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

[CapitalsCupReality]

ESPN experts unanimously pick Vegas to select Grubby. Link here. I'd be happy for Grubby and happy not to lose Schmidt, Dima, Willy, Eller, or another roster player. Only better case scenario would be Orpik + pick going to Vegas. I'm a big Orpik fan but we could really use that $5.5mm we're paying him for two more years.

Read that....come on George take Grubby!

 

[Slappy]

I was surprised to see Silfverberg on many of those Vegas lists. Is he really not going to be protected?

 

[txpd]

I like the idea of swapping around some of the middle six guys or maybe moving up Wilson. Even if it's just for a game or two I think it's a smart idea to at least see some different combos:

8-19-77
65-92-43
90-20-14
10-83-26

Some people have pointed this out and I don't think it would hurt to at least try it on for size...

realistically speaking that would work out to moving Wilson down in ice time rather than up. 10-20-65 have been skating 4th line minutes and 26-83-43 have been skating 3rd line numbers and getting defensive matchup work. Kuzy has gone cold again. Getting him going is a priority that 92 line probably isn't the way to do it.

 

[um]

realistically speaking that would work out to moving Wilson down in ice time rather than up. 10-20-65 have been skating 4th line minutes and 26-83-43 have been skating 3rd line numbers and getting defensive matchup work. Kuzy has gone cold again. Getting him going is a priority that 92 line probably isn't the way to do it.

the line with Kuzy is our 2nd line, Burakovsky certainly won't make it worse and Wilson didn't demote Backstrom's line when he was up there. More realistically the Connolly to Mojo move would turn the 4th line into the 3rd line.

 

[artilector]

realistically speaking that would work out to moving Wilson down in ice time rather than up. 10-20-65 have been skating 4th line minutes and 26-83-43 have been skating 3rd line numbers and getting defensive matchup work. Kuzy has gone cold again. Getting him going is a priority that 92 line probably isn't the way to do it.

Who cares about ice time -- for Wilson to go from being on a line with Beagle & Winnik to being on a line with Kuz and Bura clearly means "moving up" exactly in the sense implied by Bananas.

As for getting the second line going, if Trotz keeps the first line together, then Bura and Wilson have pretty much been the best performing wings at ES in the bottom-9. In that sense alone, it's at the very least a logical proposal to put them on the 2nd line. In fact, I very much doubt you have a better suggestion about linemates to "get Kuz going".

 

[Blades Ov Steel]

the line with Kuzy is our 2nd line, Burakovsky certainly won't change it and Wilson didn't change Backstrom's line when he was up there. More realistically the Connolly to Mojo move would turn the 4th line into the 3rd line.

just picking your brain on this/your comment.

65 seemed to get the 3rd line going, if not the entire team when he came back, why would you assume he wouldn't get the (92) 2nd line going?

 

[artilector]

I like the idea of swapping around some of the middle six guys or maybe moving up Wilson. Even if it's just for a game or two I think it's a smart idea to at least see some different combos:

8-19-77
65-92-43
90-20-14
10-83-26

Some people have pointed this out and I don't think it would hurt to at least try it on for size...

FWIW, I'd keep the current 3rd line intact to see if they can rev the chemistry back up. They were that good together...

 

[RandyHolt]

When the 3rd line was good, everyone was good. And scoring too. Defensemen included. Oddly the guy that seemed to not ramp up his scoring during that monster month+ we had, was Ovi. I think.

I wonder if Grubby wants to get selected...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If you're Grubby you're hoping for your ring, then it's time to move on and become a starter for the next step in his career. I'm thinking he's embracing the selection.

 

[Ridley Simon]

If you're Grubby you're hoping for your ring, then it's time to move on and become a starter for the next step in his career. I'm thinking he's embracing the selection.

Yep.

Id really like to see Brian make George "play ball" to get Grubuaer. To the tune of "take Orpik off my hands, or I'm trading Grubuaer to Dallas" type thing.

I think he can do it. I really do. In GMBM We Trust

 

[um]

just picking your brain on this/your comment.

65 seemed to get the 3rd line going, if not the entire team when he came back, why would you assume he wouldn't get the (92) 2nd line going?

I didn't mean it like that, I'd agree with that analysis.

I was just responding to txpd saying that the Kuzy line would no longer be the second line because of Wilson. I was just getting Burakovsky out of the way, sorta of saying Bura=Mojo.

 

[hockeykicker]

Random stat of the day: Brooks orpik leads nhl in plus minus

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Orlov 3rd (as of earlier).

 

[Raikkonen]

The thing I was concerned about with Orlov was his inability to deal with fast crafty forwards 1v1 not that long ago. Now it seems he managed to correct his positioning on the ice to limit his deficit in speed.

Yeah, those pizzas are there from time to time but he's much better against top opponents now than year ago. I hope he can play like that in playoffs too.

