Speculation: Acq./Rost. Bldg./Cap/Lines etc. Part LXXXIV -- The Doggiest Days (Woof!) 2017

[hockeykicker]

I'm impressed you guys have the energy to debate these what-ifs.

Glossy mediocrity. That's all that now comes up for me when I think of the Caps. I.e. lipstick on a pig.

Owner who means well but knows nothing about sports. GM who can make some nice local moves but doesn't seem to have an overall plan. Coach who's made an art of playing just well enough to lose respectably. Players who flatline in Game 7s. A roster that failed again and then got worse.

This team needs a big change for things to become meaningful again. I'm gonna be impressed if this season the players can still muster a good effort.

Maybe Bura-Eller-Connolly can get hot again. That's about the only thing I'm curious about, lol. Until there's some big change, somehow.

Is anybody actually excited to see something in this coming season? Share the optimism, please

The optimism is the caps have some younger players coming up now and they are gonna be one of the youngest teams in the nhl with only one player over age 31

New young players don't have the choking mentality yet right? Lol

 

[um]

What were Orpiks 5 worst plays last season?

1. Taking an extra stride towards the boards vs Pitt, when Alzner too let Hags pass by.
2. Cross checking guys into Holtby?
3.
4.
5.


I don't think he had as bad a season as the mob implies he had.

I think Orpik is still a good 3rd pairing guy, and I think his presence and style will be good for the team. I hope he's not wasted playing with Chorney, I'd like to see him play with Bowey or Djoos.

quite frankly if just one of Bowey,Djoos,Ness, etc. can become a legit 3rd pairing guy than we will still have a very good defense.

 

[Bananas]

I'm impressed you guys have the energy to debate these what-ifs.

Glossy mediocrity. That's all that now comes up for me when I think of the Caps. I.e. lipstick on a pig.

Owner who means well but knows nothing about sports. GM who can make some nice local moves but doesn't seem to have an overall plan. Coach who's made an art of playing just well enough to lose respectably. Players who flatline in Game 7s. A roster that failed again and then got worse.

This team needs a big change for things to become meaningful again. I'm gonna be impressed if this season the players can still muster a good effort.

Maybe Bura-Eller-Connolly can get hot again. That's about the only thing I'm curious about, lol. Until there's some big change, somehow.

Is anybody actually excited to see something in this coming season? Share the optimism, please

Point for optimism one: it's OK to care a little less and invest a little less since they've burned us so many times. So even if they **** up again, do yourself a favor and don't give them until they make it to the ECF.

Point for optimism two: Their most crushing losses have been excruciatingly close. This team just needs to play their best hockey at the right time of year and have a goalie plus a support player or two two come up huge and it changes everything. As we all know we've been burned in every way imaginable. But there's still hope that someday all the stars align just once, and we get the breaks and the right combination of players contributing that finally puts us over the hump. We've been damn close to breaking the curse it just hasn't happened yet.

 

[g00n]

How did we convince ourselves Grubby would be taken? Nothing against him but he is not proven as a starter. Telling ourselves he is the best backup in the league reeks of overvaluing our own player; I don't know how one can come to that conclusion with so few a starts under his belt. He hasn't really flashed to me, outside of the odd shutout. Never forget who he is playing for, one of the most defensive coaches in the league.

It just seems a mistake to think George would take him over other players he hand selected. Especially a PMD. Common sense says don't take the backup G off the perennial presidents team. The guy that likely contributed the least to our annual feat. Holts was nothing short of bad this loffs, yet Grubby got no starts.

I thought it all along that George would do us no favor, taking him. No favors should have been expected from the guy we fired.

Oh and a random prediction, if we bought out Orpy, you'd hate the guy that replaced him just as much.

There's a lot of 20/20 hindsight and loss of context this long after the fact. Most of the mock drafts had Vegas taking Grubauer, iirc. It seemed like the most logical choice given the EXPECTED options, both in terms of d-men and goalies that were to be available. But the Pens marching to another Cup, and MAF playing like his former self in the playoffs, and the Pens being able to strike a deal with McPhee to take MAF, is what sealed Schmidt's fate.

So, again, McPhee and the Pens still screwing the Caps.

 

[RandyHolt]

I saw the mocks - those 3 that were probably in cahoots. Accurately judging backup G's, and comparing to others in different systems is not easy.

I tend to agree MAF beating us, added interest in him, and shifted the focus on him more. But I would like to think MAF was a known commodity at that point, and 2 more nice playoff series added to his resume didn't really change who he is.

