Depth at Center in Question

With training camp just about a month away, George McPhee appears ready to end this offseason without the big splash many anticipated after last season’s playoff collapse.  Entering the offseason and upon dissection of the roster, the needs facing the Capitals were down the middle and on the blueline.  Although interest in Willie Mitchell has been rumored for a while now, it appears the promotions of Karl Alzner and John Carlson will fulfill the blueline needs; at least for the time being.  It should be noted the George McPhee made it clear over a month ago that he was content with the roster he had. 

The first priority was re-signing all his restricted free agents, a feat he accomplished without an arbitration hearing.  Presumably upon reflection of last season and the targets the skill guys had on their backs, McPhee traded for tough guy D.J. King.  A good move in my opinion, and at low cost cap-wise.  But the area of most concern has to be the center position.  If the season were to start today, the Capitals would enter the season with an elite center in Nicklas Backstrom, and two unproven centers to pivot the next two lines.  Tomas Fleischmann at the moment appears to be slotted into the number two role, while former Hershey Bear Mathieu Perreault will slide into the number three slot.  Here is a breakdown of how the three faired a season ago.

Nicklas Backstrom
GP: 82
G: 33
A: 68
P: 101
+/-: 37

Tomas Fleischmann
GP: 69
G: 23
A: 28
P: 51
+/-: 9

Mathieu Perreault
GP: 21
G: 4
A: 5
P: 9
+/- 4

Enough can’t be said about the season Nicklas Backstrom had in 2009. Backstrom reached career highs in all major statistical categories. A conscious effort to shoot the puck more paid huge dividends for Backstrom.  Backstrom took 48 more shots on goal last season than the 08-09 campaign. It opened up another dimension of Backstrom’s game. Not only is he an elite playmaker in the NHL, but he now gives opposing defenders nightmares due to his ability to score goals. Backstrom is without at doubt an elite center, and will be an integral part of the Caps’ success for years to come.

The issue concerning the Capitals is depth. If Backstrom is taken out of the equation, the Capitals have no real threat down the middle. Slated to center the second line next season will be Tomas Fleischmann, who aside from a handful of games last season, hasn’t played center since his junior days while playing for Moose Jaw. Most of Fleischmann’s accomplishments in the NHL have come while playing on the wing. The skill and talent that Fleischmann brings to the ice day in and day out in undeniable. I foresee Flash being a 30 goal scorer someday. But the knock against Fleischmann is his effort and drive. He has never been one to grind, go to the high traffic areas, and to the dirty work. He is also a very streaky player who scores in bunches. Consistency has never been synonymous with Tomas Fleischmann. A glaring statistic was how poorly Fleischmann played in games the Capitals did not win. Obviously it is a safe assumption that players don’t play as well in games their teams lose, but Fleischmann statistics really pop out. In the 22 games the Caps lost, in which Fleischmann played, Flash had just six goals and six assists. He was a -15 in those games. This compared to the +24 in games the Caps won. I will reiterate that consistency is an Achilles heal for Flash.

Fleischmann has yet to make a name for himself as a two way player. One of Backstrom’s major improvements from a season ago was his play in his own zone and Bruce Boudreau’s growing reliance on Backstrom on the penalty kill. Both areas Fleischmann needs to improve in.

With the Capitals fourth line solidified with either David Steckel and Boyd Gordon at center, the third line remains in question. Mathieu Perreault looks to have the edge and is my pick to start opening night. Perreault will likely be one of three Hershey Bears to suit up for the Caps full time this season. Perreault, along with Karl Alzner and John Carlson won a Calder Cup a season ago in Hershey. Perreault has seen time in this role before, but has yet to show consistency over a long period of time with the Caps. Perreault played 21 games with the Caps last season. All the scouting reports proved to be correct as Perreault showcased his speed, tenacity, energy, and playmaking ability. The issue facing Perreault is his ability to play at the highest level over a longer period of time. Perreault was consistently a much needed spark, but often fizzled as games went by. The question will be whether Perreault can produce over the course of a season.  Perreault’s speed will match up well with the speed of Jason Chimera, who will likely be playing on the left wing.  Eric Fehr will add some scoring on the right side.

Again, the main concern will be his play on the defensive side of the puck. Perreault had the lowest Corsi rating of all the Caps centers last season.  His faceoff percentage of 45.2% will need improving as well.

All in all, the third line center spot is Perreault’s to lose.  He is without at doubt in the Caps’ future plans.  The concern is how Perreault will match up with center’s from other contenders in the East.  Most notably Pittsburgh, who arguably have the best 3 man centering unit in the NHL.  Philadelphia also comes to mind with Richards, Carter, and Briere.

The possibility remains that George McPhee could still address the lack of depth at center, most notably the second line.  But my feeling now is that McPhee will enter the season with the roster he currently has, and re-evaluate as the season progresses.  The Capitals without a doubt have the necessary assets, whether in Hershey or with the big club, to improve mid-season.  The soon to be unrestricted free agent Alex Semin certainly comes to mind.  Teams looking for a little scoring punch could use a 40 goal scorer.  That 40 goal scorer would certainly bring a large return.  So there are options on the table for the Caps.  But for now the hopes are that Fleischmann will mold into a bonified NHL center, and Perreault will continue to progree and mature into the dynamic player many feel he can be.

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