Caps Go Deadline Dealing.

Well, well, well. Caps GM George McPhee didn't exactly stand pat at the NHL trading deadline, did he? Adding some parts without mortaging the future, McPhee made it known that the Caps are serious about making the playoffs this year. Let's tackle the moves in order of interest. Matt Cooke, a gritty veteran winger, was added for depth with a price of Matt Pettinger. Pettinger, a once promising youngster and two-time 20 goal scorer, needed a change of scenery. He played a role on this current Caps club that is being filled, and better frankly, by other young players.

Next comes the addition of Sergei Federov. If it were 1994 I'd be doing backflips and the Caps would have had to give up much more than a defenseman drafted last year. That being said, I am excited to see Fedorov in Washington. While not nearly the dominant two-way player he once was, Federov, at age 38, is a playoff tested veteran who adds buckets of experience to a team searching for an identity as it makes its playoff push. Also, don't discount Federov's ability to mentor young Ovechkin and Semin, Russian stars who likely worshipped Federov as kids.

The most interesting move is the trade for goalie Cristobal Huet. At nearly 33, Huet gives the Caps some goaltending options for the future. As for this season, coach Bruce Boudreau now has his hands full. Boudreau and no. 1 goalie Olie Kolzig haven't seen eye to eye and clearly this move is a signal that McPhee and Boudreau have lost some faith in Kolzig's ability to close out games. This is tough for me as a fan. Kolzig is the unquestioned locker room leader, fan favorite and happens to be the only Caps goalie who has had real success in the playoffs. However, his save percentage has slipped below .900 and it has appeared at times this season that Kolzig feels every one of his 37 years. Huet may be the answer, but I'm sure installing him in the top spot would be met with resistance. It would be hard for me to envision the Caps making a playoff run without Kolzig in net. Something just wouldn't feel right. He has given the organization the last three years while the team in front of him has stunk. This bears serious watching.

Then again, seeing the Caps make a playoff run with any goalie is still more pipe dream than certainty. i am excited by today's trades and optomistic they'll work, but this team has a lot of work to do with 18 games remaining. The good news is that the boys and I have tickets to Saturday's game, so we can get an up close look at mad scientist McPhee's latest experiment. He acquired a lot for a little. Let's see if the pieces fit in time to make the top 8 and beyond.