Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2022-23 Season Part 3: Drop the puck!

[AlexModvechkin8]

I'm still confused as to what Strome did to be taken away from Ovie.

The line was very successful, they weren't even slumping.

Part of me is ok with the shuffling. It’s January, they’ve recently added Oshie, Backstrom, and Wilson back into the lineup so they need to see who works with who, and it should help break up the doldrums of January and February but the other part of me wonders why’d they fix what ain’t broke, especially when the playoffs are far from assured right now. Seems risky to throw a grenade to the lineup card instead of making changes on a more specific and tactical level.

 

[Jags]

the other part of me wonders why’d they fix what ain’t broke, especially when the playoffs are far from assured right now.

Don't be silly. That's how the saying goes. "If it ain't broke, fix it til it's broke."

 

[Calicaps]

The Ovie-Strome-Sheary line has been super and can easily be reconstituted. But with the addition of 19 and 43, is it still the best option for deploying those 3? Maybe. Maybe not. Now is the time to find out. I'm sure if those 3 players (and especially 8) go cold, they'll quickly be reunited, just as they have been at various times this year already.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It’s a long season…..doesn’t hurt to change things up, and it can be motivational.

As long as they keep winning….keep tinkering.

 

[Ridley Simon]

These are some lines.

I don’t really get why they don’t just leave 8/17/73 alone. It worked.

The other thing — is we need to stop thinking about “1st line” vs “2nd line” vs “3rd line”. Its silly.

Caps have 11 top 9 forwards, and 2 fantastic 4th line forwards. Then NAK.

How the 11 shakes out into 3 lines shouldn’t be earmarked at 1st or 2nd or 3rd. They are just 3 top lines. They will play based on even TOI and special teams allotment.

Just get the best chemistry you can with the 11, move one to LW with 26/21, and sit one (or trade one).

Doesn’t need to be too hard

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don’t really get why they don’t just leave 8/17/73 alone. It worked.

The other thing — is we need to stop thinking about “1st line” vs “2nd line” vs “3rd line”. Its silly.

Caps have 11 top 9 forwards, and 2 fantastic 4th line forwards. Then NAK.

How the 11 shakes out into 3 lines shouldn’t be earmarked at 1st or 2nd or 3rd. They are just 3 top lines. They will play based on even TOI and special teams allotment.

Just get the best chemistry you can with the 11, move one to LW with 26/21, and sit one (or trade one).

Doesn’t need to be too hard

Ice time and deployments will clarify which is which….let’s see who is top-6 vs top-9…game situations may dictate that will rotate….

 

[JayBeagleFanAccount]

it seems john carlson had to get his ear re-attached, gnarly stuff

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

it seems john carlson had to get his ear re-attached, gnarly stuff

Yikes. Where did you see/read that?

 

[RedRocking]

I don’t really get why they don’t just leave 8/17/73 alone. It worked.

The other thing — is we need to stop thinking about “1st line” vs “2nd line” vs “3rd line”. Its silly.

Caps have 11 top 9 forwards, and 2 fantastic 4th line forwards. Then NAK.

How the 11 shakes out into 3 lines shouldn’t be earmarked at 1st or 2nd or 3rd. They are just 3 top lines. They will play based on even TOI and special teams allotment.

Just get the best chemistry you can with the 11, move one to LW with 26/21, and sit one (or trade one).

Doesn’t need to be too hard

Chaos coaching! This is great, since it means any and all lines we brainstorm may be possible, lol.

Definitely some curious choices - but having too much depth is certainly a good problem. And at least the right guys are playing C. I like keeping Kuzy and Milano together for pace. Otherwise it’s too much of Kuzy trying to McDavid his way through 3 guys with no help.

Otherwise, Strome should be stapled to Ovi. Not sure when the staff will get that through their heads. We’ll see how the TOI allotments work out - but like others have said, the middle six is kinda meaningless (as far as 2nd vs 3rd line). This team can’t necessarily match an elite team’s top 6 anymore - instead their strength is this depth, where scoring can come from anywhere.

While I don’t love Eller at wing (or playing over Mantha), I understand being a little worried about Nick’s ability to carry the defensive responsibilities of playing center until (if) he gets his legs under him. Especially in Lavi’s system where forwards get left on an island when the D activate, it makes sense to shelter Nick with some better defensive guys (though Mantha or Willy would probably be better).

 

[Jags]

Otherwise, Strome should be stapled to Ovi.

Well, Strome has only proven himself capable of leveraging 3 straight elite snipers. Kuznetsov is hit-and-miss with one, so he's the clear choice for that spot with Ovi.

It'll all come out in the wash. Laviolette has made it clear that he's tinkering. Makes a little sense with 2 guys coming back into the top of the lineup. Not my preference, but he'll either prove his methodology works or prove that he doesn't belong here.

I hope it works out.

 

[hockeykicker]

Yikes. Where did you see/read that?

