 2nd-4th line.  He is a center in the mold of Andrew Joudrey, a solid defensive player with a limited offensive game.  He is a role player with some upside. 

Glad to see him back for 2012-13.

Capitals Developmental Camp

The Capitals announced that their annual summer development camp will take place from July 9-14 in Washington.  A roster for the camp has not yet been announced, but it is generally recent draft choices as well as rookie free agents.  There are typically signings that result from the camp and possibly even a player that could contribute in Hershey this upcoming year.  Time will tell.  I have yet to go to one of these....someday I will make it down.

Free Agency begins tomorrow, July 1

NHL/AHL free agency period is open for business tomorrow.  With an expiring CBA currently being negotiated you might see a little more cautious activity than usual as teams can't be certain of an exact salary cap number for 2012-13 but plenty of activity will surely take place.

On this site we are mainly concerned with how signings impact the Hershey Bears.  And thanks to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat writer Jonathan Bombulie we have a comprehensive list of AHL talent that is available.  On June 24 he posted his top 250 list that identifies, in his opinion, the top 250 AHL caliber players available.  

As of this morning the list is somewhat jumbled as players have been eliminated and/or added due to qualifying offers being made.  He will be updating the list tomorrow and, if I remember, I will update this post to include that link. 

He has Keith Aucoin ranked as the #2 player available.  I am honestly somewhat concerned that Keith hasn't resigned with the organization already.  Hopefully it is just a formality, but something tells me he is curious to hear what teams are offering.  If he manages to get a one way offer from an organization I have to imagine he will take it...I would.  Hopefully he comes back, but if he doesn't I hope he finds permanent success in the NHL.

I am excited to see who the Caps/Bears sign as there are lots of spots open on the Hershey roster and a limited number of prospects available to fill them.  The #1 player on the list is LW Jonathan Audy-Marchessault who played for the Connecticut Whale last season, scoring 24 goals and adding 40 assists in his first pro season.  He is a small forward, only 5'9", which explains why he wasn't drafted by an NHL team.  But as the Norfolk Admirals are well aware (and the Bears for that matter), smaller players can pack an offensive punch at this level.  Might the Bears be in on the Audy-Marchessault sweepstakes....who knows.


That's all for now.  For the next month there should be some regular updates as we discuss players that have signed with the Caps/Bears.  The roster will begin taking shape tomorrow.

Washington Capitals Offseason

After their game seven loss to the New York Rangers on May 12 in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, it is time for the Washington Capitals to hang up their hockey jerseys, store their goalie gloves and face what promises to be a tumultuous off-season.

Numerous players, including Alex Semin, Dennis Wideman, Mike Knuble, Tomas Vokoun, Jeff Halpern, and Keith Aucoin are unrestricted free agents.

Rumor has it that Semin is going to move on, as he should.

Wideman will likely be too expensive considering the Caps will likely have eight defenseman (including Tom Poti) on the roster heading into next season. (I fully expect the Caps to tender offers and likely keep their restricted free agents which include John Carlson and Mike Green.)

Vokoun has already said his stay in Washington was only supposed to be for a year and with the emergence of Braden Holtby there likely wasn’t room even if he wanted to come back.

Halpern’s role was taken by Jay Beagle late in the season and during the playoffs. Assuming the Caps resign the restricted free agent Beagle, I would imagine that the role will be his next season as well.

That leaves Knuble and Aucoin as the only two legitimate options for the Caps to resign. And I could see both happening…assuming the players understand their roles. Knuble would be converted into a 4th line grinder with limited ice time and Aucoin would likely report back to Hershey and be an emergency call up option again.

Who knows what happens but I don’t see too many teams looking at Coiner and giving him a one-way NHL deal so the question for him is would I rather play in Hershey or another AHL city. I suspect he will be back.

The coaching element of this is also intriguing. As in…there is no coach. Coach Dale Hunter has already announced that will be returning to his role as owner and coach of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. And GM George McPhee has already said that the team will take it’s time in finding a coach.

This influences multiple things for both the Caps and the Bears. In Washington it obviously means that you don’t know what system will be in place, therefore, you might not know exactly which free agents to target. Do you want to bring in an offensive force that costs a lot of money just to end up in a system like Hunter’s again with limited offensive output? It’s a question the Caps need to figure out.

