Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee said it best Monday, on opening day of the Caps summer development camp, "I think all our positions are filled and we have good depth and we're ready to go."

Coach Bruce Boudreau agreed.  "There's not a lot of holes to fill. There might be that one hole right now."

That "one hole" Boudreau referred to is his third line center.  As the NHL roster sits right now, it would be most likely filled with Brooks Laich, re-signed earlier this summer to a six-year contract.  But this development camp really boils down to two young, talented players getting a chance to show the Caps that one of them should fill that spot and push Laich back to a wing position.

Those two players are Cody Eakin and Matthias Sjogren.



Eakin, a 20-year old native of Winnipeg, is generously listed on the Caps development roster at 5'11", 179.  Sjogren, a 23-year old from Sweden, is 6'1", 210.  Eakin is participating in his third development camp.  Sjogren, who just signed a few weeks ago, his first.  Eakin has built his resume on speed and offensive prowess, while Sjogren is a disciplined center who like to play defense and hit people.



If one of these players impresses McPhee and Boudreau enough this week and in training camp in September, he could force his way onto this team for opening night.  If not, the Caps brass likes what they have here already.



"Like always, in our development camp we're looking forward to somebody stepping up," Boudreau said to the gathered media, 40-plus strong for development camp in July. "The word for today was 'opportunity'. If you look at the amount of guys that have been signed to pro contracts that have come to our camp -- either by us or by other teams -- it's a time to get noticed. So we're hoping some young men will take that step and push forward."

McPhee discussed the parameters of  giving a job to a rookie.  "You never want to put anybody in before they're ready.  We've done it a few times and had success, with a [John] Carlson or a [Marcus] Johansson. Those were calculated risks we thought were worth it and they turned out to be really good for us."

"It can be really detrimental for development to put a kid out there before he's mentally or physically ready."



When asked what he liked about Sjogren, a physical center who recorded a career-high 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 51 games for Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League last seaosn, McPhee wasn't bashful.  "We started talking to him a year ago.  A lot of teams got in on that discussion later in the season when he played in the World Championships, but we really liked what we saw early on.  He's a big, strong guy he's got some grit to him. I know in the World Championships the players on Team Canada were saying 'This guy plays with an edge, some bite, and we don't like him very much', which is nice. He's here to compete for a job. The nice thing is he can play a couple positions. As we've said in the past, if one of these young guys is good enough we'll make room for him."



Sjogren's toughness was tested the first day, as an errant stick caught him up high, knocking out a tooth.  He left the ice for a few minutes to return and complete the practice.



Boudreau wanted to assess Sjogren's play this week before speaking of his style but he knows Sjogren wanted to join the Capitals.  "He had choices. He chose us. He's a determined young man, best friends with Marcus [Johansson], and if he has Marcus' character then I think we've got a real good one. He's signed with us cause he's determined he's gonna make the team. These make for good battles."

For his part, Sjogren wants to put his skills on display and let the organization make the decisions.  "I think it's good for me to come over here and show myself to the coaches that haven't seen me play live against others. It's a way for me to show how I play and how to get adjusted."

""I think I'm more of a defensive guy, but I will try to improve my offensive game, my toughness. I play physical in the game. Yeah, I try, that's my type of game. I'm not just a hitter, I try to be everywhere, especially when at center you have to be good on offense, defense too."

Both McPhee and Boudreau spoke glowingly of Eakin.  He enjoyed quite a season in 2010-11, registering 18 goals and 21 points in 30 regular season games for the Swift Current Broncos -- and then was traded for five players and three draft picks to the Kootenay Ice, where he went on to score 18 goals and 27 assists in 26 games as they marched to the Memorial Cup.  In the playoffs, he even turned it up a notch, going for 11 goals and 16 assists in 19 playoff games. 

As if that weren't enough, he played for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships and was plus-3 in seven games.

Could the Caps be thinking that the third time's the charm for Eakin to make his way onto the NHL roster?



"We've certainly thought of him in that respect," McPhee said.  "We thought he was every bit as good as Marcus was in camp last year. And there was some discussion about whether we should keep him last year. But it never hurts to let them play another year in juniors. He had a terrific experience last year in junior playing in the World Championships at Christmas then playing for the Memorial Cup. He played a lot of hockey and played a role, had the experience of being traded, all that stuff. He's a better player as a result now." 



