I know I'm a little late to the party with this, but I'm still trying to figure out how John Erskine can get a new contract worth $1.25 a year for the next two, after making just 550 grand this season. To be frank he doesn't play often or well enough to deserve that much money. He is slow and takes too many penalties, many of which come at the worst times. And with several promising blueliners in the Caps system, why rush to hold on to Erskine, when one of the younger guys can do just as well if not better, and cost less? Both On Frozen Blog and Caps Blue Line point to Erskine replacing Donald Brashear as the team's enforcer next season, warranting the big payday.
There is one, and only one, possible rationale I can think of for this signing: that the team plans to move Erskine to the wing and have him play the role of enforcer in coming seasons. It might sound crazy, but then Donald Brashear will be thirty-seven at the start of next season and if there