If it was that dynamic of a situation, with Holts playing as bad as he did, we could have played Grubauer. There was a lot of risk and reward starting him, but we stuck to what has not worked. I wanted to see Grubby get a start but was in the tiny minority.

Let's face it. Our own actions showed we didn't value Grubby. If there was ever a time a backup G could get games behind Holts, this was it. Korn had him ready. Nope. Meanwhile Pitt made a change, and won the cup. Salt.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise he wasn't selected. Even Schmidt got games as a 7. We showed our hand and George made us fold.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

It'll be interesting to see the performance of both Johansson and Schmidt away from the Capitals. Are they two players who benefit from who they play with or are they two players that benefit those players they play with? In other words do they make their team mates better by their play or is it that their team mates make them better.

 

[RandyHolt]

I believe MJ is largely a passenger - shocking - but should pair up decently if he has a better player on his line. If he has to carry his line, nope.

Schmidt busted out because Barry finally realized he had to use his wheels to take the next step in his development. Keeping him pinned into the defensive zone played to his weaknesses. I always say a guy soft in his own zone has to have direct hands in scoring chances, and goals to be net positive. He did that this year. I think Schmidt will still need the green light to join the rush, to benefit those around him. It is close though, he took a lot of strides this past year.

 

[HecticGlow]

My guess is they didn't go 4-4-1 because they feared they'd have lost Burakovsky. Honestly, at this point, I think that would've been a less significant loss than Schmidt, comparing forward depth to defensive depth, but you'd still have had to lose someone to fit Oshie and Schmidt's pay rises in.

Why GMBM then decided to protect Eller/Wilson, I really can't explain. Except he thought Vegas would take Grubauer, and probably thought it would be a case of Grubauer v Eller, not Grubauer v Schmidt.

Honestly though, I think his biggest mistake was signing Oshie just before an inflated Kuzy deal. That's an awful lot of cap hit suddenly taken up by 8 players.

 

[HecticGlow]

I believe MJ is largely a passenger - shocking - but should pair up decently if he has a better player on his line. If he has to carry his line, nope.

I think you're being a little unfair to Mojo there. When he was at 3C he was clearly driving that line, while Kuzy only got going last year with Mojo and Williams at his wings. People seem to forget the many different combinations they tried Kuzy with (Bura, Vrana, Ovi, Oshie, Williams, Sanford, Wilson) before he finally got going consistently last year with Mojo and Williams. I do worried that he might struggle again without them, especially given Bura and Vrana have issues with consistency and mental stamina, Ovi's on a downward trajectory right now, and the alternatives (Wilson? Connolly?) aren't exactly offensive juggernauts.

 

[RandyHolt]

I think you're being a little unfair to Mojo there...

Probably

Now that he is gone, his defenders will slowly lay down their arms. Too soon?

Good post, and you nailed what may be one of his strengths, consistency. And he is a fine supporting piece. He did semi drive the 3rd line with some magic with Chimera, but Chimera was a big part of it forcing D back onto their heels.

Setting up the drop pass nicely

 

[Stewie G]

Mark rarely got credit for the things he did well. His early flaws were difficult for some to let go, which makes it easy to marginalize his impact the last couple years. If only he had punched some guys in the face when he came over instead of contributing to the offense, maybe he would have gotten a little slack.

I don't think boxcar stats will be a good comparison considering the fact that he's going from a Prez Cup team to one of the worst offensive teams in the league, but I imagine that is what will be used by some to justify his low trade return. I know I won't be watching any Devils games outside of the ones against the Caps, and even those won't be a given, so I won't be a good judge myself either.

 

[twabby]

My guess is they didn't go 4-4-1 because they feared they'd have lost Burakovsky. Honestly, at this point, I think that would've been a less significant loss than Schmidt, comparing forward depth to defensive depth, but you'd still have had to lose someone to fit Oshie and Schmidt's pay rises in.

Why GMBM then decided to protect Eller/Wilson, I really can't explain. Except he thought Vegas would take Grubauer, and probably thought it would be a case of Grubauer v Eller, not Grubauer v Schmidt.

Honestly though, I think his biggest mistake was signing Oshie just before an inflated Kuzy deal. That's an awful lot of cap hit suddenly taken up by 8 players.

They could have protected Burakovsky in the 4-4-1 scheme. It likely would have been 8, 19, 92, and 65 protected among the forwards.

It seems pretty obvious that they didn't know they were going to have to get rid of Johansson until after the expansion draft, otherwise they would have just exposed him or traded him beforehand.

