In case anybody around here hasn't heard about this, the Tampa Bay Lightning are not leaving much to the imagination about who they might select with the No. 1 pick in the forthcoming draft. Steven Stamkos has been considered pretty much a lock to go No. 1 since long before Tampa Bay won the right to select him, but now it would appear to be pretty close to official.

The Kings pick second and the Thrashers third, with just about every draft projection I've seen having a group of three or four defensemen being the guys slotting in behind Stamkos. L.A. took Thomas Hickey last year, but the Kings could add Drew Doughty (Karl Alzner's partner at the WJC), Alex Pietrangelo or Zach Bogosian to Hickey and Jack Johnson to potentially have a dynamite defense corps in front of Jonathan Bernier in a few years. Maybe the Kings would waiver on taking a third defensemen in the top 5 in four years, but the Thrashers should be happy to collect another high-end blueliner to put with Tobias Enstrom in the future, because Atlanta is clearly lacking in the back end.

- Corey Masisak

Just got word that Alex Ovechkin's insurance issues have been officially cleared up and he will play for Russia in the upcoming IIHF World Championships in Quebec and Halifax. Ovechkin's mates bested Canada 6-2 in an exhibition game last night, and that was without him, Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Semin and Alexander Radulov. Not only are the Russians one of the favorites at this tournament, but they could throw out a scary good group of forwards in Vancouver at the 2010 Olympics.

How does a first two lines of Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Kovalev and Kovalchuk-Malkin-Semin sound? Of course, the Russian Federation will have plenty of the guys who play in the Super League involved, but there is going to be plenty of star power and forward depth (don't forget guys like Radulov, Alexander Frolov and Maxim Afinogenov as well). If it is the last Olympics with NHL players, it could be one to remember.

- Corey Masisak

I wrote a little about Jaromir Jagr today, but there was some stuff I wasn't able to get to or expand upon properly. He really is a fascinating character, one of the unique personalities in the history of the sport. One day he is reflective and can provide great insight, the next immature and brooding.

I talked to Dave Molinari, who has covered the Penguins for a long time and really is one of the best in our businees, about Jagr and the jersey retirement thing earlier this season. He didn't think Jagr's No. 68 would be going up any time soon. Most teams in the NHL are very selective about who joins that club (and to be honest, the Caps are in danger of being one of the three or four teams that just has way too many of them considering the franchise's success). One guy whose opinion I respect greatly told me you shouldn't have more jerseys in the rafters than Stanley Cup banners, and I think that holds true for almost every franchise. Pittsburgh won two Cups (and might have won a couple more) in the early 90s and only Mario Lemieux's No. 66 hangs at Mellon Arena from that era. Michel Briere, who died after a long battle with injuries sustained in a car crash after his rookie season in the early 70s, is the only other player in team history to have his jersey retired.

Jagr is clearly the second-best player in Penguins history, but he wasn't clearly the second-best player on those two Cup teams. Those teams were loaded with Hall of Fame talents, and Jagr was just a kid who didn't become a full-blown superstar until the mid-90s. There is also the falling out to consider. While there is plenty of contempt between Caps and Penguins fans, I am a little surprised the two fan bases don't connect more on the one thing they have in common: Their strong distaste for No. 68.

Because the Penguins have been so strict with the jersey retirement thing, it won't surprise me if Jagr doesn't earn that recognition. The Penguins have a Ring of Honor in the arena, and he is already part of that. Lemieux and Briere will probably be the only two for the forseeable future, although it is a good bet that the next guy is on the team right now. If there was handicapping to be done on which current NHL players whose jerseys will be retired, there are the obvious older guys like Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Mike Modano and Martin Brodeur. But I think it is fair to say Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have already climbed near the top of that list despite their youth.

Anyway, I am going to be out of the loop for a few days, but here is some of the leftover quotes I collected about Jagr. I was a little surprised to see both Michal Rozsival and Petr Sykora talk about him as a leader. I think the players from the Czech Republic have a slightly different opinion of him than some of the other guys would.

BRANDON DUBINSKY

Jags and I play a little bit of the same style. We both hold onto the puck down low and try to create scoring chances by holding guys off beating them to the net. That was one of the attributes I bring to the line is being able to get the puck down low and hang onto it and let him get open to get it to him.

[Straka] is kind of the glue. We try to slow things down, but we know we can give it to him and he's fast. He gets the puck up the ice well, and he's one of those responsible guys who always tries to make sure things go smoothly.

