As August rolls on, the NHL free agency signings are few and far between. Most teams have solidified the core of their roster, and will wait until training camp to fill the last few gaps in their lineups. The Washington Capitals are no different, as they have elected to find a second line center from within, but there is one need they cannot satisfy without a late splash in free agency.
The Capitals were beaten in the first round because (among other things, including superb goaltending from Halak), the Canadiens managed to block a huge number of quality scoring chances. The play of big, lumbering defensemen Josh Gorges and Hal Gill quieted Washington's snipers, but Washington could not do the same.
For the last couple of seasons, the Capitals have lacked a true defensive defenseman—a player who can block shots, intimidate the opposition and play important minutes against the opposition's top line. Former Vancouver Canucks blueliner Willie Mitchell is the definition of this kind of player.
Mitchell has averaged over 100 blocked shots per season in the five years since the NHL lockout, and finished fourth among all Canuc ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Ryan Davenport
Willie Mitchell: Why He Would Make the Capitals a Better Team
August 17th, 2010 by Ryan Davenport Leave a reply »
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