 

[Caps8112]

Schmitt will be forgotten maybe as early as next offseason after he is eaten alive in vegas. He has some pretty good play last season but how much of that was as the 6th or 7th guy in sheltered minutes and sort. Dont get me wrong I was cheering him on over some of the other dead weight on Def in the playoffs but in the end he will be forgotten.

Mojo will be fine in jersey as along as they dont put him on the top line. he will quickly fall out of favor there pretending to be a first line player.

 

[RandyHolt]

It will be interesting to see what the north jersey fans think of the famed Mark Johnson. That is, if they are awake during their decades long run on 2-1 games.

As I said he is a fine supporting piece yes without face punching, but if he is expected to lead, I think they will be up in arms in Paramus.

 

[Langway]

IMO Johansson and Schmidt are both relatively strong possession players that can help a team solidify itself if not put too high in the lineup. There's a much greater danger Vegas does that with Schmidt given how poorly McPhee did in setting up that roster initially (intentionally so). If he's on the top pair out West that's going to be quite a jump for him. In terms of production and carrying a line/pair it's questionable but due to their skating they're players that are very helpful moving the puck through the neutral zone. So in that regard they're players that make those around them more effective and, in turn, ultimately more productive.

The Caps hope Vrana will replace some of that from Johansson but his defensive game will need to round out a bit. Djoos may have some of the ability to calmly move the puck up the ice but I'd be surprised if he transports it nearly as much. But perhaps between him and Bowey they'll replace the enthusiasm. It's really that youthful enthusiasm that will have to carry them at times next season if they're going to be a handful. If there's an interesting storyline to watch for next season that's it. Along similar lines, I've got to believe they're planning on keeping a depth spot open for Gersich in the spring in order to get him signed. It's the one card they can and should play.

 

[OV Rocks]

Long rides this past weekend for work and I got thinking. 82 games is a long season and the past two seasons there were plenty of opportunities to throw some young guys into games for the experience it is a big problem that they didn't.

That being said this season Trotz and his staff have to do this right this season because the guys have no experience now. I think it would be valuable to start the season with the pairings as:

Orlov-Niskanen
Chorney-Carlson
Djoos-Orpik

Play that out for about 20-30 games which gets to around Thanksgiving. In theory Djoos will have games under him and in perfect world he is comfortable in the NHL, maybe not productive, but comfortable. At that point slide Djoos up with Carlson and hope for the best. At this point bring Bowey up from the AHL and pair him with Orpik for the rest of the season. Come All-Star game reevaluate again and move Grubauer plus one of the young d and a pick for a legit top 4.

It is a lot of hoping and what if but I think that is the way to go.

 

[twabby]

Schmitt will be forgotten maybe as early as next offseason after he is eaten alive in vegas. He has some pretty good play last season but how much of that was as the 6th or 7th guy in sheltered minutes and sort. Dont get me wrong I was cheering him on over some of the other dead weight on Def in the playoffs but in the end he will be forgotten.

Mojo will be fine in jersey as along as they dont put him on the top line. he will quickly fall out of favor there pretending to be a first line player.

The whole sheltered minutes argument is likely overblown regarding Schmidt and also completely disregards the quality of teammates he played with. He played more minutes with the bottom 6 than with the top 6 but this fact is usually ignored by people looking to discredit the work he did. Oddly enough when he was given top 4 minutes in the playoffs he managed to crush them. When he was given top 4 minutes in 2015-16 when Carlson and Orpik were injured he likewise crushed them. Why do people think his success is just a product of being on the third pairing rather than his actual talent level?

Also, as I recall these same sheltered minutes arguments were made regarding Orlov last offseason and now he's played himself into part of the top pairing (and one of the best pairings in the entire NHL). Schmidt has about 80 fewer games under his belt than Orlov so is it really that unreasonable to think that maybe he'll be able to take that next step as well? Maybe Orlov has more talent in the offensive zone but Schmidt has shown the ability to tilt the ice throughout his career. I expect him to be an effective top 4 defenseman on Vegas and perhaps even on the top pairing if Gallant gives him a legitimate shot.

 

[um]

Long rides this past weekend for work and I got thinking. 82 games is a long season and the past two seasons there were plenty of opportunities to throw some young guys into games for the experience it is a big problem that they didn't.

That being said this season Trotz and his staff have to do this right this season because the guys have no experience now. I think it would be valuable to start the season with the pairings as:

Orlov-Niskanen
Chorney-Carlson
Djoos-Orpik

Play that out for about 20-30 games which gets to around Thanksgiving. In theory Djoos will have games under him and in perfect world he is comfortable in the NHL, maybe not productive, but comfortable. At that point slide Djoos up with Carlson and hope for the best. At this point bring Bowey up from the AHL and pair him with Orpik for the rest of the season. Come All-Star game reevaluate again and move Grubauer plus one of the young d and a pick for a legit top 4.

