Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) -- 2018-19 We Are The Champions Edition - Pt. 1

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txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
14,134
New Bern, NC
It doesn't matter what DSP wants. Barring an offer sheet from another team (in which the Capitals would have been compensated with draft picks), the Capitals can ultimately just take him to salary arbitration. I wouldn't expect that arb value to be incredibly high.

ok...so, would you like to offer a reason why MacLellan passed on DSP?
 

Hivemind

We're Touched
Oct 8, 2010
37,454
14,097
Philadelphia
$25M guaranteed money for a player with barely over 100 career points in five seasons seems like a lot. If they wanted to play hardball, they could go to arbitration and still have another chance at an RFA contract before Wilson hits UFA market. I don't know if I like that strategy, as he could be more expensive next off-season than he is this year. But I like it more than paying what he would cost next off-season right now. Sign him to a deal that should appreciate in value, not one that pays for his full potential. Basically sign him to the same type of contract that Carlson is just now emerging from.
 

NobodyBeatsTheWiz

Happy now?
Jun 26, 2004
23,480
2,064
The Burbs
So, spit-balling that they're actually looking to do something in UFA. Here's a "don't bring the band back together" roster, filled with only QO and call-ups:

Roster SizeSalary CapCap HitOther
q2.svg
BonusesCap Space
22$79,500,000$74,510,961$82,500$782,500$4,989,039
[THEAD] [/THEAD]
Delete Created or Signed PlayerPlace on LTIR (Rookie-mode
q.svg
)
Place on LTIR (Pro-mode
q.svg
)
BuyoutAdd to Trade
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Roster

Left WingCentreRight Wing
Ovechkin, Alex
$9,538,462
LW, RW
M-NTC
UFA - 3
Kuznetsov, Evgeny
$7,800,000
C
UFA - 7
Wilson, Tom
$4,500,000
RW
RFA
Vrána, Jakub
$863,333
LW
RFA - 1
Bäckström, Nicklas
$6,700,000
C
M-NTC
UFA - 2
Connolly, Brett
$1,500,000
RW, LW
UFA - 1
Burakovsky, André
$3,000,000
LW, RW
RFA - 1
Eller, Lars
$3,500,000
C
UFA - 5
Oshie, T.J.
$5,750,000
RW
M-NTC
UFA - 7
Jonsson-Fjällby, Axel
$860,000
LW
RFA - 3
Stephenson, Chandler
$650,000
C
RFA - 1
Boyd, Travis
$715,000
C
RFA
Walker, Nathan
$650,000
LW
RFA - 1
[THEAD] [/THEAD]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
Orlov, Dmitry
$5,100,000
D
UFA - 5
Niskanen, Matt
$5,750,000
D
M-NTC
UFA - 3
Holtby, Braden
$6,100,000
M-NTC
UFA - 2
Djoos, Christian
$650,000
D
RFA - 1
Carlson, John
$8,000,000
edit.svg

D
M-NTC
UFA - 8

Copley, Pheonix
$650,000
UFA - 1
Siegenthaler, Jonas
$714,166
D
RFA - 2
Bowey, Madison
$787,500
D
RFA
Ness, Aaron
$650,000
D
UFA - 1
[THEAD] [/THEAD]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Functionally over $5M in cap space, when sending the player down that a UFA would replace. With the potential to gain another ~$1M if you want to keep the roster at 20 and have yo-yo players for injuries.
 
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AlexModvechkin8

At least there was 2018.
Sponsor
Feb 18, 2012
27,529
27,179
District of Champions
It baffles me, for the most part. The conclusion that @HunterSThompson and @NobodyBeatsTheWiz reached seems the most likely. GMBM simply doesn't want DSP back on the roster unless DSP is willing to sign an absurdly cheap deal (under arbitration value).

Maybe he views DSP the same way he viewed Trotz. Unlikely to replicate prior success and unwilling to pay for prior accomplishments. Let's also remind ourselves that he, Chiasson, and Beagle had the worst possession metrics on the team and that DSP is historically a player who gets buried in possession metrics (career: 44.7%, 2018: 44.4%). In addition to his possession troubles, he shot 24.1% during the postseason which is up from 6.8% in the regular season (career shooting %: 8.5). It could be that GMBM is just not letting nostalgia and the glow of the Cup cloud his decision making process on how to retool the roster moving forward, and with the return of all top 9 forwards to the team maybe he wants some new blood fighting for spots on his 4th line.
 
