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

[Empty Goal Net]

Ted to Ovie: I know I promised that we'd ice a competitive team for the remainder of your contract, but it's looking like Nicky isn't up to it. We have a hard time competing with his salary basically buying very little. Either he retires and protects his health, in which case BMac says he can sign a very good center, or Nick can keep his spot and risk the team's ability to compete for the playoffs, not to mention another cup and possibly your chances at passing Gretzky. It's your call. Where do you stand?

 

[um]

Ted to Ovie: I know I promised that we'd ice a competitive team for the remainder of your contract, but it's looking like Nicky isn't up to it. We have a hard time competing with his salary basically buying very little. Either he retires and protects his health, in which case BMac says he can sign a very good center, or Nick can keep his spot and risk the team's ability to compete for the playoffs, not to mention another cup and possibly your chances at passing Gretzky. It's your call. Where do you stand?

How is it Ovie or Teds call if Backstrom will retire? Its all on Backstrom.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

How is it Ovie or Teds call if Backstrom will retire? It’s all on Backstrom.

Wouldn’t the Ted/Ovi convo be more about showing Ovi, this is where we’re at. A conversation of acceptance?

If a medical retirement is out of the question, they have to move Backstrom if they don’t believe he can return to some semblance of good form.

 

[Ovi895]

Their chances of winning another cup during the Ovi era are basically "claw your way to the playoffs and hope you run into 4 teams that shit themselves in a row" virtually no matter what they do realistically. Too many holes to fill on top of having to upgrade coaching for every coaching position from HC to goalie coach. Much rather they get Ovi the record that stands forever and outshines a second franchise cup (even the first one that was a big deal since it finally ended their 40 year cup virgin run is all but forgotten now), and then rebuild into a cup team.

Get Karlsson and some dope playmaking winger to feed Ovi to 895 (if the Leafs crap themselves in the first round again Mitch Marner would be ideal), enjoy something no other franchise has (a player setting an all time goal or points record all with one single team), rebuild and go for a cup again once you've rebuilt. Pretty simple

 

[um]

Wouldn’t the Ted/Ovi convo be more about showing Ovi, this is where we’re at. A conversation of acceptance?

If a medical retirement is out of the question, they have to move Backstrom if they don’t believe he can return to some semblance of good form.

Move Backstrom how? Not sure what the price is but I’m not into crippling the franchise for the next decade just to once again be a top 8 team in the east… maybe.

Also, how do we have the assets to trade away all our bad contracts and simultaneously have all the assets to bring in expensive young players like Chychrun? That seems very unlikely

The key to any successful franchise is to have their own draft picks/young players actually pan out and contribute. They’re naturally cheaper and as Twabby likes to say, they peak at 21 or something.

We’re not gonna EA NHL trade our way into being a powerhouse again.

 

[um]

Their chances of winning another cup during the Ovi era are basically "claw your way to the playoffs and hope you run into 4 teams that shit themselves in a row" virtually no matter what they do realistically. Too many holes to fill on top of having to upgrade coaching for every coaching position from HC to goalie coach. Much rather they get Ovi the record that stands forever and outshines a second franchise cup (even the first one that was a big deal since it finally ended their 40 year cup virgin run is all but forgotten now), and then rebuild into a cup team.

Get Karlsson and some dope playmaking winger to feed Ovi to 895 (if the Leafs crap themselves in the first round again Mitch Marner would be ideal), enjoy something no other franchise has (a player setting an all time goal or points record all with one single team), rebuild and go for a cup again once you've rebuilt. Pretty simple

I don't think we need to sacrifice our future to surround Ovie with all the this talent for him to get to 895, we just saw him have a dominant December with Strome and Sheary as his linemates.

We can be a good team again someday. The Caps need to focus back on acquiring good players and prospects rather than giving out retirement deals for our alumni. They made the first step in letting Orlov go.

