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

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Like, do people realize that if you move Backstrom your center depth is literally just Kuznetsov? If there's any untouchables on this team, its essentially 19 and 92 unless you can bring back another bonafide Center.
 
Also can't scorch earth rebuild, 100% guarantee that we'll be stuck behind the Leafs, Sabres, Canes and Flyers for the next 10 years, the new draft system plus the crap in upcoming drafts plus how barren our pipeline is makes for a perfect storm of **** as far as rebuilding. Getting Vrana over Larkin/Pastrnak/Fabbri and Samsonov instead of all the impact skaters in 2015 and then Johansen over Steel/Mascherin pretty much made the upcoming talent gap impossible to bridge.
 
Brian23 said:
Like, do people realize that if you move Backstrom your center depth is literally just Kuznetsov? If there's any untouchables on this team, its essentially 19 and 92 unless you can bring back another bonafide Center.
Click to expand...

What is it you are trying to hold onto? Are you happy with what this core has done the past 10 years?

Do you think they are ready to turn the corner?
 
I think what the Caps need - and us as fans is to not be a elite team in regular season.

Hell, go into playoffs as a mid tier team. Play as underdogs. Maybe then they'll have no choice but to play with heart because their talent can't make up for it.

It'd be nice to cheer for a hard working/effort team instead of Cup or bust type team.
 
The problem with trading Backstrom is that an upgrade seems unrealistic, while trading him for something else will leave a crater at the most important forward position.

We can at least consider trading Holtby, because there's at least a decent alternative in Grubauer, and Samsonov down the line. We can at least talk about trading Carlson because Schmidt has played well.

There's no real alternative to 19 & 92, even with their flaws. I mean, if you can think of a specific miracle trade, ok, let's consider it. Otherwise, you gotta work to improve the team around them.
 
artilector said:
The problem with trading Backstrom is that an upgrade seems unrealistic, while trading him for something else will leave a crater at the most important forward position.

We can at least consider trading Holtby, because there's at least a decent alternative in Grubauer, and Samsonov down the line. We can at least talk about trading Carlson because Schmidt has played well.

There's no real alternative to 19 & 92, even with their flaws. I mean, if you can think of a specific miracle trade, ok, let's consider it. Otherwise, you gotta work to improve the team around them.
Click to expand...

Trading Backstrom is not about an upgrade. Its over with this core and the sooner everyone excepts it the better. We should be looking a few years down the road.
 
Vegas could give us an interesting opportunity here.

Ovechkin + Orpik (in the expansion draft)
for
Silfverberg + Brodin

Johansson + ?
for
Galchenyuk

Holtby
for
Dallas 2017 1st + Niemi/Lethonen (dump)

or

Holtby + Vrana/Bowey
for
Philadelphia 1st

Flames are a good option too, but I know nothing about there prospect pool, maybe TJ Brodie?

Don't need a number 1G like you need a 1C or 1D, Chicago and Pittsburgh have proven this.

Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie (5 years 30 million)
Galchenyuk-Kuznetsov-Vrana
Silfverberg-Eller-Hischier/Nolan/Barber
Stephenson-Beagle-Wilson

Orlov-Niskanen
Schmidt-Carlson
Djoos/Bowey-Brodin

Grubauer
Lethonen

don't know about values, Im just winging it here.

we get slightly younger and remain a strong team for the next few years.
 
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If your core aren't the right pieces, you don't keep smashing your face into a wall, you make a change.

Strip Ovechkin of the C and try to flip Backstrom for a 2C + assets or a young W/D. That's where my heart is tonight.
 
Mr Gone said:
What is it you are trying to hold onto? Are you happy with what this core has done the past 10 years?

Do you think they are ready to turn the corner?
Click to expand...

It's not about trying to hold onto anything, it's about understanding "tanking" isn't really a viable choice anymore and if we decide to go for young players having an old veteran C to eat tough minutes can be valuable. And that's outside of the fact that 1C and 2C are the hardest positions to fill in all of Hockey.

If you try to run into a season with only Kuznetsov as our Center, they're gonna be literally useless. They won't be fun to watch, they won't get high picks, and they're not gonna win any games. I'm all about rebuilding but I'm not trying to lose for the sake of losing. Unloading Ovechkin is as obvious a core-shaking move as one can get.
 