"He'll be competing for a job," McPhee said.

"He does a lot of things at a high level," McPhee said describing Eakin's play.  "He's got a lot of speed, he's a player on the ice that's got good hockey sense. Those players are usually the best players. Real poised, lots of great character. He doesn't back down from anyone."

Boudreau said Eakin's personality and performance make him stand out among prospects. "Everyone paid close attention to Cody last year, him and his exploits and going to the Memorial Cup and World Juniors. He came in last year in camp really trying to make the team. When we sent him back to junior he was genuinely disappointed. He wanted a crack at making that team. I just look at him out here on Day One of a development camp in July and he's got that determination that he's coming in to make the team.  He’s going to be in tremendous shape and he’s going to do, I think, whatever it takes to stick. He’s got that mentality.”

And what does the coach think of his chances to make the opening night roster? "There's no job given to him -- at all. But he's gonna come in and and fight as hard as he can and it's gonna be a hard decision when it comes to sending him down. And he's in tough in that group, too. You've got Mattias Sjogren on the same thing, and you've got Matthieu Perreault, I'm sure he wants full-time work in this situation. So it will make an interesting battle in training camp."

Eakin is ready to get in to camp and compete and not wait until training camp in September to fight for a job.  "It starts now and I have to be prepared today and the rest of the week, and carry it over and work hard this summer."

Does Eakin think he can make this team?  "That's where I'm setting my goals.  I am coming into camp to make the team and if I don't, you know, that's the way it goes and I'll play where I end up.  But I think everyone that's coming into camp is going to have the same focus and the same goals too, to play on the Caps."

Eakin and Sjogren are both accomplished players for their age.  They both show the same drive, determination and goal to make the opening night roster for the Washington Capitals.  It's like McPhee said, the team isn't depending on either one of them to make the team, but if their play dictates that they've earned it, he and Boudreau aren't going to artificially hold either one back.

It's really the only battle in this development camp that could have any impact on the NHL roster, at least for opening night.  There are others that maybe later in the season or down the road could make an impact, but for now, it's up to a couple of centers to make a lasting impression before big league training camp in September.

All photos (c) C.Nichols/Caps News Network. All rights reserved.
For More Photos from Day 1, click here.

GM George McPhee has been a busy guy in the last couple of weeks.

In:  Mattias Sjogren, Troy Brouwer, Jeff Halpern, Joel Ward, Roman Hamrlik and Tomas Vokoun.

Out:  Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon, Semyon Varlamov, Tyler Sloan and Eric Fehr.  In addition to Tomas Fleischmann and David Steckel last season.  So far.

That's a quarter of the team's active roster juggled since McPhee re-upped Brooks Laich to his brand new six-year deal.  It's quite a remarkable roster de-construction for a team that has been the class of the Eastern Conference, at least in the regular season, the last two seasons.

The changes, and the type of players being brought in, signify that McPhee identified some significant deficiencies in his roster.  Those deficiencies were obvious.  And it's nothing mystical like "leadership" or "presence".  It had everything to do with the toughness of the players on the roster. And I'm not talking about the willingness to play hard or drop the gloves.

For the last couple of seasons, the Caps have been routinely outmuscled; on the boards, behind the nets, in the crease.  They've been built on finesse, and as such their speed and skill have been one of their biggest strengths.  Teams across the Southeast Division couldn't keep up with the Caps and most adapted and changed themselves to a more offensive, speed-oriented game.  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  But that nagging problem of muscle lingered.

It's most evident, obviously, against the more physical teams, and in the playoffs when the ice sheet shrinks.  The Flyers. The Penguins. The Bruins.  The Canadiens.  These are teams that traditionally have built their schemes around winning individual physical battles along the boards and doing the dirty work around the goals.  Look at a shot chart from Sidney Crosby one time.  You'll see most of his shots come from 15 feet in.  Then look at a shot chart from the Caps.  It's a stark difference.

A matter of style, of course.  Bruce Boudreau has always played a wide-open, offense-first system.  But when things bogged down last season, starting the first week of December, for the first time in his coaching career Boudreau pulled back the reigns.  He stressed responsibility. He eased up on the three-man forecheck. He employed (GASP) the trap!

His players took to the changes, but they weren't a good fit. It was like asking a thoroughbred to pull a plow.  The players on last year's team were talented enough athletes to adapt to the new systems, but it wasn't who they are.  Or I should say, who they were.

