Word leaked out yesterday that the Caps have come to terms with 2006 first round draft pick Nicklas Backstrom on a three-year deal. Apparently he'll be in town on Monday where the Caps will introduce their newest player to the local media.
The signing does bring up a point that many local observers of the team have made time and time again -- that once you start to add a talented player or two, the Caps start to look a whole lot different.
You can pencil in Backstrom as your second line center next season, one would assume with Alexander Semin on his left wing, with a variety of other players (Fehr, Fleischman?) taking position over on the right wing. On your third line, it's easy to see Boyd Gordon in the middle, flanked by Matt Pettinger and captain Chris Clark -- a line that once it gets a chance to play together, might very well be as good as the Halpern, Konowalchuk, Dhalen line that powered the Caps to a pair of back-to-back division titles.
As for the team's fourth line, toss in Donald Brashear, and any combination of Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich and a cast of thousands to fill a line that may very well not see that much ice time come next season.
Of course, it's up top where things are starting to look a little bare, where Alex Ovechkin is all alone without a center or a right wing to keep him company. I'm sure this situation is occupying George McPhee's thoughts more or less round the clock these days, and I'm eager to see how he pieces together this part of the puzzle.
Incremental improvement my friends, that's what we ought to be expecting. And that's what we're likely to get. Stay tuned, something tells me Draft Day 2007 may very well be more exciting than in previous years.
