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

[Todd Lazarchick]

Do not understand why people are still upset over vrana. Couldn't afford an uncoachable player who disappears in the playoffs. Traded for another potentially good player. win imo

Because he's just so darn cute is a popular social media reason. There hasn't been a single media outlet who thinks the Caps lost that trade. Mantha is twice the player and a much better fit for how this team is built. This constant rhetoric that Lavy came here and instantly picked Vrana as his scapegoat is tiresome. The kid didn't want to buy in to a 200ft game. Simple as that.

 

[trick9]

Feel like they'll be lucky to get #141 for him.

Propably but he's a guy dinosaur GM's love.

He's still the same player he's always been and we paid 2nd + 3rd for him as a rental.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Let me think, oh yeah, GMBM has traded players in the past before the pandemic with picks attached to clear cap space.

Yes... this is what a GM does. I'm sorry was there a question here?


Every competitive team in the league spends up to the cap. Every competitive team trades players with picks to clear cap space.



In the past week we just saw two teams in our own division trade away players and picks for LITERALLY nothing in return, like I didn't even know you were allowed to not get anything in return.



The two best players in our franchise history are north of 33 and also our two largest cap hits. This is kind of just the natural evolution of how a team works. You're good, you get old, you fall into cap hell, you suck, you rebuild, you're good, etc.


You're going to shit your brains out when you're treated to what it looks like when regress to the mean. We're statistically the winningest team of the last 10 years, we have no business actually being competitive still and yet we are.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I don't think anyone who was a fan prior to the OV years can be disgruntled at this point. If you watched a lifetime of absolutely hopeless hockey you'd understand that one Cup and a guaranteed playoff slot every season is an absolute treat.



Would love to win another Cup before Backy and OV are done, but if this is it, damn I got no complaints. I mean look at this roster....
2003-04 Washington Capitals Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com


I remember glass seats this season were like $20

 

[Devil Dancer]

Still no Ovie announcement. Is he in Russia? Or are they waiting for an open day on the NHL calendar?

 

[2017WashingtonCaps]

I remember glass seats this season were like $20

$20? Ted was giving away glass seats at AOL so people would show up

 

[itsjustsurvival]

It will certainly be interesting to see what Mantha does with a full season in Washington under his belt with some settling into the area and into his new team.

I really like his game. I think he could have a very nice season.

I am concerned with the top six in general though. If they move Kuznetsov and don't bring in some speed/playmaking ability, I think several of the teams shooters will be in trouble. Kuznetsov aside, they really could use an infusion of those things anyway.

 

[txpd]

You mean when the Caps let a Stanley Cup winning coach go.

1. That was not his call
2.

 

[Random schmoe]

Propably but he's a guy dinosaur GM's love.

He's still the same player he's always been and we paid 2nd + 3rd for him as a rental.

You're not wrong about dinosaur GMs. But the overall environment has changed dramatically since they dealt for him.

 

[Gopack76]

this has all probably been said but Trotz/GMBM relationship was over before the playoffs. THey built a team that could not beat the penguins and a new direction was going to be implemented. Then they kinda sorta accidentally went ahead and caught lightning in a bottle and became the team they always should have been and won the whole thing. At that point they had already let the cat out of the bag with Trotz knowing he wasnt going to be resigned before the playoffs and Reirdon all set to take over. Trotz is also severely overrated on these boards. He has won exactly the same amount of Cups as the caps since leaving the Caps.

Do not understand why people are still upset over vrana. Couldn't afford an uncoachable player who disappears in the playoffs. Traded for another potentially good player. win imo

At yet he's done much better with a less talented team with the Islanders than the Caps have done.

 

[txpd]

Oh boy. Where would we be without mister playoff goose egg himself. I hate to be the one to tell you, Vrana sucks. He's fast...and that's about it. He isn't a consistent scoring threat. He doesn't play a 200ft game. He's a defensive liability. Let it go.

I am old enough to remember the Caps losing a game 7 in double ot. A series where if a player without a single point was able to provide a single point, they might well have won the series.

There's also the part where hockey is all about the buy in and when a player chooses up your's to buying in its not good all around

 

[Gopack76]

Oh boy. Where would we be without mister playoff goose egg himself. I hate to be the one to tell you, Vrana sucks. He's fast...and that's about it. He isn't a consistent scoring threat. He doesn't play a 200ft game. He's a defensive liability. Let it go.

I know, let's trade Vrana for a less productive player and let's give them a 1st and 2nd round pick as well. Great strategy. How'd that trade work out for the Caps last season?

 

[crazy8888]

Still no Ovie announcement. Is he in Russia? Or are they waiting for an open day on the NHL calendar?

Caps lowballed him and now he is going to test free agency

 

[Corby78]

Oh geez, bringing up all the mistakes to prove a point!! Can't have that. Do you actually read what you write?