McPhee and Boudreau obviously like the hybrid systems they ran after the first of the year, when they had so much success, moving from the doldrums of December and early January to the top of the conference.  But with time to assess and contemplate, they decided that didn't have the right players to put into those systems.

Enter the "Stealth GM".

McPhee really surprised no one by locking up Laich.  He would have been one of the most sought after free agents had McPhee let him get there: a talented, hard working two-way player that can play any forward position on any line and any situation without being a liability.  He could even play D for you in a pinch if you needed it.  Laich's versatility -- beyond even his skill or work ethic -- is his biggest asset.

McPhee brought in Swedish forward Sjogren, who in his own words said "I like to hit."  Joel Ward was second among forwards in blocked shots and fourth in hits for a gritty Nashville team last season.  Hamrlik is a veteran two-way defenseman.  Halpern is a face-off and penalty kill specialist that isn't a liability in the offensive end.

And Brouwer is physical (fifth in hits in 2010-11), has a mean streak (11 fights last season), and 39 combined goals in the last two seasons.  And has his name on the Cup.

The kicker is Vokoun, the 35-year old goalie that eschewed longer contracts to sign a one-year deal for a mere pittance to come play in D.C.

All are veteran players that will add strength, muscle, physicality to a team that for the last couple of seasons had acquired a well-earned reputation as a "finesse" team.  There is no more damning description for a hockey team than that, and McPhee went out of his way and spent a lot of Ted Leonsis' money to change that.

Let your mind wander and imagine for a moment a third line of Brouwer-Laich-Ward and a fourth line of Chimera-Halpern-Hendricks. That's toughness right there. Just picture those six wearing down opponents top lines all night.

The Capitals now have a pretty impressive blend of thoroughbreds and plow-horses.  Let's see how well this formula works come April 2012.

The Washington Capitals today announced they traded winger Eric Fehr to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2012 entry draft and RW Danick Paquette.

The move clears $2.2 million off the Capitals' salary cap for the upcoming season.

Paquette, 20, had 13 goals and seven assists with 179 penalty minutes for the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL last season.  He was originally a third round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2008 entry draft.

On the ice, this looks like a big loss for the Capitals.  Fehr was a first round selection, had a pair of 50-goal campaign in the minors, and has shown the talent to be a consistent 15-20 goal scorer in the NHL, especially considering coach Bruce Boudreau's reluctance to use the winger on the power play.  But Fehr has had multiple surgeries on his shoulder, and reports this summer have indicated that he will not be ready to play at the start of camp as a result of his latest surgery.

The Caps have acquired several wingers via trade or free agency in the last couple of week with the idea of adding toughness to the team without sacrificing some scoring ability.  Fehr was seen as an offensive option, but a liability physically and defensively.  Combined with his injury history and the knowledge that Washington was up against the Caps with Karl Alzner yet to be re-signed, the package the Capitals got back for a potential 20-goal scorer was more about freeing up the money than getting talent back.

GM George McPhee did Fehr a solid, trading him to a team that can use the offensive help, and moving Fehr back to Manitoba, where he grew up.

The Washington Capitals announced the roster and schedule for next week's Development Camp, held at Kettler Capitals Iceplex July 11-16. The roster is highlighted with some of the brightest prospects the organization has to offer, including forwards Mattias Sjogren and Cody Eakin and defenseman Dmitri Orlov.

The 6’2”, 214-pound Sjogren (23) spent last season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League, recording a career high 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) and 44 penalty minutes in 51 games. He helped lead his team to the SEL championship after registering nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 13 playoff games. The 23-year-old also played for Sweden at the 2011 World Championship in Slovakia, winning a silver medal while tallying a goal and three assists in nine games. This will be his first season in North America.

Eakin, 20, began the 2010-11 season as the captain of Swift Current before being traded to Kootenay for five players and three draft picks. The Winnipeg native recorded 83 points (36 goals, 47 assists) in 56 games during the regular season and was a key component of his team’s run to the Memorial Cup, adding 11 goals and 27 points in 19 playoff games. He finished tied for second among all WHL players in postseasons scoring as his Kootenay Ice won the WHL championship. Eakin hopes to translate his strong track record of success to the pro level.