It also affects Hershey though. Will the Capitals be looking for a similar coach to mold their prospects better for the big club? If I was running the team I would definitely want a coach with a similar strategy coaching my prospects and preparing them for the NHL. That way when they make the jump to the NHL they are at least prepared to play with their teammates even if they aren’t quite physically ready to handle the pounding.

Coach Mark French’s contract also expired this season I believe so now is the time to make a change if you want to.

My guess…expect a new coach in Hershey for the 2012-13 season.



There are plenty of questions to be answered heading into the offseason, probably more than usual. But with the Caps relative success this spring, expectations next year are sure to be high again.

As for expectations in Hershey…well, one only has to look to the Giant Center rafters to understand.

2011-12 season is over

It's been a few days now since 7 seconds in the 2nd period ultimately ended the Bears 2011-12 season.  The Baby Pens scored 2 goals in 7 seconds, the 2nd on a freak bounce that went Wilkes-Barre's way, to take a 2-0 lead in the deciding game 5 of the series.  Hershey would respond well in the 3rd period and make it 2-1, but they never got the tying goal.

So a season that started out with high aspirations ends in the first round of the playoffs.  Tim Leone's piece says that the Bears lost 162 man games to injury this season and used 42 different players during the season.  Considering a typical roster consists of 23-25 players, 42 is a lot.  But considering the constant fluctuation of AHL rosters it isn't really that much.

Unfortunately for the Bears the players that were missed to injury and recall were critical pieces to the team puzzle. 

But at the end of the day it doesn't matter.  The season is over and whatever reason you want to give, it doesn't change any of it.

The focus shifts to the 2012-13 season which brings immediate uncertainty as the current affiliation with the Capitals is set to expire this summer.  I think the general opinion is that the affiliation will be extended as it makes sense for both parties...but until the paperwork is completed and signed, you never know.

In addition, the contracts for the Bears coaching staff, Mark French and Troy Mann, have expired.  Here is where I think you need to make a change.  I am not a fan of French's and think that his strategic skills could use some improving. 

But at the same time he has won a lot of games the past 2 seasons despite dealing with a bunch of injuries and recalls in each season.  So maybe he deserves another chance.  When he had a fully healthy team he won 60 games and a Calder Cup. 

Still, I won't be upset if they go a different way...but I can definitely see his contract being extended. 

This decision is not made by Doug Yingst exclusively though.  I am sure he gets a say, but the Capitals are also involved in this decision and they may desire to bring in a coach with a similar coaching style to whomever is behind the bench in Washington. 

We will find out sometime after the Caps postseason run is over...which hopefully doesn't end until June!

As for the players that will be and won't be back for 2012-13...below are a few lists detailing some information.  Keep in mind that any player under contract with Washington will not be in Hershey next season should the affiliation not be extended.

Players Under Contract With Washington for 2012-13:
Ryan Potulny
Cody Eakin
Garrett Mitchell
Mattias Sjogren
Patrick McNeill
Cameran Schilling
Brett Flemming
Tomas Kundratek
Philipp Grubauer
Brandon Anderson

Players Under Contract With Hershey for 2012-13:
David Civitarese
Barry Almeida
TJ Syner
Matt Pope
Julian Brouillette
Patrick Wellar

Washington Capitals Restricted Free Agents:
Mike Carman
Kevin Marshall


Not included on the above lists but also under contract for 2012-13 are Braden Holtby and Dmitry Orlov. I really doubt either player spends a minute in Hershey next season so for the purposes of this post I don't feel it is necessary to talk about them.


Let's assume that the Caps and Bears extend their affiliation agreement.  If that happens I think all of the players listed above will be in Hershey's training camp come September.  I don't see the Caps not tendering offers to Carman and Marshall and every other player is already under contract.

Now, you will notice that there are some big names not listed there.  Keith Aucoin, Chris Bourque, Jacob Micflikier, Boyd Kane, Dany Sabourin, and plenty more. 

I fully expect the Bears to sign a few of either these guys or players like them.  Hershey is always willing to spend some money of free agents and I don't expect the 75th anniversary season to be any different.

Aucoin, to me, is a lock to return.  The question is...does he go to Washington or Hershey?  Based on the minutes that Dale Hunter is giving him in the playoffs right now it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him spend at least parts of the season in Washington. 

The Bears will generally pay 1 or 2 players a decent amount of money to play in Hershey.  The advantage this year is that Ryan Potulny's contract is a 1-way deal meaning the Caps will pay him to play in Hershey should he be reassigned during the season.  That will free up some money for the Bears to spend on additional free agents.

