WASHINGTON, D.C – The Washington Capitals are likely to remain among the NHL elite thanks to a strong core built around Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green. But the cost of keeping those stars in a salary capped world will force the organization to continually replenish the rest of the roster. The team’s most pressing need – defensemen – can be addressed immediately from within the organization and through free agency. Shoane Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina and Jeff Schultz are restricted free agents and could be dispatched over the summer in favor of top prospect Karl Alzner as well as a couple of off-season signees. Nor do the Caps need reinforcements in goal, with Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth both ready to establish NHL careers. It would be surprising if General Manager George McPhee and the coaching staff couldn’t develop a sufficient number of role players and grinders to fill out the third and fourth lines. What the Caps could use is a skilled set-up man with size and enough speed to keep up with the team’s flashy wingers. The Rimouski Oceanic’s Jordan Caron is one such player. Caron missed part of the season with an ankle injury but still registered 36 goals and 67 points in 56 games for a strong Rimouski squad in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Scouts see Caron as a potential power forward with the willingness to do the dirty work down low and he has above-average hockey sense. The Capitals are long in the tooth at center, with 39-year-old Sergei Fedorov and 34-year-old Viktor Kozlov both unrestricted free agents. The team has wanted to move unproductive veteran Michael Nylander as well but so far it doesn’t appear that the Caps have anyone within the system ready to step in as a qualified pivot. 2008 first-rounder Anton Gustafsson is still a few seasons away. Caron certainly can’t be expected to step in immediately, but he is precisely the type of player management would like to see knocking at the door in two or three years. Drafting near the bottom of the first round gives the team the luxury to pick by position. Washington has done well developing somewhat overlooked prospects, thanks in part to a well-honed feeder system in Hershey (AHL), so don’t be surprised if you hear the following words come out of McPhee’s mouth on June 26. “With the 24th selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals select, from the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Jordan Caron.”
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