Chris Clark

'07-08 Stats                      Age (on October 1): 32                  Contract: UFA after '11

'07-08 Season Report

This is a season Clark would love to forget. What is a bit frightening is how his groin injury never improved in months and months of time. It is not unheard of for a groin injury to persist to the point that it becomes career threatening.

Hockey has witnessed the retirement of Mikael Renberg for exactly that reason. Though Clark has not undergone any surgical procedures (yet) as Renberg endured on three separate occasions, it may become a real possibility if the injury fails to improve.

I'm by no means a doctor, nor do I have any inside information on the injury, but I have played and watched enough sports to know that you need a working groin. And right now, Clark's isn't working.

Intangibles

Clark is the team's captain and has all the tools to be a great one. Well, everything except a supportive body. If he is able to return to the lineup and the Capitals are able to retain the services of Sergei Fedorov, the team will have an even more impressive mix of youth and experience than what we saw this year. We can only hope.

Future Fit

The Capitals would love nothing more than to insert their leader on the right side of one of their top three lines. Hopefully he'll be ready come training camp so he can get into game shape by the start of next season. But the way things look right now, I wouldn't count on it.