Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2020 Offseason Pt. 3

[Raikkonen]

Trade Jensen and see Schultz goes down with an injury to play what kind of D lineup?

Orlov-Fever as 2nd pair? Siege-TVR 3rd?

I think trading Siege and making Fever 3LD from the start would be better than trading Jensen from lineup standpoint.

By my capfriendy estimations Caps can get under cap (like 25k LTIR left) with

+Sprong
+Malenstyn
= 13F

+Fever
-Seigenthaler
=7D with TVR as #7

PS: CMM's contract is too heavy even for this scenario though.

 

[pman25]

I'm not as familiar with the rules of LTIR and I imagine there will be some weird shuffling to make it work at the beginning of the year, but moving Kempny to LTIR, They can:

-sign Siegenthaler for his qualifying offer ($787,500)
-Add Sprong as 12F ($725,000)
-Add 13F for under $750,000, which would leave Carr, Malenstyn, Pinho as the most likely takers.

That would be 13F, 7D with TVR as #7. Or if McMichael wins a job they can remove Sprong, run 12F, 7D. They could also run 12F, 7D if Siegenthaler signs for a little more ($1-$1.25)

This is pretty similar to last year when we were very tight on the cap opening up the season, but i don't see any moves that HAVE to be made. They can make it work.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I have been banging the drum for a 3rd line of Galchenyuk-Eller-Duclair for a while know. I know it means Hagelin and Panik have to move, but that is a great upgrade.

not to the defense and the PK it’s not. We cannot lose both Panik and Hags and replace them with all offense guys on the 3rd line.

As I’ve said a few times, I’d deal Hathaway and sign 2 Vets for the 1.5m total. Both wouldn’t stick, but I’d be happy with Panik at 3 LW and Hags at 4LW. Or vice versa. And add a guy like Haula or Brassard.

that said, Sprong and McMichael need to be given and opportunity to make the team as well.

there are only so many slots to fill.

 

[OV Rocks]

not to the defense and the PK it’s not. We cannot lose both Panik and Hags and replace them with all offense guys on the 3rd line.

As I’ve said a few times, I’d deal Hathaway and sign 2 Vets for the 1.5m total. Both wouldn’t stick, but I’d be happy with Panik at 3 LW and Hags at 4LW. Or vice versa. And add a guy like Haula or Brassard.

that said, Sprong and McMichael need to be given and opportunity to make the team as well.

there are only so many slots to fill.

I have zero PK concern.

Wilson, Eller, Dowd, Hathaway, Oshie, Backstrom,. 6 guys on the roster that can kill. The 3rd line provided nothing last year and it was highlighted in the playoffs. Caps need to invest there

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Hoping they sign Mike Hoffman.

 

[pman25]

An Ovie-Carlson-Hoffman PP umbrella would be insane, but I still think Hoffman can get at least a 1 year deal for $5 million somewhere, maybe CBJ or Nashville

 

[txpd]

Isn’t Duclair the one Torts ripped into for not being a 200 ft player? Duclair has offensive upside but if he isn’t going to be semi competent at defending he isn’t going to get a spot in the bottom six. Sprong seems to be a very similar player anyway

Just like Connolly. Sometimes a player like that learns and most often they dont

 

[txpd]

An Ovie-Carlson-Hoffman PP umbrella would be insane, but I still think Hoffman can get at least a 1 year deal for $5 million somewhere, maybe CBJ or Nashville

That depends on your definition of insane is. Replacing a player you could argue is the best pure passer in the league as the primary puck controller with Mike Hoffman could be considered insane. What are you trying to achieve by that?

 

[OV Rocks]

That depends on your definition of insane is. Replacing a player you could argue is the best pure passer in the league as the primary puck controller with Mike Hoffman could be considered insane. What are you trying to achieve by that?

Backstrom can facilitate the PP from anywhere on the ice.

Why are people on this board so afraid of accumulating maximum talent?

