Katie Carrera appreciation thread

[Silky mitts]

Four years ago the Caps were getting ready to burn off another year of Ovechkin's prime when Katie Carrera wrote the opus that made Adam Oates look like a bozo and questioned why McPhee would never address the holes at center and D. They clean house, hire MacClellan and Trotz, sign Niskanen and Orpik, lock up Kuzy and Eller - and how many years would a Backstrom injury have been the end because they had no depth at center? - and dominate the neutral zone against McPhee's team with incredible depth at center and better talent at defense.
Washington Capitals’ problems began long before their playoff streak ended

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[Kcoyote3]

Not gonna lie, thought this was the long awaited name of the flasher.

 

[HunterSThompson]

Not gonna lie, thought this was the long awaited name of the flasher.

Her name is Destiny. She is in college to become a teacher.

 

[Misery74]

Katie flushed us of the McPhee/Oates debacle. It was wonderful writing, and helped us get out from under the old regime.

I would be surprised if McPhee was able to attract any high profile free agents to Vegas. The players he took in expansion had no choice.

 

[amin723]

If we didn’t make the Forsberg trade do we still have Eller and Wilson?

On a similar topic of articles who wrote the big long exposé about issues in the Caps locker room before this season I thought and how bad Ovechkin was? I’ve been looking for that. I think it was on ESPN or the Post.

 

[Runner77]

Her name is Destiny. She is in college to become a teacher.

She's a stripper. And you don't want to know what she had to do to score that front row seat.

Or maybe we do.

 

[Silky mitts]

If we didn’t make the Forsberg trade do we still have Eller and Wilson?

Why wouldn’t they have Wilson?

 

[amin723]

Why wouldn’t they have Wilson?

Expansion draft protections. But I guess Forsberg just takes Eller’s spot. So really just Eller likely not on Caps.

 

[Revelation]

Expansion draft protections. But I guess Forsberg just takes Eller’s spot. So really just Eller likely not on Caps.

McPhee still takes Schmidt over Eller given the choice, Eakin was like a younger Eller (plus his guy) and Dallas had no one else to offer.

 

[Silky mitts]

McPhee still takes Schmidt over Eller given the choice, Eakin was like a younger Eller (plus his guy) and Dallas had no one else to offer.

If we still have Forsberg we’d still have McPhee probably and he’d have never traded for Eller because he would have been cool with 2 centers.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I appreciate Katie's excellent piece but I will forever be annoyed that she waited so long to write it.

I get that she was on her way out from covering the Caps, but if access & relatiinships with the Caps were issues she could have worked with another Post staff member to get the story out under another byline.

 

[TRASHCAT]

Some f***ing dark times mannnnn

 

[HandsomeTom43]

Yeah who knows about Forsberg and Eller and Wilson etc. I like to look at things from the perspective that everything has to pretty much break right for teams to win titles and as many of you have pointed out--NO PASSENGERS ON THIS TRAIN. Every player at some point during the regular season or playoff run contributed. So many what-ifs can be asked about any title team. Look at the Super Bowl--What if Malcom Butler played? We'll never know. It's always kind of cool to think about especially AFTER you've won a title. What we DO know is that the Caps are world f***ing champions and their names will be immortal forever. So far, Forsberg's isn't, but Alex Chiasson's is.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

The other big problem that is directly attributable to GMGM's failure here is his coaching hires. Even before the Ovechkin era, his coaching hires are a mystery. Ron Wilson was hired on the same day as George McPhee so I'm not sure if GMGM is the one who hired him.
Here is a list of all the coaches McPhee hired before and during the Oveckin Era:
Glen Hanlon
Bruce Boudreau
Dale Hunter
Adam Oates

Guess what they all have in common? That's right, exactly ZERO games as an NHL head coach. I think it's a reasonable argument, though there's no way to prove it, that had a proven coach been brought in the CAPS could have had more success earlier.

 

[g00n]

I appreciate Katie's excellent piece but I will forever be annoyed that she waited so long to write it.

I get that she was on her way out from covering the Caps, but if access & relatiinships with the Caps were issues she could have worked with another Post staff member to get the story out under another byline.

I doubt it. Sensitive information usually points to a limited number of sources. Everyone would've known it was her. Who else was working the Caps beat at the time?

 

[RandyHolt]

The other big problem that is directly attributable to GMGM's failure here is his coaching hires. Even before the Ovechkin era, his coaching hires are a mystery. Ron Wilson was hired on the same day as George McPhee so I'm not sure if GMGM is the one who hired him.
Here is a list of all the coaches McPhee hired before and during the Oveckin Era:
Glen Hanlon
Bruce Boudreau
Dale Hunter
Adam Oates

Guess what they all have in common? That's right, exactly ZERO games as an NHL head coach. I think it's a reasonable argument, though there's no way to prove it, that had a proven coach been brought in the CAPS could have had more success earlier.

Wasn't George forced behind the bench at one point? If so, you can add him to his own pathetic list.

