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

[twabby]

Who could have predicted that Oshie would decline into a frequently injured replacement level player on an albatross deal for the last few years of his contract? A stunning development.

Yeah this is the price they knew they’d have to pay with that contract. Get some good value in the first half and then deal with the consequences later.

It was worth it, obviously, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t explore getting out of it this offseason if Oshie doesn’t turn it around. Unlike with Backstrom and Ovechkin I don’t know that Oshie should be afforded the same Capital-for-life treatment that the former two get.

He has a 10 team no trade list, so while that limits a trade a bit it shouldn’t prevent them from moving on when the time is right. They may have to pay to get out of his contract, but maybe not.

 

[g00n]

Who could have predicted that Oshie would decline into a frequently injured replacement level player on an albatross deal for the last few years of his contract? A stunning development.

Oshie is a point per game player in the playoffs the last 2 years even with the injuries. IDGAF if he plays 10 games in the regular season if he can show up when it matters.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Yeah this is the price they knew they’d have to pay with that contract. Get some good value in the first half and then deal with the consequences later.

It was worth it, obviously, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t explore getting out of it this offseason if Oshie doesn’t turn it around. Unlike with Backstrom and Ovechkin I don’t know that Oshie should be afforded the same Capital-for-life treatment that the former two get.

He has a 10 team no trade list, so while that limits a trade a bit it shouldn’t prevent them from moving on when the time is right. They may have to pay to get out of his contract, but maybe not.

Yeah. It’s hard to give tons of players that treatment and not have it bite you in the ass.

 

[Calicaps]

Oshie is a point per game player in the playoffs the last 2 years even with the injuries. IDGAF if he plays 10 games in the regular season if he can show up when it matters.

pfft...

 

[StrikingDistance]

Who could have predicted that Oshie would decline into a frequently injured replacement level player on an albatross deal for the last few years of his contract? A stunning development.

Wait...are the you the original poster 'Dumb & whatever' who orginally labeled his contract as an 'Albatross' when he first arrived in DC???? If so, you're hilarious...and of course, wrong as usual. If not, you really need to switch your name back or change the number to 420. Albatross....LOL!!

 

[DWGie26]

We all knew the deal when we signed OV and Backstrom to long-term contracts. Same with Oshie and JC74. People can bitch about it all they want but it isn’t going to change. Oshie isn’t going anywhere and we are going to run those contracts out.

Was the right thing to do for OV and the culture. It’s why it is one of the tightest rooms in the NHL. A dangerous lineup come playoff time as long as you can have some youth as well which we have with Strome, Milano, NAK, Fever. And things will likely change this year with expiring contracts (by design). We’ll have Cap flexibility to find other younger FA and RFA plus a bunch of guys in Hershey. People will need to compete for spots next year as well.

 

[Peeri]

Oshie is a point per game player in the playoffs the last 2 years even with the injuries. IDGAF if he plays 10 games in the regular season if he can show up when it matters.

Did you forget you have to make the playoffs in the first place? This is team is very soon beyond help, third of our Cap Hit is tied to players who can't perform even close to their contracts. We are on the same tracks as Chicago is today, soon to be bottom dwellers with massive anchors holding us in the place.

 

[Roshi]

Well, Oshie besides his strong play in playoffs is also still a culture building warrior, 50 point-pace in reg season and important piece of the signature PK - and glue guy for locker room. While making 5,75 millions. Thats not crazy money at all, a million or two too much but thats not a deal breaker on a big picture.

I didnt have a problem when it was signed and I dont have a problem today. Its also possible he spends his last year(s) on LTIR or whatever so im not wasting any energy on worriyng about TJ.

Im not getting the urgency to shit on our players. They are still in the playoff mix. Bad runs come bad runs go, same with the good ones, we will count the points and can shit on them when the reg season ends.

 

[g00n]

Did you forget you have to make the playoffs in the first place? This is team is very soon beyond help, third of our Cap Hit is tied to players who can't perform even close to their contracts. We are on the same tracks as Chicago is today, soon to be bottom dwellers with massive anchors holding us in the place.

"Trade Oshie now because we might not keep the playoff spot we're in" isn't the genius plan you seem to think it is.

Regarding the future we're not stuck in anything. Oshie has 2 more years on his deal and most of the roster is up for grabs in the offseason.

Relax.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

We all knew the deal when we signed OV and Backstrom to long-term contracts. Same with Oshie and JC74. People can bitch about it all they want but it isn’t going to change. Oshie isn’t going anywhere and we are going to run those contracts out.