It is a lot of hoping and what if but I think that is the way to go.

We'll also have holes on offence, I assume on the third line for the third year in a row, I just hope people aren't fooled into thinking Wilson/Connolly are the solution again.

 

[hockeykicker]

We'll also have holes on offence, I assume on the third line for the third year in a row, I just hope people aren't fooled into thinking Wilson/Connolly are the solution again.

Connolly had a career year on the third line while not even playing every game

 

[g00n]

I saw the mocks - those 3 that were probably in cahoots. Accurately judging backup G's, and comparing to others in different systems is not easy.

I tend to agree MAF beating us, added interest in him, and shifted the focus on him more. But I would like to think MAF was a known commodity at that point, and 2 more nice playoff series added to his resume didn't really change who he is.

If it was that dynamic of a situation, with Holts playing as bad as he did, we could have played Grubauer. There was a lot of risk and reward starting him, but we stuck to what has not worked. I wanted to see Grubby get a start but was in the tiny minority.

Let's face it. Our own actions showed we didn't value Grubby. If there was ever a time a backup G could get games behind Holts, this was it. Korn had him ready. Nope. Meanwhile Pitt made a change, and won the cup. Salt.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise he wasn't selected. Even Schmidt got games as a 7. We showed our hand and George made us fold.

With the luxury of the offseason I'm boldly calling for Holtby to sit more and Grubauer to get maybe up to 1/3 of the starts. The Caps did not have the luxury of a 2-headed option last playoffs and it may have cost them. Holtby famously consulted his sports psychologist at one point and by that time you would expect to see a quality backup taking a start or two...maybe even riding out as a hot hand for a bit.


Holtby needs to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. The little quirks and superstitions...the preferences for days off and days working...all the elements of the routine need to be challenged and overcome to some extent before they're relied upon again, so the next time he hits a slump he can rebound without going mental.

 

[um]

Connolly had a career year on the third line while not even playing every game

I said that before the trade deadline, many people here disagreed and thought he was legit.

 

[Brian23]

My guess is they didn't go 4-4-1 because they feared they'd have lost Burakovsky. Honestly, at this point, I think that would've been a less significant loss than Schmidt, comparing forward depth to defensive depth, but you'd still have had to lose someone to fit Oshie and Schmidt's pay rises in.

Why GMBM then decided to protect Eller/Wilson, I really can't explain. Except he thought Vegas would take Grubauer, and probably thought it would be a case of Grubauer v Eller, not Grubauer v Schmidt.

Honestly though, I think his biggest mistake was signing Oshie just before an inflated Kuzy deal. That's an awful lot of cap hit suddenly taken up by 8 players.

Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky
Orlov, Niskanen, Carlon, Schmidt
Holtby.

They weren't losing Dre if they protected 4.

 

[Roughing]

Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky
Orlov, Niskanen, Carlon, Schmidt
Holtby.

They weren't losing Dre if they protected 4.

Right. They were losing Wilson or Mojo.

 

[hb13xchamps]

Long rides this past weekend for work and I got thinking. 82 games is a long season and the past two seasons there were plenty of opportunities to throw some young guys into games for the experience it is a big problem that they didn't.

That being said this season Trotz and his staff have to do this right this season because the guys have no experience now. I think it would be valuable to start the season with the pairings as:

Orlov-Niskanen
Chorney-Carlson
Djoos-Orpik

Play that out for about 20-30 games which gets to around Thanksgiving. In theory Djoos will have games under him and in perfect world he is comfortable in the NHL, maybe not productive, but comfortable. At that point slide Djoos up with Carlson and hope for the best. At this point bring Bowey up from the AHL and pair him with Orpik for the rest of the season. Come All-Star game reevaluate again and move Grubauer plus one of the young d and a pick for a legit top 4.

It is a lot of hoping and what if but I think that is the way to go.

What other opportunities are you talking about? Caps barely had any injuries on a veteran team last season. When they did have injuries they gave opportunities to Vrana, Barber, Stephenson Sanford and O'Brien and also called up Djoos and Boyd at certain points in the season. They also had planned on calling up Walker but he was injured the weekend prior.

They weren't just going to take guys out of the lineup for the sake of experience when they had yet to wrap up the #1 seed in case they did make a long run. Unfortunately that didn't happen and it's easier in hindsight to nitpick every decision they made

 

[Brian23]

Right. They were losing Wilson or Mojo.

And you'd have one hole instead of two.