By the summer of 1979, the Islanders had been knocked out of the playoffs by a lower seed for the second consecutive year, Al Arbour was perceived as a coach who couldn’t win the big one, and Bryan Trottier was regarded as a great regular-season player who couldn’t raise his game in the postseason.
But without knee-jerking, GM Bill Torrey went to work, first reaffirming his confidence in Arbour, then remaking his team by adding Dave Langevin, Gord Lane and Ken Morrow to the defense while subtracting Gerry Hart, Pat Price and Dave Lewis; by adding winger Duane Sutter while deleting captain Ed Westfall; and, finally, by pulling off the signal trade for Butch Goring that cost Lewis and peoples’ choice Billy Harris.
Four years later, the Islanders had established themselves as arguably the greatest team in NHL history while Trottier, who had recorded just 27 points (5-22) over his first four years and 42 playoff games, chipped in with 107 points (37-70) in 75 games during the dynasty’s rule.
By the summer of 1996, there were questions about Steve Yzerman’s leadership ability while the Red Wings were regarded as a classic model of underachievement, regular-season wonders who were postseason chokers after humiliating elimination three years running to lower seeds, including a first-round loss to San Jose in 1994, a sweep in the Finals by the Devils in 1995 and the retreat in the ’96 Westerns when confronted by the Avalanche.
But without knee-jerking, GM Ken Holland went to work, reaffirming his faith in head coach Scotty Bowman, then remaking his team by replacing Paul Coffey, Keith Primeau, Dino Ciccarelli and Mike Ramsey with Brendan Shanahan, Larry Murphy, Bob Rouse and Aaron Ward, the deal for Shanahan equally as significant to Detroit as the deal for Goring was on the Island.
Two years later, the Red Wings had won consecutive Cups on their way to three in six years and the four in 11 that have established Detroit as the NHL’s model franchise.
Which is all to suggest there is no need for Capitals GM George McPhee or owner Ted Leonsis to panic in the aftermath of the seven-game upset defeat to Montreal, no need to tear down the foundation of the league’s most entertaining and polarizing team, but it will be necessary to make significant moves to augment and transform the nucleus in order to attain its manifest destiny.
The Bruins’ 1971 seven-game opening round defeat to Montreal and neophyte netminder Ken Dryden not only remains the most shocking upset in NHL playoff history, this one doesn’t even approach it. Those Bruins were the defending Cup champions and expected to repeat coming off a season in which they established every conceivable offensive record.
The Caps missed Sergei Fedorov and Viktor Kozlov this time around, with Brendan Morrison a wipeout as second-line center. Maybe Alexander Semin is part of the core that needs to be excised in order for the club to take the next step, but we’d prefer seeing him with a formidable pivot on a regular basis before sending him away.
Mike Green, caught in purgatory, is a blue-chip stock who never has traded lower. And OK, here’s a two-part question: If McPhee were to come calling tomorrow offering Green and maybe Tomas Fleischmann or Eric Fehr to the Rangers for Marc Staal and, say, Ryan Callahan or Brandon Dubinsky, what would you do and what would you have GM Glen Sather do?
Bruce Boudreau doesn’t appear to be either Arbour or Bowman behind the bench, but coaches who “can’t win” are most often simply those who haven’t won yet, like goaltenders who haven’t won the big one can never win, just like World Junior failure Marc-Andre Fleury, until he won the Cup.
The Caps have too much talent and Alex Ovechkin has too much heart for Leonsis or McPhee to tear it all down following this one slip on a banana peel. But changes are necessary, including one or two that likely will cut deep, in order to turn this team into more than a postseason paper tiger.
Rangers, who conducted organizational meetings last week, are believed keenly interested in signing Ryan McDonagh, whose rights they acquired from Montreal in the Scott Gomez deal, but the Wisconsin defenseman has a fair amount of leverage as he awaits an offer.
McDonagh, who turns 21 next month, would play his senior year for the Badgers if he does not turn pro. If he remains unsigned through next year, McDonagh would become an unrestricted free agent as of Aug. 15, 2011.
Chances are, then, if the 6-foot-1, 215-pound McDonagh, who is regarded as a proficient, stay-at-home type physically ready for the NHL, does not sign this summer, he will not sign at all with the Blueshirts.
And though it would seem necessary for Sather to offer the Entry Level max, we’re hearing McDonagh will make his decision based less on the contract and more on his perception of the Rangers’ program.
Finally, does anyone else think it’s Gary Bettman‘s little joke for NHL.com to feature the “BlackBerry All-Access Pregame Show” when Mr. BlackBerry, Jim Balsillie, has no access at all to the league?