The Caps are going to be good.

[pcm]

I just want to prepare people for this season.

Their forward depth is actually quite impressive. A lot of jam in there, with some sharp russian filet.
Their top 4 is young and talented, and if they take a step forward in their development, could be dominant.
Their goaltending is on the verge of elite.
If their coaching staff can put it all together this year, I could see them battling for top seed in the division.

Welcome the rivalry.

(They could acutally really use a guy like Niskanen, but that won't happen.)

[SolidSnake]

MarioLives?

[Crankshaft]

Yea, but they're the Caps. Ovechkin is a crappy leader and they'll fold under pressure.

[mikey287]

My half-serious response is: they do have a strong history of winning.

My real response is: Yeah, it's a good group. They might have a big advantage with coaching, Adam Oates could be a terrific coach in this league, he really gets it. We'll see what happens...they're very talented and I've been a Braden Holtby fan for a while now, he's a quality goalie.

[canaan]

Meh. They are as good as the people that can complement and deal with the great ape. I don't anticipate then getting over the hump until a full-on culture change takes place.

[canaan]

They traded Mathieu Perreault to ANA for John Mitchell and a 4th

http://ducks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=684750" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[pcm]

Oh don't get me wrong, so long as Leonsis is owner, I can't see them winning the Cup. In fact, so long as they're in DC I can't see it happening.

But I haven't heard much about them being a force in the division, and I see a team that could challenge for top seed, especially if Ovenchicken continues where he left off last season.

The competition will do them well come spring too.

[Idoit40fans]

Theyre going to compete for an east wild card.

[BurghersAndDogsSports]

I think that there are going to be teams that surprise fans this year. Teams the like the Caps, Devils and Blue Jackets. Does that mean I think they are division winners and contenders. Not necessarily it just means they will be better than I have seen people predict. Lots of teams out there with impressive depth.

[MRandall25]

The Blue Jackets won't be a surprise, if you happened to catch them last year. This year *should* be a continuation on that momentum.

[BurghersAndDogsSports]

The Blue Jackets won't be a surprise, if you happened to catch them last year. This year *should* be a continuation on that momentum.

Yeah, I just mean compared to what I'm reading and seeing. Blue Jckets and Caps are going to be a lot tougher than people think. I'm not necessarily sold on the Devils since Kovy left, they went downhill when he got hurt (maybe Ryder can pick up osme of that slack) but I just don't think they are going to suck, still decent depth, defense and goaltending.

[Jim]

If you go back and look at he team that have won the Cup it isn't always (usually) the one that you actually expect. Therefore, anyone can win it... However, as long as they continue to rely on Green for defense and Ovechkin for leadership... that team will be hamstrung.

[the wicked child]

So this is our annual "Caps Panic" thread. Getting an early start this year. The OP was not from the poster I expected.

Maybe we should focus our on the Pens and worry about this crap later?

[Jim]

I guess we should just can the NPR section then.

[Kaizer]

raise the banner for "going to be good this season"

[Beveridge]

As long as there isn't a "Caps really aren't that good" thread, they are no threat to win it all.

[DelPen]

They still don't have a reliable goalie. I'd still take Fleury over Holtby and Neuvirth. And I also don't see an offense to worry about. Erat didn't fit in last year and not sure how big a threat he will be this year. Grabovski is OK but nothing special either. Defense too is nothing special.

[the wicked child]

I guess we should just can the NPR section then.

Sorry, I was unaware that there is no happy middle ground between discussing the Penguins and panicking about the Capitals. Carry on.

[Jim]

Who was panicking about the Caps? I am just wondering where is all of the posts before yours is there any kind of panic? You mentioned focusing on our own problems and referred to the Caps discussing as "this crap" so... I just don't see it from your view point.

When can we start talking about other teams in general, and the Caps specifically? 3 days before we play them for the first time? Too soon? 2 days? A week? I have Capitals season tickets, does that matter? What level of discussion does not constitute "panic" or "crap"?

[largegarlic]

I don't know. My impression from watching a handful of Caps games down the stretch last year and in the playoffs is that they went from a supremely skilled, but soft team to a team that is pretty much Ovechkin plus a bunch of grinders. Green is hurt a lot, and even when he's healthy, he doesn't seem like a premier offensive d-man anymore. I don't know what happened to Backstrom, but he went from maybe being a top 5 center in the league to being a merely adequate 1st-line center. Ribeiro was pretty solid for them last year, and now he's been replaced with the skilled, but streaky Grabovski.

I like a lot of their guys as depth players--Laich, Chimera, Ward, Brouwer--but I don't see much reliable secondary scoring.

[Fire0nice228]

Holtby is legit

[Jim]

I am going to the three games this extended weekend. I can not believe that they were down 0-3 against Calgary and came back for a 5-4 SO win. ARGH!

[columbia]

They've only given up 12 goals in 3 games?
Great start.

[Froggy]

They were a fraud last year, and got worse in the off season.

[littlemoonboot]

People on the hockeynets seem to have a habit of putting up a "Look out for the Caps" thread every fall. The Caps then seem to have a habit of crapping themselves after April.

This is becoming like clockwork every year.