BEARD Hockey GM's shaped their identities over the past several weeks. GM Shawn Davis and the Capitals may have found theirs after a great start.
With the rigorous Dispersal Draft and offseason wrapped which saw a lot of movement as BEARD Hockey general managers tried to shape their identities, general manager Shawn Davis and the Washington Capitals may have found theirs.
After a 4-1-0 start to begin the season, it appears the Capitals will be looking to youth and experience to drive the offense in the top six and goaltending tandem that thrive on facing a lot of shots.
When the Dispersal Draft ended and the real work began, Davis made his first move and no minor deal to get his feet wet. He dived in head first by offering up Washington's first overall dispersal pick, Sidney Crosby, which may have been perplexing to many in a league where winning is everything. While there were many good offers the Capitals organization went with a deal that would give them the competitive edge now and in the future.
While Crosby is a great leader and a force to reckon with on the ice, seeing him leave has opened the door for others to shine and excel. Kyle Palmieri, who came over in the seven-piece deal, is one player capitalizing on the opportunity of playing on the first line who is centered by Tyler Seguin and winged by his counterpart Jakub Vrana.
During the quick start, the line has combined for 26 points leading them to consideration for one of the top lines in the league. The second line is not to far behind with each player averaging a point per game.
Even with the Capitals current success, how long can it continue before you see players start to burn out or injury bug makes its presents known? As one hockey writer has stated that depth issues may be the undoing of any success, the Capitals may look to this season and aside from reaching past some empty beer bottles for a glass of water to rehydrate, the sleepy GM has done minimal to address what could be a future problem.
When asked for comment, Davis had this to say.
"Champions are not built on erratic decisions. These issues will be resolved in time. Patience is key for our team and right now with our group of guys they are doing extraordinary things from the back end to up front."
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