Never fear, Caps fans – GMGM has again leapt into action. The team has reported that Brooks Laich, who filed for arbitration this weekend, has signed a three year deal worth about $2.1 million a year.

TSN is also reporting that the team has re-signed veteran center Sergei Fedorov to a one year, $4 million deal – TSN is usually a pretty good source for this kind of thing, but there’s no word from the Caps yet on whether that deal went through.

I’ve talked before about what Laich is worth to this team, both in monetary terms and in terms of what he brings to the table. And while his salary will eventually be $2.4 million (almost half a million more than I initially believed he deserved) this deal is just still within the range if at the high end of what seems appropriate – and it gets even more palatable when you look at deals signed by comparable (or less-talented) wingers.

It’s always good to avoid arbitration if possible, particularly with someone like Laich who has already been through the process once before. From all accounts it’s not a pleasant experience, and if Laich is someone you want to hold onto long-term or even just for the foreseeable future you don’t want two rounds of “you’re not THAT good” hanging over the relationship.

Now onto that Fedorov thing…if it’s true, there is a lot to celebrate. Fedorov may be 38 years old and admittedly on the downswing of his career, but you can’t deny that he was one of the biggest factors in pushing the Caps into the playoffs last year. Combine that with his performance at the Worlds, where he created magic with Ovechkin and Semin en route to Russian gold, and you do what it takes to get someone like that back.

It’s an interesting deal, both in the timing of the contract and the amount it was reportedly signed for. We’d heard that Fedorov was looking for $4 million while the Caps were asking for $2 million, and as seems to be the trend this offseason the Caps apparently had to up their offer to meet the demands of the talent. GMGM also reported that Fedorov was willing to let the dust settle before signing a deal – so clearly that “dust” wears #21. Laich is signed, Feds follows (we hope).

Now…if you’re keeping an eye on that cap number you’re certainly not alone. Laich’s deal puts the Caps at just about $51 million; add in the reported $4 million for Fedorov and things are starting to get tight, with Morrisonn, Fehr and Gordon all still officially unsigned and Morrisonn still headed for arbitration.

A lot of people are predicting that this will mean the end for Boyd Gordon in DC. He hasn’t signed his QO, the Caps are stacked at center, and there may not be enough money.

It’s possible…but I’m not so sure. Money is probably the biggest issue but the sad fact is that things with Brian Pothier just don’t look that good. If he’s still on long term IR come training camp and into the season (as it appears he will be), his salary doesn’t count toward the cap, freeing up $2.5 million and leaving more than enough room to sign all three RFAs to fair deals.

I’m also of the belief that if you can make it work, you always want to have three guys in the press box who are just as good as the guys on the ice. In other words, depth. Depth is good. We like depth. Gordon’s faceoff skills and penalty killing ability make him a good guy to have around and he’s one of those “home-grown” boys that GMGM is always yammering on about – so you’d think they’d take a long hard look at letting someone like Gordon go at this point.

If you’re curious as to how that works out, here’s where the roster could stand if we sign all three remaining RFAs and the Fedorov deal is confirmed:

I like it…even if Flash and Erskine are in there.

On an admin note, a number of comments from the past few days were accidentally erased due to a technical glitch…or just immeasurable stupidity, whatever. Thanks to everyone who weighed in on these topics and we’ll do our best to get your opinions back up again.

At one point one of them jokingly pointed out how we all seemed to be craving instant gratification from our team, and laughingly we had to agree. Indeed, the refrain of “why haven’t we heard anything yet??” was a common one at our little gathering as each of us in turn wondered about the status of our free agents. It seemed silly, we acknowledged, to be in such a rush when realistically there is plenty of time to get contracts done…and yet we were clamoring for news. Something. Anything.

We’re not alone. There is a sense of urgency among Caps fans right now for things to move along at a faster pace, and it’s not hard to see why – the longer these things drag out, the more likely it seems that something will go terribly, terribly wrong.

