Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2022-23 Season Part 2: Regular Season

[Marshall]

I'll go ahead and be the weirdo who thinks this team is going to be good. Like, really good. Directly addressed each weakness - maybe not with our choices, but addressed each one like a checklist. Lots of vets, which is actually a good thing when trying to win hockey games at a championship level. Depth for when the inevitable breakdowns occur. Had a rookie have a breakout camp. (And he's closer to 6'7", according to a Ross Mahoney interview post-draft. Big sumbitch.)

I love that the Caps are this under the radar. Don't tell anyone.

 

[marcel snapshot]

I'll go ahead and be the weirdo who thinks this team is going to be good. Like, really good. Directly addressed each weakness - maybe not with our choices, but addressed each one like a checklist. Lots of vets, which is actually a good thing when trying to win hockey games at a championship level. Depth for when the inevitable breakdowns occur. Had a rookie have a breakout camp. (And he's closer to 6'7", according to a Ross Mahoney interview post-draft. Big sumbitch.)

I love that the Caps are this under the radar. Don't tell anyone.

My hope is that it is actually the Bruins, Pens, and Blues who are the teams all the wags think the Caps are

 

[Ridley Simon]

Re Waiver Dudes:

Reilly could be fit in. They have the space. Unless someone else already claimed him

He’s far better than Gus and Irwin.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

I'll go ahead and be the weirdo who thinks this team is going to be good. Like, really good. Directly addressed each weakness - maybe not with our choices, but addressed each one like a checklist. Lots of vets, which is actually a good thing when trying to win hockey games at a championship level. Depth for when the inevitable breakdowns occur. Had a rookie have a breakout camp. (And he's closer to 6'7", according to a Ross Mahoney interview post-draft. Big sumbitch.)

I love that the Caps are this under the radar. Don't tell anyone.

Welcome to the club

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Re Waiver Dudes:

Reilly could be fit in. They have the space. Unless someone else already claimed him

He’s far better than Gus and Irwin.

Agreed.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

My hope is that it is actually the Bruins, Pens, and Blues who are the teams all the wags think the Caps are

I truly believe Boston and Pittsburgh are going to be, but I have a hard time trying to convince myself about the Blues. I believe the Blues are just as capable of making a good run as ever.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

I'll go ahead and be the weirdo who thinks this team is going to be good. Like, really good. Directly addressed each weakness - maybe not with our choices, but addressed each one like a checklist. Lots of vets, which is actually a good thing when trying to win hockey games at a championship level. Depth for when the inevitable breakdowns occur. Had a rookie have a breakout camp. (And he's closer to 6'7", according to a Ross Mahoney interview post-draft. Big sumbitch.)

I love that the Caps are this under the radar. Don't tell anyone.

I think they could be a great regular season team but I’m still worried about the number of old legs if they get to the playoffs. Each of the last few playoff series I’ve thought they slowed down as the series progressed and IMHO that was due to age.

 

[twabby]

I think Strome in particular could be a big help, but I have a hard time seeing them overcoming their scoring issues in the postseason. Just not enough top-end talent and they still rely way too much on opportunism instead of chance generation.

There’s a blueprint for advancing deep but it’s going to require Fehervary taking a big step forward and Carlson finally playing up to expectations in the postseason. They’ll need to replicate what the Islanders did in 2020 and 2021: a disciplined defensive game with sound goaltending. That strategy can win a few rounds.

 

[Langway]

I think my biggest issue with the Caps is that they're kind of same-y. There's not much of a contrasting mix nor high-end mobility. On the plus side it supplies them with a certain defensive structure and lineup flexibility when disciplined but also can make them sort of boxy, boilerplate and easier to defend when teams are equally capable. Teams that match their engagement can patiently probe waiting for bigger breakdowns and take advantage of some of the athleticism/IQ issues. Whereas they can lack some of the fluidity and dynamism to match if not fully engaged (and certainly even when they are come playoff time fairly often recently). Their attacking remains more about collective engagement but they likely need another creative, dynamic piece more about puck control, slowing the game down, finding lanes and making teammates better offensively.

