Washington Capitals

By colonelbagpuss ⋅ May 17, 2010 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Karl Alzner – 21 Games, 0 Goals-5 Assists-5 Points, -2 Rating

Alzner spent much of the season moving back and forth from Hershey and Washington, but when he was with the Capitals, he was consistently solid on the blue line. Similar to Jeff Schultz in style, Alzner isn’t as attacking as other Caps d-men, but he did bring some balance to the team. However he seemed nervous and at times out of place in the NHL, hence his less-than-expected playing time for the Capitals, after showing plenty of promise in the AHL. Once he becomes more confident in himself, we should see less mistakes and more ability. Definitely one for the future, but for now, not quite ready for the NHL. Grade: B-

John Carlson – 22 Games, 1 Goal-5 Assists-6 Points, +11 Rating

Carlson became a prominent part of the team late in the regular season, having shown some promise when called up earlier in the year. At first, he seemed cautious to venture forward into the offensive zone, but as he became more comfortable in the NHL, he showed more of his attacking ability, as he displayed in the World Junior Championships for the USA. This youngster seems to be of the Mike Green mould, making his potential partnership with Karl Alzner very exciting for Caps fans, given the success of the Green-Schultz pairing. He still has some work to do, but has shown a whole load of natural ability and seems to work well with his teammates. Carlson has shown a lot of flair late in the season, and is a very exciting prospect, who will most likely be with the Capitals come the start of next season. Grade: B+

Joe Corvo – 18 Games, 2 Goals-4 Assists-6 Points, -4 Rating

Coming to Washington on trade deadline day, Corvo cost the Capitals quite a lot, and sadly didn’t really justify the trade. He wasn’t exactly what Caps fans wanted – a big-name, crease-clearing defenseman – but he brought some experience to the blue line down the stretch. Corvo wasn’t a good fit for the Caps, and failed to develop a solid partnership, and probably had a negative effect on Tom Poti, whose season somewhat trailed off towards the end. Corvo was neither solid defensively, nor very creative offensively. In his short time in Washington, Corvo failed to make any real impact; his future probably lies elsewhere. Grade: B-

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