(Republished since we said goodbye to him long before he was actually traded)
From his initial signing for a measly $1.5 million contract this past summer, it was pretty clear that Tomas Vokoun wouldn’t be playing for the Washington Capitals beyond this season (We just had no idea his final exit would be a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 7th round draft pick, which is essentially something for nothing, right?). While he made the majority of the team’s starts, injuries cut his year short, forcing him to miss the Captials’ run to the second round of the playoffs.
Out of his 46 starts, 48 appearances, he posted a 25-17-2 record with four shutouts, including one against his former team, the Florida Panthers. He was second on the Caps behind Braden Holtby with .917% save percentage and a 2.51 GAA. He was the starting goalie while the team transitioned between the two coaching regimes and played solidly while the Caps adjusted to the changes in the system. Here are some of his notable moments in a Caps sweater:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3TaeBuh62M
Let’s also not forget his contributions to raising awareness about violence in video games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LfoGjV1eNMA
Though he was only here for a season, Vokoun’s tenure shouldn’t be considered a failure. Coming out of Florida, he was a solid goaltender and asked for far less money than he could’ve earned elsewhere. Did the Caps really need him, particularly with Holtby in the system? Likely not, but that’s not Vokoun’s fault. He believed in the Capitals and few should point the finger at his play for the problems during the year. While Vokoun’s name and number won’t be hanging from the rafters of Verizon Center, Caps fans will at least still have this on their mantle through the summer:
Or, do what this reader did.
