Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021 Off-Season Pt. 2

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Would be sweet.

Btw, who is that guy Danault? Is he better playmaker than Eller? Could he play with Ovi? I dont know him at all.

Danault is the guy the Blackhawks drafted with the 1st round pick the Capitals traded to them in 2011 in exchange for Troy Brouwer. He later got traded to Montreal, and he's been their de facto 1/2 C for the past few years, albeit the bulk of his deployments are in defensive situations. He's mostly viewed as a shutdown guy rather than an offensive guy. He's kinda like Montreal's equivalent to Chandler Stephenson in Vegas, albeit without the elite wingers flanking him. He wants a big contract and assurances he can get more offensive deployments in order to stay in Montreal.

I am intrigued by the possibility of Danault, although I wouldn't put him next to Ovechkin. It would leave Washington without an elite offensive center (barring Backstrom having a dramatic resurgence), but it would at least give them a center they can play in power-vs-power match-ups who can hopefully still tilt the ice. I don't see it as likely though, and it would still be putting a lot of weight on Nicky to be able to handle the offensive load. It's also unclear if Danault would like how he's deployed here, given his demands from Montreal to use him more offensively.
 
One key reason for waiting to announce an Ovechkin extension is maintaining a bit more leverage in teams not knowing precisely how much salary they need to shave. It's not much but it can be helpful to not have it so obvious (even if Samsonov is another unknown). It's possible they could have multiple contracts verbally agreed to based on a variety of scenarios. I doubt he goes one-year but perhaps if he's been intimately involved on its impact and the process there could be alternative agreements that best situate them for next season. I don't expect him to take a discount but they could maybe offer him eight years and lower the AAV a good bit (perhaps with some dummy years at the end). I don't know. They need to be creative.
 
One key reason for waiting to announce an Ovechkin extension is maintaining a bit more leverage in teams not knowing precisely how much salary they need to shave. It's not much but it can be helpful to not have it so obvious (even if Samsonov is another unknown). It's possible they could have multiple contracts verbally agreed to based on a variety of scenarios. I doubt he goes one-year but perhaps if he's been intimately involved on its impact and the process there could be alternative agreements that best situate them for next season. I don't expect him to take a discount but they could maybe offer him eight years and lower the AAV a good bit (perhaps with some dummy years at the end). I don't know. They need to be creative.

The truth in bold.

Gbmb came in with a lot of "transparency" similar to some other new, enthusiastic executives and it may have cost him in at least one or two negotiations. The recent, costly cap dump deals are good examples of why he might be playing things closer to the vest now.
 

Sky is the limit for Mr. Benning.

Were you the one saying that Caps should ask him about Pettersson? That's what I want to see. Just call him up and offer an absolute boat load of stuff. Carlson, Kuznetsov, McMichael, picks, whatever. We'll take Pettesson and Schmidt.

Benning works in mysterious ways. You never know what the hell he is going to do.
 
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I keep disagreeing the crowd, but i want to keep Dillon. Especially since Chara isnt coming back, i think we should keep some grit and fists in front of the net. Call me old fashioned, but i dont want our whole top6 be Carlsons and Schultzs.

Schmidt would be fun add, but rather lose someone else than Dillon in the progress.
 
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Trade Kuzy and Shultz + what it takes to Seattle for Gourde.
Sign Ovie for 5x10


Ovie - Backstrom - Wilson
Mantha - Gourde - Oshie
Sheary - Eller - Sprong
Hathaway - Dowd - Hagelin

Orlov - Carlson
Jenson - Dillion
Fever - TVR

Sammy
Backup

Leaves 5.5 to sign Sammy and to upgrade potentially elsewhere
 
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I'm trying to remember but brain is mush - did Lavi ever put Orlov and Jensen together this year? Or was that only a Reirden thing?
 
I keep disagreeing the crowd, but i want to keep Dillon. Especially since Chara isnt coming back, i think we should keep some grit and fists in front of the net. Call me old fashioned, but i dont want our whole top6 be Carlsons and Schultzs.

Schmidt would be fun add, but rather lose someone else than Dillon in the progress.

Samsonov is a big boy and can take care of himself. He won't be distracted
 
I'm trying to remember but brain is mush - did Lavi ever put Orlov and Jensen together this year? Or was that only a Reirden thing?

I think everybody played with every body. IIRC Orlov and Jensen were a pair when Orlov was trying to get his skating legs under him after he returned from the COVID thing early in the season
 
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Edmonton and Vancouver seem like great squads to take advantage of right now. Edmonton is likely scrambling with the loss of Larsson and the news the Klefbom is likely missing the season and Benning loves overpaying bad players. They also both need defense and "grit."
 
I'm trying to remember but brain is mush - did Lavi ever put Orlov and Jensen together this year? Or was that only a Reirden thing?

He did for a little while. They were terrific together.

Laviolette managed to put together two great D pairs in Orlov-Jensen and Dillon-TVR. He then proceeded to never play those pairs again even as the team was crashing and burning out of the 1st round again.
 
