| Washington Capitals
With George McPhee
Capitals General Manager
Friday, March 14, 2003; 2:30 p.m. ET Will an injured Jaromir Jagr affect the Capitals game? How is the team's morale going into this weekend's home games against Los Angeles and Colorado? Ask Capitals General Manager George McPhee. McPhee was be online Friday, March 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET, to talk about the team and the season.. The transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Arlington, Va.: How are things going with your new practice facility in Arlington? George McPhee: Ownership is working on that project. I haven't had an update on that in a few months. I think things continue to move along and at some point we will be able to announce that we have a deal.
Vienna, Va.: Do you see Brian Sutherby having a larger role next season, and what do you think he needs to improve in his game? George McPhee: He will have a larger role next season. He has done very well for a young player right out of amateur hockey. He simply needs experience to become a better player.
Dude (where's my car?): I know you can't name any names, but how close were you to making other trades on Tuesday? George McPhee: Not very. We explored a certain part of the market but there just wasn't anything that made sense to us. And I mentioned that a day before the deadline, that this may be one of those years where we don't do a lot.
Arlington, Va.: There are now six or seven partners in Lincoln Holdings which owns the Caps. Do you have to deal with all of them or just Ted Leonsis? George McPhee: Just Ted.
George McPhee: I deal with Ted and Dick Patrick.
College Park, Md.: Uncle Ted stated in this forum that he did not like the "you suck" chant after goals, what is your position? George McPhee: I agree with whatever Ted says.
Tampa, Fla.: Mr. McPhee, Besides winning the Stanley Cup, what other ways can interest in the Capitals continue to grow in Washington? George McPhee: Good question. You certainly have to feel that a team that is competitive enough to provide hope each and every year for the fan base. And we have to continue to develop the fan base as Ted has done so well in his ownership here.
Silver Spring, Md.: Do hockey players ever go to the ice rink just to skate around for fun? Or is that too much like work? George McPhee: They probably don't do it during the season. Our sport is more about recovery now than any additional work or skating. I am sure they find time to do those things in the summer at the various camps that are available for young players.
Bank Vault: Do you anticipate Mr. Leonsis increasing, decreasing, or maintaining the amount of payroll you will be allowed to work with? George McPhee: I wouldn't expect an increase in payroll in the near future until we know exactly what the landscape will be under a new CBA.
Harrisburg, Pa.: How is the team adjusting to being without the services of Jaromir Jagr? George McPhee: Well short term I think most teams quite often play better when their top players are out of the lineup. Everyone else looks forward to the extra ice time and responsibilities, but long term we certainly miss him.
Haymarket, Va.: George, Congratulations on doing a great job in signing great players over the years to come to our non-media-hockey-supported little town. I think a lot of the Caps inconsistency is their lack of veteran leadership, although I have no idea what goes on in the locker room. It just seems that none of the Caps veterans are stepping up to be leaders. Not to place any blame on Kono, but how important is a team captain in today's NHL? George McPhee: Well, leadership is a very important intangible with any team. If you don't have one strong leader you try to do it by committee with several players and we think that is what is going on with our club and these next couple of weeks will determine how strong of the a group they are.
Christiana, Del.: Given apparent lack of any connection in recent years between playoff seeding and playoff success, and given that the Caps seem more or less a lock to make the playoffs this year, is the coaching staff more hesitant to rush the return of injured players than it might otherwise be? George McPhee: Well, I can't say that we are a lock to make the playoffs. A lot can happen in the next few weeks. I like where we are right now and hope we continue to play well. Basically we play players when they tell us they are ready to play.
Arlington, Va.: Hey George, Is there any chance on bringing up Steve Eminger to the big league roster before the playoffs? George McPhee: No. He can not be recalled until his season is over and they begin playoffs next weekend.
Arlington, Va.: George - How disappointed were you that you were unable to land a defenseman? From what I've read you had your chances but were unwilling to meet teams' asking prices. My two cents is you really need another for the playoff run. Thanks. George McPhee: There were only four we had interest in. Two determined what teams they would go to because they had no trade clauses. One had a concussion and the other's asking price was simply too high.
Washington, D.C.: How concerned are you about the inexperience of Jason Doig and Joel Kwiatkowski come playoff time? George McPhee: Doig is an eight-year pro and Kwiatkowski has been pro for five seasons. It is a good question. Only time will tell.
Oakton, Va.: How are Eminger and Gordon doing? Do you see both making the club next year? George McPhee: They are both playing very well. I would like to have them on the team next year, but that depends on their performance in training camp.
Rockville, Md.: George, the Caps have a youth hockey camp where kids learn hockey from the players. When are we "big kids" gonna get something like that? I really need help on my wrister. George McPhee: The camp is heading on to its third year and continuing to expand. I expect it will eventually expand to more weeks and different age groups.
Fort Washington, Md.: Did the potential work stoppage in the 2004 offseason have any effect on any potential trades on Tuesday? George McPhee: Yes, it may have. Probably more difficult to trade players with long term contracts.
Washington, D.C.: What is the GM's role between now and the offseason -- trading is frozen, I assume most players aren't negotiating contracts now -- what do you do before getting to work on keeping Calle and Klee? Thanks. George McPhee: We don't address contract issues generally until summer. At this point in the season we will spend time looking at players we have drafted and determining if they are worthy of a contract.
San Jose, Calif.: How would you asses so far Bruce Cassidy's performance behind the bench? George McPhee: It took him about 20 to 25 games to learn our personnel and understand how the league works and I think he has done a very good job after than. We had a streak where we earned points in 14 games and then we are currently on another streak where we have earned points in eight consecutive games. He has adjusted well.
Washington, D.C.: Are there any minor leaguers who have surprised you and the staff with their seasons? George McPhee: We knew Ouellet was a good prospect but he has been absolutely outstanding this season and a couple of our junior players have been productive.
Washington, D.C.: Do you anticipate a long work stoppage after next year? It seems like the owners are their own worst enemies in terms of the salaries they themselves choose to pay, but is there a sense that without a huge TV deal (which isn't coming) that the players will have to accept some scaling back in salaries? How far are the Caps from turning a profit? George McPhee: We are going to leave CBA issues between the league and the union.
Washington, D.C.: Whose moves impressed you most at the deadline? Are there other GM's that you automatically talk to before trade deadlines? Are there GM's you simply don't bother with because you have learned they are unreasonable? George McPhee: No, we certainly understand the trades of various GMs and we talk to all of them. It is hard to say who did well with trades. Team performance will determine that.
Rockville, Md.: George, we've all read (in the Post) about Jagr's "recent" (5 years ago) gambling "problem" (which has been paid off since '99). Of course, the same people who write about Jagr's issue seemingly forget that Jordan guy's much larger gambling issues. Why do they focus on Jagr's private life when other sports figures around here have had bigger issues? George McPhee: Just to fill a newspaper I guess.
George McPhee: Thanks for your interest. Lets hope we have a good run here.
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