The newest member of the Washington Capitals knew he was joining
one of the elite teams in the NHL, but he probably didn't expect to
spend his first practice with the club on a line with two of the
most talented players in the league.
Caps coach Bruce Boudreau put Jason Chimera on a line with
Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin for his first workout since
being traded from Columbus for Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina on
Monday.
"Knowing me, it is a trial and error thing," Boudreau told
reporters after practice. "We'll put him someplace and if it
doesn't work after one period, we will put him somewhere else. But
he's going to play, and we're looking for big things from him."
Added Chimera: "It was pretty fun playing with those guys,
even if it is just for a practice. There are a lot of highly
skilled guys on this team, and I can't wait to get going with
them."
Chimera is expected to help the Caps with his size, skating
ability and physical play. Still, Boudreau putting him with the
second line in his revamped lineup shows Washington will be
counting on his offensive ability as well.
Eleven players have scored at least 60 goals and logged at
least 360 penalty minutes since the lockout wiped out the 2004-05
season. Chimera is one of the eight forwards on a list that
includes some of the top power forwards in the league.
"Obviously when you first make it [to the NHL], you're an
energy guy, and I fought quite a bit the first couple years I
played. You've got to get yourself in the lineup and do what it
takes," Chimera said. "I am still an energy kind of guy who plays
up-tempo and is a good forechecker. I think I can score some goals,
too, when called upon. Hopefully I can bring that here."
Chimera will make his debut in a Caps uniform Wednesday night
at San Jose. The past two days have been a bit of a whirlwind for
him. After learning of the trade Monday afternoon, he packed some
belongings and flew to the District. He had just enough time to
pass a physical and catch a ride to Dulles Airport with Brooks
Laich for a cross-country flight.
It may take Chimera a couple of days to settle back into his
normal routine.
"A couple of the guys asked me if I wanted to go out, but I
kind of just want to stay in my hotel room and sleep," he said. "It
was definitely a shock to be traded, but it is good to be out on
the road for a few days to get to know the guys."
While Chimera has fought less as his NHL career has
progressed, Caps fans probably know him best as the guy who gave
Alex Ovechkin a little nudge near the team's bench last month.
Ovechkin was injured in the ensuing fracas.
After completing the trade, general manager George McPhee
joked that Ovechkin and Chimera could "scrap" Tuesday at practice
to work out their differences. Both parties decided that was
unnecessary.
"[Ovechkin] joked about it," Chimera said. "I told him I hope
he isn't mad at me, but then he said he's not even sure how he was
hurt. There were a lot of guys involved in that."
