Brooks Laich (Caps Outsider)
Late Sunday night, the Caps traded Brooks Laich, at the time the longest tenured Capital. That distinction now belongs to Alex Ovechkin, who is now the last current Capital to wear the black and bronze jerseys. The Caps changed their jersey and logo after the 2005-06 season to the red and white we know today, and “Rock The Red” was born.
It has indeed been a whole decade since the Caps changed jerseys, but that’s not the only thing that’s changed. The Caps have their fifth different coach, and had to adjust their playing styles with each one.
The fans have changed too. Verizon Center is no longer mostly empty for a Thursday night game, as the Caps have sold out every game for many seasons. The Caps have also went from a team consistently drafting in the top ten, to being an annual playoff contender with Stanley Cup aspirations.
The Rock the Red era has been great, but now it’s time to graduate from that and move on to the next level. That next level, one that hopefully includes championships, has no room for nostalgia. Having Laich along for this stretch run would’ve been nice, but these are the types of sacrifices teams must make to move forward.
Win or lose this season, only more sacrifices will come this summer, as the team will continue trying to seize every last advantage while the championship window is open.
