Grab the excitement

Since Toronto (inexplicably) used one of their compliance buy-outs on Mikhail Grabovski, I've been hoping that he'd end up on the Caps.

It's been a frustrating two-month wait (exacerbated by Mikey getting married and going on his honeymoon right after the buy out was announced), but today it became official.  He's going to be the second center, behind Nicky, where he'll hopefully drive possession (along with Erat and Brouwer, presumably) the same way he did in Toronto.

There are some concerns that he might be a bit of a head-case, although his lambasting of his former manager right after the buy out is not, to my mind, part of that concern.

Roster-wise, it does present an interesting question or two.

I can't see any way that MarJo doesn't re-sign with the Caps, which leaves lines something like:
MarJo - Backstrom - OV
Erat - Grabs - Brouwer
Laich - Perreault - Fehr
Chimmer - Beagle - Ward

Laich/MarJo/Perreault are the big question marks, in my mind.  You would think, with Laich having been projected as second center, that he'd naturally fall back into third center, but I hope that isn't the case.  Laich could go up to 1LW instead, although I doubt that'll happen unless MarJo refuses to sign.

And I really hope Matty P doesn't get dumped into no man's land, which is what would happen if Laich went back to 3C (although putting the Chimmer - Laich - Ward line back together as a very tough-minutes line wouldn't be bad.  If that happens, I hope the 4th line becomes a support-scoring line, rather than the more traditional defensive grinders).

I guess we'll see what Oates wants to do.  I'm now more hopeful about this team than I've been since the Montreal series.  If they can find someone to push Erskine back to third pairing (whether that's Dima or an outside option), they can go really far this year.