After what had to be the most frustrating season in team history, Washington Capitals fans finally have something to cheer about -- and that's the number one pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
And that means the Caps will probably spend the pick on consensus number one pick, Alexander Ovechkin, currently playing for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian League.
That's the good news. Here's the bad news. The NHL's player transfer agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation expires at the end of this season, and the teams in the Russian League have said they want no part of a new agreement.
Why? Remember Nikolai Zherdev, the winger that the Columbus Blue Jackets snuck out of Russia under the nose of former Soviet hockey Czar Viktor Tikhonov?
Seems a lot of Russian teams are still annoyed an international arbitrator ruled against them in that case, and the individual teams would rather negotiate directly with the NHL for financial compensation, rather than under the formula devised by the NHL and the IIHF. In turn, the NHL has said they won't do a deal with the IIHF unless the Russian clubs are included.
I'd like to think the international hockey honchos would work this out, but you could say that about the CBA as well, couldn't you? Hate to rain on your parade Caps fans, but the situation is looking difficult, and it may mean that Ovechkin's arrival in Washington could be delayed up to a couple of years, barring an 11th-hour agreement between the IIHF, the NHL, and the Russian clubs.
Wow – that’s pretty unbelievable considering the odds.
The Blackhawks take it up the keyster again!
I’m just glad Pittsburg didn’t get him; let this be another lesson to them and any others planning to wreck organizations.
Just a point of clarification-the Blue Jackets didn’t sneak Zherdev out of Russia-he left on his own. This was after the Blue Jackets did everything the IIHF agreement called for, but the Russians chose not to abide by the rules. But, you’re right, they’re still mad about it-I’m glad the Blue Jackets don’t have that first pick-I know the Russians really want to screw them bad.
Ben – what’s so unbelievable? The Caps had, what, about a 14% chance of getting the pick.
Rolling a “1″ on a 6-sided die is a 16.666% chance — fairly similar odds.
Would you yell “unbelievable!” if you rolled a 1?
And if Ovechkin doesn’t get to Washington for two years — not such a big deal. The Caps aren’t going to be much good anyway, and without him it’s more likely they could win the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes.
Pigs fly, hell freezes over, Caps catch a break. I won’t be shocked if the Russian-league situation screws things up, nor if somehow the lockout results in Ovechkin’s draft status becoming a free agent or something else that ensures he plays at a more prominent franchise than Washington. (And I wouldn’t even be shocked if somehow the Caps management decides to trade down for affordability. I’d hate it, but I could see them doing it.)
At the moment, I’ll still dream of Sasha in the black and gold, but it’s never good to count too much on the Caps’ fortunes. If it weren’t for bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.