I could obviously speculate for hours on what players the Bears will bring back or look at, but there would not be a science to any of it and it would all just be speculation and rumor starting.  I will say two things though...

1.  The defense is pretty much set.  With McNeill, Schilling, Kundratek, Wellar, Brouillette, and Flemming back and Marshall likely to be back you have your top 7 defensemen.  Patty McNeill will be considered a veteran exempt next season as well so you have a veteran presence already on the roster.  Don't expect too many signings along the blueline.

2.  They need a scorer.  One of the biggest problems this entire season was that there were too many passers on the roster and not enough shooters.  Guys were always looking to make the extra pass instead of taking an open shot.  Not saying guys couldn't shoot or score, but most of the guys were more interested in setting up their linemates than shooting themselves...or at least that's how it felt.  Maybe rookie Stanislav Galiev will help in that regard, but I think the Bears will go looking for a proven goal scorer in free agency.  Someone you look to in big games to come up with the big goals...such as a huge overtime goal in game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals.  Hypothetically speaking of course. 

For the second season in a row the offseason is going to be long.  Few answers about the roster will be resolved before July and actual hockey won't be back until October.  5 full months. 

I agree that we are spoiled as Bears fans...4 Calder Cup Finals in 5 years...but these long summers suck and I am okay with being spoiled.  Hopefully the roster put together for next season will allow us to enjoy Bears hockey well into June 2013.

Final Home Regular Season Game

The Hershey Bears will host the Connecticut Whale at 5:00pm tonight in the final regular season game at Giant Center in 2011-12.  There will be at least one home playoff game, but the final 3 regular season games are in New England.

This evening's game against the Whale could seal the Bears first round opponent.  If the Bears win, whether in regulation or after, the Bears would finish no worse than 5th in the Eastern Conference and would play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the 5-game first round series.

Should the Bears lose, the Whale would be only four points back with 3 games to play.  As luck would have it the two teams play similar teams the rest of the way as well.  Both the Bears and Whale play Portland and Manchester.  But we will worry about that tomorrow....if necessary.

Unfortunately for the Bears the recent past has not been promising.  Four straight losses has followed a 7 game winning streak.

The scratches and lineup changes, announced before the opening faceoff, takes a little longer and is a who's who of AHL talent. 

And with the games becoming more physical as the playoffs grow near, that list is as likely to grow as it is to shrink.  Both Ryan Potulny and Boyd Kane departed games this weekend after big hits.  Both did return, but the game is taking its toll on guys.

If things weren't bad enough....there was this in the paper this morning:

French banished defenseman Kevin Marshall during the game. “It was a team-related matter,” French said.

That is from Tim Leone's write-up for the paper this morning.  I have no idea what happened, but when a respected beat-writer like Leone uses the word "banished" it definitely raises some eyebrows.  It will be interesting to see if Marshall has a jersey for tonight's game.

So, add disgruntled employee to the list of problems for the Bears at a critical moment in the season.

Dany Sabourin was expected to return to Hershey for the game tonight and will likely get the start.  The Capitals don't play until at least Wednesday so they don't need Dany there for the time being.

If Michal Neuvirth and Tomas Vokoun's injuries keep them out for an extended period it will be interesting to see how the goalies are handled between Washington and Hershey.  It isn't out of the question that Dany could just yo-yo between the teams if the schedules work out for that.

For example, if the Caps play Thursday-Saturday next weekend, Dany could play Friday and Sunday for the Bears.  Especially since the Caps will be in Boston for the first 2 games anyhow. 

That kind of rotation could continue for Dany if the Bears playoff schedule fits into the Caps schedule.  If the schedules don't work out you can be assured that Dany is Capitals property first and Bears second.  

More will be known later today I am sure.  Hopefully Neuvy or Vokoun can recover enough to at least serve as a backup which would allow Dany to return to Hershey full time.  I wouldn't expect both goalies to recover in time so the likelihood of Braden Holtby returning to Hershey is unlikely until the Caps are eliminated, if they would be.

Have a Happy Easter and enjoy the regular season home finale tonight!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Caps or Bears...who are you rooting for?

