GDT: 2025 NHL Trade Deadline thread

[Kalopsia]

That is a great accomplishment but why not look to improve as Florida and Colorado did? Ovi has one year left, the team is good, push your chips in. Instead, they are riding the fence here which for me is no bueno. That approach usually has you losing at the end of the day. I don’t see how they beat that FL line up in a playoff series.

Ovi and Carlson don’t have as much tread left as they once did. Ovi can’t be your main go to option in the loffs when sh*t gets real and nor should he be forced to at 39. They should’ve gotten him some help IMHO. Top six Taylor Raddysh in the playoffs will be something when an injury comes up.

Florida and Colorado opened up a ton of cap space by losing Tkachuk for the rest of the regular season and trading away Rantanen, respectively. Unless Ovi, Carlson, or PLD got knocked out or trade there was no way the Caps could've made additions remotely on the scale of what those teams did.

Also, I honestly don't think Colorado's all that much better than they were before trading Rantanen. We're all going crazy over the Caps paying a 2nd rounder for a 20 point winger, while the Avs just paid a 2nd, a 2024 3rd, and Casey Mittlestadt for a 22 point center who's 33 and signed for another year. Nelson's good but they essentially paid two 1sts for a pure rental. They've gotten marginally better for this year while getting much older and mortgaging a big chunk of their future.

 

[Caps8112]

Well Leonard joining the team would probably go a long way for everyone who is unhappy haha

 

[Carlzner]

Marchand is not comparable. A guy like that chooses his destination.

But all the GMCP defenders today say we’re already in 1st place, already in a great position, etc. Odd that he wouldn’t waive for here if we’re so perfect and primed for a deep run huh!

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Panthers got Marchand for very little. Have to think had Boston been shopping him earlier, they could have gotten a much better return.

 

[JayBeagleFanAccount]

marchand for essentially the same price as beauvillier

but we dont have the assets! the market is too expensive!!

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

marchand for essentially the same price as beauvillier

Would not be surprised if Boston let him choose his destination.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Im guessing this is the end of Frank playing every night? Who else comes out for Anthony Beauvillier?
Sucks for Frank I dont think we can send him back to Hershey without waivers

On Vrana we waived him the day after Sammi put this out on THN

Maybe he asked for a chance to play NHL hockey this season.

My grade for the deadline is D

If we did nothing B

 

[Langway]

Again, no Jack Hughes and even no Necas makes the shutdown path to the ECF so much more manageable on paper. Two guys that really create space out there and do so much damage in transition. Nothing is assured. The Caps could easily collapse in the first round if they come out on the wrong foot against an upstart or a team like NYR that could get hot and have Shesty steal some games. But the path probably isn't going to get much more favorable than what they're looking at.

To walk away essentially with a guy that's just sort of bounced the past few years is definitely disappointing. The past experience with certain players seems kind of immaterial. AB played ~45 minutes with Eller earlier in the season to 50/50 results basically. Not much to go on there. He was the best option among a very limited group after Bjorkstrand moved and alternatives like Palmieri, Zucker and Donato stayed. I prefer him to LAK adding Kuzmenko but that's not saying much. He adds a degree of experience but it's still a pretty underwhelming bottom six buttressing some suspect elements in the top six. Expecting Leonard to come in and basically pace that group and be a difference maker? I'm here for it but it's a tall ask.

 

[hb13xchamps]

I have a feeling the Caps were in on Marchand.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Im guessing this is the end of Frank playing every night? Who else comes out for Anthony Beauvillier?
Sucks for Frank I dont think we can send him back to Hershey without waivers

On Vrana we waived him the day after Sammi put this out on THN

Maybe he asked for a chance to play NHL hockey this season.

My grade for the deadline is D

If we did nothing B

Tough to read, feel bad for him. An athletic career is like a flame, if you don’t tend to it, it goes out fast and is hard to restart.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Again, no Jack Hughes and even no Necas makes the shutdown path to the ECF so much more manageable on paper. Two guys that really create space out there and do so much damage in transition. Nothing is assured. The Caps could easily collapse in the first round if they come out on the wrong foot against an upstart or a team like NYR that could get hot and have Shesty steal some games. But the path probably isn't going to get much more favorable than what they're looking at.

To walk away essentially with a guy that's just sort of bounced the past few years is definitely disappointing. The past experience with certain players seems kind of immaterial. AB played ~45 minutes with Eller earlier in the season to 50/50 results basically. Not much to go on there. He was the best option among a very limited group after Bjorkstrand moved and alternatives like Palmieri, Zucker and Donato stayed. I prefer him to LAK adding Kuzmenko but that's not saying much. He adds a degree of experience but it's still a pretty underwhelming bottom six buttressing some suspect elements in the top six. Expecting Leonard to come in and basically pace that group and be a difference maker? I'm here for it but it's a tall ask.

Matchups will be huge. We need a favorable one in the first, and the other teams to beat the shit out of each other while we stay healthy.

 

[trick9]

Better chance for a deep run than they had week ago, all while not blowing significant assets? I don't mind it.

