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

[g00n]

Faceoffs are clearly important. They're parts key moments in the game that are often overcome or used to advantage.

The STAT itself may not be that useful when it comes to predicting long-term team success.

 

[zappa4ever]

...
Last year, Colorado was 28th, Minnesota 26th, Florida 24th, New York 22nd. They all did pretty well

Just not that important of stat to pay much attention to.

Ain't looking it up but I'd be curious of the SC winners and other top teams
stats in:
PK defensive zone draws
PP offensive zone draws
Defensive draws when shift TOI is over 1 minute
up 1 goal in final 2 minutes draws

Something tells me it's not 40%

 

[twabby]

Just trade McMichael already!

Hershey won’t do him any good, and he’s not going to get an opportunity here. Might as well get something for him before his value is completely in the toilet.

 

[trick9]

Faceoffs also aren’t a one-off skill guys can learn in a vacuum, either, in a way skating or hand-eye coordination can be. I remember reading an interview with Beags when he was in Vancouver explaining he does his own scouting on oppositions centers — their tendencies when taking draws — and would go into those faceoffs with a specific plan for how to beat that player. He also made the point that even late in his career he was having to develop his faceoff strategies and techniques as the game develops.

I guess it’s also like saying a guy has a great shot on an empty net in practice, but can’t buy a goal against a goalie. Kuzy’s ability to bat a puck out the ear doesn’t necessarily mean he can foresee where that puck is going to go after the drop.

There are different types of great faceoff centers. There are guys like Kopitar who are both fast and really strong. There are guys like Bergeron who have ton of faceoffs moves and study the opposing centers before the game to use them correctly. Then there are 'honest' cheaters like Giroux who use their stick in different angles and can get away with cheating because they do it so well. Giroux even told in an interview how Clarke taught him to cheat early on his career but it still took few years before he was actually good at it because he learned how each referee let you cheat a little bit without crossing the line.

 

[SherVaughn30]

we've pretty consistently been at the bottom of the pack in faceoffs, even during the presidents trophy/cup winning days we were like bottom 5 usually.

Last year, Colorado was 28th, Minnesota 26th, Florida 24th, New York 22nd. They all did pretty well

Just not that important of stat to pay much attention to.

I disagree. All those teams skate faster than the Caps. Winning more draws results in more possession time in the O-zone and less chasing the puck in the D-zone. This is one of the oldest teams, so you should try to gain an advantage that will help make the team less fatigued in game situations.

 

[DWGie26]

Winning face offs in aggregate stat isn’t all that telling. Most of the Cup winning teams are in bottom half over last few Years (I remember looking this up before but not going to do it again).

That said, winning key faceoffs is critical and we lose most of those. We had over 4 minutes of 6-5 time saturday and didn’t win any of those critical face offs and hence never really put pressure on the empty net. One thing they did do though was ice 4th line with Eller at Wing so there were two centers in for thone dee zone draws which was smart.

 

[kicksavedave]

Winning face offs in aggregate stat isn’t all that telling. Most of the Cup winning teams are in bottom half over last few Years (I remember looking this up before but not going to do it again).

That said, winning key faceoffs is critical and we lose most of those. We had over 4 minutes of 6-5 time saturday and didn’t win any of those critical face offs and hence never really put pressure on the empty net. One thing they did do though was ice 4th line with Eller at Wing so there were two centers in for thone dee zone draws which was smart.

Heh, I said this exact thing about 7 or 8 years ago on here and it practically became a meme, even though its statistically completely true.

 

[hb13xchamps]

Just trade McMichael already!

Hershey won’t do him any good, and he’s not going to get an opportunity here. Might as well get something for him before his value is completely in the toilet.

Playing in Hershey could actually be a solid option. Their top 9 is fairly stacked, so getting some time with premier AHL players could help jumpstart him. There are plenty of guys who can be recalled in a pinch if Washington needs another forward, especially someone who can play center.

Just give the kid some consistency. Decide if he’s going to be a center or a winger and give him consistent game action. Rotting away on the bench again isn’t helping him.

 

[twabby]

Playing in Hershey could actually be a solid option. Their top 9 is fairly stacked, so getting some time with premier AHL players could help jumpstart him. There are plenty of guys who can be recalled in a pinch if Washington needs another forward, especially someone who can play center.

Just give the kid some consistency. Decide if he’s going to be a center or a winger and give him consistent game action. Rotting away on the bench again isn’t helping him.

I don’t really buy that playing with and against AHLers is going to make him a better NHLer at this point. He’s already had success at the AHL level. What more is he going to learn there? He needs to be playing with and against NHLers to continue improving IMO.

