Speculation: Acq/ Rost. Bldg./ Cap Part XXXI: The Trotzification

[FloridaCap]

The current roster is so weak that it's not worth taking a stab at it. The Caps are weak everywhere. Center and D are the most glaring weaknesses.

My A List of players I would dangle for trades or buyout:

Green
Laich
Mojo
Chims (depending on the return. He's getting older.)
Ward (Same as Chims)
Backstrom (If a team would give up a young centerman+ I'd strongly consider it. Backstrom is solid but he doesn't take over games—especially playoff games. Again, it depends on the return. Kesler+?
Carlson (might be too radical of a trade but I wonder if he might return a young player who has higher upside.)
Fehr (for a pair of socks)
Beagle (come on, srsly?)

Yeah, let's trade a great bottom-6 forward on a dirt-cheap contract, who can fill in in the top6 when needed for injury, for a pair of socks. Beautiful.

 

[Atlas]

Yeah, let's trade a great bottom-6 forward on a dirt-cheap contract, who can fill in in the top6 when needed for injury, for a pair of socks. Beautiful.

Fehr enough.

You make a good case. I like Fehr—he's a good guy. I just don't see him as a long-term answer and if he could be packaged maybe it'd bring us back a fixture. I shouldn't have said trade him for socks. That was cruel. He could bring back a player or a decent draft pick. But he can help the team for a year or two in the ways you say.

 

[amin723]

@SkyKerstein: #Caps GMBM "I think we need Brooks Laich. When Brooks Laich's in our line-up our team plays better. A healthy Brooks Laich."

This is infuriating.. He needs to be gone.. No reason to waste that cap hit on hoping a guy can stay healthy.. He may be a leader but he is not good enough to keep around..

yes it would be much better for him to proclaim to the rest of the league that they're currently looking to dump Brooks Laich and if they get no trade offers they'll just cut him. That would certainly make him a more marketable trade piece than emphasizing his importance to the team.

 

[Sam Spade]

I'm torn on Laich. If healthy he can be an important piece, was last year an anomaly or the beginning of him permanently breaking down?

Ugh, I wouldn't want to be the GM for this call. My gut says if you legally can (has he passed the physical or not) you compliance him while you still can.

The fact that he was sitting at the presser yesterday tells me that ain't happening.

 

[txpd]

Green and Johnnson are worth nothing.

which one is always injured? nothing? do you mean nothing as in they would not return a 7th round pick? that's funny

 

[txpd]

The current roster is so weak that it's not worth taking a stab at it.

the new captain doom.

 

[BobRouse]

The current roster is so weak that it's not worth taking a stab at it. The Caps are weak everywhere. Center and D are the most glaring weaknesses.

My A List of players I would dangle for trades or buyout:

Green
Laich
Mojo
Chims (depending on the return. He's getting older.)
Ward (Same as Chims)
Backstrom (If a team would give up a young centerman+ I'd strongly consider it. Backstrom is solid but he doesn't take over games—especially playoff games. Again, it depends on the return. Kesler+?
Carlson (might be too radical of a trade but I wonder if he might return a young player who has higher upside.)
Fehr (for a pair of socks)
Beagle (come on, srsly?)

Trade everyone for Scuderi!!! We sucks!! I'm so frustrated and delusional I feel the only good players in the league are those on OTHER NHL teams outside of the Caps!!

You'd pretty much make Milbury look like the greatest GM in the known universe across all sports.

the new captain doom.

Atlas makes Goon and Rids look like a bunch of soft Ted-DP sycophants at this point.

He's more like the Dark Lord of Doom.

 

[trick9]

What he said isn't wrong, we saw last year for short spurts Laich was damn good. The issue is he can never stay healthy.

While I doubt they'd ever buy him out, nor would they think to trade him for anything other then a ransom, what he said isn't technically wrong.

What we saw last season was player who for nearly half the season killed every line (ES, was good on the PK) he was in. Then we saw the guy we know Laich can be and that's why he got that contract that most people currently hate. Homever that only lasted for span of few games until we saw the third side which is exactly why this guy might get bought out while you can.

If you can't get 100% guarantee he's completely healthy then you have to buy him out. He's good player (when completely healthy) but you have to have him on the ice for the cap he's taking. If he only manages to play 40-50 games per season in which he's completely healthy in ~35 then buy him out and spend that ~4.5m elsewhere.

 

[Liberati0n*]

Railing against management's incompetence and then proposing trading Backstrom for Kesler and throwing away a cheap player who can play anywhere for nothing...

 

[trick9]

Railing against management's incompetence and then proposing trading Backstrom for Kesler and throwing away a cheap player who can play anywhere for nothing...

Maybe that + meant Hamhuis and Horvat.

And is Burkaovsky gonna be AHL eligible next year? With how he preformed last year I'd like to think he'd be able to make the jump and start getting accustomed to the American game.

He was drafted while in Europe, so yes.

 

[Sam Spade]

which one is always injured? nothing? do you mean nothing as in they would not return a 7th round pick? that's funny

They are worth nothing to the Caps. They are both soft and not built for today's NHL.

Maybe Trotz can fix MarJo, I doubt it.

And which one is always injured, are you serious? Mike Green has played more than 70 games in two of his eight NHL seasons (only played 35 games in the lockout 48 game season).

06-07 - missed 12 games
08-09 - missed 14
09-10 - missed 7
10-11 - missed 34
11-12 - missed 50
12-13 - missed 13 of 48 games
13-14 - missed 12

 

[BobRouse]

They are worth nothing to the Caps. They are both soft and not built for today's NHL.

