A few guys brought up from the minors, Oates likely to sit and Jagr likely to play but may have limited shifts.
By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 30, 2001; Page D03
The Washington Capitals reshuffled their roster yesterday in order to compensate for injuries, integrate youth and bolster their fourth line, recalling forwards Chris Corrinet, Trent Whitfield and Matt Pettinger from the minors.
While the three joined the club for practice yesterday, top center Adam Oates was not on the ice, resting a sore ankle that he injured blocking a shot Friday night. It is unlikely he will play tonight against Philadelphia. Jaromir Jagr was on the ice for only about 10 minutes, leaving practice early to receive more treatment on his strained right knee, though he is expected to play. Defenseman Calle Johansson, who missed the last four games with an upper-back injury, said he will play tonight.
"He's day-to-day," General Manager George McPhee said of Oates. "The plan was not to skate [yesterday] and we'll see how he is [today]."
McPhee declined to divulge the nature of Oates's injury in keeping with the club's new policy on injuries that are not deemed severe. However, Oates's problems stem from the third period Friday, when he was hobbled after blocking a shot. His left ankle is sore and he may test the ankle in today's morning skate. Should he be unable to play, it is likely Trevor Linden, a natural center who has played right wing primarily since being acquired in March, will return to that position on a line with Corrinet, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday by getting his first NHL recall, and Pettinger, who has spent parts of the last two seasons here. Forwards Stephen Peat, Chris Ferraro and Peter Ferraro were returned to Portland over the weekend and remain there.
Jagr is in tonight's lineup, Coach Ron Wilson said, but the team is resting him as much as possible. His knee problem originally kept Jagr out of three games and he has not been 100 percent since returning, suffering a setback at Philadelphia 10 days ago.
"He's just trying to get himself a little closer to 100 percent," Wilson said. "And it if doesn't feel right, rather than risk anything and step backwards, it's better to be safe than sorry."
Corrinet is scheduled to make his NHL debut tonight after tearing through the American Hockey League in his first month with the Portland Pirates. Corrinet, considered a project when drafted 107th overall out of Princeton in 1998, was signed last spring and expected to take time to blossom in the minors, as is true of most young power forwards, who need to grow into their bodies. But Corrinet (6 feet 3, 220 pounds) was leading Portland with seven goals in 10 games, was a plus-eight and led all AHL rookies in goals and was second in points.
"He's ahead of schedule," McPhee said. "We thought it would take a full year and it still might, but he may play really well when he gets in these NHL games and not go back."
Whitfield, 24, is also hoping that he sticks around for quite some time. As a rookie last season he parlayed his first NHL recall into a 61-game stint with Washington, lasting the duration of the season. However, Whitfield scored just two goals over that span and after a lackluster preseason the Capitals decided he needed more time in the minors. Whitfield, who will return to center the team's fourth line, totaled 4 goals and 8 points in 10 games with Portland, though his minus-four rating was worst on the team.
"I tried to work on my game and get some offense back in my game a little bit," Whitfield said. "When I get my shot up here again, which I'm getting now, I want to make the best of it and hopefully I can stick around for the rest of the year."
The Capitals' fourth line has been ineffective. Washington has not received a goal from any of the players who skate on the line and the two regular wingers -- Chris Simon and Joe Sacco -- are a combined minus-seven. The unit has lacked a natural center since teenager Brian Sutherby was returned to his junior hockey team and has not aided the club's inconsistent penalty killing (26th out of 30 teams). Whitfield was a steady defensive player last season despite his dearth of goals.
"Our penalty killing hasn't been what we want it to be, and Trent is always a responsible player," Wilson said. "We need to get more from our fourth line, at least from a penalty killing point of view and maybe from a forechecking point of view, and we're comfortable with what Trent does."
By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 30, 2001; Page D03
The Washington Capitals reshuffled their roster yesterday in order to compensate for injuries, integrate youth and bolster their fourth line, recalling forwards Chris Corrinet, Trent Whitfield and Matt Pettinger from the minors.
While the three joined the club for practice yesterday, top center Adam Oates was not on the ice, resting a sore ankle that he injured blocking a shot Friday night. It is unlikely he will play tonight against Philadelphia. Jaromir Jagr was on the ice for only about 10 minutes, leaving practice early to receive more treatment on his strained right knee, though he is expected to play. Defenseman Calle Johansson, who missed the last four games with an upper-back injury, said he will play tonight.
"He's day-to-day," General Manager George McPhee said of Oates. "The plan was not to skate [yesterday] and we'll see how he is [today]."
McPhee declined to divulge the nature of Oates's injury in keeping with the club's new policy on injuries that are not deemed severe. However, Oates's problems stem from the third period Friday, when he was hobbled after blocking a shot. His left ankle is sore and he may test the ankle in today's morning skate. Should he be unable to play, it is likely Trevor Linden, a natural center who has played right wing primarily since being acquired in March, will return to that position on a line with Corrinet, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday by getting his first NHL recall, and Pettinger, who has spent parts of the last two seasons here. Forwards Stephen Peat, Chris Ferraro and Peter Ferraro were returned to Portland over the weekend and remain there.
Jagr is in tonight's lineup, Coach Ron Wilson said, but the team is resting him as much as possible. His knee problem originally kept Jagr out of three games and he has not been 100 percent since returning, suffering a setback at Philadelphia 10 days ago.
"He's just trying to get himself a little closer to 100 percent," Wilson said. "And it if doesn't feel right, rather than risk anything and step backwards, it's better to be safe than sorry."
Corrinet is scheduled to make his NHL debut tonight after tearing through the American Hockey League in his first month with the Portland Pirates. Corrinet, considered a project when drafted 107th overall out of Princeton in 1998, was signed last spring and expected to take time to blossom in the minors, as is true of most young power forwards, who need to grow into their bodies. But Corrinet (6 feet 3, 220 pounds) was leading Portland with seven goals in 10 games, was a plus-eight and led all AHL rookies in goals and was second in points.
"He's ahead of schedule," McPhee said. "We thought it would take a full year and it still might, but he may play really well when he gets in these NHL games and not go back."
Whitfield, 24, is also hoping that he sticks around for quite some time. As a rookie last season he parlayed his first NHL recall into a 61-game stint with Washington, lasting the duration of the season. However, Whitfield scored just two goals over that span and after a lackluster preseason the Capitals decided he needed more time in the minors. Whitfield, who will return to center the team's fourth line, totaled 4 goals and 8 points in 10 games with Portland, though his minus-four rating was worst on the team.
"I tried to work on my game and get some offense back in my game a little bit," Whitfield said. "When I get my shot up here again, which I'm getting now, I want to make the best of it and hopefully I can stick around for the rest of the year."
The Capitals' fourth line has been ineffective. Washington has not received a goal from any of the players who skate on the line and the two regular wingers -- Chris Simon and Joe Sacco -- are a combined minus-seven. The unit has lacked a natural center since teenager Brian Sutherby was returned to his junior hockey team and has not aided the club's inconsistent penalty killing (26th out of 30 teams). Whitfield was a steady defensive player last season despite his dearth of goals.
"Our penalty killing hasn't been what we want it to be, and Trent is always a responsible player," Wilson said. "We need to get more from our fourth line, at least from a penalty killing point of view and maybe from a forechecking point of view, and we're comfortable with what Trent does."