More importantly they can’t just waste another year of the aging core. So if they’ve decided McMichael isn’t part of the plan this year what point is there keeping him around? Flip him now for some help elsewhere on the roster. Honestly they should have already traded him, given his usage this year and last.

 

[pman25]

Ain't looking it up but I'd be curious of the SC winners and other top teams
stats in:
PK defensive zone draws
PP offensive zone draws
Defensive draws when shift TOI is over 1 minute
up 1 goal in final 2 minutes draws

Something tells me it's not 40%

in terms of offensive zone, defensive zone they don't tend to stray too far from whatever your overall FO percentage is.

40% is also not likely sustainable through 6 games and caps should improve. Same for Dowd who i think is under 40% this year, when he has typically been above 50%.

Key faceoffs are important, sure, but also aren't the most important stat at establishing possession. It's nice to win a faceoff and get an immediate Ovi goal sure. It sucks to lose a dzone draw while defending a lead! But there's not much to move this in one way or the other. You literally win some and lose some. So be it

 

[Langway]

They might as well pull the trigger on a Chychrun deal when the time comes. Clearly they're not overly concerned putting in the work to effectively multi-task to invest in growth. The standard for any softer young player is sky high...and even a more exceptionally cerebral skilled sort would struggle playing an excessively scrambled style.

If they extend Lavi they should stick to drafting bigger dudes more readily capable of playing a power game. Or else they might as well throw the picks away. If this is their lane then may as well double down on it instead of hedging or trying to be something they're not.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I don’t really buy that playing with and against AHLers is going to make him a better NHLer at this point. He’s already had success at the AHL level. What more is he going to learn there? He needs to be playing with and against NHLers to continue improving IMO.

More importantly they can’t just waste another year of the aging core. So if they’ve decided McMichael isn’t part of the plan this year what point is there keeping him around? Flip him now for some help elsewhere on the roster. Honestly they should have already traded him, given his usage this year and last.

Have you seen how many UFA we have after the season. I dont think you give up on a NHL ready player on a rookie deal.

 

[twabby]

Have you seen how many UFA we have after the season. I dont think you give up on a NHL ready player on a rookie deal.

I agree the team shouldn’t have given up on him, but it appears they have. I’m not confident that the number of UFAs has any impact on his ability to crack the lineup next year if Laviolette is still around. They’ll just find other players.

 

[hb13xchamps]

I don’t really buy that playing with and against AHLers is going to make him a better NHLer at this point. He’s already had success at the AHL level. What more is he going to learn there? He needs to be playing with and against NHLers to continue improving IMO.

More importantly they can’t just waste another year of the aging core. So if they’ve decided McMichael isn’t part of the plan this year what point is there keeping him around? Flip him now for some help elsewhere on the roster. Honestly they should have already traded him, given his usage this year and last.

His success at the AHL level was the COVID year. He played against the same 3-4 teams, one being the worst team in the league at that point, and playing in glorified scrimmages. I think that success seems pretty overblown.

Playing actual games and getting more than 8 minutes of ice time a night seems more beneficial IMO. The coaching staff clearly has things for him to work and improve on, why not send him down and work on those things all week in practice and for 2-3 games on the weekends?

 

[zappa4ever]

I agree the team shouldn’t have given up on him, but it appears they have. ///

He's with the Big club in the NHL, they haven't given up on him

We're 6 gms in, not 20

For all we know Lavi asked McMic if he wanted to stay up and be patient for chances for NHL games and he said yes; maybe Lavi told him after x number of games he'll get a good look for several games; maybe Lavi said Suck it kid, be happy you travel with the team and can sniff OV's jock

Has anyone heard any single thing whatsoever from McMic, his agent, his family, his friends, his pet goldfish, saying he's unhappy?

 

[DWGie26]

I don’t really buy that playing with and against AHLers is going to make him a better NHLer at this point. He’s already had success at the AHL level. What more is he going to learn there? He needs to be playing with and against NHLers to continue improving IMO.

More importantly they can’t just waste another year of the aging core. So if they’ve decided McMichael isn’t part of the plan this year what point is there keeping him around? Flip him now for some help elsewhere on the roster. Honestly they should have already traded him, given his usage this year and last.

Well, its kinda like if the hot girls (or guys) aren’t going out with you, you go down in Standards a bit, get your confidence, and get back out there. Scoring is fun! He needs to score! Haha.

 

[Jags]

I don’t really buy that playing with and against AHLers is going to make him a better NHLer at this point. He’s already had success at the AHL level. What more is he going to learn there? He needs to be playing with and against NHLers to continue improving IMO.