 

[Ovi895]

I don't think we need to sacrifice our future to surround Ovie with all the this talent for him to get to 895, we just saw him have a dominant December with Strome and Sheary as his linemates.

We can be a good team again someday. The Caps need to focus back on acquiring good players and prospects rather than giving out retirement deals for our alumni. They made the first step in letting Orlov go.

As it stands they don't really have a future right now. Barring absolutely insane development curves McMichael, Lapierre, Alexeyev and Protas become supporting players. Good to have if cost controlled but other teams sign college talent/Carter Verhaeghe type cast offs to same or greater effect. Might get an Oshie level there if you're lucky with Protas showing the most right now but probably a bunch of Milano/Eller/Sheary level guys. All the work in acquiring new franchise players will have to be done, hopefully by a GM who doesn't give away a team's worth of talent (Stephenson, Burakovsky, Samsonov, Siegenthaler, Vanecek, multiple 1st/2nd rd picks) for nothing just so he can accomodate the quirks of inept coaches he hires and is great at finding talent instead.

I don't see a problem with turning around and using the picks we get for UFAs to get some temporary high end players to make the next 3 years awesome. Ovechkin remaining hot is not a given as we are seeing now, nor is him not falling off a cliff at 38, 39 or 40. I wouldn't bet against him but plenty of very good players have cratered at this age for many, many, many different factors.

Backstrom should stay honestly, be it as an expensive 3C or LTIR. Not ideal but every team has one of these contracts and still finds a way. Bruins went to the cup finals in 2019 with a 6 million dollar Backes facing a Blues team with a 5.5 million dollar Steen both of whom combined weren't even what Backstrom is now. Backstrom is the type of player with the type of legacy on top of zero value/huge cost to trade where you just bite the bullet and make the most of him as a franchise icon

 

[um]

As it stands they don't really have a future right now. Barring absolutely insane development curves McMichael, Lapierre, Alexeyev and Protas become supporting players. Good to have if cost controlled but other teams sign college talent/Carter Verhaeghe type cast offs to same or greater effect. Might get an Oshie level there if you're lucky with Protas showing the most right now but probably a bunch of Milano/Eller/Sheary level guys. All the work in acquiring new franchise players will have to be done, hopefully by a GM who doesn't give away a team's worth of talent (Stephenson, Burakovsky, Samsonov, Siegenthaler, Vanecek, multiple 1st/2nd rd picks) for nothing just so he can accomodate the quirks of inept coaches he hires and is great at finding talent instead.

I don't see a problem with turning around and using the picks we get for UFAs to get some temporary high end players to make the next 3 years awesome. Ovechkin remaining hot is not a given as we are seeing now, nor is him not falling off a cliff at 38, 39 or 40. I wouldn't bet against him but plenty of very good players have cratered at this age for many, many, many different factors.

Backstrom should stay honestly, be it as an expensive 3C or LTIR. Not ideal but every team has one of these contracts and still finds a way. Bruins went to the cup finals in 2019 with a 6 million dollar Backes facing a Blues team with a 5.5 million dollar Steen both of whom combined weren't even what Backstrom is now.

I'm fine with trading for young guys to help out the next few years and hopefully beyond that.

I just don't want to invest all in on these next 2-3 years like we're top contenders for a cup.

 

[Brian23]

For anyone worried about how will attract FA's. Seems players love playing in the DMV.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Move Backstrom how? Not sure what the price is but I’m not into crippling the franchise for the next decade just to once again be a top 8 team in the east… maybe.

Also, how do we have the assets to trade away all our bad contracts and simultaneously have all the assets to bring in expensive young players like Chychrun? That seems very unlikely

The key to any successful franchise is to have their own draft picks/young players actually pan out and contribute. They’re naturally cheaper and as Twabby likes to say, they peak at 21 or something.

We’re not gonna EA NHL trade our way into being a powerhouse again.

Not saying it would be easy…but keeping him as barely better than a 4c seems maybe worse. That’s why I said another year of patience might be warranted.