C-.

 

[JayBeagleFanAccount]

 

[Ridley Simon]

Good job not quoting my first part of that, whatever fits your own narrative there CNN, sorry I mean @Jags

Yes, we do 1000% owe him that, WTF world are you living in that we don't owe Ovi another run at the cup?!?!?!

Ted Leonsis should be naming all of his children after Ovi, the guy is bigger than the franchise. We owe him everything. I could be convinced that pretty much anyone on this roster and all of our prospects could be traded for the right package. Leonard for Rantanen straight up, I'd consider it. Leonard and Cristall for Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, do it.

I would take Ovi winning a second cup for another 15-20 years of no playoffs. ​

Let me guess — you are 89yrs old?

 

[zappa4ever]

Ultimately... The Metro is ours to take, as long as we TCoB for Rd1 v WC we should be able to pounce on CAR or NJD in Rd2 (if NJD even keeps M3)

FLA/TBL/TOR all made some moves, will be interesting who the A2vA3 matchup is
FLA - Marchand, Seth Jones
TBL - Gourde, Bjorkstrand
TOR - Laughton, Carlo

 

[895]

We can all agree anything less than ECF is a failure right?

 

[Jags]

I think you are in the minority here my friend. Ovi is bigger than the Capitals. I would trade 1 more Ovi cup for 2 non Ovi Caps cups.

I don't agree with any of those 3 sentences.

I love Ovi, but I've been a Caps fan since I knew what hockey was, **staticinterference** years ago. If any player *could be* bigger than the team, it'd be him for sure. But no player fits that bill for me.

If we win the Cup next year, then Ovi retires, and we win it again the following year, I'll be just as happy about that one. Hockey fan first, Caps fan second, Ovi fan third.

You do you, but I don't think the majority of Caps fans would agree with those statements.

Devils advocate, extremely positive people can also be annoying.

Yeah, but they want everyone to be happy. Gloomy people want everyone to be gloomy.

Plus, positive people bring better snacks.

(Negative people have better drugs though. Might be a wash, depending on how you like to spend your weekends.)

I don't understand what "big" move was expected by anyone here. Even if they wanted to go all in who would it be for?

Right? I did a far amount of campaigning for a trade, but it was just a 3C move. Not exactly a megadeal. I'm really not sure what people were expecting us to do if they're THIS upset...

Mmm I wouldn’t go that far, but I would give up 5 years of playoffs success for another Cup this year or next.

I might make that deal. But I would just as easily make that deal the day after Ovi retires. In other words, in the 7-year timeframe you're imagining, I'd take a Cup any of those years. I'd love for Ovi to get another, but I'm sure I'd also love for "Player We Haven't Drafted Yet" to win his first.

Odd that he wouldn’t waive for here if we’re so perfect and primed for a deep run huh!

Could be he picked his spot, could be his injury is significant enough to worry about his recovery, or whatever else. Sorry, but it's pretty ridiculous to assume that we could have landed a player that another team traded for, or possibly should have in this case.

 

[ynotcaps]

Well, shit. Here I've been enjoying this blast of a season where we've paced the East by a mile and, until a recent 3-game slide, have been essentially a machine all year. Watching Ovi score at an almost-career-best pace, almost certainly on his way to passing 99 THIS YEAR. Seeing our "risky" adds over the last couple of years of devalued top-5 picks taking on huge roles. Enjoying watching our deepest prospect pool in years -- maybe ever -- not just mature but explode across college and the minors. Thinking we have a genuine shot at a magical season, with the greatest record in hockey coming under our franchise icon and a legitimate shot at the Cup.
And here I find out it's all for nothing! Since we didn't add a guy everybody calls "Rat-Face" -- a guy who spits at and bites opponents -- to our awesome locker room or clean out our prospect pool for a pending UFA who's already been traded once this year and didn't seem to take to it at all, with no guarantee that he'd agree to a long-term contract, that it all means nothing!
We should just get Ovi his record and then maybe give up our #1 seed in the East to a team that has an actual chance of winning the Cup -- which obviously can't be us because we don't have the 4 perfect lines and 3 perfect pairs that every Stanley Cup winner has had since time immemorial.
We pissed the whole damned thing away in ONE DAY!
Bummer, dude!

 

[Kazer]

<Kovalchuk Tweet>

I get the point, but you cannot really compare what happened in 2020 with the 2025 deadline. The team and the team chemistry was severely disrupted by the Covid pause. Kovalchuk had 4 points in 7 games from Feb 25 - March 9 before the big pause.

Edit to add (rather than making a new post): I liked Beauvillier going back to his time in NYI, and I believe he can be an upgrade to the Capitals 3rd line. Not the upgrade most of us wanted, but 'Tito' was on track at one point to be a heck of a player for the Isles. Scored 21 goals in his age 20 season when most players that age are just making the AHL. And he was really slowed down by Covid - was on pace for nearly 50 points in 19-20 (only 68 GP) and then followed that with 15 goals, 28 points in 47 games in the shortened season (translates to 26 goals, 49 points over a full year).