I completely agree, but if they're set on not playing him here then send him down. I don't know that it helps him at this point, but it's definitely better for his conditioning and mental/preparation habits to actually play hockey somewhere. Practice doesn't cut it.

We don't have to worry about waivers and he's a 2-hour train ride away if we need him.

 

[g00n]

If it were me, I'd rather be up with the big boys than down in the minors, even if it means time in the press box. All f***ing day.

You're one turned ankle away from suiting up in minutes, rather than being subject to the whims and fortunes of travel and other bullshit at all levels that might result in your hurried call-up and all the logistics that surround it. Or, someone else getting the nod because you're just a name on a roster reliant on middle-men talking you up or down, depending on how much sleep they got last night or whether their car wouldn't start.

You're also practicing with the big squad and you have all the perks and prestige and value that comes with it, including picking the brains of those around you and benefiting from the advanced spending and technology.

You're probably also making more money.

Unless the guy is clearly AHL quality you don't send him down. I wouldn't want that if I were CMM. My only option is to keep killing it in practice and then showing the f*** out when I get my chance.

That's why a sloppy or mediocre game upon receiving such a chance is concerning. That's your break, man. That's why you're up. Take it and strangle the shit out of it. Every time.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If it were me, I'd rather be up with the big boys than down in the minors, even if it means time in the press box. All f***ing day.

You're one turned ankle away from suiting up in minutes, rather than being subject to the whims and fortunes of travel and other bullshit at all levels that might result in your hurried call-up and all the logistics that surround it. Or, someone else getting the nod because you're just a name on a roster reliant on middle-men talking you up or down, depending on how much sleep they got last night or whether their car wouldn't start.

You're also practicing with the big squad and you have all the perks and prestige and value that comes with it, including picking the brains of those around you and benefiting from the advanced spending and technology.

You're probably also making more money.

Unless the guy is clearly AHL quality you don't send him down. I wouldn't want that if I were CMM. My only option is to keep killing it in practice and then showing the f*** out when I get my chance.

That's why a sloppy or mediocre game upon receiving such a chance is concerning. That's your break, man. That's why you're up. Take it and strangle the shit out of it. Every time.

I’ve been wondering about this.

Last year they made a big deal about telling him to ”get a place”. Assuming he’s done that, sending him back down would be a big downer for him for sure now.

If I’m him I don’t want to go down again…..EVER.

The Caps just have to be the parent in this situation and do what they believe is best for the individual. They just believe keeping him here is better so far….

That he hasn’t killed it more often in his limited time frustrates me more than him not getting into the lineup at this point. When he does get that next chance, and the one after….he needs to be like a junkyard dog…..aggressive, active, get after it, and PRODUCE. tilting the ice some is not enough…

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I’ve been wondering about this.

Last year they made a big deal about telling him to ”get a place”. Assuming he’s done that, sending him back down would be a big downer for him for sure now.

If I’m him I don’t want to go down again…..EVER.

The Caps just have to be the parent in this situation and do what they believe is best for the individual. They just believe keeping him here is better so far….

That he hasn’t killed it more often in his limited time frustrates me more than him not getting into the lineup at this point. When he does get that next chance, and the one after….he needs to be like a junkyard dog…..aggressive, active, get after it, and PRODUCE. tilting the ice some is not enough….

I don’t disagree that quality of life is better in the NHL than the AHL but McMichael’s game is not like a young Wilson or a Malenstyn or an AJF. Those guys play a style of play that doesn’t require a feel for the game. Their instructions are clear: skate hard, hit people, dig in the corners, eat pucks on defense. When you play a top six game you need consistent minutes to build chemistry with your line mates and get confidence with the puck. Playing CMM every fifth game and for 9 minutes a game and expecting him to have an impact is misguided and sets everyone up for failure.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don’t disagree that quality of life is better in the NHL than the AHL but McMichael’s game is not like a young Wilson or a Malenstyn or an AJF. Those guys play a style of play that doesn’t require a feel for the game. Their instructions are clear: skate hard, hit people, dig in the corners, eat pucks on defense. When you play a top six game you need consistent minutes to build chemistry with your line mates and get confidence with the puck. Playing CMM every fifth game and for 9 minutes a game and expecting him to have an impact is misguided and sets everyone up for failure.

Him building chemistry is not really what’s needed now IMO to break through. Down the road sure he will get that stability, but right now that reads like an excuse as to why he’s not been more impactful.

In fact, he probably should show he can adapt as he’s shuffled around, to make himself easier to integrate into the lineup.

He just needs to show out as an individual to break through and I think it all starts in practice. He’s just not beating out his competition so far in their eyes. I wish he was….

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Him building chemistry is not really what’s needed now IMO to break through. Down the road sure he will get that stability, but right now that reads like an excuse as to why he’s not been more impactful.

