Report Card: Jason Arnott

Veteran center? Check.  Stanley Cup? Uh....next question.

Today I bring you the sixteenth installment in my "Report Card" series, as I continue my evaluation of each Capital throughout this past regular season and playoffs.  Today's player is veteran center Jason Arnott, who was acquired by the Capitals at this year's trading deadline.

Stats/Season Summary: Arnott played in 11 games as a Cap this year following his acquisition, accumulating four goals, three assists, a +3 rating, and eight penalty minutes.  He missed almost two weeks in mid-March with a minor knee surgery,  but kept up his production both before and after the procedure.  He spent almost all of his minutes on the second line, seeing some occasional work on the first and third units, and played on the power play as well. Grade: B
Role Play: When you are a veteran acquired at the trade deadline, your job is to come in and be a shot in the arm, as well as to provide leadership.  Arnott fit his role perfectly, making key plays or scoring key goals when he was healthy and immediately standing up and taking control of the locker room.  He stood right up to his billing as a veteran center and especially gratifying was his ability to coax the best out of Alexander Semin.  A job well done both by the GM and Arnie. Grade: A
Playoffs: Arnott had a very nice playoffs, finishing third on the team in postseason scoring with one goal and five assists in nine games, to go along with a +4 rating and two penalty minutes.  Two of those points came in game four of the Lightning series after it was effectively over, so that must be discounted a bit as well.  Nevertheless, he played well and didn't make any big mistakes that really cost his team.  He was solid when almost no one else was in Florida. Grade: B+
Future Potential: Arnott is no spring chicken.  He will be 38 by the time the season starts, and as an unrestricted free agent, it is unlikely that he will re-sign with the Caps because they don't have the money.  He is a valuable player with clearly a little bit of scoring touch left, so he will most likely end up on a young team or one with Stanley Cup aspirations.  His days of scoring big are done, but he will be a very good role player. Grade: B-

The next report card will be posted on May 26 and will feature defenseman Jeff Schultz.