 

[YippieKaey]

NB19 is obviously a Cap until he doesn't want to be anymore. It's fair, but bad timing.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Can we sign Frank now?

 

[HecticGlow]

Based on current players and indications from beat reporters that they might have interest in keeping Brown and NAK around, we could be looking at a lineup built around a framework of something like this:

Ovi-Strome-Wilson
Milano-Backstrom-Brown
CMM-Kuzy-Oshie
Protas-Dowd-NAK

Sandin-Carlson
Fever-Jensen
Alexeyev-TVR
Johansen

It’s certainly not awful, but at best feels like a poor man’s version of this year’s Caps. Looking forward to seeing what else GMBM has up his sleeve in the coming days and months.

 

[hb13xchamps]

Can we sign Frank now?

I think it happens in the offseason. He can sign a 1-year ELC

 

[Holtbyisms]

Based on current players and indications from beat reporters that they might have interest in keeping Brown and NAK around, we could be looking at a lineup built around a framework of something like this:

Ovi-Strome-Wilson
Milano-Backstrom-Brown
CMM-Kuzy-Oshie
Protas-Dowd-NAK

Sandin-Carlson
Fever-Jensen
Alexeyev-TVR
Johansen

It’s certainly not awful, but at best feels like a poor man’s version of this year’s Caps. Looking forward to seeing what else GMBM has up his sleeve in the coming days and months.

Feels like running it back again with that roster...need some major youth in the forward ranks and CMM as 3LW ain't gonna do it. Need some Snivley and Malenstyn in there somewhere too.

 

[Rayquaza64]

I don’t want to see brown back eating a roster spot. At the very least, not a top six one. Not sure he makes sense for the team now or in the future

 

[Langway]

Yeah, easy pass on Brown in the top six. They need to aim way higher. First step will be clearing out Mantha and then overhauling an awful lot toward more pace and tenacity.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Based on current players and indications from beat reporters that they might have interest in keeping Brown and NAK around, we could be looking at a lineup built around a framework of something like this:

Ovi-Strome-Wilson
Milano-Backstrom-Brown
CMM-Kuzy-Oshie
Protas-Dowd-NAK

Sandin-Carlson
Fever-Jensen
Alexeyev-TVR
Johansen

It’s certainly not awful, but at best feels like a poor man’s version of this year’s Caps. Looking forward to seeing what else GMBM has up his sleeve in the coming days and months.

That is a garbage line-up and certainly not one that makes the playoffs.

 

[Cappy76]

To me we've got to many moving pieces at the moment to project next years team. Still likely to move on from Eller and Sheary from the foward groups and don't know what returns that could bring. Also I'd be surprised if they brought Brown back something tells me they won't. Then next year looking at something like this:

Ovie-Kuzy-Wilson
Snively-Strome-???
Milano-Backstrom-Oshie
Protas-Dowd-Malenstyn

I think GMBM goes after an impact winger this offseason and uses CMM as trade bait. Balances out time for lines 2 and 3 and doesn't lead to anyone playing a ton of minutes each night.

 

[pman25]

Yeah don’t really care to bring back Brown. He’s a candidate to sign a one year deal to pump his stats and hopefully get a decent contract after that. Probably with Edmonton, they make sense

 

[ToddBrew]

I know the sample size is veeeeery low, but I liked what I saw from Brown. And I know I was excited when they brought him in. Seemed like an Eller with more talent.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

I’m legit surprised Eller and Sheary haven’t moved yet.

 

[twabby]

I’d take Connor Brown at league minimum to play 4RW. Other than that, no thanks. He’s not a top 9 winger on a good team.

 

[895]

I’d take Connor Brown at league minimum to play 4RW. Other than that, no thanks. He’s not a top 9 winger on a good team.

but is he a top 9 winger on the caps?

 

[McVechkin]

I’m legit surprised Eller and Sheary haven’t moved yet.

Ya. Playing Lars as a 4th line wing here recently is just terrible asset management.