 

[txpd]

I love what Perry would bring here. He's one of those Wilson types where you hate him unless he plays for you. My biggest gripe with last year's roster construction was that everyone pretty much had a penciled in spot and role and there was no wiggle room. Hathaway and Leipsic were sure fire 4th line guys. Panik and Hagelin were both 3rd line wings. Neither are middle 6 guys. Guys like Perry and Galchenyuk give you that ability to move matchups around, which is where we found the most success before.

Most of your typical bottom 6 guys are specific role players. Neither of Perry or Galchenyuk can replace Hagelin's job on the team. Further, we know Hagelin is good at that job and has had a quality impact on the team. Hagelin out performed Perry last season and Galchenyuk is a failure.

 

[txpd]

Backstrom can facilitate the PP from anywhere on the ice.

Why are people on this board so afraid of accumulating maximum talent?

Really? You think that Backstrom has the same options and creates to same quality of shots from below the goal line as in the half wall? I just dont get that. Max usable talent. You move Backstrom off his spot and move I assume Kuznetsov off pp1. I dont see it. Is Hoffman also the 3rd line LW?

 

[BobRouse]

Hard pass on Hoffman and his baggage.

panik can go back to 3rd line under new coach and system.

I’d like Malenstyn on the 4th line.

Will be interesting to see how D shakes out past the top 4

 

[OV Rocks]

Really? You think that Backstrom has the same options and creates to same quality of shots from below the goal line as in the half wall? I just dont get that. Max usable talent. You move Backstrom off his spot and move I assume Kuznetsov off pp1. I dont see it. Is Hoffman also the 3rd line LW?

Well the PP hasn't been as productive as it could be, under the previous regime so yes I think there is room for improvement. Facilitating the PP can be done from anywhere on the ice and it runs through Carlson and Backstrom. Having a high end shot on the other side of Ovi, will allow more movement of everyone on the ice and allow Backstrom in particular to find different passing lanes.

Think about the options that come from an Ovechkin-Carlson-Hoffman top of the umbrella. From Carlson's perspective he can shoot on goal, shoot for an Oshie tip, pass to either side, or move it low to Backstrom. Backstrom low/half wall can shoot, move it low to Oshie, cross ice to Ovi, high to Hoffman/Carlson, slot to Oshie. Hoffman/PlayerX on the high left side can shoot, shoot for tip, move it low, one time to Carlson, cross ice to Ovechkin.

The options are endless when you add another high end shooter, instead of Kuzy who is a passer.

Then PP2 has Kuzy, Wilson, Vrana, Ovechkin, Schultz. Which would be a PP1 on 25 teams across the NHL.

 

[895]

Hoping they sign Mike Hoffman.

Read all your comments in this thread.


League News: - 2017-2018 General NHL Fan Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff)

 

[txpd]

Well the PP hasn't been as productive as it could be, under the previous regime so yes I think there is room for improvement. Facilitating the PP can be done from anywhere on the ice and it runs through Carlson and Backstrom. Having a high end shot on the other side of Ovi, will allow more movement of everyone on the ice and allow Backstrom in particular to find different passing lanes.

Think about the options that come from an Ovechkin-Carlson-Hoffman top of the umbrella. From Carlson's perspective he can shoot on goal, shoot for an Oshie tip, pass to either side, or move it low to Backstrom. Backstrom low/half wall can shoot, move it low to Oshie, cross ice to Ovi, high to Hoffman/Carlson, slot to Oshie. Hoffman/PlayerX on the high left side can shoot, shoot for tip, move it low, one time to Carlson, cross ice to Ovechkin.

The options are endless when you add another high end shooter, instead of Kuzy who is a passer.

Then PP2 has Kuzy, Wilson, Vrana, Ovechkin, Schultz. Which would be a PP1 on 25 teams across the NHL.

The Caps dont use pp2. All of those players were there last season except for Kuzy(Eller) and Schultz(Orlov). I recognize that you are trading a shooter for a passer. If Hoffman is a legit one timer threat, you are effectively taking the primary decision maker on pp1 from Backstrom and giving it to Carlson. Only Oshie gets a legit one timer opportunity from Backstrom below the goal lines. Hoffman cant shoot his pass and Ov is only an option on the off backdoor occasion. Hoffman is also not a legit threat to set up one timers nearly as effectively for either Oshie or Ovechkin. Its a change of priority. Its sort of what Tamps does but even in TB Kucherov doesnt score ppg's. He passes like Backstrom does.