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artilector

Registered User
Jan 11, 2006
8,351
1,187
$25M guaranteed money for a player with barely over 100 career points in five seasons seems like a lot. If they wanted to play hardball, they could go to arbitration and still have another chance at an RFA contract before Wilson hits UFA market. I don't know if I like that strategy, as he could be more expensive next off-season than he is this year. But I like it more than paying what he would cost next off-season right now. Sign him to a deal that should appreciate in value, not one that pays for his full potential. Basically sign him to the same type of contract that Carlson is just now emerging from.

Yeah, what's the point of having RFA rights if you intend to pay Wilson close to what he'd get as a UFA? You can always do that... later.
Also, the cap situation is likely to continue to be tight in the foreseeable future, so overpaying early on can cost you another valuable player in a year or two...
 
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Hivemind

We're Touched
Oct 8, 2010
37,454
14,097
Philadelphia
Maybe he views DSP the same way he viewed Trotz. Unlikely to replicate prior success and unwilling to pay for prior accomplishments. Let's also remind ourselves that he, Chiasson, and Beagle had the worst possession metrics on the team and that DSP is historically a player who gets buried in possession metrics (career: 44.7%, 2018: 44.4%). In addition to his possession troubles, he shot 24.1% during the postseason which is up from 6.8% in the regular season (career shooting %: 8.5). It could be that GMBM is just not letting nostalgia and the glow of the Cup cloud his decision making process on how to retool the roster moving forward, and with the return of all top 9 forwards to the team maybe he wants some new blood fighting for spots on his 4th line.

I get the notion of not overpaying for past accomplishments (I've espoused it multiple times in the past couple weeks). It just seems weird to shed a cost controlled 4th liner like DSP, especially with as much other turnover expected in both the bottom six and PK units.


It's unlikely that DSP's next contract would have been so valuable that he'd look particularly egregious sitting in the press box, should he be jumped by younger players.
 

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
14,134
New Bern, NC
It baffles me, for the most part. The conclusion that @HunterSThompson and @NobodyBeatsTheWiz reached seems the most likely. GMBM simply doesn't want DSP back on the roster unless DSP is willing to sign an absurdly cheap deal (under arbitration value).

Yea. Something like that. Lets say that MacLellan has a reasonable idea of what his Arbitration award would be. What is better for the player. To be available on July 1 as a UFA or to become a UFA after the team walks away from the arbitration award? Its my view that DSP's agent has presented their desires and that they are not close to the salary cap structure that MacLellan is working with. The only way they reup him is if there isn't a UFA market for him.
 

Hivemind

We're Touched
Oct 8, 2010
37,454
14,097
Philadelphia
Yea. Something like that. Lets say that MacLellan has a reasonable idea of what his Arbitration award would be. What is better for the player. To be available on July 1 as a UFA or to become a UFA after the team walks away from the arbitration award? Its my view that DSP's agent has presented their desires and that they are not close to the salary cap structure that MacLellan is working with. The only way they reup him is if there isn't a UFA market for him.
The team cannot walk away from arbitration awards under $4M. There's no way he's getting anywhere near that figure. The Capitals can absolutely afford basically anything DSP is awarded in abritration. This just seems much more like they don't want to.
 

Hivemind

We're Touched
Oct 8, 2010
37,454
14,097
Philadelphia
Yeah, I just mean as in the 2-3 year length.
2-3 year length would be a poor choice for the Capitals, as it would carry him directly to UFA status. He will hit UFA after his age 26 season because of 7 seasons in the NHL. So the Capitals can either sign him to a 1 year deal (presumably via arbitration) or go longer term.
 

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
14,134
New Bern, NC
The team cannot walk away from arbitration awards under $4M. There's no way he's getting anywhere near that figure. The Capitals can absolutely afford basically anything DSP is awarded in abritration. This just seems much more like they don't want to.

Well, then that makes even more sense. If the Caps are stuck with a $2.5m award, I can easily see that they have no cap space to make that work or anything like that. Like I said. They didn't QO him because they didn't want to be obligated to him beyond what they have budgeted.
 

HunterSThompson

[}=[][][][][]
Jun 19, 2007
4,480
1,097
Washington, DC
2-3 year length would be a poor choice for the Capitals, as it would carry him directly to UFA status. He will hit UFA after his age 26 season because of 7 seasons in the NHL. So the Capitals can either sign him to a 1 year deal (presumably via arbitration) or go longer term.
I agree but its either 2-3 years at something more manageable and maybe lose him to free agency then or long-term and maybe overpay him if he doesn't grow from here. You already said you would be cautious with a long-term deal and are afraid of it for Wilson. Short term is the alternative. Yes a one year deal is always an option.

Either way, I was saying they would avoid the short-term deal anywho.
 
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