A friend of mine asked me last night if I was rooting for the Caps to make the playoffs.  My response was yeah, I am.  But if they don't make it, it won't bother me at all.  I am honestly split 50/50 on it.  Yes, I hope they win their last 2 games and get in as the 8 seed.  At the same time, if they don't make it, I will be happy that the 'Bears' players on the team will be returning to Hershey for a Calder Cup run.

He felt differently.  While he isn't actively rooting against the Caps, he sure as hell isn't rooting for them either.  And I am guessing there are many in Bears nation who feel the same way.  And with good reason.  Should the Caps miss the playoffs the Bears team would get immediately better with the additions of Keith Aucoin, Dmitry Orlov, Cody Eakin, and Braden Holtby. 

Obviously, considering the injuries in Hershey right now, an influx in talent like that could be a difference maker.  Especially when you are likely facing the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the first round.

Now, he also said to me that if he felt the Caps had a legitimate chance at the Cup he might feel differently, but in his opinion they are basically playing for an early exit. 

This is where I guess him and I disagree the most.  Despite their uninspired play at regular intervals during the season, including as recently as Monday in Tampa, I believe that they have as good a chance at the Stanley Cup as any other team in the league. 

Is that crazy?  Probably.  But with a healthy Nicklas Backstrom this team is mostly the version that the Capitals envisioned when they put it together last summer.  And remember, this team was healthy at the beginning of the year as well...and they went 7-0 to open the season. 

But let's forget about that for a second.  Obviously I am a nut-job if I think the Caps have as good a chance at the Stanley Cup as the Flyers or Penguins or Rangers.  Obviously.

So, the question is...what are the Bears chances at winning the Calder Cup?

Healthy?  Pretty damn good. 

Current state?   Not likely.

That means that if the Caps are eliminated the Bears chances would skyrocket...right?

I don't think so.  The Bears need to be healthy to compete with the top teams in the league.  Jacob Micflikier, Graham Mink, Christian Hanson, and Patrick McNeill are all injured and are either barely practicing (Mink and McNeill), not practicing (Micflikier), or OUT for at least the rest of the regular season (Hanson). 

Add to that list Boyd Kane, DJ King, and Ryan Potulny who sat out practice on Tuesday for a 'maintenance day'.  Nothing to be alarmed about, but when guys start missing any practice time you start to worry a little.

Will adding Aucoin, Eakin, Orlov, and Holtby really make up for all the other injuries? 

I don't think so.  Yes, getting a healthy Aucoin (still #4 in the league in scoring, 2nd in assists) would be huge.  But would it make the Bears better than Norfolk?  A team that hasn't lost since February 4?  Doubtful. 

Who knows what Orlov will be like in Hershey.  I am sure he will play hard, but he hasn't been a Bear since before Thanksgiving.  Will his return cause more issues on the blueline then help?

Eakin is a stud and definitely makes the team better...but he isn't going to win games on his own. 

And Holtby...let's just say there are still huge questions about his playoff ability.  He has played 9 playoff games and his goals against average is well above 3.00 and his save percentage is well below .900.  And he wasn't exactly setting the league on fire before his recall to Washington. 

So, yes.  If the Caps miss the playoffs the Bears would be in better shape.  But unless they get the rest of their players back from injury, they aren't legitimate title contenders. 

So...again...I am rooting for the Caps to win their last two...but I won't be disappointed if they fail to show up in those games too.

How about you, are you rooting for the Caps to win or to do what they have been doing for most of the season, fall flat on their faces?

Bears visit Bingo...Caps in trouble

Tonight the Bears will make their final trip of the season to Binghamton, New York.  While the Senators find themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference, and almost mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the Bears can't go into this assuming a win.

This is Hershey's 4th trip to the Southern Tier in 2011-12.  So far they are 2-1 and all 3 games have been close contests.  Combined the Bears have scored 12, the Senators 10 in the 3 games in Bingo. 

This is what would be referenced as a trap game in many sports.  You don't hear that too much in hockey, but they are there.  A game against a team that is out of the playoff conversation.  A game against a team that you have handled (at least on home ice) this season.  A game against a middling team before a game with a better team. 

The Bears have enough veterans to stay focused and get the win, but don't be surprised if it is much closer than you would hope for.  In fact, the Bears last visit to Binghamton ended in a 4-3 loss for Hershey.

Fortunately for the Bears they are close to clinching a playoff berth.  4 points.  4 points and the Bears would clinch a trip to the playoffs.  The seeding will still be in question, but the postseason trip will be official.