You only have to look at the Huet situation to see just how realistic that fear is. Here’s a negotiation that has been ongoing for months, and at the last minute player and agent pull such a fantastic switch on the team that all of us still have a little bit of whiplash. It probably wasn’t the first time it’s happened in the league – in fact I’d bet good money that it’s not – but it was certainly the first time in my memory that it’s been so publicly acknowledged, especially by a GM who is so traditionally tight-lipped about these things.

The Caps haven’t been idle, that’s for sure. McPhee took care of what were arguably the two biggest issues facing the Caps this offseason: sign Mike Green and secure a goalie. He did it very well, too, shaving a bit of money off the goaltending budget and inking a young defenseman to a deal that next year could very well seem like a bargain.

But every day that Brooks Laich goes without an extension, every minute that passes before Shaone Morrisonn is signed, every second that Boyd Gordon, Eric Fehr, or even Sergei Fedorov remain free agents in any way, the sense of impending doom is heightened. Odds of something ridiculous happening seem to increase – ridiculous meaning anything from arbitration to offer sheets to an impasse that results in a player not showing up for camp.

You can talk all you want about this team locking up it’s core, and extensions for guys like Ovechkin and Green and eventually Backstrom are going to be key in order for this team to continue it’s evolution. But ideally you want to surround them with the same homegrown talent for them to be successful, guys they know and clearly click with.

Mike Green without Shaone Morrisonn is not the same Mike Green – all of us, including Green himself, know that to be true. Brooks Laich is that guy who will boost secondary scoring, earning goals of both the pretty and ugly variety. Eric Fehr has the potential to be a phenomenal winger with a nose for the net and a chip on his shoulder. Boyd Gordon’s faceoff skills and penalty killing have only improved with each year and his defensive ability could very well make him a Selke candidate in the coming seasons. And while Fedorov is the least likely to be signed and probably the least important piece of the puzzle overall, we all saw what he brought to the team last year – both on and off the ice.

While losing any one of them would probably not derail the team so catastrophically that it would be unable to recover, it would still be felt and their presence would be missed. We have the money and the space to re-sign all of them. From all accounts we have the desire to re-sign all of them. And yet all Caps fans can do is wait and hope that McPhee is able to get things done before anything happens.

…and July slowly trickles on.

So my question is this – do you get the sense that this season might just be cursed?

Let’s break it down…

- Alexander Semin goes down with a sprained ankle in preseason. Preseason. We didn’t even make it to the regular season before losing our 38-goal scorer. The injury continues to crop up at inopportune times (read: every other day), keeping Semin out of the lineup and preventing any real chemistry from developing between him and the other forwards.

- A team with three 30+ goal scorers and bolstered by offseason offensive producers Nylander, Kozlov and Poti, finds it impossible to find the back of the net. This makes the fact that both goaltenders are standing on their heads irrelevant, as allowing one or two goals a game doesn’t help when you can’t score at all.

- Alex Ovechkin tries to kill Chris Clark with a slapshot to the head. At the same time Semin is out once more and Boyd Gordon then goes down with an injury, sending the Caps reeling. For the first time in years the Caps are in last place in the NHL.

- A fifth straight loss in which the Caps look flat and unable to do the basic things correctly costs Glen Hanlon his job.

- On new coach Boudreau’s first day of practice with his team, Semin reinjures his ankle. Again. In his fourth game the Caps go to their first shootout of the season and lose Clark, Gordon and possibly Semin to injury. Again.

And so on and so forth…

But don’t worry, Caps fans, because here’s the good news – not only do we get to play Carolina and Florida in back to back games this weekend, but we also get to see each of them four more times before the season ends. (At least this is the last season with such a lovely schedule.)

The better news? Only 57 games left…and counting.

If you’re looking for a gameday preview for our next two games go here and here. I’m running out of ways to make these “intense” division matchups interesting, and I’m inspired by the current writers’ strike in Hollywood to just run reruns in protest. Luckily after next week we get a bit of a reprieve from the Southeast and I’ll return to my usual witty self.