Orlov, 20 on July 23, the highly-touted Russian defenseman, won a gold medal for Russia at the World Junior Championship this year and was named to the tournament all-star team while recording the most assists (8) by a defenseman in the tournament. He recorded a career-high 12 points for Metallurg of the KHL before signing an entry level deal with the Caps in March. He appeared in 19 games with Hershey, collecting two goals and seven assists. He will be beginning his first, full season in North America this year.

All on-ice sessions, including the three intersquad games, are free and open to the public.  Fan Fest is Saturday, July 16, a free-to-the-public event that features the team's annual equipment sale, games, autographs and public skating.

FULL ROSTER

29 FLEMMING, Brett D 5-11 184 2/26/91 Mississauga (OHL) Draft ‘09*
31 GRUBAUER, Phillip G 6-0 180 11/25/91 Kingston (OHL)/Germany (WJC) Draft ‘10*
33 SJOGREN, Mattias C 6-1 209 11/27/87 Farjestads BK (SEL)/Sweden (WC) Free Agent ‘11*
38 HAAR, Garrett D 6-0 193 8/16/93 Fargo (USHL) Draft ‘11
40 SOBERG, Steffen G 5-11 176 8/6/93 Manglerud (Norway)/Norway (WJC) Draft ‘11
44 KOUDYS, Patrick D 6-4 210 11/15/92 RPI (NCAA) Draft ‘11
49 GALIEV, Stanislav LW 6-1 188 1/17/92 Saint John (QMJHL) Draft ‘10
50 EAKIN, Cody C 5-11 179 5/25/91 Swift Current/Kootenay (WHL)/Canada (WJC) Draft ‘09*
53 BOYD, Travis F 5-10 185 9/14/93 USNDT/USA (WJC) Draft ‘11
54 BURKE, Greg LW 6-3 205 5/1/90 New Hampshire (NCAA) Draft ‘08
56 WEY, Patrick D 6-2 200 3/21/91 Boston College (NCAA)/USA (WJC) Draft ‘09
65 CARRIER, Samuel D 6-1 186 4/28/92 Lewiston (QMJHL) Draft ‘10
66 STEVENSON, Dustin D 6-5 220 8/12/89 South Carolina (ECHL) Free Agent ‘10*
72 HERBERT, Caleb F 5-11 185 10/12/91 Sioux City (USHL)/USA (WJAC) Draft ‘10
76 MITCHELL, Garrett RW 5-11 195 9/2/91 Regina (WHL)/Hershey (AHL) Draft ‘09*
78 ANDERSON, Brandon G 6-0 163 6/13/92 Lethbridge (WHL)/Hershey (AHL) Free Agent ‘10*
81 ORLOV, Dmitri D 6-0 197 7/23/91 Metallurg (KHL)/Hershey (AHL)/Russia (WJC) Draft ‘09*
93 KUGRYSHEV, Dmitry RW 5-11 193 1/18/90 Hershey (AHL)/S. Carolina (ECHL) Draft ‘08*
96 STEFISHEN, Taylor LW 6-0 185 8/15/90 Prince George (WHL) Trade ‘11


CAMP SCHEDULE

Monday, July 11
9:45 a.m.: Group A on ice
2:00 p.m.: Group B on ice
Approx. 12 p.m.: Media availability

Tuesday, July 12
9:30 a.m.: Group B on ice
11:45 p.m.: Group A on ice
Approx. 2 p.m.: Media availability

Wednesday, July 13
9:00 a.m.: Group A on ice
10:20 a.m.: Group B on ice
3:00 p.m.: Intrasquad scrimmage
Approx. 12:30 p.m.: Media availability

Thursday, July 14
9 a.m.: Intrasquad scrimmage
Approx. 11:30 a.m.: Media availability

Friday, July 15
9:30 a.m.: Group A on ice
11:15 a.m.: Group B on ice
Approx. 12 p.m.: Media availability

Saturday, July 16
Capitals Fan Fest
10 a.m.: Intrasquad scrimmage
Approx. 1:00 p.m.: Media availability

*Player descriptions from Capitals development camp guide.

The Washington Capitals today announced they signed winger Troy Brouwer to a two-year deal, reported to be worth $2.35 million per year.  That's certainly a reasonable contract for a guy that's scored 39 goals the last two years combined, not to mention the physical aspect he brings to the game.

That leaves the Caps with one priority: Signing Karl Alzner.

