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

[trick9]

I still don’t know why we aren’t trying Mantha at 1RW. He is good in front of the net and I think that pairs well with OV and Strome. Sheary brings speed and defense which is probably why. It’s only two games, but Milano, Kuzy, Oshie is looking real good right now so I wouldn’t break that up unless they start struggling. I also like Mojo on 4th line… that has been our best combo since Beck went out.

I think as people come back, the waiver order (hopefully to Hershey) will be: Alexyev (for Orlov). NAK (For Beck) and probably Protas (for Wilson). I only suggest Protas because he is waiver free over Snively.

I don't think Laviolette trusts having Mantha with either Kuznetsov or Strome. He wants him next to a defensively sound center, which Eller obviously is in Laviolette's eyes.

I feel like Mantha is caught in a really bad situation right now. GMBM traded for him to get him next stapled next to Backstrom so that Wilson can stay with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov but everything has just gone sideways since then because Backstrom broke down. Now he's stuck with 2 top-6 centers that his coach doesn't trust enough to have another defensive liability in Mantha next to them. On top of that injuries have killed any opportunity to have scoring help for Mantha on the 3rd line and his center on the 3rd line is struggling. I don't think Mantha has that much potential to do damage there long-term. He's a guy who thrives with great players around him and his numbers dip when he's supposed to be the top gun on his line.

That's another asset that is badly mis-managed right now. There is still a good player there somewhere but his current situation is set for him to fail here. And that's exactly what he's doing. His PP role or lack of it is yet another question. What role did they vision for him when they acquired him? Ovechkin, Carlson and Oshie roles were basically set. I don't think they visioned him taking over Backstrom's role either. Maybe Kuznetsov? Well, the end game there is that both of those roles are now available as Laviolette has dropped Kuznetsov and Backstrom isn't here. Still Mantha is losing that battle while Laviolette is playing 20-30 point player over him on the PP1 unit. I feel like Johansson is an solid option to try on the PP1 if they are struggling to enter the zone against some teams. He shouldn't be stapled on the PP1 unit. Especially as they are in a situation where they need to get Mantha going.

 

[Vilica]

That picture of the outing made me realize I haven't memorized faces of the new guys nearly well enough yet. The four guys standing I believe are Gustafsson, someone, Lindgren, and TvR. The five guys on a knee are Sheary, Dowd, Oshie, Jensen I think, and someone (maybe Snively). Hockey's sorta like football in terms of getting regular closeups and the partial obscuration of a face by a helmet/visor, so it isn't as easy to identify hockey players out-of-context as it is baseball players, where the only obscuring objects are hats and sunglasses.

 

[YippieKaey]

I like our top two lines as there is some speed and skill mix. I like our 4th line but it needs to be solidified and hopefully Beck can bring that when he returns. It’s our third line which is just bad with Eller/Mojo/Mantha.

Pragmatically, I don’t think we can trade Eller yet because there is nobody who can reasonably replace him. Not CMM, not Lapierre, not Protas, not Mojo. That might have to wait until TDL when we are clearly out.

But i do think we can trade Mantha immediately. Someone out there sees him (and will play him) as a top 6 and PP1 guy. He also has term left so that could be valuable as well, especially if trade is done soon. And we can easily fill the roll he has played.

I agree with most of this, but i feel like Protas can replace Eller, and putting Protas in Ellers 3C spot opens up a 4th line spot for Snively. Then if we trade Mantha put CMM as 3C with Protas and Mojo. Potentially a line with one big and strong responsible forward, one smooth skating vet who is great at transitions and one young cerebral center who needs s regular shift in the NHL.

This season is already dead in the water, so it'd time to look to the future.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

A solid write up analyzing the facts (he’s very good, one of their best forwards, and needs to be stapled to the top six) and fiction (he’s lazy and not very good) on Anthony Mantha. Struggling to remember a player the coaching staff has bungled this poorly since Oates and Orlov and I can’t think of one. This guy is a very good player that’s produced despite being deployed about as poorly as you could design.

Anthony Mantha: The Most Polarizing Washington Capital?

Once upon a time, the title of “Most Polarizing Player” could have gone to a number of people, most recently guys like Dmitry Orlov and John Carlson. Fans have united more around positive and negative…

www.japersrink.com

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

A solid write up analyzing the facts (he’s very good, one of their best forwards, and needs to be stapled to the top six) and fiction (he’s lazy and not very good) on Anthony Mantha. Struggling to remember a player the coaching staff has bungled this poorly since Oates and Orlov and I can’t think of one. This guy is a very good player that’s produced despite being deployed about as poorly as you could design.

