There have been many great defensemen who have donned the Washington Capitals sweater. John Carlson is a current leader on the backend for the organization and he leads all Caps defensemen all-time in points. Sergei Gonchar played in over 600 games for the club. There’s Kevin Hatcher, Scott Stevens, Rod Langway, and Larry Murphy among others who had phenomenal careers in the NHL and were able to play hockey in D.C. The only defenseman who has his number retired currently by the organization from the above list is Langway (Carlson should once he retires). The other Caps defenseman whose number is retired is Yvon Labre. The remaining players with retired numbers are both forwards (Dale Hunter and Mike Gartner). A defender who needs to be in the conversation for the next number retired is Mike Green.
Becoming the Face of the Caps’ Defense
Green was chosen by the Capitals in the first round (29th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. It was one of the biggest drafts in the history of the franchise. Not only did they have three first-round selections in it, but the top pick was Alex Ovechkin (blueliner Jeff Schultz also went 27th overall). Green made his NHL debut with Washington during the 2005-06 season. He mainly played in the American Hockey League (AHL) that season, but in 22 NHL games, he netted a goal and accrued two assists for three points. 2006-07 saw his time up with the Caps increased, as he only suited up for 12 AHL games with the Hershey Bears. Meanwhile, during that season in D.C., he potted two goals and assisted on ten for 12 points in 70 games.
It was not long before Green grew comfortable in his role on the blue line. As the Caps became more dangerous as a team, his game individually got better. It was not long before he was the face of the defensive group on the Caps. He started putting up good offensive numbers too. 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 defenders in the league during this time. While he never won a Norris Trophy for best defenseman in a season, he was in that conversation. The Capitals’ faces of the team during these few seasons were Ovechkin at forward and Green on the blue line.
Dipping Numbers and Number Retirement Debate
If Green had continually put up more stats like 2007-08 through 2009-10, he would be a lock to have his No. 52 retired. However, some may argue that the rest of his career was not enough to have him get that honor. Green posted the following from the 2010-11 campaign to 2014-15:
- 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 dropped offensively, and it was a significant decline from 2009-10 to 2010-11 (76 points to 24). It did not help that he was not playing in as many games. 2010-11 saw Green only suit up for 49 out of 82 games and 32 out of 82 games in 2011-12. Then, by the time 2013-14 came, Green was older and not producing at the same level, only getting 38 points in 70 games.
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Following 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. For Edmonton, he played in two games and that was it. Green retired prior to 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 significant defenseman during his time there, but some also make the argument he had a few solid seasons followed by many decent ones. Simply put, he did not do enough to get his No. 52 retired. When the next numbers get retired like Ovechkin’s and Nicklas Backstrom’s, it will become more clear whether Green gets that same gesture from the franchise or not.
