Speculation: Acq./Rost. Bldg./Cap/Lines etc. Part LXXXI -- Will we even care by July 1?

[Raikkonen]

I think Oshie will be kept now.

I mean there is a rumor cap goes up significantly. This has to solve Oshie's question.

We are afraid he will be overpaid later. But we will have overpaid Ovi anyway. So its next 2-3 years to try to win again.

 

[Valhuen]

Honestly can't see this team having the same success minus Oshie next year. A bona fide 1RW is something this team needed for years and Oshie has fit that role perfectly. Whatever it takes to re-sign him I am for. Can't see anyone currently on the roster or in our system that could step into that role, nor any available FA's this off-season. Barring a major trade, Oshie is the best option we have in the immediate future.

Alzner can walk, I don't see him being worth what he will be asking for in FA.

Williams I am lukewarm on TBH. Depends on what he will be asking for.

 

[chilimac]

re: Oshie, Alzner and Williams. I think a lot of things will depend on how the playoffs go. But assuming they are not embarrassed by the franchise, its hard to know what they will do.

These players don't all act the same. The Caps are a good job. Leonsis has top facilities and he treats his players very well by all accounts. For players that don't want to be big media stars, DC is a great place to have a normal life while playing in the NHL. Bondra loved it for that reason and Jagr hated it for the same reason.

Oshie went thru a growing career playing for a coach that held him back and made him miserable. Now he plays is happy and in a position to succeed. Might choose to score the biggest check he can and he might choose to do the best he can to stay in a good situation.

I think without knowing the man and his family its really hard to assume what he wants. Same with the others. Alzner may want a big check. He may want to play at home in Calgary and take a discount. He may want to stay in DC and take a discount.

I will be curious to see what happens.

Hell....I bet Daniel Winnik wants to stay

Well said Tex. I couldnt agree more. I cant ever remember looking forward to the third week of June
with such interest/anticipation as a Caps fan in the last xx years. June, in general, has not been a
great month for us... at least not from my perspective. There seems to be plenty of intrigue this
time around...

 

[Efactor]

This team will re-tool after this season unless we win the Cup. If we don't win, Likely Winnik, Williams, Alzner, Shattenkirk, and whomever Vegas selects will be gone no matter what. I'd also wouldn't be shocked by a shake up hockey trade at the draft.

That doesn't mean we don't keep Oshie; but Kuzy, Bura, Orlov, and Schmidt will be the priority. I also feel the team will want to give a longer NHL look at: Djoos, Bowey, Vrana, Boyd, Barber, and O'Brien.

If we don't win, we will look like a different team next year.

 

[txpd]

If we don't win, we will look like a different team next year.

and if they do win? Just like with years past, "if they don't win", means different things in different scenarios. Not winning in the first round will receive an entirely different response than losing in g7 of the finals.

The team will look different regardless of winning or losing. You can make a case that they lose more players if they win.

 

[twabby]

Williams had a 37 game year, followed by a 44 game year, followed by a 49 game year, followed by a 73 game year, when he was 26-30. His injury history was far worse than Oshie's at about the same age.

Oshie is also a very cerebral player, as one would have to be with his skating given the fact that he doesn't have world class Thornton or Backstrom like abilities.

Fair enough. I didn't realize Williams missed that much time in his late 20s, I just knew he has been pretty durable recently (only missed 2 games in his past 6 seasons). I'd still be cautious regarding Oshie because he's NEVER played a full season in his career and he has had a history of concussions.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

This team will re-tool after this season unless we win the Cup. If we don't win, Likely Winnik, Williams, Alzner, Shattenkirk, and whomever Vegas selects will be gone no matter what. I'd also wouldn't be shocked by a shake up hockey trade at the draft.

That doesn't mean we don't keep Oshie; but Kuzy, Bura, Orlov, and Schmidt will be the priority. I also feel the team will want to give a longer NHL look at: Djoos, Bowey, Vrana, Boyd, Barber, and O'Brien.

If we don't win, we will look like a different team next year.

Win or lose, this team will look different next season. From what I'm reading the cap if it goes up at all it will not be a significant amount. Burakovsky is a RFA and Kuznetsov, Orlov, Grubauer, Schmidt and Connolly are all RFA arbitration eligible, thus you'll be needing some of the cash from the departing UFAs to address these players. Winnik and Williams would have to take discounts in order to come back and I'm not high on that occurring. Calgary has three defenseman (Wideman, Engelland and Stone) that are pending UFAs. I can see them resigning Stone, but not the other two and thus Alzner would perhaps be a possible replacement, so I could see Alzner gone and of course Shattenkirk as well. We can speculate all we want who GMGM would take in the expansion as it might be one of the RFA arbitration eligibles (Schmidt/Grubauer) but who knows.

Depending on some players performances come the playoffs, I'll go ahead and touch that third rail again and suggest trading MOJO and his 4.5 salary. With Burakovsky and Vrana it would seem kind of redundant having MOJO. Just move Burakovsky up to the second line next season taking MOJO's spot and Vrana takes Bura's current spot on the third line.

The departure of Williams, Winnik, Alzner, and Johansson frees up about 12.8 million to address the RFAs/Arbitration eligibles and resigning Oshie. Money that remains then can be looked at for FA signing and who knows what trading MAJO would bring back.

