Thread: Tomas Vokoun to the Capitals

Originally Posted by gescom

now i'm not saying go off the deep end and Joe Sacco your players, but maybe a happy medium? what coaches CAN do is hold players accountable. i just don't think that Gabby is the right personality type for that set of players... Semin is on his own, he's going to do what he's going to do and they either have to accept that or let him go. he's NO different than guys like Frolov or, to a greater extent, Kovalev. i think there's probably a push/pull argument that we need to quit trying to turn these players into North Americans and let them play how their going to play... and either the team is strong enough to absorb their characteristics or they aren't.

Sure...and that's a big reason why you see SO fewer Russians in the NHL now.

and i fully agree about Leonsis having to be willing to give any coach that sort of Tortorella-esque latitude.

Ovechkin is signed for forever so take a 5 yr view and let him stew and sulk, or go off the deep end for a season or two. That'll teach him to play 3 minutes shifts...or it won't and they'll know sooner rather than later that they won't win a Cup with him as their best player.