Katie likely had to operate under certain guidelines and I'd wager was unable to say anything bad about the team in her time here. It's not like anyone else had <insert failed aol chat html tag>there is this really cute guy on the team who is really smart but shy and I totally want <html> the stones to say anything bad about George.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

I have a feeling Katie could recycle this article with a certain GMGM team in two years.....

 

[RandyHolt]

Teams were forced to try to wheel and deal with George, as they were forced to lose a player to him anyways. Pitt loving him aside, I wonder if he will still face the same challenges with other GMs / agents that he had previously. They didn't want to deal with him. That may be normal for all GMs with what little we know, but I suspect Katie was right. And I will be watching for signs of collusion with Pitt going forward.

Didn't Pitt pay Vegas to take Reaves? It was an odd deal IIRC. Unrelated note I thought Reaves had a great series vs us. He wasn't running around taking dumb penalties. Their 4th line looked like their best line most games. I was actually happy they scratched him and instead tried to go with a 12th identical forward, instead of dressing someone that was able to stand up to us physically. His style was perfect for a series with whistles buried. Ironically, his CC/goal likely forced officials to try and call a few more things at least in that next game.

 

[Silky mitts]

Teams were forced to try to wheel and deal with George, as they were forced to lose a player to him anyways. Pitt loving him aside, I wonder if he will still face the same challenges with other GMs / agents that he had previously. They didn't want to deal with him. That may be normal for all GMs with what little we know, but I suspect Katie was right. And I will be watching for signs of collusion with Pitt going forward.

Didn't Pitt pay Vegas to take Reaves? It was an odd deal IIRC. Unrelated note I thought Reaves had a great series vs us. He wasn't running around taking dumb penalties. Their 4th line looked like their best line most games. I was actually happy they scratched him and instead tried to go with a 12th identical forward, instead of dressing someone that was able to stand up to us physically. His style was perfect for a series with whistles buried. Ironically, his CC/goal likely forced officials to try and call a few more things at least in that next game.

Pitt gave Vegas a 2nd to take Fleury. With Reeves Vegas was trying to keep Brassard off of Winnipeg.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

That Reaves trade was some shady shit....

 

[g00n]

Teams were forced to try to wheel and deal with George, as they were forced to lose a player to him anyways. Pitt loving him aside, I wonder if he will still face the same challenges with other GMs / agents that he had previously. They didn't want to deal with him. That may be normal for all GMs with what little we know, but I suspect Katie was right. And I will be watching for signs of collusion with Pitt going forward.

Didn't Pitt pay Vegas to take Reaves? It was an odd deal IIRC. Unrelated note I thought Reaves had a great series vs us. He wasn't running around taking dumb penalties. Their 4th line looked like their best line most games. I was actually happy they scratched him and instead tried to go with a 12th identical forward, instead of dressing someone that was able to stand up to us physically. His style was perfect for a series with whistles buried. Ironically, his CC/goal likely forced officials to try and call a few more things at least in that next game.

I think Katie said AGENTS did not want to deal with McPhee. Other GMs may be a different matter.

If that's the case then Vegas could have already peaked

 

[RandyHolt]

I think Katie said AGENTS did not want to deal with McPhee. Other GMs may be a different matter.

If that's the case then Vegas could have already peaked

Yep, mirroring his time in DC here, largely inheriting a cup team and making the finals, and then....

They will likely be mired in mediocrity especially with late round selections on draft day. So much for the time honored way to build a winner, tanking / drafting. He will have to sell off to tank, but faces increased expectations to compete after a bar setting season. A real pickle.

If agents collectively hate him more than other GMs, I think its likely other GMs collectively hate him more than others. Maybe teams seem to tend to trade with the same teams for a reason. It's the only team with a functioning GM level relationship.

If Seattle wins a cup before George, remember this post.

 

[g00n]

Yep, mirroring his time in DC here, largely inheriting a cup team and making the finals, and then....

They will likely be mired in mediocrity especially with late round selections on draft day. So much for the time honored way to build a winner, tanking / drafting. He will have to sell off to tank, but faces increased expectations to compete after a bar setting season. A real pickle.

I think they soared too high in year 1. How do you follow that except to win the Cup? They'll end up being what I thought they'd be, which is a sideshow act in Vegas. The hype will have to be cranked up even further in order to keep people interested.

VGK ran an emotional wave of revenge-fueled honeymoon period momentum through the season and the playoffs, but they ran into an experienced Team of Destiny in the Final. Maybe they can scrape out another playoff appearance next year but I don't see them going beyond R1 or R2. Then Gmgm will have to start making moves, and the agents who didn't want to deal with him before will need to be swayed by the Vegas glamour. It might actually work, now that I think about it.

 

[Marshall]

strung can handle this thread.

 

[895]

Wasn't George forced behind the bench at one point? If so, you can add him to his own pathetic list.

Katie likely had to operate under certain guidelines and I'd wager was unable to say anything bad about the team in her time here. It's not like anyone else had <insert failed aol chat html tag>there is this really cute guy on the team who is really smart but shy and I totally want <html> the stones to say anything bad about George.

That goof is pretty much the only thing I remember about Katie.

Did we ever find out who the player was? I think it's Laich.