Washington Capitals Depth Chart: Part 1: Defense and Goalies

The 2010-11 hockey season is upon us. Rookie camps are over and training camps open this weekend.

Despite having the NHL’s most successful regular season last year, the Washington Capitals still must sort out several spots on the depth chart.

The coaching staff will face a challenge in getting down to the required 23-player roster by the first week in October.

While the Capitals were not forced to undergo a drastic roster upheaval like the Stanley Cup-winning Blackhawks (a tribute to good salary-cap management), the team will still see significant changes for the upcoming season.

Gone are Jose Theodore, Shoanne Morrison, Brian Pothier, and Milan Jurcina, the No. 1 goaltender and three of the top six defensemen for most of last season. Also departed are center Brendan Morrison and fan favorite Quentin Laing.

Gone, too, are trade-deadline pickups Eric Belanger, Joe Corvo, and Scott Walker. 

Caps GM George McPhee made only a few off-season moves this year beyond re-signing the team's core players. He did pick up tough guy D.J. King in trade for Stefan Della Rovere, a seventh-round pick in the 2008 draft. However, virtually all his other signings appear to be depth players who will spend this season in Hershey.

Today’s article will cover the team’s goaltending and defense; tomorrow we’ll follow up with the Caps centers and wingmen.

Goal Tending

Ever since late last season, it has been clear that the Caps planned to go with two young goalies this year.

While Theodore had moments of brilliance, especially during his record-setting 23 game no-loss streak, his $4.5 million price tag and overall inconsistency were too much for a salary cap-conscious NHL.

While 22-year-old Semyon Varlamov may have a slight edge over Michal Neuvirth for the starting position, coach Boudreau is likely to start the season by platooning the two.  Whoever has the hotter hand over time will probably see more action.

Varlamov has almost as many playoff appearances (19) under his belt as regular season games (32). While technically no longer a rookie, if he stays healthy, this year will be the Russian’s first full season in the NHL ranks.

Czech native Neuvirth, a month older than Varlamov, has had a stellar AHL career and performed well at the NHL level in 22 games last year.

This will be his official rookie season, so if he plays well enough to steal the starting job from Varlamov, he may become the dark horse candidate for this year's Calder trophy.

Braden Holtby, age 20, will start in goal for the Hershey Bears this season, following an excellent first professional season split between the AHL and ECHL.  However, it’s not clear whether he will even be an injury call up this season.

The Caps have signed Dany Sabourin, a veteran journeyman with a couple of years of NHL experience as backup goalie, as insurance.

But perhaps Holtby will at least get to make his NHL debut this season and who knows what else; stranger things have been known to happen. 

Defense

Last season’s No. 1 defensive pairing, Mike Green and Jeff Schultz, are a lock for the Caps top two spots on the blue line. Green has been the league’s defensive scoring leader and Norris trophy also ran for two years running.

Schultz, who led the NHL in +/- rating last season, unfortunately suffered with health issues this summer. He claims to be fully recovered, and if that is the case, Green and Schultz are only going to get better this year.

Rookie phenom John Carlson will likely be paired with Tom Poti for the Caps' No. 3 and 4 defensive slots. Carlson showed incredible poise for a young blue liner in his 22 NHL appearances late last year and is already being touted as a top prospect for this season’s Calder trophy.

Poti, who is entering his 12th NHL season, is a responsible, well-rounded defender, who has the veteran smarts to mentor the talented young Carlson.

Karl Alzner and John Erskine should pair up as the Cap’s shutdown duo. Alzer, the Caps No. 1 selection in the 2007 NHL draft (fifth overall) is a prototypical defensive defenseman who has been improving steadily in two pro seasons split between Heshey and Washington.

Erskine, a 10-year veteran known as a rugged, stay-at-home defenseman would be a perfect complement to Alzer in situations where the Caps require a physical presence on the blue line.

This is a contract year for Erskine, who should be highly motivated to step his game up a notch.

Expect the Caps to carry a seventh defender on their 23-player regular season roster.  Tyler Sloan occupied this role for most of the 2009-10, and for this season he’s likely to be challenged for that slot by Sean Collins and Brian Fahey.

All three are in their late 20s and none has yet to secure a regular NHL gig.

Sloan offers the versatility of being able to play forward in a pinch, while Collins and Fahey have the plus of being right-handed shots (only Green and Carlson are right handed among the Caps top six defenders).

NCAA standout blue-liner Zach Miskovic would also have been included in this group, however, a knee injury in rookie camp will keep him out of action for the next several weeks. 

Unless he falters during training camp, I’d expect to see Sloan on the roster at the start of the season. 

Two younger defensmen, Joe Finley (23) and Josh Godfrey (22) should both expect to spend this season playing in Hershey.

However, it’s possible that either of these former high draft picks (Finley, No. 27 overall in 2005; Godfrey No. 34 in 2007) could make their NHL debut as injury call-ups later this year.

Dmitri Orlov (19), the very talented Russian youngster, is in DC for rookie camp; however, he is expected to return to his KHL team for at least this coming season.

Blueliner Patrick Way will return to Boston College as they try to repeat as national champions.

And newly signed Dustin Stevenson has all the physical tools to be a big stay-at-home, but he is a long-term project.  

The Caps have a talented defensive corps with a promising future. Four of their top five are 25 and under.

If these youngsters continue to mature and improve their play, then by mid-season, the Caps may have the best blue line in the NHL.