QA fun!

Tarik has the list of players who were made qualifying offers by the Caps :

Steve Eminger
John Erskine
Tomas Fleischmann
Jamie Hunt
Milan Jurcina
Jakub Klepis
Brooks Laich
Brian Sutherby
Dave Steckel

Guys who make $660,000 or less get a 10-percent raise (salary maxes out at $1million). Guys who make more than $660,000 get a 5-percent raise.

Here are the guys who didn't get qualifying offers, and thus are being cut loose:

Kris Beech (no surprise)
Jiri Novotny (no surprise)
Matt Stefanishion
Joey Tenute
Jonas Johansson
Louis Robitaille
Maxime Daigneault

I am fine with cutting Kris Beech and Jiri Novotny loose. Beech hasnt proven himself at this level, despite plenty of opportunity to do so while playing on a line with Alex Semin. Novotny was one of those young guys that we took during a trade. Sometimes GMGM gets the steal they were looking for (Jurcina) and sometimes they dont. Novotny just didnt look like he was playing for a roster spot.

But Joey Tenute? Boy makes me squee. He punctured a lung during Hershey's playoffs, and was back a month later in the lineup. Every team needs a couple gritty players who put the team first and Tenute is one of them.

As for the Caps we kept, I am really glad to see Eminger on that list. I know he can be a hot mess sometimes, but he is really young and definitely in development. The Caps did a disservice to their young D-men last season when many of them were not paired consistently with vets. The Caps didnt have much of a choice in that decision, but I think Eminger deserves a chance to prove himself. I know, I know -- if he sucks, then his value as trade bait goes down. But, I am hoping to see him out there in September.

John Erskine? He is awesome. Dude scares small children, but still manages to look like he has a chihuahua named CoCo Chanel at home.

It was terrific to see Tomas Fleischmann on the list of Caps who got QAs. Flash is going to be a solid, maybe even exceptional player for an NHL team. He's got moves, he can skate, and he's got curly red hair to match his jersey. Boy needs to gain a few pounds, but he can work on that.

Milan Jurcina is one of those gems that GMGM found and made the right trade for. We got him for a 4th round pick in 2008, and the Bruins can keep kicking themselves in the ass for that one. He eats minutes, lays crushing hits on guys, and you know he gives Shaone Morrisonn one of these on Valentines Day.

Jakub Klepis: glad we kept him, now he has got to show us what he has got...consistently. He kicked ass when we sent him back to Hershey, and we need him to show his skillz up here too.

Dave Steckel: He got a little bit of time with the Caps this season and from what I saw of him, he looked like he was fighting for a spot on the roster. Having seen him in Hershey, it seems like he is a big fish in a small pond down there and the reverse would be true in DC. I think he has definitely got potential, but isnt he a checking line forward with the Caps? And dont we have a glut of those? That said, I really like him and we'll see how it plays out at training camp.

We are all pretty familiar with Laich and Sutherby, so I am not going to bite into that one.

Now, lets see who gets traded, what free agents get signed, and how many times GMGM can make us squee this summer.

Zubrus to stay in Buffalo?

After the Caps were not able to come to terms with Dainius Zubrus during the season and traded the pending free agent to Buffalo, there was a lot of speculation that Zubie would end up back in D.C. before long. Not so anymore. The Buffalo News is running an article today about Zubie's possible signing in Buffalo. In fact, when the Caps came to Buffalo to play the Sabres after the trade, Zubrus seemed like he was pretty happy in his new environs. Yesterday, Zubrus had this to say to the media:

“The best part is hockey. When you have a winning team it’s much easier to come to the rink. Hockey will be a huge part of my decision.”

I am hoping that Zubrus ends up back in Washington. They picked up a center in Backstrom (who will likely either play center for Ovie or Semin), but Zubrus would give them a solid, experienced center for a dangerous first line with Ovechkin and possibly Clark on the wing. A Backstrom/Semin combo would give the Caps a great second line, and depth. Not to mention, Ovie is very comfortable with Zubrus, and I'm sure wouldnt mind having his good friend and mentor back in town.

Gomez testing free agency

The NJ Devils talented center, Scott Gomez, has made it clear that he intends to test the market when he becomes a free agent on July 1st. He has been one of the names bandied about the most for becoming the top line center the Caps need. Yesterday, Gomez cleared out his locker at Continental Airlines Arena and said this to the press:

"We have gone this far, it would be foolish not to see what's out there," Gomez said. "That doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean I am leaning one way or I don't want to be here. I have talked to all the guys that have played here and gone through this. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Gomez has won two Stanley Cups with New Jersey, and is one of seven unrestricted free agents for the Devils this summer while GM/Coach Lou Lamoriello has struggled with the salary cap. I am hoping that Gomez decides he likes the east coast, and wants to move a about four hours south.