Which, unfortunately, is a lot more than you can say for the Bears NHL affiliate.  The Washington Capitals are now on the outside looking in at the NHL playoffs.  They sit 9th in the conference and still have a shot, but last night's deflating loss to the Sabres was pretty crushing.

While I am a Caps fan...I am a Bears fan first.  And to be honest with you, it's better for the Bears if they miss the playoffs.  Sure I would love to see the Caps make the playoffs and go on a terrific run.  But if they aren't going to go on that run (which seems unlikely considering the horribleness of last night) then I would just as soon see them miss the playoffs and send all Bears back to Hershey.

Braden Holtby will likely be on his way back as soon as Tomas Vokoun is healthy (which should be soon).  There was a chance that Braden could win the #1 job up there, but last night did everything but help that cause.  He likely would have had to be perfect to earn that opportunity and well, you know how that went.

Dmitry Orlov will be in Hershey as soon as the Caps season ends.  No questions about it.  He is on the clear day roster and the Caps will be looking for him to get some work.  He strikes me as a carefree, laid back kind of guy so I am guessing that while he will surely be disappointed in the end to the Caps season, he will be excited about coming to Hershey and competing for a Calder Cup.

The question mark here is Keith Aucoin.  And he is probably the most important piece as well.  With Keith in the lineup this is a different Bears team that scores power goals at a 30% clip. 

So, will he be back?  He is on the clear day roster so they will surely send him down.  The question is...does he have to clear waivers and, if so, will he.

Earlier this season we established that he would have to clear waivers.  He hit all the thresholds there so yes he would have to clear waivers...during the season. 

So, will Keith have to clear waivers once the Capitals season is complete?  It does not appear so, but I am only pretending to be an expert on this....

The "Playing Season Waiver Period" shall begin on the twelfth (12th) day prior to

the start of the Regular Season and end on the day following the last day of a Club's
Playing Season.

Based on that comment, straight from the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, once the Capitals season is complete...either April 8th or after elimination from the playoffs...their playing season is complete and waivers would not longer be in effect.

Awesome, but what prevents teams from sending multiple players to the AHL?  The clear day rosters.  Only players identified on the clear day rosters or 'in-house' rosters are eligible to play for their respective AHL teams after the rosters are set.  Which was one week after the NHL trade deadline.

Again...I am not 100% certain that I am correct, but it would appear to me that once the Capitals season is over, they can send Keith Aucoin to Hershey without subjecting him to waivers. 

We may find out if this it true sooner than Caps fans were hoping to.


In other news:

- Injuries aren't getting better very quickly for the Bears.  Graham Mink, Jacob Micflikier, and Christian Hanson still aren't practicing.  And now Patrick McNeill isn't either.  Andrew Carroll is expected to play tonight though.

- The Caps signed defenseman Cameron Schilling to a 2-year entry level deal yesterday.  He is reporting to Hershey on a tryout contract and will be with the team the rest of the season.  Cameron just finished up his season with the NCAA's Miami Redhawks.  He is listed at 6'2" 197lbs.

Found this:

Schilling isn't a flashy player, but is a rock on defense. He's got pretty decent size and though he doesn't put up huge numbers, he can move the puck. He's the type of player that doesn't draw a lot of attention, but would make a very solid pro hockey player.

I would expect Schilling to get a look here over the next couple of weeks and then likely participate mainly with the Black Aces during practice and working for a roster spot in 2012-13.  This is perfect timing for the Bears considering that with Patty not practicing the Bears have only 6 healthy defenseman.  Now they have 7.

- Bears viewing party tonight!  I was hoping to make it out, but unfortunately won't be able to.  The good folks over at Sweetest Hockey on Earth have partnered up with ABC27 to bring this to you.  Everything starts at 6:30 at Fire Alley restaurant in Hershey.  Have some food, win some prizes, and watch the Bears!

Caps/Bears rosters unchanged at deadline

It was a relatively quiet day around the NHL on Monday.  Despite the league's annual trade deadline, there was very little activity and even the trades that were made were relatively minor moves.

The general opinion for this inactivity was due to so many teams being on the verge of the playoffs.  And as the Flyers showed a couple of years ago...all you need is a chance.

So, from a Bears perspective...

This is great news.  If the Caps were buyers they likely would have traded prospects and/or draft picks.  Both of which would have hurt the Bears at the very least down the road, if not this season. 