 

[OV Rocks]

Wonder if front loading Oshie's next contract would be of any value to him and the Caps. Ted will spend the money he has proven that. How about something like this:

6 years $33M for a $5.5M Cap hit

Year 1: $8M
Year 2: $7M
Year 3: $6M
Year 4: $4M
Year 5: $4M
Year 6: $4M

Pays him above his value the next 3 seasons with Ovi and Nicky at still elite levels. Brings him to 33-36 at a good number for both sides.

Team friendly and Player friendly

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Wonder if front loading Oshie's next contract would be of any value to him and the Caps. Ted will spend the money he has proven that. How about something like this:

6 years $33M for a $5.5M Cap hit

Year 1: $8M
Year 2: $7M
Year 3: $6M
Year 4: $4M
Year 5: $4M
Year 6: $4M

Pays him above his value the next 3 seasons with Ovi and Nicky at still elite levels. Brings him to 33-36 at a good number for both sides.

Team friendly and Player friendly

I might try to sweeten it a little more even.

Year 1: $9m
Year 2: $9m
Year 3: $8m
Year 4: $4m
Year 5: $3m
Year 6: $3m

6/36

 

[twabby]

I might try to sweeten it a little more even.

Year 1: $9m
Year 2: $9m
Year 3: $8m
Year 4: $4m
Year 5: $3m
Year 6: $3m

6/36

This one violates the CBA. I think the one OV Rocks proposed is okay.

 

[OV Rocks]

This one violates the CBA. I think the one OV Rocks proposed is okay.

I tried to look into the terms before posting and came up with that. There are people in the Caps organization paid to do the fine tuning, i am not one of them, although I am looking for a new job if they need it

 

[Carlzner]

I really think Oshie will be re-signed. I don't know nearly enough about the business side of it but he is clearly one of the most marketable players on the team, up there with 8, 19, and 70.

 

[Revelation]

8
8
6
6
4
4
4
4

5.25 cap hit

 

[Ridley Simon]

8
8
6
6
4
4
4
4

5.25 cap hit

I was thinking same thing. Make it an 8yr deal to drive AAV under 6m a year. Re-sign him now, protect him, and expose Wilson, Schmidt, Grubauer. Can only lose 1.

If cap goes up 3m, then the Caps will actually be in pretty good shape. Lose one of the aforementioned players to Vegas, and then lose Alzner, Shattenkirk, and one of Winnik/Williams. 76m cap may allow one of Winnik/Williams to return.

If you dump Orpik, then one of Alzner/Shattenkirk may be able to return as well, depending on how it all fleshes out.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

This one violates the CBA. I think the one OV Rocks proposed is okay.

What are the particulars? Looking can't find limitations....will tweak.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I really think Oshie will be re-signed. I don't know nearly enough about the business side of it but he is clearly one of the most marketable players on the team, up there with 8, 19, and 70.

In 4 years 8 and 19 could be gone. 77 makes for a nice transitional guy for marketing.

 

[twabby]

What are the particulars? Looking can't find limitations....will tweak.

From the CBA:

50.7 Variability Rules for Multi-Year SPCs.
(a) For all "Front-Loaded SPCs" (as defined below), the difference between the stated Player Salary and Bonuses in any immediately adjacent League Years of that SPC cannot exceed thirty-five (35) percent of the stated Player Salary and Bonuses of the first League Year of such Front-Loaded SPC. Additionally, under no circumstances may the stated Player Salary and Bonuses in any League Year of a Front-Loaded SPC be less than fifty (50) percent of the highest stated Player Salary and Bonuses in a League Year of that same Front-Loaded SPC.

(i) To determine whether an SPC is a Front-Loaded SPC:

(A) Take the total number of League Years in the SPC and divide by two (2) ("First-Half Term"); 283 ARTICLE 50 50.7-50.7
(B) Add the amounts of all stated Player Salary and Bonuses in the First-Half Term. If the SPC has an odd number of League Years, allocate to the first half of the SPC one-half of the stated Player Salary and Bonuses paid to the Player in the middle League Year of such SPC (e.g., the fourth year of a seven-year SPC) ("First-Half Stated Player Salary and Bonuses");
(C) Divide the First-Half Stated Player Salary and Bonuses by the First-Half Term. The resulting amount shall be the "First-Half Averaged Amount";
(D) Calculate the Averaged Amount of the SPC in a manner consistent with Section 50.5(d)(ii);
(E) If the First-Half Averaged Amount is greater than the Averaged Amount for the entire term of the SPC, such SPC is a "Front-Loaded SPC" and must comply with Section 50.7(a). Any SPC other than a Front-Loaded SPC must comply with Section 50.7(b) rather than Section 50.7(a).

So basically the lowest year's salary must be at least half of the highest year's salary, and any consecutive years must differ by no less than 35% of the first year's salary, if I'm reading it correctly.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

cant they also make the contract more buyout proof by making it more signing bonus than salary?

 

[OV Rocks]

cant they also make the contract more buyout proof by making it more signing bonus than salary?

I give you Ryan O'Reilly

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I give you Ryan O'Reilly

Yep exactly.

 

[txpd]

In 4 years 8 and 19 could be gone.

Really?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Really?

Going strictly by contract expiration.

 

[Brian23]

Just...how. I don't understand how under different coaches, different systems, different years, and we always seem to have an awful offense in the post-season.

 

[txpd]

Going strictly by contract expiration.

I would not expect either of those players to be gone when their contracts expire

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I would not expect either of those players to be gone when their contracts expire

Thus my use of the word "could".