 

[pman25]

That depends on your definition of insane is. Replacing a player you could argue is the best pure passer in the league as the primary puck controller with Mike Hoffman could be considered insane. What are you trying to achieve by that?

I’m not trying to achieve anything, I don’t really want Hoffman either just noting he has a pretty sick one timer. Probably one of the best shooters on the power play, but yes we’re just fine having Backstrom there.

 

[Hivemind]

The O is gearing up to play with no contact allowed...

Even if well-intentioned, I don't know how that will help (and perhaps hinder) NHL-destined prospects. I understand that most of the players in the O will not play in the NHL, but its probably best to ship the ones that most likely will off somewhere else. Edit: or keep them on the NHL team.

For the Caps, I think the only one affected will be McMichael.

That was one Ontario commissioner stating that, not sure if it has actually been implemented in any fashion.

 

[tenken00]

That was one Ontario commissioner stating that, not sure if it has actually been implemented in any fashion.

Its not set in stone yet, but I can see it happening. Especially now that the QMJHL has just shut down most of the league for 2 weeks...

A bad OHL omen: Quebec league shutters teams amid COVID-19 cases | London Free Press

 

[Todd Lazarchick]

Most of your typical bottom 6 guys are specific role players. Neither of Perry or Galchenyuk can replace Hagelin's job on the team. Further, we know Hagelin is good at that job and has had a quality impact on the team. Hagelin out performed Perry last season and Galchenyuk is a failure.

I'm not looking to replace Hagelin for an exact skill set. I'm looking to bring offense to that 3rd line. There's a log jam on defense and a black hole on the third line. Something like moving Siegs and Hags gives your ball park 3.75 to play with. I'd much rather throw 2.75/3 million at Dadonov to add some scoring to the 3rd line and see if you can grab Perry on the cheap for 1 year 1 million. Rolling with a bottom 6 of:

Panik - Eller - Dadonov
Hathaway - Dowd - Perry

Hagelin isn't the only PKer on the team. But I'd be much willing to sacrifice a tad on the PK for a lot more offense on the 3rd and 4th lines.

 

[caps4cup]

I have zero PK concern.

Wilson, Eller, Dowd, Hathaway, Oshie, Backstrom,. 6 guys on the roster that can kill. The 3rd line provided nothing last year and it was highlighted in the playoffs. Caps need to invest there

Panik, Eller and Hagelin were 4th, 5th and 7th in 5v5 P/60 last year among the 12 regular forwards. Eller was +1 at 5v5, Hagelin was +5 and Panik was +16. Panik had the best GF% among forwards and Hagelin was 3rd. How much better is the 3rd line (Hagelin and Panik) supposed to be?

Once again, the problem with the team (forward wise) last year was not the bottom 6. The problem was the top 6. The team has a clear cut top 7 forwards (the top 6 and Eller). Out of the regular forwards the worst GF% at 5v5 goes Wilson, Ovi, Backstrom, Kuzy, Eller, Oshie. Vrana was 3rd FWIW, which is pretty remarkable considering how his linemates fared. The team had better results with the bottom 6 on the ice than the top 6.

Does that mean the bottom 6 can’t be improved upon? No. But throwing stuff out like “the 3rd line provided nothing last year” or “we need more scoring in the bottom 6” just doesn’t make sense when you look at the stats.

It’s also incredibly annoying seeing Hagelin get bashed around here when he’s been fantastic ever since he arrived. The only regular forwards that have a better GF% at 5v5 than him since he arrived are Panik and Dowd. That’s it. He has a better P/60 at 5v5 than Oshie, Backstrom, Wilson and Eller. The only forwards that have been on the ice for less GA/60 are Hathaway, Panik and Dowd.