Was the right thing to do for OV and the culture. It’s why it is one of the tightest rooms in the NHL. A dangerous lineup come playoff time as long as you can have some youth as well which we have with Strome, Milano, NAK, Fever. And things will likely change this year with expiring contracts (by design). We’ll have Cap flexibility to find other younger FA and RFA plus a bunch of guys in Hershey. People will need to compete for spots next year as well.

I think they’ve shown 4 years in a row that they are not a dangerous playoff team as constructed. Last year they gave it a good go but you could see their legs fading as the series went on.

 

[twabby]

Well, Oshie besides his strong play in playoffs is also still a culture building warrior, 50 point-pace in reg season and important piece of the signature PK - and glue guy for locker room. While making 5,75 millions. Thats not crazy money at all, a million or two too much but thats not a deal breaker on a big picture.

I didnt have a problem when it was signed and I dont have a problem today. Its also possible he spends his last year(s) on LTIR or whatever so im not wasting any energy on worriyng about TJ.

Im not getting the urgency to shit on our players. They are still in the playoff mix. Bad runs come bad runs go, same with the good ones, we will count the points and can shit on them when the reg season ends.

For me it’s not about badmouthing Oshie. He’s the last guy on the roster I want to badmouth.

But despite having roster flexibility there are also holes to fill. Orlov and Jensen will likely both get raises. In Jensen’s case it could be a significant raise. Gustafsson will get a raise here or elsewhere. Strome is due a raise. Fehervary will get a raise. If they choose to keep a guy like Sheary, Hathaway, or Johansson they might have earned raises with their play.

Most of these are significant pieces to the lineup so by the time those holes are filled they’re either right back up to the cap or they are icing a cheap, uncompetitive team.

They can’t have these expensive and ineffective/injured players taking up cap space and preventing upgrades to the roster. They’re in a dogfight to make the playoffs right now, and by the sounds of it Oshie’s back has been giving him significant trouble. I’m sure he’ll fight through the pain to best of his ability, but right now he’s a liability on the ice.

 

[John Price]

 

[Brian23]

I'm also not sure if Oshie when healthy has had that level of value.

 

[bacchist]

Kuznetsov is a bum. I'd say he should stay on the 4th line when Dowd returns, but we really need that 4th line back. We can't have Kuznetsov dragging the 4th line down forever.

Maybe we can pay another team to take him

 

[twabby]

The point JP is making is why I don’t think they should look at adding a top 4 defenseman at the TDL. They need high-end forwards badly. Their defense and goaltending has carried them this year, along with the 4th line. Getting a guy like Chychrun would be superfluous. Getting a guy like Joel Edmundson (as Tarik suggested) seems foolish.

 

[Langway]

That they're in a playoff spot is a testament to everyone else...but also NYI falling off big time and FLA taking a massively favorable step back.

Don't look now but Buffalo is coming on. Their top-end players can be difference-makers and you wonder if they won't modestly add in order to give their group meaningful games down the stretch.

 

[crazy8888]

Who could have predicted that Oshie would decline into a frequently injured replacement level player on an albatross deal for the last few years of his contract? A stunning development.

Oshie is not a replacement player. He still brings a ton to this team (when he plays)
Only knock on Osh is he is injury prone

 

[Langway]

The point JP is making is why I don’t think they should look at adding a top 4 defenseman at the TDL. They need high-end forwards badly. Their defense and goaltending has carried them this year, along with the 4th line. Getting a guy like Chychrun would be superfluous. Getting a guy like Joel Edmundson (as Tarik suggested) seems foolish.

Tarik also said they like their forward depth when asked about Kane so...shrug. I'm guessing they'll add a depth defender and that's about it.

I don't think they really know how to address their issues up front. It's a lot of mad scientist experimenting trying to get the most out of a pretty limited group. When's the last time they made an impact move up front? Trading for Oshie eight years ago? That was an off-season move and I'd guess it's a lot more likely they just punt everything of major consequence until then. I've already pointed out some of the problems with piling on so many decisions at once. I have my doubts that even a motivated off-season toward major changes would end up being substantial enough to maneuver in a single off-season. Even with all of their pending UFAs it could easily end up backfiring should they lose someone like Orlov rather than change up the mix up front.

 

[g00n]

That they're in a playoff spot is a testament to everyone else...but also NYI falling off big time and FLA taking a massively favorable step back.

Don't look now but Buffalo is coming on. Their top-end players can be difference-makers and you wonder if they won't modestly add in order to give their group meaningful games down the stretch.

Every team ebbs and flows throughout the season. Peaking at the right time is important but not fatal if you can "flip the switch" as they did in 2018 during Rd1.

NYI and FLA (and previously NJ) surging then struggling isn't much different than when we struggled then surged. Same result and over the course of a season it evens out for everyone.