In fact, he probably should show he can adapt as he’s shuffled around, to make himself easier to integrate into the lineup.

He just needs to show out as an individual to break through and I think it all starts in practice. He’s just not beating out his competition so far in their eyes. I wish he was….

He has been impactful, it just isn’t showing up on the scoresheet yet. He’s one of their best transition players. He’s one of the best players on the team entering the zone with control of the puck. The team shoots more than the other team when he’s on the ice. Teammates play better with him than with other people. He’s not a flashy player and I don’t think he ever will be but he’s smart, has good wheels, really good instincts, high IQ, and can be a really good 2/3C. He’s a 60 point player, maybe more if he gets PP time.

And I pretty strongly disagree that he needs to show he can adapt to play different positions up and down the lineup. He needs to put in a position to best use his skill set. Telling him figure out how to be a bottom six grinder at the same time as trying to develop him to become a top six forward isn’t going to help anyone. There are other guys better suited for those grinder roles. Maybe playing with Dowd and Hathaway would work because those guys are super effective at what they do and have proven that anyone can look good skating next to them but generally he’s much better at center than at wing.

I play him at 1C in Hershey this year on PP1 and then put him in Eller’s 3C spot next year. I see no real value in playing him less than 10 minutes a night every few games in a sheltered bottom six winger role with no real responsibility.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

He has been impactful, it just isn’t showing up on the scoresheet yet. He’s one of their best transition players. He’s one of the best players on the team entering the zone with control of the puck. The team shoots more than the other team when he’s on the ice. Teammates play better with him than with other people. He’s not a flashy player and I don’t think he ever will be but he’s smart, has good wheels, really good instincts, high IQ, and can be a really good 2/3C. He’s a 60 point player, maybe more if he gets PP time.

And I pretty strongly disagree that he needs to show he can adapt to play different positions up and down the lineup. He needs to put in a position to best use his skill set. Telling him figure out how to be a bottom six grinder at the same time as trying to develop him to become a top six forward isn’t going to help anyone. There are other guys better suited for those grinder roles. Maybe playing with Dowd and Hathaway would work because those guys are super effective at what they do and have proven that anyone can look good skating next to them but generally he’s much better at center than at wing.

I play him at 1C in Hershey this year on PP1 and then put him in Eller’s 3C spot next year. I see no real value in playing him less than 10 minutes a night every few games in a sheltered bottom six winger role with no real responsibility.

Like it or not, while this team is scratching and clawing for every single point, he needs to produce actual goals and assists to be impactful enough to unseat other regulars. It is what it is. Same argument with Kuzy before last season. Contributing to ice tilting isn’t enough.

You can disagree that he needs to show he can adapt and contribute in different spots/roles, but to me that seems to be the best way for him to get into the Caps lineup. Show he can seize every chance and produce anywhere.

Nobody said “figure out how to be a grinder“…..lol….come on that’s nonsense.

I‘m not against him going to Hershey at all, but this sure does sound like the same types of complaints that were there with Wilson coming up. People losing their minds because he should have been in Hershey (learnin‘ to dangle AHLers)….because he was getting limited ice time here.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Like it or not, while this team is scratching and clawing for every single point, he needs to produce actual goals and assists to be impactful enough to unseat other regulars. It is what it is. Same argument with Kuzy before last season. Contributing to ice tilting isn’t enough.

You can disagree that he needs to show he can adapt and contribute in different spots/roles, but to me that seems to be the best way for him to get into the Caps lineup. Show he can seize every chance and produce anywhere.

Nobody said “figure out how to be a grinder“…..lol….come on that’s nonsense.

I‘m not against him going to Hershey at all, but this sure does sound like the same types of complaints that were there with Wilson coming up. People losing their minds because he should have been in Hershey (learnin‘ to dangle AHLers)….because he was getting limited ice time here.

Again I don’t disagree that they need to bank points and survive until Thanksgiving but what good is McMichael doing to get them points sitting in the press box?

If they’re not going to play him because they think other guys give them the best shot at getting point now then that’s their prerogative but then let McMike play actual hockey in Hershey.

 

[zappa4ever]

As a Caps fan, going 4-1 after the 0-2 start is awesome, even if the NJ game was the only "solid" 60 min effort

The "hated" players are all doing pretty good, isn't it interesting that
a HEALTHY Eller is doing well,
a healthy Marge is doing well and producing, a healthy Martha is producing and helping the 3rd line look formidable, the hated Gustafsson has been good, and even JC74IQ has looked better after some weak starts

The vaunted xMcMic will get his xchances soon enough, he can still play 70+ games