In Ahead Of The Play - A Washington Capitals NHL blog

Milan Jurcina

'07-08 Stats                      Age (on October 1): 25                  Contract: RFA after '09

Milan Jurcina 2007-08 Stats

'07-08 Season ReportMilan Jurcina | Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Jurcina had an up and down season, though the majority was either down or so-so. He made far too many mistakes with the puck in his own end, many the result of poor outlet passes. He was occasionally scratched as punishment for a specific blunder the game before. Jurcina is still young and players of his age are prone to having mental lapses, but there was minimal improvement as the year progressed. It would have been a positive sign to see the mistakes cut down along the way, but they really didn't.

Still, Jurcina played pretty well at times and (along with John Erskine) provided a physical presence along the blue line. He did a good job overpowering weaker players in the defensive zone. 

Credited with having the hardest slap shot on the team, Jurcina rarely used it. Part of the reason is the coaching philosophy of having defensemen get the puck to the net quickly, but part of it is Jurcina's tentativeness in the offensive zone. With a bit more confidence, he could actually provide an offensive spark from the blue line.

Jurcina led all Caps defensemen in hits (151) and finished 2nd to Tom Poti in blocked shots. 

Interestingly, Jurcina's other numbers were nearly identical to those of Shaone Morrisonn: 75 games vs. 76, 1 goal apiece, 8 assists vs. 9, and both were +4. But Jurcina had only 30 PIMs to Morrisonn's 63 while the big fella had 11 more shots on goal in nearly four fewer minutes of ice time per game.

Back in March, Jurcina was featured in an NHL.com article. Be sure to check it out.

Intangibles

Jurcina comes across as a "gentle giant". For the style of game he plays, his face remains mostly untouched by the scars of a hockey player. That may have to change if he wants keep his job. Aside from cutting down on the mistakes, he'll have to play to his strengths. And that's using his size and power to outmuscle opponents and mix it up with a hard-nosed style of play. Considering his nose is his predominant facial feature, Jurcina may have to look a bit more like Alex Ovechkin before long. Sorry ladies.

Future Fit

As with most of Washington's defense, Jurcina is still young and has a good deal of potential. But he will be pushed with the arrival of Karl Alzner and others like Sami Lepisto, Keith Seabrook, and Josh Godfrey looking for a chance to make an impression with the big club come training camp. If the Capitals do re-sign Morrisonn and Mike Green without adding any other free agents on defense, Jurcina could be earmarked as the team's 6th or 7th defenseman, assuming Alzner makes the team.

One other thing to keep in mind is the status of Brian Pothier. His career looks to be in serious jeopardy, but if he is able to miraculously return, Jurcina could be hard-pressed for playing time. But the way things look right now, he'll have every chance to prove himself capable of holding down a top six spot next season.