If the Caps were sellers they likely would have traded off their soon-to-be free agents and aging players for draft picks and prospects.  That would have been bad news for this season as Hershey likely would have lost players like Cody Eakin and Tomas Kundratek for the remainder of the season.  That would have been good news for future years though as Hershey would have seen an influx of new talent from the picks.

But neither happened and the Caps and Bears enter the stretch run with their rosters still (relatively) intact. 


Now, from a Caps perspective....

I think this was a mistake.  And I don't think the Caps should have been buyers, which it would appear they were trying to do. 

I understand that the Caps are right in the playoff race (8th as of this morning).  But the Caps aren't the Florida Panthers or Winnipeg Jets.  Their goal is not just to make the playoffs.  Their goal is to win the Stanley Cup.  Making the playoffs is not good enough.

Nor should it be.

I understand that all you need is a chance.  But has this Caps team shown anyone anything over the past 2+ months to convince you that they will be able to win 4 out of 7 against a top Eastern Conference team?  Have they shown you anything to convince you that they can even win 4 of 7 against a bad Eastern Conference team? 

They haven't shown me anything.

So why not trade your soon-to-be free agents (Semin, Wideman, Vokoun) and some of the aging players (Knuble, Hamrlik) for picks and prospects.  Even if you don't get "fair" market value, isn't it better to get something for these players than to watch them all leave this summer for nothing. 

You can't honestly tell me that no teams would have offered a nice package for Alexander Semin.  Or Wideman.  Or Vokoun.

Trade them now, get some high picks or young playmakers, and be better positioned for the next 5 years instead of the rest of this one. 

I keep reading that the Caps have a ton of talented prospects in the system.  Where?  Goalies, yeah they have a few of those.  Orlov...obviously but he is already in the NHL.  Eakin...yeah, but I am not sure anyone is convinced that he will be a top 6 forward in the NHL.  Kuznetsov...I will give you that (although he may not leave Russia).  Galiev...maybe. 

After those players is Mattias Sjogren, listed at #6 by Hockey's Future.  He couldn't manage to compete at the AHL level let alone the NHL.  Brett Flemming is #8.  He has played well for the Bears, but can't even maintain a spot there let alone in Washington.  He seems like a fringe NHL defenseman at this point.

There isn't much talent in the Caps system outside of the goaltenders.  I am not sure what everyone is looking at.

Then I saw a post from someone saying something like...if you sell off members of this team, you are just signaling to the rest of the team that you have given up on them this year. 

Yeah...but didn't the players give up first?  Didn't they give up Boudreau back when everyone was healthy?  Haven't they played like crap for months now?

Obviously trading Wideman would hurt.  But you would still have Green, Carlson, Alzner, and Orlov as your top 4 defenseman with Erskine and Schultz as well.  Plus you recall Kundratek.  Or you play a defensemen you got in one of the trades.  I don't think that top 6 would be that bad.  Surely not any worse than what they have been to date. 

Yes, Semin is arguably the best player in Washington right now.  But do you really think the team would play much worse without him in the lineup?  Semin is a top NHL scoring talent.  No question.  But he doesn't make the players around him better the way a Nicklas Backstrom does.  Or the way a Keith Aucoin does.

Yes, without Semin the team might not make the playoffs.  But guess what, with Semin...the team might not make the playoffs.  And you probably could have gotten a very nice group of players/picks in return.

Vokoun...Neuvirth can handle the duties along with Holtby.

Knuble and Hamrlik...they aren't playing anyways. 

And who knows what kind of pieces the Caps might have gotten in return.  Maybe a couple of players that were "almost there" NHL players.  Young guys, highly drafted, who are starring in the AHL or picking-up valuable, yet fringe, minutes in the NHL just waiting for their chance.  The Blackhawks have a few of them.  Rumor has it they wanted a top 4 defenseman and were willing to part with one.  Were they not interested in Wideman?

Maybe I have it all wrong.  Maybe McPhee was trying to trade for the future and couldn't pull off a single move.  It is possible.  But not likely.  My guess is that the Caps were looking for that elusive 2nd line center that they have been unable to locate for the past few years.  And that player wasn't available for the right price.

And this was the perfect year to be a seller.  You had 20+ teams looking to buy players and only a few looking to sell.  You weren't going to get a ton for some of the guys, but you would have gotten enough to make yourselves better next year and multiple years after that.

Instead you go into the offseason with the likelihood of losing all the players that would have garnered attention this past week. 