Q: Were you star struck at all?

Maybe the first time around – this is my second time playing with him. Earlier in the year I was and then they switched it up. It wasn't so much who we were playing with this time, it was just about getting the team back on a winning track.

MICHAL ROZSIVAL

I think he is a totally different guy. When he played [in Pittsburgh], he was more about himself. Now he is totally different guy. He is like a new person. Now he is trying to help other guys, working with the younger guys and try to teach to them some of his tricks.

I remember what it was like here. It could just be there was so much pressure on him here all the time to be a 100-point scorer, he had to think about himself more.

PETR SYKORA

Obviously he went through a pretty tough season for his standards, but pretty close to 80 points is still a good season. The team is different now because there is not just one line who gets all the power-play time and the good scoring opportunities. Now they have three lines to share the ice time.

HAL GILL

He's picked up his game. He's obviously really skilled and really talented. He's so strong and big and he's got a lot of weapons. He is certainly someone you notice when he's out there.

Age catches up with all of us, but I don't think it has slowed him down too much. When you get older, you get smarter. He relies on his teammates more often, and it makes him a better player at times.

He's so strong on his skates. You can get caught, because if he catches you trying to lean on him one way, he is pretty good at spinning the other way. It is part of what makes him so effective.

Photo by Getty Images

-- Corey Masisak

Since the Caps have a rather large void between the pipes right now, I thought a quick glance at each of the 30 teams and their goalie situations was in order (I had a couple of hours to kill before Game 2 of the Penguins-Rangers series and I chipped away at it during the game). I'll add a list of the top UFAs at the position tomorrow, but needless to say the list is neither deep nor impressive. Cristobal Huet will be making plenty of money if he decides to wait until July 1st or 2nd to sign.

WASHINGTON
Starter: ???
Backup: Brent Johnson, signed through 2008-09
Top prospects: Simeon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth
Skinny: Can they afford Huet and is he willing to stay in D.C.? Will Kolzig consider coming back? Do the Caps go after Jose Theodore or Dan Ellis if either makes it to the open market, or do they explore a trade? Do they bring in a short-term option to split-time with Johnson until the kids are ready? It could be a summer of questions in net in the District.

ANAHEIM
Starter: J.S. Giguere signed through 2010-11
Backup: Jonas Hiller, RFA
Top prospect: Jean-Philippe Levasseur
Skinny: Ducks are set with Giggy for the near future and Hiller will likely be back. Expect Anaheim to be in the market for a goalie in the draft to develop.

ATLANTA
Starter: Kari Lehtonen, RFA
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Ondrej Pavelec
Skinny: Lehtonen should be back, but can he ever stay healthy? Pavelec looked great in a start against the Caps, and could be his backup if Johan Hedberg isn't brought back and the Thrashers don't go outside for a veteran.

BOSTON
Starter: Tim Thomas, signed through 2008-09
Backup: Manny Fernandez, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Tuukka Rask
Skinny: If Fernandez is healthy next year, Claude Julien will likely deal with questions about his rotation. Thomas can be great but also erratic, and Fernandez makes about four times as much money.

BUFFALO
Starter: Ryan Miller, signed through 2008-09
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Jhonas Enorth
Skinny: Jocelyn Thibault is a free agent, so a backup is needed. The Sabres need to A) lock up Miller and B) get Enroth across the pond to Rochester.

CAROLINA
Starter: Cam Ward, signed through 2009-10
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Justin Peters
Skinny: John Grahame is a free agent, so a backup is needed. The Hurricanes could take a goalie pretty early in the draft this year as well. Ward was better this year than last but still not at his 2006 Stanley Cup run level.

CALGARY
Starter: Mikka Kiprusoff, signed through 2013-14
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Leland Irving
Skinny: Kiprusoff isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Curtis Joseph is a free agent, so a backup is needed. Irving will probably need at least a year in the AHL.

CHICAGO
Starter: Nikolai Khabibulin, signed through 2008-09
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Corey Crawford
Skinny: The Bulin Wall is aging but probably has one more contract in him. Patrick Lalime is a free agent, but the Blackhawks could let Crawford take his place although Khabibulin's health is always an issue, so a veteran may be added.

