Karl Alzner, Bourque, and Laing assigned to Hershey

[HEavyJumbo85]

per tarik

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/2008/10/bourque_and_alzner_to_hershey.html#comments

Bourque, Alzner and Laing to Hershey

The Capitals made their final cuts this afternoon and Chris Bourque and Karl Alzner are headed to Hershey, I'm told. Quintin Laing has also been placed on waivers with the intention of assigning him to Hershey tomorrow.

General Manager George McPhee will comment on the decisions tomorrow at media day. But I'm hoping to hear from Coach Bruce Boudreau when the charity golf tournament is over.

I'll have more later.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought Alzner would probably start in Hershey all along, especially considering our cap situation. This puts us well under and I guess they're planning on using Fedorov as an emergency Dman...Sorry to see Laing and Bourque go down, but there really weren't any open forward spots and Bourque can be called up freely without going through waivers, so it didn't make sense to sit him in the press box at the NHL level...both he and Alzner will play big minutes in Hershey.

[herrmag]

I wasn't expecting either to start on the squad either. I'm hoping Alzner proves to be good enough to be a regular call up, and finishes the season as a staple on our D. I'm not as optimistic about Bourque.

[HEavyJumbo85]

I wasn't expecting either to start on the squad either. I'm hoping Alzner proves to be good enough to be a regular call up, and finishes the season as a staple on our D. I'm not as optimistic about Bourque.

Bourque had a really good camp, i just don't know where in the heck he'll play. He's a center in the A, we're loaded there for now...he's played wing every time he's been up and we're loaded there for the time being. He's just going to have to wait, which sucks for him.

[Fletch_Lives59]

I heard that Laing was released last night, anyone else hear this????

[HEavyJumbo85]

I heard that Laing was released last night, anyone else hear this????

He was placed on waivers so that he could be assigned to Hershey. If he goes unclaimed he'll stay in the system and we'll put him on AHL Hershey. With how deep we are, especially at forward, he really didn't have a place with the big club. I actually hope he does get claimed and gets a legit shot at being a full time NHLer somewhere because he deserves it. If he does go to Hershey he'll be great for them and they'll be super deep, but we just don't have room up here.

[Gary Clark Fan]

Bourque will probably be called up at some point due to an injury, agree? The kid had a decent preseason with 3 goals and 3 helpers...

I am suprised with Alzner as I thought he was a lock to make it...Who is taking his spot or who are the d-men who made it.

Also are we keeping both Fleishman and Eric Fehr?

[HEavyJumbo85]

Bourque will probably be called up at some point due to an injury, agree? The kid had a decent preseason with 3 goals and 3 helpers...

I am suprised with Alzner as I thought he was a lock to make it...Who is taking his spot or who are the d-men who made it.

Also are we keeping both Fleishman and Eric Fehr?

Alzner is down due to the salary cap and the fact that the caps don't want to rush him. By keeping him in Hershey they are accumulating extra dollars to spend toward the end of the year at the trade deadline. I can't imagine he stays in Hershey longer than a month though, unless he's struggling. We're only keeping 6 defenseman as it stands right this second, with Fedorov as the "emergency" 7th. Mo, Green, Poti, Schultz, Erskine, Juice are the 6 we're going with now.

Yeah Flash and Fehr both have more to prove in the organization and can no longer go to the minors without being exposed to waivers, they both would almost certainly be picked up by other teams if we tried to go that route. Flash is penciled in as the starter on the 3rd line while Fehr is expected to start the season as a healthy scratch.

I also agree with you on Bourque only if there are several injuries, but as it stands now we have 2 extra forwards in the press box(Eric Fehr, and Boyd Gordon), so I can't see him being up immediately because we have those 2 guys, both versatile and both can't be sent down without waivers, as opposed to Bourque who can pass freely. I think he's earned a shot, but I just don't see it really happening until next season.

[HEavyJumbo85]

also per Tarik: Quintin Laing has cleared waivers and has been assigned to Hershey, so he stays in the system...although if he ever were called up he would have to pass through waivers again.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/2008/10/laing_sloan_clear_waivers.html#comments

Laing, Sloan Clear Waivers

I'm told left wing Quintin Laing and defenseman Tyler Sloan have cleared waivers and have been assigned to Hershey.