Anthony Mantha: The Most Polarizing Washington Capital?

Once upon a time, the title of “Most Polarizing Player” could have gone to a number of people, most recently guys like Dmitry Orlov and John Carlson. Fans have united more around positive and negative…

www.japersrink.com

Squarely on Lavi….this dude SHOULD be stapled to the top-6.

 

[Rayquaza64]

big adjustments here.

Squarely on Lavi….this dude SHOULD be stapled to the top-6.

stapling someone to eller and johansson isnt a good way to increase production?

 

[Brian23]

big adjustments here.

I just don't get it. He doesn't even seem to try and do something different.

 

[YippieKaey]

A solid write up analyzing the facts (he’s very good, one of their best forwards, and needs to be stapled to the top six) and fiction (he’s lazy and not very good) on Anthony Mantha. Struggling to remember a player the coaching staff has bungled this poorly since Oates and Orlov and I can’t think of one. This guy is a very good player that’s produced despite being deployed about as poorly as you could design.

Anthony Mantha: The Most Polarizing Washington Capital?

Once upon a time, the title of “Most Polarizing Player” could have gone to a number of people, most recently guys like Dmitry Orlov and John Carlson. Fans have united more around positive and negative…

www.japersrink.com

I will admit i was surprised by his point totals. Possesion stats are deceiving for perimeter players like Mantha since they are often "gifted the outside" but the point rankings were surprising.

However, Mantha is even in the light of this article a good secondary scoring top 6 winger for a playoff team. We are not a playoff team, so this article bodes well for his value at the TDL where they should absolutely sell high.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Mantha and Orlov should be able to get us solid returns out the deadline. The odds of us moving both are very slim, and i highly doubt either is moved. But if the caps want to try and pull off a “retool” to try and give ovi one last push in his last years, selling off some expiring contracts is probably necessary

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

big adjustments here.


stapling someone to eller and johansson isnt a good way to increase production?

I do not understand Lavi. Zero adjustments. Has he just run out of ideas because I’d like to volunteer a few. LOL

 

[Misery74]

I do not understand Lavi. Zero adjustments. Has he just run out of ideas because I’d like to volunteer a few. LOL

It’s hard to understand his continued employment. For a team that needs to get younger and faster, he is an albatross.

No chance he can turn this around, but that’s not the worst of it. We are all watching as he poisons the youth, while he rides the veterans to exhaustion.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Mantha and Orlov should be able to get us solid returns out the deadline. The odds of us moving both are very slim, and i highly doubt either is moved. But if the caps want to try and pull off a “retool” to try and give ovi one last push in his last years, selling off some expiring contracts is probably necessary

Just my opinion but neither Mantha nor Orlov should be moved. Orlov is their best defenseman and Mantha has an argument for their best winger after Ovechkin. I’m only moving Orlov if someone offers something stupid or if he says he’s not re-signing.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Just my opinion but neither Mantha nor Orlov should be moved. Orlov is their best defenseman and Mantha has an argument for their best winger after Ovechkin. I’m only moving Orlov if someone offers something stupid or if he says he’s not re-signing.

If Mantha starts producing I would agree but if we aren’t willing to move anything of value, there most likely won’t be any meaningful change up front.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If Mantha starts producing I would agree but if we aren’t willing to move anything of value, there most likely won’t be any meaningful change up front.

Meaningful change doesn’t hinge on trading Mantha.

 

[StrikingDistance]

If Mantha starts producing I would agree but if we aren’t willing to move anything of value, there most likely won’t be any meaningful change up front.

Catch 22: How can he produce if he's with Eller? Switch him with Sheary and I think he would have an impact. I'm starting to doubt Lavi's personnel management. Like when Trotz kept giving Alzner a spot even though he could barely hold onto his stick anymore and we had Nate Schmidt eating nachos.

Bleh!

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Meaningful change doesn’t hinge on trading Mantha.

It doesn’t but what forwards are people willing to change up besides Eller? Every time I hear people complain (not saying you), they also at the same time talk about how many people on the roster shouldn’t be traded. It’s perplexing.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

If Mantha starts producing I would agree but if we aren’t willing to move anything of value, there most likely won’t be any meaningful change up front.

Like @StrikingDistance said, his productivity is going to be capped playing with a boat anchor in Eller. He's done better than people realize and he's pretty under appreciated for what he brings.

Meaningful change won't come until the offseason. Bring McMichael into the 3C hole and see what you can do to get a Nic Ehlers, Timo Meier, etc to help out the top six. Let some of the plodders and grinders walk.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

It doesn’t but what forwards are people willing to change up besides Eller? Every time I hear people complain (not saying you), they also at the same time talk about how many people on the roster shouldn’t be traded. It’s perplexing.