Maybe Trotz can fix MarJo, I doubt it.

And which one is always injured, are you serious? Mike Green has played more than 70 games in two of his eight NHL seasons (only played 35 games in the lockout 48 game season).

06-07 - missed 12 games
08-09 - missed 14
09-10 - missed 7
10-11 - missed 34
11-12 - missed 50
12-13 - missed 13 of 48 games
13-14 - missed 12

Mike Green has been an NHL regular in 8 seasons. He has played 503 out of 622 games in that span (he got suspended a couple times also) - 80% rate

Sidney Crosby has been an NHL regular in 9 seasons. He has played 550 out of 704 games in that span (never suspended) - 78% rate

Pittsburgh needs to DUMP Crosby. Guy has proven too brittle to be in the NHL.

Astonishing reasoning there bro

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

@SkyKerstein: #Caps GMBM "I think we need Brooks Laich. When Brooks Laich's in our line-up our team plays better. A healthy Brooks Laich."

This is infuriating.. He needs to be gone.. No reason to waste that cap hit on hoping a guy can stay healthy.. He may be a leader but he is not good enough to keep around..

Absurdity. People are so bothered by his press interaction and cap hit (which isn't even particularly bad anymore) that they're blinded to his actual quality.

 

[NoMoreChoking]

Mike Green has been an NHL regular in 8 seasons. He has played 503 out of 622 games in that span (he got suspended a couple times also) - 80% rate

Sidney Crosby has been an NHL regular in 9 seasons. He has played 550 out of 704 games in that span (never suspended) - 78% rate

Pittsburgh needs to DUMP Crosby. Guy has proven too brittle to be in the NHL.

Astonishing reasoning there bro

Big difference when Green can't actually play his position

 

[BobRouse]

Big difference when Green can't actually play his position

You mean a 2 x Norris runner up and 2 x first team all star???

Yeah ok. Let the hate flow through you.

Green at his age has already compiled a better career than guys like Murphy and Stevens.

He looks to have gotten past his injuries but the last couple coaches we used essentially de clawed him. He hasn't been allowed to skate the puck up the ice under Hunter or Oates and thats a fact.

Imagine if Stevens had a coach who told him not to hit? How would have his career worked out?

 

[SimplySensational]

Green can't play, lead defenseman in goals last year and had 9 goals this year after really bad luck to start the season on the goal front.

Getting tired of the MoJo hate. $2.5m cap hit. 44 points. Plays well with $9.5m cap hit. Won't be long after MoJo is traded that he would have success on another team and the people that wanted him traded will be bashing management for letting go of a cheap young talent.

 

[BobRouse]

Green can't play, lead defenseman in goals last year and had 9 goals this year after really bad luck to start the season on the goal front.

Yeah our team last year we had pretty much everyone play to their capabilities due to great coaching. I see your point....

He led our team in Corsi/Fenwick possession stats despite shooting a full 3% below his carreer shooting percentage and having a PDO around 970. He had bad luck the ENTIRE year.

 

[strungout]

Ill be interested to see what they do with Green.

 

[txpd]

what GMBM said was that a healthy Brooks Laich makes the team better. I think that's correct. Laich would not be easily replaced if bought out and exited. If not healthy, particularly if permanently damaged, moving him out would be proper.

So, what he said was obvious.

Unless you are saying that you don't care if he is bought out as a healthy player and then signs with a new team and returns to his versatile 20 goal primary pk player status.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Ill be interested to see what they do with Green.

It all depends on a potential return. I like the idea of Boyle as a 2 year stopgap to Carrick.

 

[strungout]

He gets injured one time...after being healthy his entire career...doesn't let it heal and gets hurt again...and now he's a chronic injury guy. Its ridiculous how people jump on a player for being a waste when he's really not.

 

[txpd]

If you can't get 100% guarantee he's completely healthy then you have to buy him out. He's good player (when completely healthy) but you have to have him on the ice for the cap he's taking. If he only manages to play 40-50 games per season in which he's completely healthy in ~35 then buy him out and spend that ~4.5m elsewhere.

this is hockey. how do you get a 100% guarantee of health? Ov could be literally hit by a downtown bus next week.

Laich's groin could be 100% healed and a teammate hits him in the cheek with a slap shot in camp.

 

[BobRouse]

It all depends on a potential return. I like the idea of Boyle as a 2 year stopgap to Carrick.

Boyle has no gas left. He was brutal to the 10th degree last year and SJ fans can't wait to get rid of him. I don't think this is the guy we want.

If they can't resign Green or get good return its best to keep him and ride it out.

 

[txpd]

He gets injured one time...after being healthy his entire career...doesn't let it heal and gets hurt again...and now he's a chronic injury guy. Its ridiculous how people jump on a player for being a waste when he's really not.

one part scape goat/whipping boy and one part impatience. common among the instant gratification generation.

 

[NoMoreChoking]

You mean a 2 x Norris runner up and 2 x first team all star???

Yeah ok. Let the hate flow through you.

Green at his age has already compiled a better career than guys like Murphy and Stevens.

He looks to have gotten past his injuries but the last couple coaches we used essentially de clawed him. He hasn't been allowed to skate the puck up the ice under Hunter or Oates and thats a fact.

Imagine if Stevens had a coach who told him not to hit? How would have his career worked out?

Goals/points all that matter in a defenseman? I'm not arguing his offense, it's great.

Let's talk about how many goals he, all by himself caused to be scored on us because of his incompetence to stay in position.

I counted so many more last year then I have in previous years. He's gotten steadily worse over the years.

He's a liability, I don't want a liability on my blue line.