The idea of being aggressive and going for it has failed, but let's keep doing it and trading all the younger, faster players away in favor of more expensive vets. Good plan.

Do you?

 

[Gopack76]

Because he's just so darn cute is a popular social media reason. There hasn't been a single media outlet who thinks the Caps lost that trade. Mantha is twice the player and a much better fit for how this team is built. This constant rhetoric that Lavy came here and instantly picked Vrana as his scapegoat is tiresome. The kid didn't want to buy in to a 200ft game. Simple as that.

Mantha is twice the player?? LOLOLOL
Be more of a GMBM bootlicker.

Mantha didn't do anything for the Caps and it cost the Caps a lot of draft capital. But hey, it's awesome having a bunch of RW players and only one legitimate LW player once Ovechkin re-signs.

 

[Corby78]

I know, let's trade Vrana for a less productive player and let's give them a 1st and 2nd round pick as well. Great strategy. How'd that trade work out for the Caps last season?

Again, your not being honest with your statements. We didn't give up a 1st and 2nd to get Mantha.

 

[895]

Ignoring salary, draft picks paid, and everything else...

I don't see Mantha being as clear cut better than Vrana. He does some things better, some things worse. But worryingly, he is just as inconsistent.

Right now that trade is a huge failure but it's still too soon to judge.

 

[tenken00]

Ignoring salary, draft picks paid, and everything else...

I don't see Mantha being as clear cut better than Vrana. He does some things better, some things worse. But worryingly, he is just as inconsistent.

Right now that trade is a huge failure but it's still too soon to judge.

Mantha's only played with the team for about a month. It's still too soon to judge so no use in worrying too much about it right now.

PS: Nice Avy btw

 

[kicksavedave]

It will certainly be interesting to see what Mantha does with a full season in Washington under his belt with some settling into the area and into his new team.

It will also be interesting to see what Jake does over a full season in Detroit. He was obviously on fire after the trade, 4 goal games and all that... lets see how he does over 82 games of losing most of the time. When will his quarterly drought happen, and how fast will Wings fans turn on him?

 

[tenken00]

It will also be interesting to see what Jake does over a full season in Detroit. He was obviously on fire after the trade, 4 goal games and all that... lets see how he does over 82 games of losing most of the time. When will his quarterly drought happen, and how fast will Wings fans turn on him?

Same as Mantha, it's only been about a month for Vrana. Gotta give it at least all of next season. Too many brave souls have died on those hills with their famous last words.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Mantha is twice the player?? LOLOLOL
Be more of a GMBM bootlicker.

Mantha didn't do anything for the Caps and it cost the Caps a lot of draft capital. But hey, it's awesome having a bunch of RW players and only one legitimate LW player once Ovechkin re-signs.

Ok, so I looked you up. Unless you had a name change, here we go—

Joined in 2017. Not one single post until late 2020 (about Lundqvist). 21 total post from you, and every single one of them is negative and disparaging of the team. Not one post is even close to being neutral.

hmmm. Interesting.

I believe there are terms for posters like this. Can’t seem to remember —-

 

[HecticGlow]

I think the worry with Mantha is going to be consistency, and consistent effort - two things Vrana was often thought to lack. Mantha in the playoffs, and the run-up to the playoffs, lacked the kind of urgency, drive or extra gear to his game that our successful core players like Oshie bring, and that brought us a Cup. Given it was his first career opportunity in the playoffs, and given his pedigree and reputation, I expected to see him take a step forward like Hall did that year NJD made the postseason. Aside from a couple of good opportunities that didn’t pay off, and 1 or 2 nice assists, Mantha didn’t really stand out during the Boston series - no more so than Sheary or Raffl, certainly.

I don’t think the Caps paid the price they did for who Mantha is - they paid it for who they thought Mantha might/could become on a good team. We’ve got to hope that development happens once he’s acclimatised, or we’re in trouble.

 

[kicksavedave]

Ok, so I looked you up. Unless you had a name change, here we go—

Joined in 2017. Not one single post until late 2020 (about Lundqvist). 21 total post from you, and every single one of them is negative and disparaging of the team. Not one post is even close to being neutral.

hmmm. Interesting.

I believe there are terms for posters like this. Can’t seem to remember —-

 

[Todd Lazarchick]

I know, let's trade Vrana for a less productive player and let's give them a 1st and 2nd round pick as well. Great strategy. How'd that trade work out for the Caps last season?

Better than Vrana did for them in the playoffs......

 

[Todd Lazarchick]

Mantha is twice the player?? LOLOLOL
Be more of a GMBM bootlicker.

Mantha didn't do anything for the Caps and it cost the Caps a lot of draft capital. But hey, it's awesome having a bunch of RW players and only one legitimate LW player once Ovechkin re-signs.

I've been HIGHLY critical of GMBM at times. Please feel free to tell me what Vrana did that is so irreplaceable. I'm sure it'll be impossible to find another guy to absolutely vanish during the playoffs.