COLUMBUS
Starter: Pascal Leclaire, RFA
Backup: Fredrik Norrena, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Steve Mason
Skinny: Either Leclaire or Mason will be the goaltender for a long time, but the Blue Jackets need to figure out which one it is.

COLORADO
Starter: ???
Backup: Peter Budaj, signed through 2008-09
Top prospects: Trevor Cann and Billy Sauer
Skinny: Jose Theodore is a free agent, and has played his way into another nice contract. Do the Avs re-sign him, or is this a possible landing spot for Olie Kolzig as a 1/1A situation with Budaj? Colorado has loads of cap space, so that shouldn't be an issue.

DALLAS
Starter: Marty Turco, signed through 2009-10
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Tobias Stephan
Skinny: Trading Mike Smith for pending free agent Johan Holmqvist opens up a spot behind Turco. The Stars could be in the market for a goalie of the future in June.

DETROIT
Starter: Chris Osgood, signed through 2010-11
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Jimmy Howard
Skinny: The Red Wings are a team to watch. Dominik Hasek is a free agent and could retire (again), Osgood is signed but at a very cheap rate and Howard is almost too old to be a prospect anymore. They could go with those two or be a dark horse in the Huet/Theodore/Ellis sweepstakes.

EDMONTON
Starter: Mathieu Garon, signed through 2008-09
Backup: Dwayne Roloson, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Jeff Deslauriers
Skinny: Roloson took this team to the Cup finals in 2006, but Garon outplayed him this season. They have one more year together to battle it out, but the Oilers could be looking for some young blood.

FLORIDA
Starter: Tomas Vokoun, signed through 2010-11
Backup: Craig Anderson, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Tyler Plante
Skinny: The Panthers are set for the next few seasons with Vokoun. Developing someone to challenge him after that is on the to-do list.

LOS ANGELES
Starter: Jason LaBarbera, signed through 2008-09
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Jonathan Bernier
Skinny: The Kings used seven guys last season, which pretty much sums it up. Bernier is going to be the guy, but how soon? L.A. left Dan Cloutier and his $3.1 million salary in the minors for most of the year, and he's got one more left. Don't count this out as a spot for Olie Kolzig.

MINNESOTA
Starter: Niklas Backstrom, signed through 2008-09
Backup: Josh Harding, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Anton Khudobin
Skinny: There will be decisions to be made after next year, but the Wild are good for another season. Finding someone to replace Harding as the potential Next Guy is on tap.

MONTREAL
Starter: Carey Price, signed through 2009-10
Backup: Jaroslav Halak, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Price
Skinny: The Habs are set for the next decade with Price. Halak could draw some interest on the trade market, and Montreal will probably look for a veteran No. 3 (think Brian Boucher-type) to stash at Hamilton.

NASHVILLE
Starter: ???
Backup: Chris Mason, signed through 2009-10
Top prospect: Pekka Rinne
Skinny: Dan Ellis grabbed the No. 1 gig for the Predators, but he is a free agent and needs to be re-signed. Mason is locked in for two more years at $3 million, and going with him and Rinne could be Plan B, but Nashville is expected to spend this offseason with new ownership.

NEW JERSEY
Starter: Martin Brodeur, signed through 2011-2012
Backup: Kevin Weekes, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Jeff Frazee
Skinny: Marty's still the man in New Jersey, but there will be questions again this season about getting him more rest during the regular season. Weekes was supposed to be the answer, but Brodeur still played 77 games.

N.Y. ISLANDERS
Starter: Rick DiPietro, signed through 2020-21
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Jase Weslosky
Skinny: The Isles are set for three more presidential elections with DiPietro, but backup Wade Dubielewicz is a free agent. New York won't be spending a high pick on a goalie anytime soon, but a late-round project as long-term insurance would be a good idea.

N.Y. RANGERS
Starter: Henrik Lundqvist, signed through 2013-14
Backup: ???
Top prospect: David LeNeveu
Skinny: King Henrik is locked up, but backup Stephen Valiquette is a free agent and one-time mega-prospect Al Montoya was shipped to Phoenix. The Blueshirts will be looking for a more reliable caddy than LeNeveu.

OTTAWA
Starter: Martin Gerber, signed through 2008-09
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Brian Elliot
Skinny: As you may have heard, Ottawa GM Bryan Murray has a goalie on the trading block. He'll take a bag of used pucks for Ray Emery if he can get it. Maybe Gerber can be the guy, but it didn't look like it the second half of this season. The Senators could be in on the Huet/Theodore/Ellis sweepstakes if they can afford it. It would be close to Montreal for Huet's family. Consider this another potential destination for Kolzig as well.

