As the weeks leading up to training camp go by, the Washington Capitals have many decisions to make in order to be ready for opening night. The most pressing issue at hand seems to be the opening in the middle on the Capitals second line and power play unit.
The Caps elected to try Brendan Morrison out in this spot last season, but had mixed results with the diminutive pivot and decided to go in another direction for the 2010-11 season. Tomas Fleischmann, Eric Belanger, and Brooks Laich also all got their chances, but none were best suited for the position.
One solution appeared to be 2009 first rounder Marcus Johansson, but his performance at the Capitals Development Camp in July suggested that he may need more time before he grows into the North American game.
European-trained centermen usually need more time to adapt to the more physical NHL game, as can be seen in Washington's own Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom really came into his own after his first season, and had a rough first few months in the league while learning the more hard-nosed game played on this side of the pond.
Assuming J ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Ryan Davenport
Washington Capitals Approach Season With Many Questions Remaining
July 30th, 2010 by Ryan Davenport Leave a reply »
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