Michael Nylander

'07-08 Stats                      Age (on October 1): 35                  Contract: UFA after '11

'07-08 Season Report

As disappointments go this season, Nylander is right at the top of the list. The idea was right: Get a veteran Swedish playmaking center to tutor our top prospect, who just so happens to be a rookie Swedish playmaking center.

On paper it looked good. In the boardroom it sounded good. On the ice, it had its ups and downs. Though we would later find out that Nylander was in more pain than the trainers led us to believe, there is no mistaking that 835th ranked plus/minus (-19 in 40 games.) In fact only one other guy was so bad in so few games and that's Tampa Bay's Dan Boyle (an absurd -29 in only 37 games.)

Nylander had nary a chance to gel with this team. Granted, a majority of his playing time came under Glen Hanlon, who took the wind out of his players as if he sent them sailboating in the middle of Death Valley. But he still put up decent numbers: nearly a point per game while being tried on the Alex Ovechkin-line and the Alexander Semin-line. The Semin experiment worked a bit better, if not for the mere fact that Nicklas Backstom found his touch with OV.

As far as his stats, had he played 80 games rather than 40, Nylander's numbers would have looked quite nice. He would have finished 3rd on the Capitals in goals (22), 2nd in points (74), and one point off the lead in power play points (36).  But would his plus/minus have been -38?  Yeesh!

But his shoulder injury got too severe and he had to call it quits, rendering his season done. There was talk he might have come back had the Capitals reached Round 2. If this is the case, we can be hopeful he'll be at 100% come training camp.

Intangibles

Nylander's a leader. He's been there, done that...and with an international flavor that has become the face of the Capitals franchise.

But he's kind of out place with regards to the run the Caps made late in the year. How Boudreau fits him back in will be critical. So will how healthy he remains.

Future Fit

The Nylander signing may be the only one that Capitals' management is second guessing right now. With three expensive years left on his contact and his youth getting smaller and smaller in the rearview, this could be tough contract to deal with over the next couple seasons. Unless, of course, he truly is healthy and ready to go. With improved play in his own end, his offensive prowess will help the Caps  become one of the official "offensive juggernauts" in the NHL.

He'll likely spend a good amount of time on the first, second, and perhaps even third line (if Sergei Fedorov re-ups). The Capitals would send out two very threatening power play units featuring hard shots and quick passes. Now let's just get some bodies in front of the net.

Nylander's is ours for a while, so he'll definitely be in a spot where can help others produce offensively. The defensive zone play has to tighten up, however. I love him for his creativity on offense but he's just too lackadaisical around his own net.