The Capitals of the Late 80s

[IafrateOvie34]

Newspaper sources:

Ontario Spectator (June 17, 1992):
"Last week, the hottest rumor making the rounds was a three-way deal between the Nords, Red Wings and Washington Capitals, with Lindros heading to Detroit, Steve Yzerman to the Caps and a package of players, highlighted by Kevin Hatcher, heading to Quebec."

Washington Post (June 28, 1992):
[I]Capitals want RFA defenseman Dave Manson.[/I]
"Having Manson might ... allow the Capitals to trade Hatcher for a top center - Detroit Coach Bryan Murray might give up Steve Yzerman for the right price. Capitals coaches and officials have always denied they will trade Hatcher, but the rumors persist."

Washington Post (July 1, 1992):
"Center Steve Yzerman is the Red Wing at the center of several rumors, including one for Hatcher. Though some would not trade Yzerman straight up for Hatcher, the Capitals management insist they wouldn't make it either." [Way way overrated. At least by the Washington management!]

I do remember that summer hoping that would go through. We really needed the toughness. We ended up getting Tinordi a few years later, but Manson I highly coveted then.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

That is what the Hockey News reported back in 1993 if I remember correctly. I have the issue put away in a box in storage now. I found it hard to believe it was a 1 for 1 rumor too, but that is what they reported. Yzerman was scoring like 60 goals that year too. I never liked Hatcher and felt he was way overated. This was the same time Lidstrom was a rookie or his second year, so the Wings were in market for a offensive style defenseman. If true, the Wings made the right choice not trading. To rub it in, Detroit ended up with Dino for Kevin Miller. 1993 seemed like the year the Caps wanted to have blood lines for some odd reason and they didn't want to give Dino the money he wanted.

In regards to the 1990s Caps, I always said losing Stevens to FA cost us the chance of being what the mid 1990s New Jersey Devils became. Heck we might have won a cup even with Jim Carey in goal had we kept Stevens. Of course Brodeur can't be left out for the Devils either . Abe might have kept us competitive, but he did not have the nerve to spend money on the right players, imo. If only we had Ted's money then.

from an outsider's perspective, it looked like not matching stevens' contract, trading courtnall for zezel, not resigning sheehy, and eventually trading ciccarelli for miller were all fall out from the **** allegations. that's what i remember a lot of commentators hinting at, anyway. but then on his way out of town, i think ciccarelli called out ownership for refusing to spend, on stevens, courtnall, even gartner.

but yeah, if you're trading ciccarelli, you have to get something better than kevin miller. especially from the wings who had so many very good young players.

on the other hand, i don't remember hatcher being so highly regarded. my memory is that it was clear he didn't have much of a physical or defensive game from day one and that he probably wasn't going to develop much of either?

 

[IafrateOvie34]

from an outsider's perspective, it looked like not matching stevens' contract, trading courtnall for zezel, not resigning sheehy, and eventually trading ciccarelli for miller were all fall out from the **** allegations. that's what i remember a lot of commentators hinting at, anyway. but then on his way out of town, i think ciccarelli called out ownership for refusing to spend, on stevens, courtnall, even gartner.

but yeah, if you're trading ciccarelli, you have to get something better than kevin miller. especially from the wings who had so many very good young players.

on the other hand, i don't remember hatcher being so highly regarded. my memory is that it was clear he didn't have much of a physical or defensive game from day one and that he probably wasn't going to develop much of either?

Hatcher had a big body, but didn't play physical anything like his younger brother. He was another inflated, offensive defenseman. He did end up getting us Tinordi. Yes, ownership did refuse to spend money sadly . I think a lot of things had to go back to the allegations also. Hard to believe that was so long ago. I don't think I ever met a Caps fan who disliked Sheehy and most I know were mad about that.