All photos courtesy of AP

So Gordon continues to be day-to-day with back spasms and his status for tomorrow is unknown. Schultz was recalled, meaning Erskine will probably head to the press box. Semin was placed on IR retroactive to the 7th, so he’s possible but not probable for tomorrow’s game against the Islanders. Sutherby remains in green jersey purgatory. Motzko is getting a crack at the right wing slot.

And the wheel o’ players continues.

Anyone else miss having a stagnant roster for more than two games?

Oh, look, was that a tumbleweed?

- Tarik’s got a few good Q&A’s with some of the boys who are hanging around DC before training camp. Nothing earth-shattering in either one, obviously, but still worth a look.

- Check out Vogel’s interview with former accident-prone Cap (and one of my favorites) Pat Peake on the Caps website.

- And finally, because there’s nothing better to do, watch some grown men running into each other. Only two hits featuring the Caps but one of them is Ovie on a Penguin…frankly that’s all I need. Enjoy!

Alas, it probably is not to be. Returning to the real world its obvious that somethings gotta give, whether it means shipping someone off to Hershey or shipping them off to another club. OnFrozenBlog recently did a great rundown of the forwards and defensemen in the system as we head into next season, but here’s a look at just the guys on the cusp:

Brian Sutherby - His scouting report says that he “will be limited in terms of offensive production at the NHL level”, aka checking line forward. Limited is one thing, 7 goals is another. Still, I’ve always defended Sutherby on the grounds that the organization and his teammates love him and there is more to a player than offensive production. Brian is one of those players the Caps love to develop, the gritty players with loads of heart; having said that, the recent one year deal given to Sutsy and his declining numbers seem to signal that he has one more shot at proving himself.
Verdict: He’ll crack the opening night lineup; whether he’s here come the trade deadline remains to be seen.

Steve Eminger - Like Sutherby, Eminger is one of those players who has been “developing” for a long time but has yet to really break through. In drafting him 12th overall the Caps put their hopes into Eminger one day becoming a top two defenseman. But injuries and mistakes cost Emmy a lot of playing time last year and there were many nights when he was watching the action from the press box while a youngster took his roster spot. Signs of improvement towards the end of last year and a desire to prove himself could make him a dangerous contender in September. He’ll still have to fight it out in training camp and his one-year deal, like Sutherby’s, is a sign that he’s using the last of his nine lives.
Verdict: Look for him to hold on to his spot come October, but he could be potentially packaged with other prospects/picks for that stay-at-home defenseman everyone seems so high on.

Matt Bradley – Bradley is always good for a funny quote or a nice black eye, and his effort and his willingness to drop the gloves when necessary make him a perfect checking line forward. However, he faces stiff competition for his role-playing slot from current and future Caps and there doesn’t seem to be much room for him anymore. 13 points in 57 games just may not be good enough.
Verdict: As sad as I am to say it, I don’t see Bradley being with the organization much longer.

Dave Steckel – Having really achieved everything he could at the AHL level, Steckel will be looking to make the jump to the big club this fall. His penalty-killing and leadership skills are not in question, but its his mobility that raises some eyebrows and he’ll need to learn how to use his body and his legs more effectively if he wants to stick around in the NHL.
Verdict: He may need a little more time to cook in the AHL but look for him to be a frequent call-up and potentially a mid-season roster addition a la Brooks Laich two years ago.

Brooks Laich – Called up to fill a roster spot in December of ‘05, Laich took his opportunity and made the most of it, earning a permanent spot with the club through the end of the season then returning to Hershey in time for their Calder Cup run. Last year he admittedly had a slow start and paid for it with a run of healthy scratches and limited ice time. Still, he started to pick up the momentum mid-season and was showing definite improvement. He’s versatile in his ability to play center or wing but will probably be relegated to wing with the sudden glut up the middle, and he has developed an edge to his game that makes him a much more attractive third or fourth line candidate.
Verdict: He’ll be in the red, white and blue when the season opens and should maintain his position on either of the bottom two lines.

