Caps pick Sasha Pokuluk, 6'5", 220 lbs -- no one had him rated in the top 30. Big defenseman but, one of the announcers said that he had to deal with injuries to knee and ankle. What did McPhee get the team -- another Yonkman? Big, looks impressive, but... will be "day to day" with one kind of injury or another? I hope not. I've never seen this guy play and don't know anything about him, but, hopefully he'll turn out to be a decent addition to the team. McPhee sees him as being a Top 4 D-man.
Caps trade w/Colorado for the 27th pick. They get Joe Finley, 6'7", 229 lbs, D. If both the picks today, along with Yonkman, pan out, Caps will have a huge solid defense.
very very odd draft. we just gained a quarter ton in two picks, so that's something. but i'm not certain huge dmen are the commodity they once were, what with all the flowing promises of gretzkyesque offense in the "new" nhl. GMGM will either be a genius or he'll be unemployed, i'd guess.
Let's play fantasy hockey a moment. Next year is a bumper crop -- potentially -- of free agents. One struck my eye and left me thinking of nicknames. Imagine, if you will, Zdeno Chara is signed by Washington (hey, it could happen). To that, add the recent draftees, Pokulok and Finley.
The Caps could, in a short time, have a defense of . . .
Zdeno Chara: 6'9"
Joe Finley: 6'7"
Nolan Yonkman: 6'6"
Jeff Schultz: 6'6"
Sasha Pokulok: 6'5"
Shoane Morrisonn: 6'3"
Steve Eminger: 6'2"
...let's even throw in Brendan Witt at 6'2"
What do you call these guys?
"Sequoia National Park East"
"40-odd feet of grunts" (50-odd, with Witt)
"Capital Skyline"
___________
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")
If you've read this far, you probably could use a hobby