 

[Hivemind]

Random stat of the day: Brooks orpik leads nhl in plus minus

Only +17 away from breaking Jeff Schultz's franchise record.

 

[Roshi]

Only +17 away from breaking Jeff Schultz's franchise record.

Another thing they share is a ring on their trophycase!

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[searle]

Read that....come on George take Grubby!

Bottom 10 teams for team save percentage: (source: SportingCharts.com)

20 New York Islanders 0.907
21 Arizona Coyotes 0.906
22 Los Angeles Kings 0.906
23 St. Louis Blues 0.906
24 Detroit Red Wings 0.904
25 Carolina Hurricanes 0.901
26 Boston Bruins 0.900
27 Philadelphia Flyers 0.899
28 Winnipeg Jets 0.898
29 Dallas Stars 0.895
30 Colorado Avalanche 0.894


Jets, Stars and Coyotes stand out to me as teams that we could trade Grubauer to and get a decent price.

My dream is that we give Vegas a 3rd or similar to bribe them into taking Orpik (per @HockeyKicker he's top in plus minus which I'm sure GMGM would love ) and then flip the assets (if they're not a good fit) to Anaheim for one of their NHL ready defencemen to fill the hole.


If Shattenkirk resigns then we could go fully HAM and trade Carlson for Duchene and MoJo for another young defenceman!

(I know - NHL 17 thinking)

 

[Hivemind]

It would take a lot more than a 3rd round pick to persuade Vegas to select Orpik over Grubauer. You'd not only have to give them more value in trade assets that they'd want for Grubauer, but also more value in trade assets than you'd be willing to pay to simply trade Orpik to them later. Vegas dosn't have tremendous incentive to eat your high cap hit contracts in the expansion draft, because they have the option to take the player they want in expansion AND then get you to sweeten a deal for them to bail you out of cap hell.

Think of it this way, if you're McPhee which would you rather have? Orpik + 3rd round pick or Grubauer (expansion draft) + Orpik + 3rd round pick (later trade)? The sweetener on top of Orpik would have to be pretty darn hefty for them to pass up taking someone like Grubauer, Schmidt, Wilson, or Connolly.


And Washington already traded away their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks in the 2017 NHL draft. Also the 2nd round pick in 2018, and conditionally the 2nd round pick in 2019.

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[txpd]

Son of Rich Pilon?

 

[um]

It would take a lot more than a 3rd round pick to persuade Vegas to select Orpik over Grubauer. You'd not only have to give them more value in trade assets that they'd want for Grubauer, but also more value in trade assets than you'd be willing to pay to simply trade Orpik to them later. Vegas dosn't have tremendous incentive to eat your high cap hit contracts in the expansion draft, because they have the option to take the player they want in expansion AND then get you to sweeten a deal for them to bail you out of cap hell.

Think of it this way, if you're McPhee which would you rather have? Orpik + 3rd round pick or Grubauer (expansion draft) + Orpik + 3rd round pick (later trade)? The sweetener on top of Orpik would have to be pretty darn hefty for them to pass up taking someone like Grubauer, Schmidt, Wilson, or Connolly.


And Washington already traded away their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks in the 2017 NHL draft. Also the 2nd round pick in 2018, and conditionally the 2nd round pick in 2019.

Vegas would probably be looking for prospects more than draft picks. What their organization won't have right off the bat is young players aged 20-24, we can certainly offer a few of those.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Legacy, cool. Shin pads Jr.

 

[searle]

It would take a lot more than a 3rd round pick to persuade Vegas to select Orpik over Grubauer. You'd not only have to give them more value in trade assets that they'd want for Grubauer, but also more value in trade assets than you'd be willing to pay to simply trade Orpik to them later. Vegas dosn't have tremendous incentive to eat your high cap hit contracts in the expansion draft, because they have the option to take the player they want in expansion AND then get you to sweeten a deal for them to bail you out of cap hell.

Think of it this way, if you're McPhee which would you rather have? Orpik + 3rd round pick or Grubauer (expansion draft) + Orpik + 3rd round pick (later trade)? The sweetener on top of Orpik would have to be pretty darn hefty for them to pass up taking someone like Grubauer, Schmidt, Wilson, or Connolly.


And Washington already traded away their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks in the 2017 NHL draft. Also the 2nd round pick in 2018, and conditionally the 2nd round pick in 2019.

True, but if the Grubauer trade happens first then it becomes a case of moving GMGM's interest away from whoever is second best - probably a middle/bottom six forward - bit of an easier task.

I wouldn't ever wish to be a Maple Leafs fan (although Steve Dangle has me following them more than any team other than the Caps), but they have absolutely nothing to be concerned about for the expansion draft - they can easily cover everyone who matters

 

[ChaosLord]

"Pilon" is not a name that inspires a lot confidence.