2011-2012 Washington Capitals Player Profile: Dennis Wideman
The Capitals made several under-the-radar acquisitions during the off-season to try to put together the complementary pieces necessary to win in the playoffs and hopefully bring a Stanley Cup back to DC. One of the better acquisitions in my mind was defenseman Dennis Wideman.
Wideman has been a bit of a journeyman during his NHL career. He began his NHL career with the St. Louis Blues in 2005 and stayed with them for just under two years. During the 2007 season, he was traded to the Boston Bruins, where he stayed until 2010. He was traded to the Panthers during the off-season. In February of 2011, he was traded to the Capitals.
He is viewed as more of an offensive-minded defenseman, much like Mike Green. He is extremely valuable on powerplays, where he can sit back along the blue line and be the powerplay’s “quarterback”. He makes very quick decisions, and he’s one of the better passing defensemen in the NHL.
His defense is above average, but he is prone to making mental errors from time to time. He leans more towards the conservative/safe side defensively, as opposed to being aggressive. He’s also known for being disciplined, especially as of late. His time with the Bruins played a huge part in that.
Wideman is regarded around the league not just for his offense, but his leadership. He helped to mentor several of the Bruins’ young defensemen during his stint in Boston, and he is an extremely friendly guy.
I think Wideman could be the difference maker come playoff time. Although he has only seen the playoffs three times in his career, two of those times came with the Bruins. Both of those times, he averaged almost a point a game. I’ll take that from a defenseman any day.
For Wideman’s career stats, click here.
Here’s a video of Wideman’s most memorable moment of the year, his game winning goal in OT against the Penguins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSk5hRO5zMQ