He has 36 points and is a +19 in 78 games since the trade. That’s nearly identical production to what Eller has put up in Washington, without the benefit of having any PP time. That’s better than 2/3 of Connolly’s seasons. That’s almost the exact same pace as Burakovsky’s production while he was a Cap, again without Hagelin having any PP time. I agree that it would be nice to have more of a finisher to go along with Eller and Panik/Hags on the 3rd line. But saying he’s not effective or not good offensively is just a flat out lie and likely due to your own biases about the way that he plays rather than his actual results. Oh, and that’s not even taking into consideration that he is arguably the best defensive and PK forward on the team.

 

[pman25]

well you can scratch Dadonov off the list. signed for $5 mil aav by Ottawa.

That's why for these last few decent FAs, like Hoffman, Granlund, maybe Duclair, they'll still get a decent contract, probably not 1 year $1 million type guys

 

[txpd]

I’m not trying to achieve anything, I don’t really want Hoffman either just noting he has a pretty sick one timer. Probably one of the best shooters on the power play, but yes we’re just fine having Backstrom there.

Ive tried to justify putting Vrana in that spot to shoot the one timer to get the pk off of Ovechkin but it doesnt work. The Vrana one timer gets covered because Carlson has to turn his body to pass and the puck movement is damaged because Vrana isnt as good with puck as Backstrom or Kuznetsov.

 

[Todd Lazarchick]

Panik, Eller and Hagelin were 4th, 5th and 7th in 5v5 P/60 last year among the 12 regular forwards. Eller was +1 at 5v5, Hagelin was +5 and Panik was +16. Panik had the best GF% among forwards and Hagelin was 3rd. How much better is the 3rd line (Hagelin and Panik) supposed to be?

Once again, the problem with the team (forward wise) last year was not the bottom 6. The problem was the top 6. The team has a clear cut top 7 forwards (the top 6 and Eller). Out of the regular forwards the worst GF% at 5v5 goes Wilson, Ovi, Backstrom, Kuzy, Eller, Oshie. Vrana was 3rd FWIW, which is pretty remarkable considering how his linemates fared. The team had better results with the bottom 6 on the ice than the top 6.

Does that mean the bottom 6 can’t be improved upon? No. But throwing stuff out like “the 3rd line provided nothing last year” or “we need more scoring in the bottom 6” just doesn’t make sense when you look at the stats.

It’s also incredibly annoying seeing Hagelin get bashed around here when he’s been fantastic ever since he arrived. The only regular forwards that have a better GF% at 5v5 than him since he arrived are Panik and Dowd. That’s it. He has a better P/60 at 5v5 than Oshie, Backstrom, Wilson and Eller. The only forwards that have been on the ice for less GA/60 are Hathaway, Panik and Dowd.

He has 36 points and is a +19 in 78 games since the trade. That’s nearly identical production to what Eller has put up in Washington, without the benefit of having any PP time. That’s better than 2/3 of Connolly’s seasons. That’s almost the exact same pace as Burakovsky’s production while he was a Cap, again without Hagelin having any PP time. I agree that it would be nice to have more of a finisher to go along with Eller and Panik/Hags on the 3rd line. But saying he’s not effective or not good offensively is just a flat out lie and likely due to your own biases about the way that he plays rather than his actual results. Oh, and that’s not even taking into consideration that he is arguably the best defensive and PK forward on the team.

I really don't think anyone hates Hagelin or bashes him. IMO he'd be perfect on the 4th line allowing for more a finisher on the 3rd.

 

[txpd]

I'm not looking to replace Hagelin for an exact skill set. I'm looking to bring offense to that 3rd line.

I get that. I am saying that the Caps dont need to score more goals. They need fewer goals against. Which forwards to you see as penalty killers? The Caps have to kill them. They won the cup in part because at a critical time they killed a 5 on 3 with Jay Beagle and Brooks Oprik on the ice for most of it.

 

[txpd]

I really don't think anyone hates Hagelin or bashes him. IMO he'd be perfect on the 4th line allowing for more a finisher on the 3rd.

The Caps have a hole on the 3rd line. A place for a finisher. Hagelin Eller and X. Panic, Sprong or someone else. Neither of those guys are $5m players requiring salary cap changes.