Confirmed with Link: Capitals and Vrana agree to PTO

[Devil Dancer]

Cool, what's Matt Niskanen up to these days?

 

[Chokingdogs]

Oh good grief. Is the ghost of makfi still walking the halls here? What is it with this organEYEzation and bringing back ex players.

 

[Hivemind]

Oh good grief. Is the ghost of makfi still walking the halls here? What is it with this organEYEzation and bringing back ex players.

If it was an actual guaranteed contract, I would agree with you. But its a PTO. Literally zero downside.

 

[Ridley Simon]

What’s the risk? Not sure why anyone would be worried about this.

Let’s not act like he’s got a 3m contact we are absorbing. He’s FREE.

If this allows us to sell someone for futures or as part of an upgrade somewhere (TVR & Milano for a better d-man?)…. Then Giddyup!

 

[um]

I think it's a nice thing to do for a former player who has had a rough couple of years.

That being said, I really cannot think of a scenario in which he makes the team. Lappy, McMichael, and Milano are all better NHL options. Even for that 13th forward/1st callup spot Frank and Dube have outproduced him in the AHL while being younger and ... let's just say a bit more attentive to the defensive aspect of the game. Even for a two-way/AHL deal I think (but could be wrong) that Hershey are out of veteran contract slots.

Obviously none of us know how "the room" feels but it seems to me like more of an unnecessary distraction with very little upside

I think Vrana has significantly more upside than those AHL guys. He's much more comparable to Milano.

Either way, injuries will always happen (Milano), guys don't always perform well out of their position (McMichael), and not everyone strives in their first NHL season (Lappy). Adding another left winger is not a bad idea at all.

It's basically a zero risk, high upside move. I got no problem with it.

 

[RandyHolt]

Last I remember his chain got ripped off his neck in a fight when our DMan got injured... can't remember his name.

 

[g00n]

Zero risk, plenty of potential upside, and you have to root for him to make a huge comeback.

Dude, don't waste this. Whatever you had going on it's time to settle it and focus on hockey. This may be your last chance.

 

[Corby78]

I see this as more of a solid for an old friend trying to fix his life. If he plays hard maybe he makes the team. Or maybe he gets some preseason games and we can get him on somebody else’s roster.

Also I never want to hear how we lost that trade ever again.

 

[Cappy76]

Last I remember his chain got ripped off his neck in a fight when our DMan got injured... can't remember his name.

That would be deadline addition Michael Kempny

As other's have said zero risk here he either earns a spot or he doesn't if he does great if not nothing hurt.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I see this as more of a solid for an old friend trying to fix his life. If he plays hard maybe he makes the team. Or maybe he gets some preseason teams and we can get him on somebody else’s roster.

Also I never want to hear how we lost that trade ever again.

Go check what that first round draft pick We traded turned into.

 

[g00n]

Let's say he makes the team. Who gets bumped? I've seen Milano mentioned but I'm not sure.

If Vrana does surge and makes someone expendable, maybe that guy and someone else get put together in a package for a bigger trade for a top 6 forward...

 

[Brian23]

Let's say he makes the team. Who gets bumped? I've seen Milano mentioned but I'm not sure.

If Vrana does surge and makes someone expendable, maybe that guy and someone else get put together in a package for a bigger trade for a top 6 forward...

Basing off this

Lets assume Oshie in for Raddysh, I guess I can agree I don't see a spot but if we don't expect Oshie to play (and let's be honest, do we even expect him to last if he does play?) there's a top 9 role for him easily.

 

[g00n]

Basing off this

View attachment 901267

Lets assume Oshie in for Raddysh, I guess I can agree I don't see a spot but if we don't expect Oshie to play (and let's be honest, do we even expect him to last if he does play?) there's a top 9 role for him easily.

Do LTIR contracts count against your total? I know this has probably been answered before. I just wonder if they find themselves in a position where someone has to go, and then Oshie LTIR cap space allows them to move 2 guys and grab 1 solid upgrade.

 

[Cappy76]

Go check what that first round draft pick We traded turned into.

Cossa?
Johnston?

Either way traded picks have the value of the pick not the player drafted. There is no saying that the Caps would have drafted that player if they had the pick at the draft. Picks are just that a pick until it is made.

They could have just as easily picked Samoskevich, Ceulemans, Lambos, or some other off the wall pick that hasn't or won't make an impact if they were picking 23 that year.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Last I remember his chain got ripped off his neck in a fight when our DMan got injured... can't remember his name.

You’re thinking of Michael Crabtree and Aqib Talib

 

[qc14]

I think Vrana has significantly more upside than those AHL guys. He's much more comparable to Milano.

Either way, injuries will always happen (Milano), guys don't always perform well out of their position (McMichael), and not everyone strives in their first NHL season (Lappy). Adding another left winger is not a bad idea at all.

It's basically a zero risk, high upside move. I got no problem with it.

I'm not sure the upside is that high -- absolute best case scenario is what, he equals Milano's production from the last two years with much worse defensive play? Also not so sure there's zero risk either given the circumstances around his departure from the team.

Still don't really have a problem with it but more so in that I think it's good for the organization to do solids for former players rather than it being a savvy hockey move a la Milano

 

[StrikingDistance]

If he makes it he'd also instantly add a great amount of speed to the team, something sorely lacking.

Want this to work out so badly.

Wait...are we talking physical speed? Or the other kind?

 

[Kalopsia]

What’s the risk? Not sure why anyone would be worried about this.

Let’s not act like he’s got a 3m contact we are absorbing. He’s FREE.

If this allows us to sell someone for futures or as part of an upgrade somewhere (TVR & Milano for a better d-man?)…. Then Giddyup!

Yeah, the only person who "loses" in this deal is whoever would've been the last winger invited to training camp. It's basically the equivalent of finding an unused scratch-off lottery ticket on the ground.

 

[hockeykicker]

Go check what that first round draft pick We traded turned into.

A goalie that struggled while playing in the echl?

 

[Calicaps]

Well whatever. Hard to wanna go backwards but Jake can score, so... I guess we'll see. Just don't want him blocking any of the kids.

 

[Brian23]

I really don't like the both revisionist history and the seeming distasteful glee people seem to have around Vrana here. At the absolute worst, Vrana had "personality" issues here that seemingly amounted too he didn't like riding the bench. To act like he was some drug addict tanking the team is ridiculous. This isn't a guy like Kuznetsov who was off doing blow, this wasn't Mike Ribero who was constantly drunk and supposedly showing up to games drunk, Vrana supposedly got addicted to pain killers long after he'd left here, after taking them for legitimate reasons, and after getting injured playing. That can literally happen to anyone.

Just rubs me the wrong way.

 

[Hivemind]

A goalie that struggled while playing in the echl?

???

That's a pretty bad take on Cossa.

 

[usiel]

Always tough to see a former cap go through some tough times once they are on another teams roster. So happy for Vrana on getting the chance back 'home' so to speak.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

I hope he makes it. He will have a lot of comfort with some of the players, the area, and Carbery knows him well from being in the org. I dig it.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

A goalie that struggled while playing in the echl?

.913% is struggling?