So being in a playoff spot means exactly that. They're currently a playoff team.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It’s not at all “easy to miss”….

 

[twabby]

Really nice viz from Dom showing where Washington is deficient: top 6 forward. Every top 6 forward is well below the benchmark of a contending team, while their defense and bottom 6 is perfectly adequate to great when compared to contenders.

Go big or go home this TDL. Timo Meier fits the bill and has several good years left. Dylan Larkin if Detroit decides to move on also works, though I think his extension is probably going to provide less value at a position Washington might be able to fill a bit internally.

Washington’s top forwards outside of Ovechkin just don’t have it right now. Hopefully Wilson will get there soon, but hard to have confidence in improvement elsewhere in the top 6.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Really nice viz from Dom showing where Washington is deficient: top 6 forward. Every top 6 forward is well below the benchmark of a contending team, while their defense and bottom 6 is perfectly adequate to great when compared to contenders. Go big or go home.

Timo Meier fits the bill and has several good years left. Dylan Larkin if Detroit decides to move on also works, though I think his extension is probably going to provide less value at a position Washington might be able to fill a bit internally.

Washington’s top forwards outside of Ovechkin just don’t have it any more.

Nice visualization and I don’t want to sound snarky but we knew all this going in. They no longer have elite top end talent and they’re expecting (or hoping) that depth, structure, and the veteran grit can get them through. They have a small margin for error and the guys they’re paying the most simply aren’t showing up, namely Kuznetsov, Oshie, Backstrom, and Wilson. Your best players have to be your best players and they have to at least break even in their matchups and that’s not happening. It’s one of the reasons Mantha’s lack of production really hurts but it’s also why I would keep playing him and hope he figures it out. It’s actually a testament to BMac that they’re even in contention for the playoffs this year.

I’ve been saying for a few years now that they need to send a jolt into the top six and it doesn’t really matter where since they need help everywhere. Won’t rehash all of the names we collectively tossed around here but I wanted them to go hard after Eichel. Still want them to go for Meier.

And though he hasn’t been perfect, like I said above you also have to tip your cap to GMBM. He and his team have done a nice job over the years of continuously finding guys who are underpaid and overlooked: Jensen, Kempny, Sheary, Strome, Gustafson, Dowd, Hathaway, TvR, MoJo, Milano, Lindgren, Connolly, DSP. He’s giving the top guys run support and they’re not holding up their end of the bargain.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Mantha is a flop and failure as Capital. He may have skills, the size, however he is one lazy player. If there is one contract to complain about it, it's Mantha's! Please get rid of this guy at the TDL for picks or a needed prospect.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Mantha is a flop and failure as Capital. He may have skills, the size, however he is one lazy player. If there is one contract to complain about it, it's Mantha's! Please get rid of this guy at the TDL for picks or a needed prospect.

How about an actual roster upgrade Instead? Caps need a reliable top-6 threat.

 

[twabby]

Nice visualization and I don’t want to sound snarky but we knew all this going in. They no longer have elite top end talent and they’re expecting (or hoping) that depth, structure, and the veteran grit can get them through. They have a small margin for error and the guys they’re paying the most simply aren’t showing up, namely Kuznetsov, Oshie, Backstrom, and Wilson. Your best players have to be your best players and they have to at least break even in their matchups and that’s not happening. It’s one of the reasons Mantha’s lack of production really hurts but it’s also why I would keep playing him and hope he figures it out. It’s actually a testament to BMac that they’re even in contention for the playoffs this year.

I’ve been saying for a few years now that they need to send a jolt into the top six and it doesn’t really matter where since they need help everywhere. Won’t rehash all of the names we collectively tossed around here but I wanted them to go hard after Eichel. Still want them to go for Meier.

And though he hasn’t been perfect, like I said above t ou also have to tip your cap to GMBM. He and his team have done a nice job over the years of continuously finding guys who are underpaid and overlooked: Jensen, Kempny, Sheary, Strome, Gustafson, Dowd, Hathaway, TvR, MoJo, Milano, Lindgren, Connolly, DSP. He’s giving the top guys run support and they’re not holding up their end of the bargain.

We mostly knew this but then we have people like Tarik and others mentioning how Washington should be looking for defensive help and that the team is happy with their forwards and it’s just baffling that this is their assessment of the team. Are they watching the same game I am? (regression equations and advanced linear algebra computations on a cloud system)

I kind of doubt there are anything to those rumors but still. I don’t think they can just waste another season without addressing their main needs. Ovechkin is getting older but so is their defense and the other strengths of their roster. Fading away taking punchers chances at the postseason at best (if they make it at all) is for losers!