PHILADELPHIA
Starter: Martin Biron, signed through 2008-09
Backup: Antero Nittymaki, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Jakub Kovar
Skinny: The Flyers are good to go next season with deciding Biron's long-term value high on the priority list.

PHOENIX
Starter: Ilya Bryzgalov, signed through 2010-11
Backup: Mikael Tellqvist, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Al Montoya
Skinny: In case anyone forgot, the Caps had first dibs on Bryzgalov and passed, presumably to not upset Kolzig. The Coyotes were quite happy with his performance and inked him to a 3-year extension. Phoenix went from zero goalies of the future to two by adding Bryzgalov and Montoya, which is a pretty good year's work.

PITTSBURGH
Starter: Marc-Andre Fleury, RFA
Backup: ???
Top prospect: David Brown
Skinny: Fitting Fleury in with the other high-priced kids on this team could take some creativity, but he has eased concerns about his ability to be a franchise guy in the past couple months. Ty Conklin was a great story, but it is a free agent. Dany Sabourin is under contract, but a more capable backup could be sought.

SAN JOSE
Starter: Evgeni Nabokov, signed through 2010-11
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Thomas Greiss
Skinny: Nabokov was great this season even without a real backup for most of the season. Brian Boucher is a free agent, and the Sharks didn't seem to have much confidence in the kids so a veteran option could be nabbed.

ST. LOUIS
Starter: Manny Legace, signed through 2008-09
Backup: Hannu Toivonen, RFA
Top prospect: Marek Schwarz
Skinny: Another team close to playoff contention but some question about the long-term answer in net. Legace had a nice year but will be 35 and a pending free agent after next season. Toivonen hasn't reached his potential and Schwarz may not be ready to yet.

TAMPA BAY
Starter: Mike Smith, signed through 2008-09
Backup: Karri Ramo, signed through 2008-09
Top prospects: Ramo, Riku Helenius
Skinny: The Lightning think they have their solution with Smith. The two Finns are now the fallback options, although Ramo looked pretty good at times this past season. Marc Denis could be bought out sooner rather than later.

TORONTO
Starter: Vesa Toskala, signed through 2009-10
Backup: Andrew Raycroft, signed through 2008-09
Top prospect: Justin Pogge
Skinny: Toskala was really good after some early troubles, while Raycroft was really bad. He could be bought out if they Leafs want a better option there. If they are really going to rebuild, Toskala could become trade bait (if Huet is too expensive and Kolzig won't come back, the GM to be named in Toronto could be getting a phone call from George McPhee).

VANCOVER
Starter: Roberto Luongo, signed through 2009-10
Backup: ???
Top prospect: Cory Schneider
Skinny: Curtis Sanford is a free agent, so a caddy for Luongo is needed. Schneider could be that guy. This would be close to home for Kolzig, but only if he were willing to take a big pay cut and be a true backup.

- Corey Masisak

Thought this might be worth putting up here, and it can be updated throughout the summer when needed. I took out the unrestricted guys, but left the RFAs because they are still under the Caps control. Sure, there are other guys in the system but these are the guys who could be a factor at some point in the near future for the Caps.

Guys in red are RFAs.
Guys in blue are in the minors (for now).
Guys in green are injured until further notice.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Sergei Fedorov
Olie Kolzig
Cristobal Huet
Matt Cooke
Matt Bradley
Frederic Cassivi

- Corey Masisak

I saw Mike Green in the mall after the Caps wrapped up their season-ending meeting at K-Plex in Arlington and he said he was looking forward to having a full summer to train for the first time in a few years after those deep playoff runs with Hershey. Well, his time back home in Calgary is on hold for at least a little while longer.

Green has been added to Canada's roster for the IIHF World Championships, which starts next week in Quebec City and Halifax.

According to this story , Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Sergei Fedorov and goalie Simeon Varlamov are all on Team Russia's roster. Ovechkin said the other day that he wasn't sure he could play because he needed to insure his pending 13-year, $124 million contract. Rick DiPietro did not play for Team USA last year because of similar insurance concerns. Bruce Boudreau also said Ovechkin had been playing with an unspecified injury, so he will also have to be healthy enough to play in the tournament.

