Well, that’s it. The Washington Capitals and their matching goatees have been bounced from the bubble by the New York Islanders in 5 games. I’m writing this just over 4 hours before puck drop on a call with another friend of mine who’s a Caps fan and needless to say, we are sad. Sad not because this means the end of another season, but the end of an era. First off, no I am not talking about Alex Ovechkin, I’m confident he’ll remain a Washington Capital until he retires. Instead, I am talking about Braden Holtby, one of the most magnificent people to ever wear a Caps uniform and certainly the greatest goaltender in franchise history.
I mean just look at him… majestic. Holtby, a 2008 fourth round selection, has been with the Caps his entire career but it seems that the time has come for the two to part ways. There’s simply no way we can afford a talent as elite as him with the very small amount of money we have on hand for next season, Holtby is going to want to get PAID and I don’t blame him. Next year he’ll be going into his 11th NHL season at the ripe old age of 31 years old, which in reality is not that old at all.
Holtby still has a lot to contribute to a team as a hockey player, even though he’s coming off of the worst year of his career, statistically speaking. This year, he put up sub-par numbers with a .897 Save % and a 3.11 GAA which might bring the price down for future suitors in free agency. Wherever Holtby goes, he will have my support. If I were to guess right now which team he were to sign with I would probably choose Edmonton, Calgary, or Buffalo. Edmonton and Calgary just need that final piece to be a legitimate cup threat and Holtby should definitely be someone they have their eyes on. Buffalo is a longer shot but if Holtby wants an entire bag, then that’s where he ends up. I’ll probably be wrong as I often am, but we’ll see. Thank you Braden for everything that you’ve done for the city of Washington and for this image that will hang on my walls forever.