Johansson, Sheary, Eller, maybe Hathaway.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Johansson, Sheary, Eller, maybe Hathaway.

That feels like changes on the periphery. IMHO this team needs some more fundamental change than just re-shuffling the deck chairs.

 

[Cappy76]

IMO all of Sheary, Eller, Jensen, Hathaway, and/or Carlson could be moved and not missed today. Any or all of them moving opens up a roster spot for someone in nacho land or Hershey. The return for each would vary but I could see someone willing to pay a late first for one or two of those players and obviously Carlson bringing back the most substantial return. These moves alone could change the teams outlook as soon as next year if we’ve decided we’re truly done this year still remains unknown to me due to number of inter divisional games yet to be played

That feels like changes on the periphery. IMHO this team needs some more fundamental change than just re-shuffling the deck chairs.

You have to consider the players that get inserted into those spots. CCM and Snively offer more speed and skill into the bottom 6 and could really change the makeup of the team

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

That feels like changes on the periphery. IMHO this team needs some more fundamental change than just re-shuffling the deck chairs.

My opinion is that they aren't lacking from depth but rather from not having true gamebreakers up top any more. I don't think they need to move on from Wilson or Mantha or Ovi (obviously). Strome has played well and Kuzy is Kuzy. What they need is a move or two to slot guys into their proper roles. Oshie can't be relied on to be a top six guy any more. Wilson is probably better slated for the second line. Get rid of the filler.

Ovi-Strome-Meier
Mantha-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Protas-McMichael-Oshie
Malenstyn-Dowd-xxx

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

My opinion is that they aren't lacking from depth but rather from not having true gamebreakers up top any more. I don't think they need to move on from Wilson or Mantha or Ovi (obviously). Strome has played well and Kuzy is Kuzy. What they need is a move or two to slot guys into their proper roles. Oshie can't be relied on to be a top six guy any more. Wilson is probably better slated for the second line. Get rid of the filler.

Ovi-Strome-Meier
Mantha-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Protas-McMichael-Oshie
Malenstyn-Dowd-xxx

Ok….I could dig that.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It doesn’t but what forwards are people willing to change up besides Eller? Every time I hear people complain (not saying you), they also at the same time talk about how many people on the roster shouldn’t be traded. It’s perplexing.

Don’t we have a lot of salary potentially coming off the books? Backstrom could retire on top of that…..

on trade resistance….can‘t just trade a Carlson though for a bunch of magic beans and expect to improve the team near term.

Anyone other than 8 is probably available in a hockey trade, just not a selloff like some here want.

 

[Rayquaza64]

I can agree with the idea of the overturn mostly happening in the offseason as that is more likely to happen. I just think with the way the market seems to be playing out at the TDL assuming we dont go on a world beater streak we could use it to our advantage (and probably could even without moving the names i mentioned)

 

[twabby]

My opinion is that they aren't lacking from depth but rather from not having true gamebreakers up top any more. I don't think they need to move on from Wilson or Mantha or Ovi (obviously). Strome has played well and Kuzy is Kuzy. What they need is a move or two to slot guys into their proper roles. Oshie can't be relied on to be a top six guy any more. Wilson is probably better slated for the second line. Get rid of the filler.

Ovi-Strome-Meier
Mantha-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Protas-McMichael-Oshie
Malenstyn-Dowd-xxx

Adding Meier would be nice in theory but it’d come with a price, and I’m a bit skeptical of signing late 20s wingers to big deals when their best years are behind them. I think out of any position wingers are probably the easiest to get for relatively cheap on the market and the opportunity cost going after a guy like Meier is too much.

I’d much rather they target a young impact center or young #1 defenseman type, and it’s why I truly do think Wilson needs to be on the table in a trade. I’d target a guy like Quinton Byfield in LA or Luke Hughes/Simon Nemec in New Jersey. I think there’s a reasonable deal to be made especially with NJ when it comes to Nemec/Hughes. They are a true contender right now but many suggest they lack a true power forward. Would (at least) 2 kicks at the can with Wilson be enough for NJ to part with one of their stud D prospects? Their D corps is already one of the best in the league, with their top 3 signed for years to come.

2 years of Tom Wilson has to be worth a ton around the league among playoff hopefuls. I’m also not sure Washington signing a 30 year old Wilson makes much sense either, unless they’re just going for fan-service. So why not cash out and really take an opportunity to begin to reshape the team now?