Eric Mellin: Caps Ink Johansson Johansson re-signs on a three year deal.

Mr Mellin… I happen to disagree with most of your deductions in regard to the team but also like your blogs because it is a different opinion.

IMHO the CAPS are worse right now than they were last season and that .500 win ratio during the last half could be all we are looking at for this next season. We have taken one on the most exciting and best hockey players who will be a first ballot HOFer and just about pissed his career down the drain.

Part of this comes from signing player like Markus Johnasson. It’s not that he isn’t talented but he is just another like (Kuznetsov and Eller) converted wingers. We have Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Johansson down the middle. Some say Eller will be the 3rd line center… I say only if Trotz is FORCED to play him there. I think he may start there but could very well eventually be watching games from the press box.

The loss of Chimera will also be felt… as old as he is he brought more goals and more physical play than Johansson will ever bring to the table. Granted Johnasson look good on the PP but IMHO we are the Nation’s Capital and have a EURO identity… a soft (other than Orpik, Wilson and Ovechkin) EURO identity.

I would rather they traded Johansson as paying a player almost $5 million for someone’s POTENTIAL to be one of the better two-way forwards in the league explains my feelings.

That’s my thoughts and I am not impressed with McPhee’s replacement in the least. We fans are just getting more of the same NOTHING but false hopes.

As an Islander fan any caps fans want to give me some insight into Chimera?


Also good signing, you guys have a great team and should push for #1 in the metro this year

Jason Chimera is 37 years old yet has that blinding speed and last season put up a 20/20 year. He’s excellent on the PK and is an upgrade to Matt Martin IMHO. He the same size as Martin but doesn’t HIT as many times as Martin but does lay some tremendous checks once in a while. He brings more to the table than Martin did so IMO he's an upgrade to the Islanders.

As to the Capitals - they had the best record in the regular NHL season last year... so what. As long as the fans are being sold about how great they are - they are not. I'd liken their present status to the Bruins... old coaches and a management group that are among they NHL's worst.

Good deal for both team and johansson... He can play well in the bottom six and also move up if there is an injury..

With that said.. This might be the caps last year as contender status as Kuznetsov (RFA), Oshie (UFA), Williams (UFA) and Alzner (UFA) will all be free agents at the end of the year..

During the last half of the season The Caps looked like they had three scoring lines but not so much. Johansson has so so possession numbers that fail to drive play. He also has poor shot suppression numbers. He is a sniper basically. I think it's unlikely he is good enough to support his own line. He only had one point vs Pens. He is what he is.
They slightly overpaid for him, IMO. I guess the question is do they really need him?

Jason Chimera is 37 years old yet has that blinding speed and last season put up a 20/20 year. He’s excellent on the PK and is an upgrade to Matt Martin IMHO. He the same size as Martin but doesn’t HIT as many times as Martin but does lay some tremendous checks once in a while. He brings more to the table than Martin did so IMO he's an upgrade to the Islanders.

As to the Capitals - they had the best record in the regular NHL season last year... so what. As long as the fans are being sold about how great they are - they are not. I'd liken their present status to the Bruins... old coaches and a management group that are among they NHL's worst.
- sufi-judge

Thanks for the info on chimera. I love MM always will but sometimes his hitting took him out of the play and out of position. Im excited to see what chimera can do with cizikas and clutterbuck

He's soft and a giveaway machine. I watched 90% of Caps games last year, he has his moments but I'd rather have seen a trade. Also like to see Backstrom back to form, he's getting soft too, he's too comfy in Washington now, needs new scenery and they could get a great return. Big contract, kids = soft and inconsistant. Just sayn'.

He's soft and a giveaway machine. I watched 90% of Caps games last year, he has his moments but I'd rather have seen a trade. Also like to see Backstrom back to form, he's getting soft too, he's too comfy in Washington now, needs new scenery and they could get a great return. Big contract, kids = soft and inconsistant. Just sayn'.
- not_that_lanny

Ya this just pushed Panarin's next contract well over $6mill AAV...