I've liked Strome's game and Brown may have an underrated IQ. But they're still largely a team built to go through teams and rotate all five skaters with both the skater personnel and execution needing further refinement. Goaltending should thankfully stabilize them and shift the focus where it needs to be on the skaters. But acquiring the level of additional offensive playmaking/IQ probably won't be easy, esp. someone that fits what they do defensively/structurally.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

I see Lesson to ANA. Awful asset management.

 

[alexthekidd]

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Lesson and Protas were golden together in the WHL and I was expecting that would happen here as they both matured. I have been saying that for a few years on here But we had to have mojo instead. I am very pissed off at this

 

[alexthekidd]

I see Lesson to ANA. Awful asset management.

Jonsson-Fjallby to Winnipeg too.

 

[trick9]

f*** sake can't believe we keep losing good young players for free to keep guys like Johansson.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Not quite Erat level, but I have not been this livid about management since then.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Ouch on loosing those guys

 

[John Price]

Damn that suckis.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Ouch on loosing those guys

Is it? Neither Leason nor AJF moved the needle much for me. To me we had too many forwards in the system, and they were logically the odd ones out.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

More bummed about Leason than AJF.

 

[Rayquaza64]

but its ok guys! mojo is back again for another season where we totally need his presence!

 

[DWGie26]

I mean really, we created competition (good thing) and not everyone can make it. It’s a good problem to have when you have guys that other teams want. It’s why we have been so good for so long Although we should have at least two cups.

I am bummed about leason though. 2nd round pick in just 2019. 6’4 and responsible with plenty of NHL games. But he is a 4th liner with maybe 3RW potential Down the road. I would have liked to develop him more.

Now We know what we got. Drop the damn puck and LFG!

but its ok guys! mojo is back again for another season where we totally need his presence!

Mojo is a lot better than Leason and AJF. They have had their development time and couldn’t get there. Would have liked to have another season to develop them, but if they came in and impacted like Protas they wouldn’t have been exposed.

 

[traparatus]

Losing middling prospects to waivers is not the end of the world. Losing prospects to create room for the useless, toilet paper soft Johansson, I'm not sure about. Now I'll have to watch this bum featured on the power play for the whole damn season.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

f*** sake can't believe we keep losing good young players for free to keep guys like Johansson.

Beat me to it. So glad we lost Leason for fuc*ing Mojo.

I mean really, we created competition (good thing) and not everyone can make it. It’s a good problem to have when you have guys that other teams want. It’s why we have been so good for so long Although we should have at least two cups.

I am bummed about leason though. 2nd round pick in just 2019. 6’4 and responsible with plenty of NHL games. But he is a 4th liner with maybe 3RW potential Down the road. I would have liked to develop him more.

Now We know what we got. Drop the damn puck and LFG!


Mojo is a lot better than Leason and AJF. They have had their development time and couldn’t get there. Would have liked to have another season to develop them, but if they came in and impacted like Protas they wouldn’t have been exposed.

No. This was bad asset management.

 

[Roshi]

Sucks to lose Leason and Fjallby for nothing but they werent going to be here tomorrow anyways, with or without Marcus Johansson. They would still have headed to waivers and get claimed.

We have good depth that makes these kind of things to happen. Kind of a good problem to have, sort of.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I think you have to look at it from the bigger picture. We lost AJF and Leason, but we already gained better players in off-season in Brown and Strome. I didn't realize Leason was a 2nd round pick, so in a way his development did not progress like it should have. I still feel AJF can be a Hagelin replacement, so I'm disappointed in that regard. The reason MarJo is on the team, because he's a very light version of Backstrom. You can spot him on the first 3 forward lines if there are injuries in the top 6 and use him on the PP/PK. And we know from experience he's a 2-way forward.