Trade Kuzy and Shultz + what it takes to Seattle for Gourde.
Sign Ovie for 5x10


Ovie - Backstrom - Wilson
Mantha - Gourde - Oshie
Sheary - Eller - Sprong
Hathaway - Dowd - Hagelin

Orlov - Carlson
Jenson - Dillion
Fever - TVR

Sammy
Backup

Leaves 5.5 to sign Sammy and to upgrade potentially elsewhere

Is Gourde better than Eller?
 
I'm trying to remember but brain is mush - did Lavi ever put Orlov and Jensen together this year? Or was that only a Reirden thing?

They played a little bit this year (115 minutes at 5v5) and were excellent together: 64% xGF, outscored the opposition 11-3 at 5v5 while on the ice together, out-chanced and out-high-dangered the opposition at a 60%+ rate.

Then they never played together again for reasons.

Jensen is a good second-pairing defenseman and should be used as such next season IMO.
 
Samsonov is a big boy and can take care of himself. He won't be distracted

in overall, its not that much about grit and fists. Its the thing to battle for your teammates, and see others do the same. Small things that can become big things.

im a minor league goalie myself, and im biggest boy in my team and can take care of myself. For some reason though, i play better when someone else does that for me. Also, when i do take care of things myself it only gives fuel for the opposite team to come two times harder, as they start thinking they managed to get to my head.
 
Is Gourde better than Eller?

Gourde has put up 40s and a 60 pt season - Eller's career high is 39.

I think he would be a solid player for our 2nd line. Feel like we could do worse if we're moving Kuzy and clearing cap space all in 1 trade. Just kinda spitballing and looking at CapFriendly.
 
They played a little bit this year (115 minutes at 5v5) and were excellent together: 64% xGF, outscored the opposition 11-3 at 5v5 while on the ice together, out-chanced and out-high-dangered the opposition at a 60%+ rate.

Then they never played together again for reasons.

Jensen is a good second-pairing defenseman and should be used as such next season IMO.

This period when Orlov was with Jensen. They were getting 3rd pair assignments. Yes? IIRC this was a period where Orlov was having trouble adjusting to Laviolette's aggressive defenseman assignments and producing very little offensively. Yes? He had 1 point in his first 18 games. Jensen as we know doesnt produce offense.

2 points. 1. Orlov isn't going to be playing 2nd pair minutes next season and Jensen isnt going to be playing 1st pair mins. Jensen on the 2nd pair means skating with Dillon. My take is that this is the pairing we will see along with Fehervary and TvR. I think as a result the offense is going to struggle to score actual goals.
 
in overall, its not that much about grit and fists. Its the thing to battle for your teammates, and see others do the same. Small things that can become big things.

im a minor league goalie myself, and im biggest boy in my team and can take care of myself. For some reason though, i play better when someone else does that for me. Also, when i do take care of things myself it only gives fuel for the opposite team to come two times harder, as they start thinking they managed to get to my head.

I think with any goalie having defensemen that are strong enough to box out and keep opposing players away from rebounds and promising a delivery of pain for crowding or slashing your goaltender is helpful. I think with a goalie as young as Samsonov with the pressure he will be under those things will be critical. Without Dillon and Chara I am not sure who the goalie can count on
 
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This period when Orlov was with Jensen. They were getting 3rd pair assignments. Yes? IIRC this was a period where Orlov was having trouble adjusting to Laviolette's aggressive defenseman assignments and producing very little offensively. Yes? He had 1 point in his first 18 games. Jensen as we know doesnt produce offense.

2 points. 1. Orlov isn't going to be playing 2nd pair minutes next season and Jensen isnt going to be playing 1st pair mins. Jensen on the 2nd pair means skating with Dillon. My take is that this is the pairing we will see along with Fehervary and TvR. I think as a result the offense is going to struggle to score actual goals.

I'm not saying they need to stay together as a pair but his play alongside Orlov just adds to a growing mound of evidence that Nick Jensen is a perfectly good second pairing RD and they should be looking to keep him and perhaps play him in that role instead of making him the odd-one out due to salary cap considerations. Dillon and Schultz are much better cap-casualty candidates and not just because their cap hits are bigger.

I don't know that they shouldn't be a pair next year though. Assuming Carlson stays they could more than easily do what they did in past years and make Orlov-Jensen similar to the Orlov-Niskanen pairing and take the harder matchups while leaving Carlson and whoever else (Dillon, Fehervary, someone else) with easier matchups.
 
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I'm not saying they need to stay together as a pair but his play alongside Orlov just adds to a growing mound of evidence that Nick Jensen is a perfectly good second pairing RD and they should be looking to keep him and perhaps play him in that role instead of making him the odd-one out due to salary cap considerations. Dillon and Schultz are much better cap-casualty candidates and not just because their cap hits are bigger.

I don't know that they shouldn't be a pair next year though. Assuming Carlson stays they could more than easily do what they did in past years and make Orlov-Jensen similar to the Orlov-Niskanen pairing and take the harder matchups while leaving Carlson and whoever else (Dillon, Fehervary, someone else) with easier matchups.

Assuming Carlson stays.....come on, dude. I will return to something Ive said before. Laviolette's game depends on a deep commitment to offense from his defense corp. A second defense pair with next to no ability to put up offense along with a 3rd pair that is similar is going to kill that system. Do you think Laviolette needs to change his game or be replaced?
 
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