Witt's End

by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jul 30, 2010 3:23 PM PDT in Arthur Comment 4 comments

ARTHUR:
Anaheim calling to the hockey world...

I'm gripped with a palpable fear now that Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt has hit unconditional waivers. It's the fear that the Ducks will sign him. Why? Because Brendan Witt was a key member of the Capitals lineup during Randy Carlyle's tenure as an assistant coach in Washington.

Now, I don't generally have a problem with taking a chance on a guy after he's been bought out (which Witt will likely be). After all, it was just thirteen months ago that I suggested the Ducks take a chance on Jay McKee, who I thought would (and did) take a sizable pay cut considering the buyout money he pocketed. I also don't have a problem with taking a flyer on a guy you remembered as good once upon a time, though when you look at the list of recent Ducks that carry a potential job recommendation from Murray or Carlyle, it's a mixed bag:

Recent Ducks that played for the Caps while Carlyle was in Washington:

Brian Sutherby
Ken Klee
Steve Eminger

Recent Ducks that were drafted into the Blackhawks system while Murray was in Chicago:

Michael Leighton
Kent Huskins
Kyle Calder

Add to that the fact that Murray's last first-round draft pick in Chicago, Steve McCarthy, came to training camp last year and that the GM was rumored to be interested in a trade for former Hawk, Ethan Moreau, and we start to home in on my problem with this, namely a front office whose development crystal ball only sees the past.

If the Ducks had put Luca Sbisa on the ice last year instead of Boynton or Eminger, I wouldn't have called it rebuilding. I would've just called it "a good decision." There will be attractive low cost solutions this year, of course there will. Witt is a great character player, who has the goods in terms of courage and heart, but he's battling through injury and age and the stats aren't there. Not even his recent AHL stats are "there."

Regardless of how many games played he has and how many fans he has behind the bench or upstairs, I don't think the Ducks should take a chance on a guy who ONCE did it at the expense of young players who CAN do it. Call it Sbisa Mathematics.

0 recs | Comment 4 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I remember Witt. He had been with the Caps for a long time and had produced with them. He didn’t wish to hang around for the rebuild when the management was in the process of dismantling the team during the early part of this decade. (As luck had it, he ended up with a terrible Islanders team and the Caps became good again in recent years.)

I remember him being hit by a car last year. And he certainly has struggled lately.

I also won’t ever forget his birthday, as my first born child was born exactly 10 years later. And he was born the exact same day as Livan Hernandez, the pitcher.

Rocking the Red since 1975

by CapsFan75 on Jul 31, 2010 9:49 AM PDT reply actions

haha I remember him getting hit, didn’t he play a game that night too?

by kvd123 on Jul 31, 2010 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions

Witt was definitely good when he was younger with that Caps team that made a run to the finals. And he remained a big part of the team up to requesting his trade when Carlyle was there. I acknowledge that it’s attractive to get a veteran and a devil you know at what might be <1M if he’s factoring in his buyout money, but I’d rather use that NHL ice time to develop one of our young defenseman. Nothing against Witt.

Anaheim Calling

by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jul 31, 2010 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions