The Washington Capitals risk losing the rights to two of their brightest prospects -- wingers Jonas Johansson and Tomas Fleischmann -- if the players are not signed to contracts by today's 5 p.m. deadline.
If the Capitals do not come to terms with Johansson and Fleischmann, they are eligible to re-enter the draft. The sides were in negotiations yesterday, the players' agents said.
It's particularly important for Washington to get Johansson and Fleischmann under contract if for no other reason than to get something in return for what the team gave up to acquire them. Johansson was the centerpiece of the trade that sent former captain Steve Konowalchuk to Colorado in October; Fleischmann was acquired as part of the deal that sent Robert Lang to Detroit in March.
Johansson, 20, is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-handed shooting right wing who was selected in the first round (28th overall) by Colorado in 2002. His agent was awaiting a counteroffer yesterday afternoon. "It looks like we're going to go right down to the wire," Mark Stowe said.
Washington General Manager George McPhee did not return a phone call yesterday.
Fleischmann, 20, is a 6-1, 172 pound left-handed shooting left wing who was the Red Wings' second round choice (63rd overall) two years ago. The Capitals also acquired first (2004) and fourth (2006) round picks for Lang. Fleischmann's agent, Rich Evans, said late Monday that he was in negotiations with the Capitals.
The Capitals were also nearing a deal with Jakub Klepis, a 19-year-old who was Ottawa's first-round pick in 2002, according to multiple NHL sources. Klepis was acquired from Buffalo in exchange for Mike Grier. Klepis is not subject to today's deadline because he is playing in the Czech Republic.
"Haven't you seen 'Boyz n' the Hood?' Now one of us is going to get shot" -- Swingers
I still want to do just that for not being more aggressive at trying to get Wellar. At least we have people who can score, we just have no way of stopping the opposition yet.
At least we have people who can score, we just have no way of stopping the opposition yet.
And this is different from where we were this time last year in what way? Oh, yeah, these guys are younger and less expensive. Well, that makes me feel a lot better.
I'll swear, GMGM must think he can only acquire D every other time the cicadas come out, and this is obviously an off cycle.
The Washington Capitals signed Jonas Johansson and Tomas Fleischmann, two of their top prospects, to three-year deals yesterday, hours before the NHL deadline for getting players drafted in 2002 under contract.
Johansson and Fleischmann are expected to add speed and skill. If the NHL season is disrupted by a labor dispute, or if the two do not make Washington's roster, they will spend the season playing for Capitals' minor league affiliate in Portland, Maine. Both are 20.
Johansson, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-handed right wing, was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Steve Konowalchuk to Colorado in October; Fleischmann, a 6-1, 172-pound left-handed shooting left wing, was acquired from Detroit in the Robert Lang deal.
Johansson (first round, 28th overall) received a signing bonus of $800,000 and salaries of $500,000, $550,000 and $700,000, according to a league official with knowledge of negotiations. Fleischmann (second round, 63rd overall) will be paid between $700,000 and $1 million in total compensation per year. Performance bonuses were included in both deals. Had Washington failed to sign Johansson and Fleischmann prior to yesterday's deadline, the Capitals would have forfeited their rights.
"Haven't you seen 'Boyz n' the Hood?' Now one of us is going to get shot" -- Swingers
Sweetie, it's probably no different really than we were on opening night 2003 in reality. I guess I just keep replaying the scenario over in my head of GMGM and Patrick Wellar at contract negotiations, GMGM talking in his usual "ho-hum" monotone...
GMGM: Okay Patrick, we'll offer you a three year contract, 500,000 the first year, 525,000 the next year and 600,000 in the third. PW: Um, no, I don't like that one GMGM: Oh, okay, bye.
I don't think we should have mortgaged the farm to get the guy, but we don't hear anything regarding whether or not he's been offered a contract until the final week, and then it's like he doesn't want to sign. Renee and I heard after speaking to Gerry Festa, the ex-goalie for the Hitmen, Wellar was all crash bang ready to go to camp at the beginning of the 2003/04 season if it wasn't for the shoulder surgery. Now, we've gone through the big sell off, we can afford to offer him a good contract, one that a defenceman of his calibre deserves, and we let the guy walk away.
Watch, he'll be burning us repetitively for the Flyers or the Pens in a few years, guarantee it.
I suspect he's going to be a bargain, as will a lot of FA's. This has the makings of being the largest FA class in history with all the Group II's that won't be re-signed. Guys like Wellar, young and with little or no NHL experience, will go far under the radar as the "name" players find new homes (in a way might resembles June 1 "cut-down" day in the NFL when a bunch of names get released for cap reasons). This makes me wonder about Wellar's FA strategy here. It'll be a glutted market, perhaps the worst time for a guy like him to get a payday. That might be the Caps' strategy . . . let him test the market, find that the pickin's aren't very good, and re-sign him.
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Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.
"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")
"Playoff hockey is the best two months in team sports . . . period."
Yes, fjc, but that would mean that McPhee doesn't want to pay him what Wellar thinks (or knows) he's worth (funny dialogue, by the way, Chris), so I guess he's too bitter to sign here, now. Let's say that he wanted $1M a year and was proposed half of that. If he doesn't get what he wants, and has to sign for $600,000, for example, I guess he'll sign somewhere else. If someone proposes $600,000, we'll have to offer at least $650,000 to have him; not the same amount. And I believe Chris when he says that Wellar will be coveted by several teams.
So far, he's ours (I believe he's still ours?), so let's sign him! I'm sure he's worth more than a late first rounder. If we let him go, we lose a great prospect. It would be like throwing a first-round pick to the trash bin.
It's really a bit odd on both sides of the table . . . it's not like the Caps are so deep in defensemen that they can let one who might one day contribute at the NHL level just walk away. And, it really hamstrings their drafting strategy, almost forcing them to pass on a forward they might have ranked higher to get a defenseman to fill a more urgent need.
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Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.
"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")
"Playoff hockey is the best two months in team sports . . . period."
The way I see it, the Caps can afford to pass on Wellar. Portland may not have a gluttony of good defensemen, but we do have two good surefire top 4 guys in Eminger/Morrisonn, and a couple fringe-dwellers in Yonkman and Cutta.
I see a system permeated w/top 6 FW talent, and plenty of room on the payroll, so there's no real worry regarding forwards June 26th, leaving picks 26/27, 29, and 33 to harvest at least one top 4 guy, be it in a package deal or via the old spaghetti drainer we call Tim Army.
I doubt we'll be able to snag Barker, but if Mike Green or AJ Thelen slip out of the top 6-8, McPhee will be all over the little phone.
I will not count on anything with respect to Yonkman until he can go an entire season without a season-ending injury.
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"And the #1 draft pick goes to ::coughgagcoughhackhackgag:: the Washing::gaggag::ton Capi::hackgag::tals" G. Bettman 4/6/04