And instead of having future stars to replace them, you have fringe prospects and overpriced free agents (see: Joel Ward).

Your Midweek Bears Update

Lots of different topics to discuss this week...a look at the standings, 2 games to play midweek, injuries, Aucoin's return, and a little NHL trade deadline talk.

Bears Sit in 3rd (or 5th depending on your preference)

The Bears were looking to make up some ground in the division this past weekend.  With 3 points in 3 games they failed to do that. 

As of this morning the Bears sit in 3rd place in the division, 2 points out of 1st (and 2nd).  They are also the 5th seed in the conference and would face Norfolk in the 1st round. 

The good news...the Bears have a game in hand.  The bad news...even if they win that extra game they would remain in third based on number of wins. 

The Bears playoff positioning is going to come down to how they play outside of the division.  Only 7 of their remaining 23 games are against teams in the division.  And only 3 of those are against the teams ahead of them (1 against the Pens, and 2 - this weekend and next week - against Norfolk).

That isn't exactly how you want to finish the season either.  In my eyes you would much rather play your division rivals at the end of the season. 

In addition, the Bears are better within the division.  Against the East Division the Bears are 18-7-2-2.  Against the Northeast and Atlantic, the Bears are a combined 8-7-2-3.  Over 50% of the remaining games are against teams from those divisions.  The Bears need to figure out how to beat them...quickly.

Two Mid-Week Games

First though the Bears will travel a little north and barely west for a couple games against Western Conference teams.

Tonight the Bears are in Rochester to take on the Americans before heading to Cleveland for a matchup against the Lake Erie Monsters tomorrow night.

Both teams reside in the North Division and currently sit in 2nd and 3rd in the division.  The Amerks have 55 points while the Monsters have 56.  Neither team is playing especially well or bad of late.  The Amerks are 1-3 in their last 4 and 2-4 in their last 6 but in those 2 wins they scored a combined 15 goals.  The Monsters are 1-2 in their last 3 but that comes on the heels of a 4 game winning streak.

This is the 2nd (and final) meeting with both teams for the Bears.  They beat the Amerks in a shootout in January, but lost to the Monsters just after Thanksgiving. 

4 points would be very helpful.

Hanson Out

On Saturday night Christian Hanson was cut on the wrist by the skate of a falling Monarchs player.  At the time it wasn't thought to be serious but word came down yesterday that a tendon was torn in that wrist and surgery is required. 

There is no precise timetable for his return, but he is officially listed as week to week.  Which more than likely means about a month. 

Aucoin is Back

The loss of Christian would hve been more significant if Keith Aucoin was still in Washington.  But he isn't.  He was returned to Hershey on Sunday and will be on the ice tonight and tomorrow...barring another recall obviously. 

When Coiner was recalled by the Caps he was leading the AHL in points with 70.  He had just finished a January in which he collected 3 goals and 14 assists in just 10 games.  He was on pace to shatter the AHL regular season assists record (89 is the record) and to challenge the Bears single season mark. 

Obviously Coiner wouldn't trade his time with the Caps for anything and we are all happy for him.  But it would have been cool to see him make a run at those marks.

Coiner missed 9 games.  He is now 2nd in the league in scoring behind teammate Chris Bourque (72 points) and is still 6 points ahead of T.J. Hensick in 3rd. 

As for the records.  Coiner would have to absolutely destroy the league to have any shot at the Bears season record for points.  He is on pace for 107 points which would leave him about 20 short of the record.  Probably not going to happen.

Assists are a different story.  His record setting pace pre-callup was so impressive that he is STILL on pace to break the record.  If he continues on the same pre-callup pace he would finish with 91 assists...2 more than the 89 record.

Impressive.

NHL Trade Deadline

The Caps suck right now.  Simple as that.  People can blame the injury to Nicholas Backstrom all they want but the fact is this team is not playing as a team right now. 

I can understand the Caps being 'buyers' at the deadline as they are only 2 points out of the playoffs as of today.  But a 5-0 loss to the Hurricanes on Monday when you are within range of the playoffs tells you everything you need to know about this team right now.

Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post thinks very similarly and says that the Caps should strongly consider being 'sellers' at the deadline.

The effects on the Bears could be interesting. 

If the Caps are buyers I don't see a large effect on Hershey as their aren't a ton of desirable prospects currently on the roster.  Braden Holtby might be the biggest loss for the Bears...which would be huge, but with Dany Sabourin also in town it wouldn't be insurmountable.

