Revisiting the Washington Capitals Finding Sergey Gonchar and Brendan Witt – Hockey Writers – Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have been fortunate in their history to have many strong defensemen play for the organization. They had Kevin Hatcher, Larry Murphy, and Rod Langway during the earlier parts of their history. One of the best blueliners they ever drafted, though, was Scott Stevens. He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft and made an immediate impact when he joined the team for the 1982-83 season. In 77 regular season games, Stevens posted nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points. He continued to be a major point producer behind Washington. While at DC, he produced the following numbers:

• 1982-83: nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 77 games
• 1983-84: 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points in 78 games
• 1984-85: 21 goals and 44 assists for 65 points in 80 games
• 1985-86: 15 goals and 38 assists for 53 points in 73 games
• 1986-87: 10 goals and 51 assists for 61 points in 77 games
• 1987-88: 12 goals and 60 assists for 72 points in 80 games
• 1988-89: seven goals and 61 assists for 68 points in 80 games
• 1989-90: 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 points in 56 games

While Stevens was playing very well for the Capitals, he finally looked at the possibility of playing elsewhere and liked what St. St. Louis had plenty of promise, as some of its top players on its 1989-90 roster included winger Brett Hull, center Adam Oates, forward Rod Brind'Amour, and future star player Curtis Joseph. As a result, Stevens and the Blues agreed to an offer sheet. Washington didn't end up matching it, and they received five first-round draft picks as compensation.

Writing by Sergey Gonchar and Brendan Witt

The 1992 first-round pick that Washington acquired from the Blues (which was 14^th general) was used to select defender Sergei Gonchar. After a stint in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Portland Pirates, he made his NHL debut during the 1994-95 playoff campaign.

Gonchar joined a Capitals locker room that featured talents like Peter Bondra, Michal Pivonka, Dale Hunter, and Calle Johansson. That season, Gonchar tallied two goals and five assists for seven points in 31 games. He followed that up with his first full season in the league, scoring 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points in 78 games. It didn't take long for Gonchar to adjust to playing in the NHL, and his numbers offensively were a testament to that. While in Washington, he collected the following:

• 1994-95: two goals and five assists for seven points in 31 games
• 1995-96: 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points in 78 games
• 1996-97: 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points in 57 games
• 1997-98: five goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 72 games
• 1998-99: 21 goals and 10 assists for 31 points in 53 games
• 1999-2000: 18 goals and 36 assists for 54 points in 73 games
• 2000-01: 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 76 games
• 2001-02: 26 goals and 33 assists for 59 points in 76 games
• 2002-03: 18 goals and 49 assists for 67 points in 82 games
• 2003-04: seven goals and 42 assists for 49 points in 56 games

Another asset Washington received as part of Stevens leaving the Blues' offer sheet was an 11th-round pick in the 1993 NHL Draft.^th general. With this pick, the Capitals selected defenseman Brendan Witt, who had developed his game in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Witt's first NHL season with the Capitals came in 1995-96 when he suited up for 48 contests and accumulated five points in that span (two goals and three assists). He wasn't known for bringing an offensive presence, but he scored regularly. While in Washington, Witt collected the following statistics:

• 1995-96: two goals and three assists for five points in 48 games
• 1996-97: three goals and two assists for five points in 44 games
• 1997-98: one goal and seven assists for eight points in 64 games
• 1998-99: two goals and five assists for seven points in 54 games
• 1999-2000: one goal and seven assists for eight points in 77 games
• 2000-01: three goals and three assists for six points in 72 games
• 2001-02: three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 68 games
• 2002-03: two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 69 games
• 2003-04: two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 72 games
• 2005-06: 1 goal and 10 assists for 11 points in 58 games

Witt was well known for his body, giving many hits during his time on the ice. In fact, Witt led the entire league in hitting during the 2000-01 season. His leadership skills were also valuable to the organization. This was such a hit that he was named team captain along with striker Steve Konowalchuk.

Gonchar and Witt Go Elsewhere

The 2003-04 Capitals made a few trades. The franchise was transitioning into the next season, which led to the organization signing star Alex Ovechkin, and many great talents were shipped out during the 2003-04 campaign. Bondra was dealt to the Ottawa Senators, forward Jaromir Jagr was moved to the New York Rangers, Robert Lang was sold to the Detroit Red Wings, Mike Grier went to the Buffalo Sabres, and Konowalchuk was taken to the Colorado Avalanche. Gonchar, too, eventually left. He was traded by Capitals GM George McPhee to the Boston Bruins. The perfect deal was Gonchar to the Bruins for defenseman Shaone Morrison, a first-round pick in the 2004 Draft that went to Jeff Schultz, and a second-round pick in 2004.

Related: Revisiting the Capitals' Distorous Jagr Trade

Witt stayed in DC for the entire 2003-04 season. He also played in other games for the Capitals in 2005-06. However, he was traded midway through that campaign to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Kris Beech and a 2006 first-round pick for goaltender Semyon Varlamov.

After his time in Boston, Gonchar joined the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to 2005-06. He helped them make the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back postseasons (2008 and 2009) and was a key part of the club's 2009 Cup win against Detroit. He later played for the Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens before retiring from game action following the 2014–15 NHL season. He finished his career with 1,301 games played and 811 points (220 goals and 591 assists).

Witt, on the other hand, joined the New York Islanders before the 2006-07 campaign. He played parts of four seasons for the Islanders, splitting the last between them and the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Witt retired after playing 890 NHL games and had 25 goals and 96 assists for 121 points.

Great compensation from Stevens for Loss

Losing Stevens and his skill set hurt the Capitals and their fans, but being able to get the level of talent that Gonchar and Witt brought in isn't too bad of a return. Gonchar has been a key name at the end for most of his career at least, while Witt has made an impact more often with his physicality and leadership skills. Both played important roles for Washington while on the team. As good as they were, Stevens' loss to the Blues wasn't as bad as it could have been.