Boyd Gordon – Last year was definitely Gordon’s coming out party, as he put together a fantastic season and proved why he made the roster in the first place. His 7 goals were nice, but its the 22 assists and the +10 on a team that routinely was a minus squad that really make him stand out. And if you’ve never seen him out there killing penalties, you haven’t seen it the way its supposed to be done. He made a believer out of a lot of us.
Verdict: Definitely a lock for third line center, and look for his offensive numbers to increase as his confidence and ice time go up.

John Erskine - Erskine is the kind of defenseman that Caps fans love in the sense that he’ll drop the gloves at any time or just lay someone out with a monster hit. He started last season as a welcome surprise, turning a lot of heads as he came out of nowhere to establish himself as one of the top defenseman – and helped boost defensive partner Eminger’s game, to boot. Still, the shine started to wear off midseason and a series of injuries including a devastating foot fracture really seemed to take him off his game.
Verdict: Will probably make the roster, but may spend many nights as the 7th defenseman in the press box.

Ben Clymer – Its hard to judge Clymer for his rocky season last year – after a failed experiment that saw him back on the blue line, Clymer had to readjust to his forward position and then found himself hampered by an abdominal injury that nagged him all season before finally electing for surgery in the last month. He’s got the physical aspect down and, as we all remember from that infamous Atlanta game, isn’t afraid to drop the gloves with someone much bigger and nastier than himself. I don’t think the Caps are giving up on him just yet and will be looking for him to replicate his numbers from his first year in DC now that he’s healthy again.
Verdict: Third or fourth line winger, will be around for opening night.

Tomas Fleischmann – Flash has shown, well, flashes of brilliance at the NHL level but has yet to find his consistency that made him so potent in Hershey. He’s got talent but seems hesitant to shoot the puck – something you can get away with in the AHL but in the faster, bigger world of the NHL that just won’t fly. He needs to find his game and quickly or he’ll be another prospect who just didn’t pan out.
Verdict: Could start the season with the Caps if his training camp is spectacular, but may be shuffled back and forth from Hershey or could be packaged with another player for a veteran.

Jakub Klepis – Poor Jake. First no one could pronounce his name, now no one wants to. A lot of people were high on Klepis for a long time but he’s really just never shown that he’s ready to make the jump. Besides a lack of offensive production he has an annoying tendency to take ill-advised penalties at bad times, putting his team at risk too many times.
Verdict: Back to Hershey with Klepis, with the possibility of a trade somewhere down the line.

Eric Fehr - For a long time Fehr has held the mantel as the Caps’ bright new future and showed some signs of this in the few stints he had with the Caps last season. Still, hampered by a nagging back/hip injury and unproven at the NHL level, his time may be running out.
Verdict: Could potentially crack the lineup but needs to have a spectacular camp and start to the season if he wants to make it permanent.

Jeff Schultz – Schultz is one of those defenseman the Caps really need to hang on to. He does the little things correctly and quietly, becoming invisible on the ice in all the right ways. Towards the end of last season he really started to show what he was made of as he gained ice time and confidence in his abilities. If he can learn to use his size and develop a snarl he’ll be very scary to play against – and that can only be good for the Caps.
Verdict: May fall victim to the fact that he’s not forced to clear waivers and could see another year in Hershey, but there’s a spot for him if he earns it in camp.

Mike Green - Its hard to figure Green out sometimes. There are times when he makes an absolutely brilliant defensive play; there are times he makes a completely bone-headed mistake; and there are times when he shows an offensive brilliance that makes you wonder if he’s forgotten he’s a defenseman. A full season in DC may have been a bit much for him last year, considering he’s just 21 years old and defenseman take quite a bit longer than forwards to develop.
Verdict: Probably returning to Hershey for more development and more minutes, but could be a frequent call-up should one of the top 6 d-men go down with injury…or just go away.

Josef Boumedienne – Um…he’s Swedish, right?
Verdict: Sorry, Boomer – back to Sweden with you, one-way contract in your hot little hand.