 

[g00n]

better than a skull fracture but yikes

 

[kicksavedave]

better than a skull fracture but yikes

Well, re-attaching an ear should not require several months to heal... so I'm guessing he did in fact have a skull fracture but that's not being reported/shared. The ear thing isn't that dramatic that they felt it needed to be hidden and it should also not be an LTIR thing either. Reading Gina's post, the doctors told him not to walk for a bit, not to ride a bike for a bit.. .and that sounds like a more serious thing than just re-attaching the ear.

We all know how garbage NHL injury reports are.

 

[twabby]

Well, re-attaching an ear should not require several months to heal... so I'm guessing he did in fact have a skull fracture but that's not being reported/shared. The ear thing isn't that dramatic that they felt it needed to be hidden and it should also not be an LTIR thing either. Reading Gina's post, the doctors told him not to walk for a bit, not to ride a bike for a bit.. .and that sounds like a more serious thing than just re-attaching the ear.

We all know how garbage NHL injury reports are.

The Mayo Clinic website says it could take up to 3 months for ear reconstruction surgery to fully heal depending on the severity so it might just be the ear. The timeline makes sense with a return near the end of the regular season, at least.

 

[HeyMattyB]

The Mayo Clinic website says it could take up to 3 months for ear reconstruction surgery to fully heal depending on the severity so it might just be the ear. The timeline makes sense with a return near the end of the regular season, at least.

How dare you post easily-googleable, fact-based search results from a reputable source when there is endless fan speculation and conspiracy theorizing to be done, sir?

How dare you??

 

[Raikkonen]

If it's anything like "The illustrious Nicklas Backstrom can't possibly play on a third line!" then put him on the 3rd line and call it the 2nd line. The minutes, deployments, and wing talent are pretty much the same

come on
this is exactly what you're looking on

 

[Raikkonen]

@Carlson

maybe there is no damage to the skull

if the puck hit the ear it was probably the minimal angle to the head, hopefully

maybe it was the helmet though, and then the angle could have been worse

wishing him speedy recovery

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Dat is F’ed up…..he was already goofy looking!

 

[Jags]

Dat is F’ed up…..he was already goofy looking!

Yeah, in our house the term for Carlson's look has always been "Resting Dope Face."

He went through a stretch many years ago, lots of gaffes, boneheaded stuff. We started to talk about him like he's dumb. At some point I said, "I don't know. I think that's just his face."

And she said, "How's that?"

"Look at his player pic on the website. Not a bad looking guy, but he looks like a dummy."

"Yeah, so he's dumb. That's what I said."

"Right, but what I'M saying is that's just how his face is. He's probably not dumb, he just looks dumb. Like all things being equal, his face really wants you to think he's not smart."

"So you're saying he's smart?"

"He could be smart. But his face has no choice. That's just how it is."

"So he just looks dumb..."

"Yeah. Can't control it. Like your resting heart rate. He has Resting Dope Face."

"Is that 'dope' like he's dopey? Or like he smokes dope?"

"Is there a difference?"

For the record, we really like John Carlson a lot. Big fans. But these are the kinds of discussions we have when we're watching hockey with a few bottlecaps strewn about.

 

[PlushMinus]

How dare you post easily-googleable, fact-based search results from a reputable source when there is endless fan speculation and conspiracy theorizing to be done, sir?

How dare you??

Hear hear!

 

[DWGie26]

Yeah, in our house the term for Carlson's look has always been "Resting Dope Face."

He went through a stretch many years ago, lots of gaffes, boneheaded stuff. We started to talk about him like he's dumb. At some point I said, "I don't know. I think that's just his face."

And she said, "How's that?"

"Look at his player pic on the website. Not a bad looking guy, but he looks like a dummy."

"Yeah, so he's dumb. That's what I said."

"Right, but what I'M saying is that's just how his face is. He's probably not dumb, he just looks dumb. Like all things being equal, his face really wants you to think he's not smart."

"So you're saying he's smart?"

"He could be smart. But his face has no choice. That's just how it is."

"So he just looks dumb..."

"Yeah. Can't control it. Like your resting heart rate. He has Resting Dope Face."

"Is that 'dope' like he's dopey? Or like he smokes dope?"

"Is there a difference?"

For the record, we really like John Carlson a lot. Big fans. But these are the kinds of discussions we have when we're watching hockey with a few bottlecaps strewn about.

Hmm… I‘d like to throw around some bottle caps with you. Sounds fun!

 

[ovikovy817]

Ouch Carly
Hope he will get better soon.

 

[kicksavedave]

The Mayo Clinic website says it could take up to 3 months for ear reconstruction surgery to fully heal depending on the severity so it might just be the ear. The timeline makes sense with a return near the end of the regular season, at least.

I prefer my rampant speculation to the Mayo Clinic's web wordz, thanks

We could definitely drill down into the differences between "re-attached" and "reconstructed", though, if we get bored during the GDT tonight

 

[g00n]

A lacerated ear might just need to start mending and then maybe wear a special helmet that protects the wound somewhat. Dunno. But if a huge part of the ear is sheared off I don't see how anyone could fully protect it and play hockey until it's completely mended 100%.

 

[twabby]

We could definitely drill down into the differences between "re-attached" and "reconstructed", though, if we get bored during the GDT tonight

Definitely. Not like I’ll be busy watching the game tonight!