I would expect Nicklas Backstrom to be on Sweden's team, and Michael Nylander might even be an option, although he said he was focused on trying to play for the Caps when I talked to him the day of Game 7 against the Flyers and didn't want to talk about the Worlds. Milan Jurcina could also be on Slovakia's entry if he is healthy enough to play.

Also, I am at Mellon Arena for Game 1 of the Penguins-Rangers series. While the "white-out" thing looks cool, I do have to the say the Caps "red-out" was more impressive because the fans did it on their own. Passing out t-shirts, like the Wizards did for Game 3 last night and like the Penguins did tonight, cheapens it a bit to me. But that is just me.

- Corey Masisak

So yesterday was a wild scramble at K-Plex trying to talk to as many people as possible before they dispatched to places such as Moscow, Calgary, Gavle and Regina. There was also a lot of newsworthy stuff, and trying to cram it all in a story in the newspaper with quotes wasn't easy. Here are some of the quotes that didn't make it.

MATT COOKE

It feels like it shouldn't be over, like it is almost surreal. Anytime you lose it is like that, but to have it end the way it did was just unfortunate.

I think with the success we had down the stretch and in the playoffs, and with the guys that got that confidence, this team is bound for success. We already know there is no problems in this dressing room.

For me, the most satisfaction is team success. I am not a guy who is going to go out and put points on the board every night, but I bring some other elements to the table that help out other guys on the table. Definitely, I would like to stay here if everything worked out.

SERGEI FEDOROV

Q: Thought about the future yet?

It is just not important at the moment. I just have to settle down and let everything sort of soak in and go from there. I have to talk to my family and figure out what to do next. I don't want to make my decision on my own.

Q: Could you have imagined this type of year for yourself in November?

It was pretty gloomy in Columbus. It was fun playing with the guys and everything, but as far as everything else was just average. I just tried to come to work and work hard. When I got traded I was completely upside down. I had to remember a lot of things I have done well in the past.

CHRIS CLARK

Q: What is next for you?

Rehab of some sort -- I am not sure of my exact plan yet. I haven't sat down with [trainer Greg Smith] and figured it all out yet.

Q: How tough were these past few months?

In the beginning we were losing and it was hard because I felt I could help the team. The last half of the season was a great ride that I was a part of but I wish I could have been on the ice with the guys.

MIKE GREEN

Q: Is it hard to process how big this contract is you are about to sign?

Well, maybe a little bit just because of where I came from. Where I grew up it wasn't like that, but a lot of hard work went into that to where we are now. I am excited, but it is not all about that.

Q: But it will be nice to buy a fancy car?

A: Yeah, it will be nice to be able to afford some stuff. I do like my toys.

BRUCE BOUDREAU

On all of the guys playing through injuries:

It just shows the courage of some of these guys. It just shows the warrior-ness in them.

CRISTOBAL HUET

I think the team is going in the right direction and the future sure looks bright here.

GEORGE MCPHEE

Everyone is focused on the [pending] free agents, but it is not like it use to be in this league. There are a lot of free agents. We wanted to keep [Dainius Zubrus] last year but we thought the contract demands were just a little out of our range so we replaced him [Viktor Kozlov] and it went well.

We're going to make it a good team. We really like whay we have now and if the decision is made not to keep someone, we are going to replace them with somebody better.

Q: What about the assistant coaches?

We'll talk to them and see what they want to do and go from there.

Q: How quickly do you need to know about Pothier and Clark?

The sooner the better, but there is no timeline to put on it. They are ready when they are ready.

Q: Could Pothier's career be in jeopardy?

It could be, and it is too bad. I'll have a discussion with him about what he wants to do. He may say, 'Hey, I just can't do it,' or 'I want to try it again.'

Q: Will this summer be even busier than previous ones?

It is that way with every club. It is a different business and there is a lot to do. Things can change in a hurry, but the good news is we have a terrific young core with lots to build on. Those young players will be even better next year.

On Sergei Fedorov possibly retiring:

When you are that age, people contemplate it. People thought Brett Favre was washed up, but he was a pretty good player last year. I remember Adam Oates when he was hitting 35 or 36 would say this might be my last year. Well, he played until 40. I don't think you ever evaluate players based on their age. You evaluate them on how they perform.

- Corey Masisak

Last night's Capitals game set yet another ratings record on Comcast SportsNet.

