As you know, I am new to the Washington Capitals scene. I don't know much about the history of the team outside of stories I have heard from readers and Twitter peeps during this past season. But after hearing all the stories, and reading about the history of the team, I have what I think is a valid question:
Is buying a Braden Holtby jersey a waste of money?
One of the things that makes me sick to my stomach is going to a DC sports event and watching as dopes strut out in jerseys of players that are no longer on the team. Idiots in Jose Vidro jerseys at Nats parks, Dummies in Antawn Jamison jerseys at Verizon, and Morons in Adam Archuletta jerseys at FedEX Field. Even at Caps games I shutter as I see people wearing sweaters from the days of the Caps blue & white old uniforms with Kolzig on the back. Ug.

As a sports fan, you need to be smarter when buying a jersey. And if you make mistakes, and we all do (choosing a girlfriend who bought me a Tyrone Wheatley jersey), too bad. Try again next time. Don't bring that garbage to the game. I have 10 Gilbert Arenas jerseys (they were all free) but I will never even consider wearing them except as some bad joke.
The best you can do in that situation is pray that the player becomes a legend and the jersey becomes "retro". But that rarely happens, John Riggins & Wes Unseld come to mind, and it takes years for that to happen, and Championships.
I could rant about this topic for pages and pages, so I'll get back to the question at hand. After reading what was written above, is buying a Braden Holtby jersey a waste of money?
Holtby has probably replaced Ovechkin as the "jersey to own" after his amazing playoff performance and emergence as the Caps goalie of the future. But do you really want to risk it based on the recent history of the Washington Capitals?
If there is one thing I know about the Caps it is that the "goalies of the future" come out of nowhere for the Playoffs, and the next thing you know they are on the bench watching the next "goalie of the future" in the following season.
Will the jersey end up hanging in a closet next to the Kolzig jersey, next to the Huet jersey, next to the Theodore jersey, next to the Varley jersey, next to the Neuvy jersey?
So if you think Holtby is going to be the next Brodeur, then get your checkbook out. But if you are like me and are cautious that when next season is over you'll be reading the same article about whoever the next in the semi-long line of Caps goalies is, then save your cash & get a few generic Caps shirts for the same price.