With the Brouwer signing the Caps are over the salary cap, but the team can carry 10 percent over the cap throughout the summer.  It gives them some time to sign Alzner, then deal to make room.. But where are those deals going to come from?

According to Capgeek.com (and if you don't have it bookmarked, why not?), the Caps are $1.8 million over with 23 players signed for next season.  They currently have the highest payroll in the NHL.  Where do the Caps get relief?

Let's take a look at some of the more obvious candidates:

Tom Poti ($2.875 million):  The veteran defenseman played in just 21 games last season due to a variety of injuries, worst of all his brittle groin.  If the Caps put Poti on the Long Term Injury List, they could save his cap number this season.

Eric Fehr ($2.2 million):  Like Poti, Fehr spent a lot of last season injured, and he's had multiple surgeries on his shoulder.  Reports say he probably will not be ready to play by the start of camp.  But he's still young, and a 20-goal scorer for this team with the limited minutes he gets.  Healthy, and on a team that could give him extensive power play time, he could be a real asset for someone.

Jeff Schultz ($2.75 million): The Caps currently have seven defensemen under contract before Alzner signs.  At the best, it now looks like Schultz will only be the sixth or seventh (or eighth) best defenseman on the team.  Not sure if that warrants the cap hit he carries. But he's big and durable, someone would play him 20 minutes a night.

Jason Chimera ($1.875 million):  Chimera brings a lot of speed and energy, and a fourth line of Chimera-Halpern-Hendricks is awfully enticing.  But his hands of stone really limits him offensive effectiveness for a player making almost $2 million per.

D.J. King ($637,500):  Not a big hit, but still... He was a forgotten player down the stretch, and only managed to dress 16 times the whole season.  This good soldier just doesn't fit into the coach's system or philosophy.  With Hendricks and Brouwer, the Caps have all the pugilists they would need on any given night.  The era of heavyweights is just about finished.

Alexander Semin ($6.7 million): Saved the best and biggest cap hit for last.  What more need be written about The Enigma?  If you could bring back Good Sasha at half the price and let Bad Sasha go, it would be one thing.  The problem with trading him? Where to, and would he report?  A player of his obvious talent would be a real boost to a team's scoring, but he would have to go to a team looking at the cap floor, and those teams generally aren't very attractive to play for, especially for a player that at times has had problems with motivation.  The other problem trading Semin?  None of these problems are a well-kept secret.  For a non-All-Star, he carries more baggage than anyone else in the league.
______________

(ed. 12:32 pm: I was called out for not including Mike Green on the list, which was fair.)

Mike Green ($5.25 million): I don't think the Caps will entertain offers for Mike Green, but it would be understandable if they did.  He's the most gifted offensive defenseman in the game, and a work in progress on the back end.  He now also carries the stigma of a concussion victim, on top of various other elements that have dramatically affected his performance in the playoffs the last two years, including a bum shoulder. 

Just when you thought GM George McPhee was "done" making deals this off-season, he goes off and does it again.  Mid-day Saturday, on his birthday no less, McPhee signed veteran goalie Tomas Vokoun to a one-year deal, reported to be worth $1.5 million.  It was another stunning move for an organization that has now turned over a quarter of their active roster in a week's time.

Less than 24 hours after announcing to all that he was finished chasing free agents, and specifically saying the team would compete next season with Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby as their two goalies, McPhee went out and signed the veteran netminder many thought could complete this team.

If you're ever invited to play in a poker game with McPhee, politely decline.

Vokoun, who also celebrated his 35th birthday Saturday, went 22-28-5 with a 2.55 GAA and .922 SV% in 57 games for a Florida Panther team last season that finished last in the Eastern Conference last season.  The 12-year veteran with the Panthers and Nashville Predators owns a lifetime 2.56 GAA and .917 SV%.

Vokoun was expected to be one of the more sought after free agent goalies available, but McPhee was able to snag Czech native for a quarter of what some experts thought he might go for on the open market, and more than $1 million less this season than Colorado gave to Semyon Varlamov and equal to what Florida gave Jose Theodore.

"We are excited to add an elite veteran goaltender to the Capitals," McPhee said via press release. "We now have a nice blend of talent, depth, experience and youth in the goaltending position."

"I'm very excited to join the Washington Capitals organization," Vokoun said in the same press release. "It is a terrific team with a lot of talent and I look forward to doing everything I can for us to reach our ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup."