Like I said, start over. There wasn't a single player I'd say laid it all out in G7. When that happens, particularly in such a crucial contest, how can you not step back and become open to all sorts of changes? They battled back in the series but they never really seemed locked in. The bottom line is they lack the confidence of a winner and their baggage outweighs anything else they have going for them as things stand. They could try all sorts of different tweaks in focusing and development but it's time. It's time to get younger and stop trying to squeeze something out of this core that it doesn't have to give.
 
Brian23 said:
It's not about trying to hold onto anything, it's about understanding "tanking" isn't really a viable choice anymore and if we decide to go for young players having an old veteran C to eat tough minutes can be valuable. And that's outside of the fact that 1C and 2C are the hardest positions to fill in all of Hockey.

If you try to run into a season with only Kuznetsov as our Center, they're gonna be literally useless. They won't be fun to watch, they won't get high picks, and they're not gonna win any games. I'm all about rebuilding but I'm not trying to lose for the sake of losing. Unloading Ovechkin is as obvious a core-shaking move as one can get.
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If 92 can't play 1C, we shouldn't be thinking about paying him $6mil + on his impending contract. I think you're wrong and he'd be just fine.

You don't have to tank by trading Backstrom. That's simply absurd to assume that.

One of Ovechkin, Backstrom, Carlson should be gone this summer. Either that or you're doing the same garbage every year. Seemingly meaningful moves that account for nothing while the core rots and fails to deliver.
 
CapitalsCupFantasy said:
If 92 can't play 1C, we shouldn't be thinking about paying him $6mil + on his impending contract. I think you're wrong and he'd be just fine.

You don't have to tank by trading Backstrom. That's simply absurd to assume that.

One of Ovechkin, Backstrom, Carlson should be gone this summer. Either that or you're doing the same garbage every year. Seemingly meaningful moves that account for nothing while the core rots and fails to deliver.
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He can play 1C or 2C, he can't play both. I'm not exactly okay rolling into a year with Lars Eller and Jay Beagle as the go to 2C and 3C on the team.

65 - 19 - 77
?? - 92 - ??
13 - ?? - 43
?? - ?? - ??

9 - 2
88 - ??
?? - Bowey

Is at least a team with enough young players to look towards the future, and enough veterans to stay semi-competitive.
 
Backstrom is the best player on the team and one of the best centers in the whole league. I would trade any of Johansson, Kuznetsov, Carlson, Holtby or Ovechkin before him.

Unless the Caps decide for a complete rebuild (which is VERY unlikely), #19 should continue to be untouchable imo.
 
Brian23 said:
He can play 1C or 2C, he can't play both. I'm not exactly okay rolling into a year with Lars Eller and Jay Beagle as the go to 2C and 3C on the team.

65 - 19 - 77
?? - 92 - ??
13 - ?? - 43
?? - ?? - ??

9 - 2
88 - ??
?? - Bowey

Is at least a team with enough young players to look towards the future, and enough veterans to stay semi-competitive.
Click to expand...

I said trade 19 for a 2C (or a 1D) +....that's not gutting them, with the return he should bring.
 
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Mr Gone said:
Trading Backstrom is not about an upgrade. Its over with this core and the sooner everyone excepts it the better. We should be looking a few years down the road.
Click to expand...

If you trade the whole core out of principle, you'll likely have a rudderless team -- don't forget, guys like Kuz, Bura, Orlov & Wilson have also been "tainted by defeat" in this frame of reference. And they don't quite have the talent to carry the team like generational players can/are expected to do.

Then you might as well trade everybody, accumulate lottery picks for a few years, build from scratch.

I happen to think the Caps can reload pretty quick. One can make the case for trading core pieces like Ovi, Carlson, Holtby. But the only way I'd trade Backstrom is if there was another top center on the horizon.
 
hockeyfan88 said:
Backstrom is the best player on the team and one of the best centers in the whole league. I would trade any of Johansson, Kuznetsov, Carlson, Holtby or Ovechkin before him.

Unless the Caps decide for a complete rebuild (which is VERY unlikely), #19 should continue to be untouchable imo.
Click to expand...


If your goal is to just make the playoffs....I guess I agree.
 
Backstrom for Giroux and Raffl

Giroux is crappier now and on a worse contract but is a playoff animal, gamble on him being OP in the playoffs behind 92
 
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