After Olaf Kolzig left the Washington Capitals in 2008, there was a big, crucial hole to fill in their lineup between the pipes. The team tried things with Jose Theodore, Semyon Varlamov, and Michal Neuvirth, but none of these proved to be the true number-one goalie of the future for them. Then came Braden Holtby in 2010-11, who shared the crease with Varlamov and Neuvirth and had the potential to be the next great goalie for the Capitals. Washington eventually moved on from Varlamov and traded him to the Colorado Avalanche, as Neuvirth played more games and Holtby gained experience. Heading into the 2011-12 season, Capitals general manager George McPhee wanted to bring another veteran netminder into the mix. With that, he inked Tomas Vokoun to a one-year contract. Vokoun may not be remembered much for his time in D.C., but he was vital for the team during the brief stint that he donned their sweater.
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Stops in Montreal, Nashville, and Florida
The Montreal Canadiens drafted Vokoun in the ninth round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut for Montreal in 1996-97, where he played in one game.
The next time he played in the league was for the new Nashville Predators organization, which started play in 1998-99. He played in 37 games and finished with a record of 12-18-4. He spent most of his career with the Predators, as he played in eight of his 15 NHL campaigns with them. While there, he produced the following numbers:
Vokoun was then traded to the Florida Panthers before the 2007-08 season, as the Predators would roll with Chris Mason, Dan Ellis, and Pekka Rinne in the crease for them that upcoming campaign. Vokoun spent four seasons with the Panthers, where he led the way between the pipes for the organization. His backups while he was there included Craig Anderson and Scott Clemmensen. He became a team leader with key players like Olli Jokinen, Stephen Weiss, Nathan Horton, Cory Stillman, and Bryan McCabe.
Season in D.C.
Following the 2010-11 season, Vokoun signed with the Capitals for one season worth $1.5 million. Unfortunately, he dealt with injuries that season, and his play was not where he or the team wanted it to be. With the injuries, Vokoun missed games with multiple groin injuries. The first one he dealt with led to him missing six straight games. Another groin injury occurred during a 3-2 shootout win against the Boston Bruins.
Neuvirth originally took over for Vokoun until he, too, got injured. This ended up being an essential opportunity for Holtby, and he took advantage of his time as the Capitals’ starter, leading the franchise to turn to him as their new starter. Vokoun, as a result, was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In his one campaign as a Capital, he finished with a record of 25-17-2 in 48 games. He had a 2.51 GAA, a .917 SV%, and four shutouts.
Brief Time in Pittsburgh and Retirement
Vokoun played his last NHL campaign in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. He played in 20 games for the Penguins and produced a 13-4 record. He had significant time in the crease for Pittsburgh, but he was the second string of a one-two punch in the net alongside Marc-Andre Fleury.
Vokoun played in two AHL games for Pittsburgh’s affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, during 2013-14 before retiring in late 2014.
Looking back on his days in D.C., Vokoun did not live up to expectations. Part of that was not his fault, as he had dealt with multiple groin injuries. Having an injury like that as a goalie can make a massive difference in how they can move. His play did not reach the bar that was there from the organization and the fanbase. While his time in Washington may be forgettable to an extent, he had an overall solid career. He is one of the best to play the position for the Predators and Panthers and should be remembered for the times he seemed unbeatable. He had a great career; his time in D.C. did not go as planned.