McPhee has now acquired five veteran players in the last week.  It's an easy pattern to recognize that McPhee definitely saw weaknesses in the Capitals lineup and took significant strides to address those needs.  Vokoun was the capper though.  Neuvirth and Holtby were both excellent last season in their starts for the Caps -- both even carried the team at times when the lineup struggled.

The team easily could have come into the season with the Neuvy/Holtby pair to start the season and made additions if they saw fit.  But in Vokoun, McPhee seized an opportunity to be pro-active and upgrade at a position that wasn't even a priority.  Vokoun will bring presence to the cage for the Caps.  Neuvirth and Holtby are both tremendously talented, and Vokoun is only on a one-year contract and is, after all, 35, so it's not like the Caps are signalling that they are unhappy with their two young netminders.

But Neuvirth seemed to lose some luster down the stretch last season as he carried the workload of the No. 1 guy through the playoffs, and Holtby, for all his talent and confidence, still could use another season in the "A" to work on his maturity and decision-making during play.  It's a position of great flexibility for McPhee, being able to stash perhaps his best long-term goalie at Hershey for another season. 

It's also an embarrassment of riches for the team that had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season to have three goalies they can comfortably turn to at any time.

The signing moves the Capitals even closer to the salary cap for the upcoming season, with contracts for Karl Alzner and Troy Brouwer still due.  McPhee has his work cut out for him to make all the pieces fit under the constraints of the cap.  It's entirely possible we will see some players that are under contract traded in the upcoming weeks.  We could see defenseman Tom Poti bought out or enticed to retire.

McPhee has all summer to make things work out.  With what he's done in the last 36 hours, anyone want to bet against him?

CAPITALS SIGN VETERAN FREE AGENTS HALPERN, HAMRLIK AND J.WARD

The news rolled in quicker than most people could keep up with.

Jeff Halpern returned to the team he grew up with and Boyd Gordon walked.  Then, in a shock to everyone's system, Semyon Varlamov was traded away.  There was a brief lull.  Then, all hell broke loose. 

Roman Hamrlik.  Joel Ward.  A couple of veteran scorers for Hershey.  And at the end of it all, GM George McPhee reassured Washington Capitals fans he had enough money to sign RFAs Karl Alzner and Troy Brouwer, acquired just a few days ago.

Head spinning yet?

Yes, the activity at Caps headquarters on this, the first day of the NHL free agency period, was fast and frenzied.  At the end of the day the Caps got tougher and stronger, if not dangerously close to the NHL's salary cap.

McPhee told the media the team was done in his press conference after the signings were announced and reiterated that he still had the room to get deals for Alzner and Brouwer completed.  According to Capgeek.com, a widely respected website that tracks salary numbers for all NHL teams, the Caps have just over $2 million space remaining with the players they currently have under contract.  Until proven otherwise, we'll defer to McPhee that Alzner and Brouwer will indeed be in red at the start of play this season.

The players acquired today all have one thing in common: toughness.  Halpern isn't known for his hitting, but he's a faceoff and penalty kill specialist that will assume Gordon's spot on the fourth line.  Hamrlik, 37, is an 18-year NHL veteran known for his big left-handed shot.  Ward, a 30-year old right winger, led Nashville forwards in blocked shots last year and was their playoff darling, scoring seven goals and six assists in 12 games. He had 29 points in the regular season.

The other thing all three players add, obviously, is experience.  All are established, veteran players and combined with Brouwer -- acquired last week for the Caps first round pick in the 2011 entry draft -- further reinforces the idea that McPhee has adopted a "win-now" philosophy.  The other thing it signals, in no uncertain terms, is that he felt the team as constructed last season was the reason they did not advance further in the playoffs, and not any imagined deficiency in his coaching staff.

The net for Varlamov was a coup: Colorado's first round pick next season and a second round pick in either the 2012 or 2013 draft.  After it became evident in the past week that the player had no designs of returning to Washington, and in fact demanding that he be implanted as starter as a condition of said return or he would take his talents to the KHL, McPhee made quite a haul for a player that he was going to lose anyway.

If indeed McPhee is "done" tinkering this off-season, he got quite a bit accomplished in one day.  Ultimately, the team got older and more experienced without sacrificing long-term assets, and in fact acquired a potential lottery pick in next year's draft to boot.  Quite a day.