The Numbers Retirement Debate: Mike Green – Hockey Writers – Washington Capitals

There have been many great defenders wearing a Washington Capitals jersey. John Carlson is the current leader behind the organization and leads all Caps defensemen all time in points. Sergei Gonchar played more than 600 matches for the club. There are Kevin Hatcher, Scott Stevens, Rod Langway, and Larry Murphy among others who had impressive careers in the NHL and were able to play hockey in DC. should he retire). Another Caps defenseman whose number has been retired is Yvon Labre. The remaining players with retired numbers are both forwards (Dale Hunter and Mike Gartner). The quarterback who needs to be in the conversation for the next retired number is Mike Green.

Being the face of the Caps' Defense

Green was selected by the Capitals in the first round (29^th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. It was one of the biggest drafts in franchise history. Not only did they have three first-round picks in it, but the top pick was Alex Ovechkin (blueliner Jeff Schultz also went 27.^th completely). Green made his NHL debut with Washington in the 2005-06 season. He played mostly in the American Hockey League (AHL) that season, but in 22 NHL games, he scored a goal and had two three-point assists. 2006-07 saw his time with the Caps increase, as he only suited up for 12 AHL games with the Hershey Bears. Meanwhile, that season in DC, he scored two goals and had ten assists for 12 points in 70 games.

It wasn't long before Green grew more comfortable in his role on the blue line. As the Caps became more dangerous as a team, their individual games improved. It wasn't long before he became the face of the Caps defense. He started putting up good offensive numbers again. He posted the following numbers between the 2007-08 and 2009-10 campaigns:

• 2007-08: 18 goals and 38 assists for 56 points in 82 games
• 2008-09: 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points in 68 games.
• 2009-10: 19 goals and 57 assists for 76 points in 75 games

Green was one of the most talked about quarterbacks in the league during this time. Although he never won the Norris Trophy for the season's best defenseman, he was in that conversation. The face of the Capitals team during these few seasons was Ovechkin up front and Green on the blue line.

Sinking Numbers and the Retirement Number Debate

If Green had been putting up as many stats as he did from 2007-08 to 2009-10, he would have been a lock to retire his No. 52. However, some may argue that the rest of his career was not enough to earn him that honor. Green posted the following from the 2010-11 to 2014-15 campaigns:

• 2010-11: eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 49 games
• 2011-12: three goals and four assists for seven points in 32 games
• 2012-13: 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points in 35 games
• 2013-14: nine goals and 29 assists for 38 points in 70 games
• 2014-15: 10 goals and 35 assists for 45 points in 72 games

Green's numbers went down offensively, and it was the biggest drop from 2009-10 to 2010-11 (76 points to 24). It didn't help that he didn't play in many games. In 2010-11 Green suited up in 49 of 82 games and 32 of 82 games in 2011-12. Then by 2013-14, Green had aged and wasn't producing at the same level, scoring just 38 points in 70 games.

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After the 2014-15 season, Green hit free agency and signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. He ended up playing there until 2019-20, when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. In Edmonton, he played two games and that was it. Green retired before the 2020-21 season. In 880 games, he posted 501 points (150 goals and 351 assists). He was a two-time NHL All-Star.

Based on everything he did for Washington, does Green deserve to have his number retired? He was a valuable defender during his time there, but some also make the argument that he had a few solid seasons followed by many decent ones. Simply put, he didn't do enough to retire his No. 52. Once the next numbers stop working like Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom's, it will become clearer whether or not Green gets that same action in the franchise.