It was a weird sight seeing Mike Green take the ice for the first time in a Detroit Red Wings jersey last Saturday. The offensive defenseman left Washington this summer when the Caps couldn't afford Green's hefty contract. Green signed with Detroit in July for a three year, $18M deal. However, with his departure the defensive core is still intact as Green spent last season as the 5th d-man, paired up with Jack Hillen and Tim Gleason for the majority of the year.
Green's gifted skating and passing ability, along with his slick shooting skills, will be missed especially on the power play. Green was the go-to-guy as the set up man for Alex Ovechkin's we-know-he-is-going-to-do-it-but-we-cant-stop-it one-timer in the left circle. As the season went on though, we started to see more of John Carlson filling the role of the offensive-defensemen with the extra man. Carlson had a career high last season with 55 points in all 82 games paired up throughout the year with Brooks Orpik.
With Green now gone, the offensive torch has been passed, and Carlson is more than up the challenge at keeping last years pace. With Carlson joined by Orpik, Matt Niskanen and Karl Alzner, the top 4 that lead the way last season is back for more.
This year though, the Caps will be looking at solidifying the bottom pairing leftover by the departure of Green, Gleason and Hillen. Nate Schmidt has finally made the jump from Hershey to the big club where he will battle it out with Dmitry Orlov and newcomer, Taylor Chorney.
Schmidt and Orlov have seen a lot of each other over their young career playing in Hershey. The familiarity is something that both defensemen know will be good for their transition in the Trotz-era and good for their chances at becoming the new staples for the Caps D.
Taylor Chorney is something of a wildcard for the bottom 2. The 28 year old was picked up over the summer as insurance for Dmitry Orlov if Orlov, for some reason or another, isn't ready from his wrist injury that occurred last summer at the Worlds.
However, Chorney isn't an offensive guy. He's a meat-and-potatoes kinda player that Trotz loves and he could just put enough pressure on Orlov and Schmidt to push their game to the next level. Chorney has bounced around a few times from the AHL to the NHL in cities that range from Edmonton to Wilkes Barre, but he's a hard worker from I've heard and could perhaps be the defensive version of Jay Beagle.
The Capitals will be looking at Dmitry Orlov to find his offensive game and use his incredible shot once again. He has been practicing all summer in Russia and back in Reston, VA and all signs are pointing to his 100% return. Orlov has the potential to become a very talented player in this league, not to mention a very heavy hitter, and if he can play to the ability that we're all hoping he can, then that bottom pairing is going to be very, very difficult to play against.
Green's departure might just be the best thing that has happened to the Caps since McPhee was fired. While we here in DC wish Green all the best in Detroit, it's nice to know the Caps have a bright future on the blueline.
More to come...