The overtime Game 7 loss to the Flyers averaged a record 170,000 household viewers in Washington, D.C and Baltimore, including a peak of 255,000 households between 9:45 and 10 p.m.
An average of 130,00 households tuned in from Washington, and a record 40,000 tuned in from Baltimore.
For the entire playoff series, Comcast SportsNet averaged 81,000 households, for a 3.5 rating.

Capitals ratings rose 75 percent this year on Comcast. From Dec. 26 until the end of the season, ratings rose 166 percent over the same period last season.

-- Tim Lemke

Well, check that off the offseason list of to-do things for George McPhee and the Caps. McPhee wouldn't discuss specifics, but he said Bruce Boudreau is under contract and will be the Caps coach for "a long time." There have been no decisions made about the assistant coaches yet. Boudreau said his son, Brady, has made Team Maryland, a traveling hockey team, so his family will likely look for a house in Maryland.

As for the other issues at hand, Eminger said he is open to returning, but he wants to be somewhere where he will play. McPhee said Steve Eminger will be qualified, so the Caps won't be losing him for nothing. I was told Olie Kolzig was here earlier, but one player said he wasn't in the team meeting. Kolzig told a team spokesman he "just needs some time" before talking about the situation. Brent Johnson said he defenitely wants to come back next year, and there are no lingering hard feelings about the way things shook out at the end of the year.

Michael Nylander said he was 10-14 days from maybe being able to play after shoulder surgery. For those of you that don't get the first edition of our newspaper, I had a story about Nylander in there. I was going to put the quotes on here yesterday but there was a lot going on. Here are the quotes:

"Definitely," Nylander said when asked if he thinks he can play again this season. "We are just taking it day-by-day, but so far it is ahead of schedule. I want to take it day-by-day and practice more and more and just try to get back in shape and have everything ready to play."

"It has been positive every time I went to the doctor, and I am very excited about the situation and the team," Nylander said. "It has been unbelievably exciting time for the team. It went all the way down to the last game [to make the playoffs] and it was tough. It was even tougher to sit outside and watch. You want to be in there playing, but it is exciting."

"I feel like normal again," Nylander said. "I will be able to just go out and play without hesitation or any restriction. It feels good and I hope it continues."

Also, McPhee acknowledged that Brian Pothier's concussion problems could be career threatening. He is also concerned about Chris Clark's groin, but didn't think it was as serious at Pothier's situation. Clark said he hasn't set up an offseason rehab plan, but he will likely go see the same specialist Brian Sutherby went to with a similar problem.

Boudreau said Shaone Morrisonn has been playing with a broken jaw, Boyd Gordon has been playing through a torn hamstring, Mike Green had a hip pointer and a foot injury and Alex Ovechkin has been dealing with "something," but neither he nor Ovechkin would divulge what the injury was.

Also not to be lost in the shuffle, Nicklas Backstrom was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy , It will likely be one of the closest votes for an award in recent memory, with as many as six guys likely getting first-place votes.

So, that's a lot of stuff to digest. I'll go back through the tape and see if I missed anything. I am going to be following the Penguins-Rangers series because there are plenty of feature stories to keep me busy. Then there will be some vacation time mixed in, but plenty of Caps news to keep me busy as well I am sure. It has certainly been a wild ride.

- Corey Masisak

The Caps are about to have their season wrapup meeting here at K-Plex. The lights are on here in the media room and upstairs in the Caps' offices, but the rest of the place is dark. It is an eerie setting.

Today should be interesting. There are a lot of unresolved questions and plenty of work for general manager George McPhee to do this summer. There were a lot of what ifs from last night, but it was a crazy, fantastic series and a crazy end to a wild season.

My question is, since this was my first go-round, are they all going to be like this? I know I probably wasn't expecting to cover 94 hockey games coming into this season (6 preseason, 81 regular season and 7 of the postseason variety). It does feel like the Caps crammed about three years worth of news, amazing performances and just other weird stuff into one season.

There is one bit of news already today. The Caps have sent Eric Fehr to Hershey. He will play for the Bears tonight in Game 4, but his stay could be short since they are down 3-0 to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

One thing from last night that we couldn't get in the paper, this quote from Danny Briere:

"Another thing that favored us was the condition of the ice," he said. "It was so bad that it was tough for guys like Semin, Backstrom and Ovechkin to get anything going, the ice was so bad. That was another thing that went our way."

- Corey Masisak