Grading GM George McPhee

With another trade deadline approaching, and Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee suddenly in the spotlight (or the cross-hairs), it's become obvious that there might be major changes this coming off-season. Before then, though, the Caps do still have a chance to make the playoffs. But to meet the season's original goals -- namely winning the Stanley Cup or at least making the Eastern Conference Finals -- the team would have to reverse McPhee's record as GM.

Named the fifth general manager in team history on June 9, 1997, McPhee engineered the club's only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season (1997-98), albeit with a heavy dose of David Poile-picked players. Under McPhee, the team has claimed six Southeast Division titles (1999-2000, 2000-01, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11), seven 40-or-more win seasons (1997-98, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11) and set a club record for wins and points (2009-10). But they've missed the playoffs five times, including three in a row in the season before the lockout and the two after it.

McPhee has made 16 first-round draft picks over the last nine years, the most of any NHL team. Some draft highlights and low-lights (not including 2010 or 2011):

• 2009: Marcus Johansson and Dmitri Orlov are firmly ensconced on the team and Cody Eakin has made several appearances this year.
• 2008: While Anton Gustafsson never made it anywhere, John Carlson is going to be with the team for a long time and Braden Holtby (picked in the fourth round) seems to have a bright future.
• 2007: Karl Alzner, picked fifth overall, looks to be a great defenseman.
• 2006: Nicklas Backstrom is probably the best player on the team right now (sorry, Ovie), Semyon Varlamov has come and gone, and Michal Neuvirth is doing relatively well in goal. But the steal of this draft was Mathieu Perreault, picked in the sixth round and 177th overall.
• 2005: Nobody made it to the NHL
• 2004: In addition to Ovechkin, Jeff Schultz, Mike Green, Chris Bourque, and Sami Lepisto were all picked in this draft, as was Andrew Gordon (seventh round, 197th overall), who has done well for Hershey.
• 2003: Eric Fehr and nobody else.
• 2002: Steve Eminger, Alexander Semin, and Boyd Gordon were all picked in the first round.
• 2001: Nada.
• 2000: Matt Pettinger
• 1998 and 1999: Nothing worth mentioning.

In drafts, McPhee has been hit and miss, although 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2009 stand out as years when future stars were selected. In free agency, trades, and contract extensions, however, his results aren't as favorable:

Good Deals

• Trading for and signing Troy Brouwer, June/July 2011
• Signing Tomas Vokoun (for the most part), July 2011
• Acquiring Dennis Wideman from Florida for Jake Hauswirth and a third-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft, February 2011
• Acquiring Jason Chimera from Columbus for Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina, December 2009
• Acquiring Cristobal Huet from Montreal for a 2nd round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft, February 2008
• Giving what essentially amounts to lifetime contracts to Ovechkin and Backstrom
• Signing Brooks Laich to his current six-year deal
• Trading Semyon Varlamov to the Colorado Avalanche for first- and second-round picks, July 2011

Bad Deals

• Signing Joel Ward to a four-year deal, July 2011
• Acquiring D.J. King from St. Louis for Stefan Della Rovere, July 2010
• Acquiring Joe Corvo from Carolina for Brian Pothier, Oskar Osala and a 2nd round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft, March 2010
• Signing Jose Theodore, July 2008
• Signing John Erskine, September 2006 and all subsequent contract extensions
• Signing Michael Nylander, July 2007
• Giving Alex Semin a $6.7 million extension last January
• Re-signing Mike Knuble for this season
• Giving Tom Poti a two-year extension on which he's currently serving
• Giving Jeff Schultz a four-year extension (he's got two years after this one)

From my view, any contract awarded to any kind of current or potential free agent is McPhee's weakness. He drafts pretty well and has a good eye for trades. But, overall, the one thing that has eluded McPhee (and many other GMs, to be fair) is building a winning program over an extended period of time.

Yes, the Caps have done well in the recent past, but that's been during the regular season. They're still not in the class of the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, and a few other perennial contenders who seem to get better as the season progresses. The Caps always have question marks surrounding them, and that falls on McPhee.

Dale Hunter is the fifth Caps' coach under McPhee -- and maybe his last if 15 years of history isn't reversed between now and the end of the season.