If the Caps are sellers though I think all of that could change.  Cody Eakin would likely spend the rest of the season in Washington and some other guys might get looks as well since the Caps would be trying for young prospects and draft picks. 

Tarik mentions Semin, Green, Wideman, and Knuble as possible pieces on the move.  That could mean that Patrick McNeill and Tomas Kundratek could spend time in Washington along with Eakin. 

Pay attention to the moves...it could get interesting. 

Let's talk about Joel Rechlicz

Yesterday's post garnered this comment from Debb:

I love your blog..and I see where you are going with the caps coach. I totally agree..but whats with the Recker comments???I know there is really not a spot for the guy in the NHL but..I wanted to ask you a question. Do they tell him what to do when he is played? I mean..do you think that they just cut him loose on the ice..or is their a preset agenda?? Just wanted to know your take on it. I am such a Recker fan that I have trouble with the latest comments from everywhere about where he is and what he does..I think he is paid for a job that he does verrry well if they would just let him...Reck someone..Not that many toe to toe fights right now. I understand they need players that score because of the time of the year..But I think he really serves a purpose..Thanks

First of all, thanks for the comment Debb.  Hopefully I understand what you are asking here.  I am reading it as you are wondering why everyone is criticizing the organization, and in turn Joel, for his recent recalls to Washington. 

Originally I intended to just respond to the comment in the comment thread, but that response became pretty long so I decided to do a full post about it instead.

I like Joel.  While I have never met him, I am sure he is a great person.  He has made a career out of doing what he loves, playing hockey.  His role probably isn't exactly what he envisioned as a young player, but his size, skill level, and what was needed on his teams likely dictated a little bit of what he has become.  I am pretty certain that just about every 'enforcer' that has played hockey would rather have made it as a goal scorer, but they didn't have those skills.  For many of them they were big enough and tough enough to make it to pro hockey by fighting.  My guess is that very few of them would trade playing professionally for anything.

Joel is good at what he does.  He can really throw punches and he isn't afraid to go toe to toe with anyone...no matter how many come at him.  He gets the team into it, the crowd into it, and he strikes fear into the opposing teams.  (Just ask the guys on the Phantoms bench!)
My problem of late isn't with Wrecker.  However, I understand how the criticism can seem like a knock on Joel, but it isn't meant that way.  At least not by me.  I accept Joel and his game for what they are...one part of overall team.

My criticism is with the Caps coaching staff...namely Dale Hunter.  EVERYONE knows what Joel brings to the table.  And everyone knows that his game outside of that is limited.  Even in Hershey, where the talent level is obviously lower than the NHL, Joel rarely plays in the third period of tight games.  In complete games Joel sometimes gets only about a handful of shifts a night.

But Dale Hunter seems like he is stuck in the 90s.  He is trying to win in today's NHL with a physical, imposing mentality that most teams abandoned after the lockout.  Back then, Joel very well may have been an every night player. 

Unfortunately for Coach Hunters beliefs, those types of things don't win games on a consistent basis in today's NHL.  Enforcers are a rarity on NHL teams nowadays.  Gone are the Bob Probert's of the world and in their place are the Matt Hendricks style fighter...grinders who will drop the gloves to defend a teammate.

My questions about Joel's recalls were more centered on...why the hell would Dale Hunter recall a guy that rarely plays more than a handful of shifts in the AHL?  The Caps problems don't seem to be on the physical end of the spectrum...at least that's my opinion (which means absolutely nothing...to anyone).

Hunter seems lost.  Apparently that's what this Caps team does to people....just ask Bruce Boudreau.


As for other part of your question "Do they tell him what to do when he is played?  I mean..do you think that they just cut him loose on the ice..or is their a preset agenda??"...

All teams have a certain scheme and all players/positions in those schemes have certain positional responsibilities.  Whether its to be at a certain place on a breakout or to cover a certain player after a faceoff.

While Joel has a very defined role to play on the team...enforcer...he is still expected to maintain his positional responsibilities...not just fight or hit people.  If he fails in his responsibilities as a left wing then the other team is likely to get a scoring chance.

So, no, Joel does not just get on the ice to fight someone.  He has a role and if he isn't following through on it, the coaches won't play him in other situations.


Hopefully that answers your questions...if not, ask another and I will try to answer that one.