Your Southeast Division Champions!

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Hooray for Huet

How's that for a debut? Eight-teen saves and a shutout over the Eastern Conference leading Devils. Not a bad way to start your Capitals career Cristobal. Here's to continued success in the future. I did find it interesting to hear that Coach Boudreau was still committed to starting Olie Saturday night. Coming into Friday's game, the talk was that if Huet blew the doors off, which he clearly did, he would get the nod against the Maple Leafs as well. But apparently that is not the case. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Fedorov also had an impressive debut. He helped to setup Mike Green's PP goal that gave the Caps the 1-0 lead and won 77% of his faceoffs on the night. That is the type of performance we need to see night in and night out from the Russian veteran. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

And don't forget, we still have Matt Cooke's debut to look forward to tomorrow night. The new Capital seemed to like his first impression of the team's system in Friday's practice. From Tarik:

"It's a pressure team here" in Washington, Cooke said. "Whereas Vancouver was more sit back and let them come to you. I think I'm fortunate because [the Capitals' system] kind of fits my style."

Things are certainly looking up. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Richard Lam)

Prospect Update: Mathieu Perreault had 3 assists last night and won 60% of his faceoffs in Acadie-Bathurst's 5-4 loss at Rouyn-Noranda.
Defensemen Karl Alzner and Keith Seabrook each had an assist in the Calgary Hitmen's 6-5 shootout win over Moose Jaw.

Official Retraction

Okay, I'd officially like to retract my previous post that declared the Capitals as players for the #1 overall pick and the rights to Steven Stamkos. With the moves made at the deadline, the team obviously has no aspirations of finishing in the top 5 for a spot in the draft lottery. No, the Caps have decided to add to their lineup and compete now for a playoff spot.

You have to give GM George McPhee a lot of credit with these deadline moves. The Caps gave up next to nothing to acquire a #1 goaltender in Cristobal Huet, a former #1 center in Sergei Fedorov, and an agitator in Matt Cooke. All of these assets were had for a grand total of Anaheim's 2009 2nd-round pick, which we received for Brian Sutherby, defensive prospect Theo Ruth, who is a freshman at Notre Dame and is still multiple years away from seeing an AHL rink let alone an NHL rink, and Matt Pettinger who I would say didn't even deserve to receive a jersey on a nightly basis anymore.

Huet, Fedorov, and Cooke will all be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. But that doesn't mean that they will all depart this summer. It's not as if teams will be lining up to sign a 38 year-old center, or a 29 year-old winger with a career average of about 20 pts/season. If either or both of those players fit well with this team, the Capitals will pay up and bring them back this fall. Huet on the other hand, will most likely be the best free agent goaltender available this summer. His performance down the stretch could earn him a big payday. McPhee will have to make the decision of whether or not he is worth the money it would cost to keep him here. To say the 3-way goaltending battle down the stretch will be interesting is an understatement. Hopefully the cream will rise to the top and one of the three will establish themselves as the #1 man.

As the New York Giants proved this season, once you get into the playoffs anything can happen. With the best player in the world on their side, can Ovechkin take his game to yet another level and lead the Caps on a Stanley Cup run this year? Only time will tell.