And even as it stands currently, his 13 goals, on a relatively low scoring Pittsburgh team (18th), would put him 7th on the Caps, ahead of Mango and Dowd and not too far behind PLD. It's not a splashy upgrade, but there's some upside potential. Reminder:

 

[hb13xchamps]

Toronto sold solid prospects and multiple first round picks for Carlo and Laughton lol.

I’m not so sure Florida cake walks to the ECF again. Bob has come back to earth. That core has a lot of mileage on them form the last few runs and they have multiple major injuries. Marchand has a shoulder injury and Tkachuk a groin. We all lived first hand through a few groin injuries (see Brooks Laich, Karl Alzner) and know how they can slow guys down significantly.

Tampa is the one I’d be more worried about IMO. Toronto added players but at the end of the day they’re still the Leafs until they can prove to everyone they can make a big run. Plus Matthews has sucked this year for his standards and he’s banged up too.

Here’s hoping that BC shits the bed and we get Lenny early to get him acclimated quickly.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I think you are in the minority here my friend.

Ovi winning another cup as a Cap is far better than any success over the next 20 years. Ovi is bigger than the Capitals.

I would trade 1 more Ovi cup for 2 non Ovi Caps cups.

So you are simply an Ovy fan. Got it. I was a fan of the Caps for 25YEARS before Ovy joined.

I mean, Jesus

 

[Ridley Simon]

Negative Nellie’s vs the Toxicly Positivos shall be the teams. Choose an allegiance.

I thought negative things were toxic? Not positive things?

You guys are killing me. Go to a farm and start kicking chickens or goats or something. Then try it on a horse or a bull —

 

[Ridley Simon]

Im all in for team chemistry and running with what they have. Adding a dude thats played with others on the team over the years and hopefully another team guy...Im down.

I want Oshie.

LFG.

I think this is very possible. Sure, I’m a “positive patsy”, but why wouldn’t you be when you lead the league?

“WHAT have YOU done for ME lately” crowd is irate.

News at 11.

PS — there are only so many line up slots. Let’s see how the rest of the season (Leonard? Cristall? Hutson? OSHIE?) might be able to join the team at the end of the season. Plus Miro, Lapierre, and Bear.

They really don’t need anyone. I’d have liked a “splash” but when we do those, we almost always shit the bed in the playoffs.

BOTH of the teams Cup runs, had very marginal upgrades during the season. Look it up.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Who? Name a player who was dealt for a price you'd pay.

They'll also have a couple of top ~40 picks to move should they want to make trades. The asset base remains strong to pounce should a potential core piece become available. Whereas now so many of the powerhouses seem kind of spent. Then again, some seem to always find a way...

I definitely would have liked more quality for this push to help avoid the possibility they fizzle at the end. And just generally to more significantly reward them for what they've done, particularly in light of how up there 8/74 are getting and perhaps unlikely to have the stamina needed for very sizeable roles over the course of a deep push. The Caps are a bit different having Leonard in the wings and despite what was said it surely had an impact. But it's still hard to love their chances against a FLA/TBL at the very least barring Leonard being an immediate beast. I struggle to recall the last NCAAer that's immediate stepped in and crushed like that. Kreider to some extent but they may need more.

IINM I read the Caps have the easiest remaining schedule down the stretch. Maybe not the best playoff prep but it might keep the offense humming along as they chase 895.

I don't agree with any of those 3 sentences.

I love Ovi, but I've been a Caps fan since I knew what hockey was, **staticinterference** years ago. If any player *could be* bigger than the team, it'd be him for sure. But no player fits that bill for me.

If we win the Cup next year, then Ovi retires, and we win it again the following year, I'll be just as happy about that one. Hockey fan first, Caps fan second, Ovi fan third.

You do you, but I don't think the majority of Caps fans would agree with those statements.



Yeah, but they want everyone to be happy. Gloomy people want everyone to be gloomy.

Plus, positive people bring better snacks.

(Negative people have better drugs though. Might be a wash, depending on how you like to spend your weekends.)



Right? I did a far amount of campaigning for a trade, but it was just a 3C move. Not exactly a megadeal. I'm really not sure what people were expecting us to do if they're THIS upset...



I might make that deal. But I would just as easily make that deal the day after Ovi retires. In other words, in the 7-year timeframe you're imagining, I'd take a Cup any of those years. I'd love for Ovi to get another, but I'm sure I'd also love for "Player We Haven't Drafted Yet" to win his first.



Could be he picked his spot, could be his injury is significant enough to worry about his recovery, or whatever else. Sorry, but it's pretty ridiculous to assume that we could have landed a player that another team traded for, or possibly should have in this case.

Agree.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Conditional 1st for Marchand stings. Like that’s an impact guy that you add to the 3rd line to make it actually relevant, and instead we get a 13th F for a 2nd

I’m sure they asked Brad where he wanted to go. I mean come ON people.

You honestly think they just blindly traded their captain and team mascot to anywhere they could? No freaking way.

They got some deals, and they asked him to choose.

So who is to say what we offered.