Sticking to the Plan

GM George McPhee seems to still be haunted by Jaromir Jagr. Every time a big-time deal is mentioned, he alludes to the Jagr situation from years ago.

"Just don't expect us to go out and commit to a big or long-term deal in free agency. We've seen that movie before," McPhee said.

That's not to say that the Caps not trading for Chris Pronger at this weekend's NHL draft was a mistake. The Anaheim Ducks asked for too much and GMGM smartly said no. The Caps are going to be patient and wait for the right player. The only risk in not making any moves, though, is that they will be left without anybody or forced to sign the leftovers, similar to what happened last summer when Cristobal Huet bolted for Chicago and Jose Theodore ended up coming here.

McPhee's approach will benefit the Caps in the long-run, especially with decisions on the futures of Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin looming next summer.

The Caps, meanwhile, did trade disappointing prospect Sami Lepisto to the Phoenix Coyotes, marking the end of a very short stint with the organization that was mostly spent in Hershey.

"We are very deep with NHL defenseman. If you have the luxury of being able to get a pick for somebody you don't perceive as being in the top six or seven on your team, then you do it," Bruce Boudreau said.

The Caps may have a lot of NHL defensemen, but that doesn't mean they can't improve. In fact, GMGM wouldn't have inquired about Pronger twice if they were all set on the blueline. Clearly, the team's biggest need is a second-line center, but adding a defenseman is paramount. In fact, the team selected three of them during the draft.

As for those centers, the Caps took two in the draft. Brooks Laich appears to be the beneficiary if the team stands pat during the rest of the off-season. He clearly has the skills to fill that role, but his best spot on the team is the one he occupies now: flexible forward.

The drama continues to build to free agency, which opens on Wednesday.