Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines/etc) | 2023-24 Regular Season Edition

[BiPolar Caps]

Winnipeg doesn't have a first round pick in this draft as they had traded it to Montreal for Monahan. Have to imagine any discussions involving Ehlers begins with Winnipeg getting a first round pick in the coming draft.

If Jets don't or can't move Ehlers before the draft, then it may be worth getting creative with an offer. Some possible Capitals roster players to consider in such an offer would be Dowd, Jensen, Sandin and Protas. Caps could also offer to take Nate Schmidt back, that would be 12 mil in cap space the Jets would be shedding from their current roster with the departures of Ehlers/Schmidt.

 

[DukeDog13]

I wouldnt dump CMM so fast. He made alot of progress in his 1st full NHL season. He was almost a 20 goal scorer and if he could figure out how to finish he can easily be a 30 goal player. We didnt develop him for all these years to trade him when the slow cooking is finished.

I would be so frustrated if we dealt him after so many years of waiting and then finally seeing him nearly crack 20 goals. This team couldn't score for shit. The fact that this kid is capable of 20 with the lineup we have is a testament to his abilities. I feel like he's going to be a longtime middle 6 anchor at center for us.

 

[Hivemind]

I wouldnt dump CMM so fast. He made alot of progress in his 1st full NHL season

This wasn't his first full NHL season. He played 68 games in 2021-22, and played 0 games in the AHL that year. He has 155 career NHL games, 163 counting playoffs. He just got interrupted by Lavi doing Lavi stuff.

We didnt develop him for all these years to trade him when the slow cooking is finished.

If you're getting a player that fits the development arc of the team better, you absolutely do.

 

[Langway]

FWIW. Expect VGK to make more moves as they're already at the cap. Even with Lehner to LTIR they're going to need to thin it. Would they move Theodore a year from UFA? Try to shed Karlsson's contract? Pietrangelo?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I would be so frustrated if we dealt him after so many years of waiting and then finally seeing him nearly crack 20 goals. This team couldn't score for shit. The fact that this kid is capable of 20 with the lineup we have is a testament to his abilities. I feel like he's going to be a longtime middle 6 anchor at center for us.

I guess the thing that concerns me is his ceiling. Unless you surround him with elite talent to inflate his numbers, what kind of production are we really expecting? I have a hard time seeing him score 30g or 65+pts myself…early on I believed he had that. I don’t see the stuff quite frankly. He hasn’t made himself anywhere close to untouchable IMO. Not saying it’s likely, but in a large trade he might be coveted.

 

[Langway]

Capitals mailbag: Goalies, prospects, NHL bros, free agents and expectations

In the first Capitals mailbag of the 2024 offseason, Tarik El-Bashir looks at the biggest questions Washington must address entering the summer.

www.monumentalsportsnetwork.com

“We’d like a high-end playmaker to play first line,” MacLellan told Grant & Danny, referring in general to his offseason priorities.

MacLellan said he’d prefer a young player with untapped upside, a la Dylan Strome from a couple of years back. But he also acknowledged that he may need to turn to an older, stopgap solution to feed Ovechkin the puck and help keep the team competitive in the short term.

“We’ve got to pursue both because,” MacLellan added, “that’s a hard trade to make.

“You’re going to have to find a (young) guy you really like and you’re going to have to give up a lot to get him. But you still go through the process because you never know what could happen. After that, we go to scenario No. 2, where you do find a guy that maybe isn’t the perfect, ideal age but you’re still trying to fill something that makes your team better in the long run.”

Sounds quite Marner-y.

 

[Corby78]

Here's to happier times, ladies and gentlemen.

There are a few goals where I can tell you exactly where I was. This is one of them

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

There are a few goals where I can tell you exactly where I was. This is one of them

Yeah, me too. I was on a work trip hammered at a Polish dive bar in Brooklyn where no one but me, two coworkers, and some random dude in a Red Wings jersey spoke English. Had to ask the owner using the TV Guide section of the newspaper to put on the hockey game. Jumped up and down around the bar with the Red Wings guy when Kuzy scored lol — he hated the Pens too. The owner gave me a shot of vodka and a Zywiec (spelling?) when he realized how happy I was. Gotta love sports.

That bar was not my first choice but there were too many hipster bars that had no TVs and that was the first one I walked into out of 6 or 7 that finally had a TV. I wish I could remember the name of that place…

 

[Hivemind]

There are a few goals where I can tell you exactly where I was. This is one of them

I know where I was, as well.

I was traveling to San Diego a lot for work in that period, and was at the only hockey bar in San Diego I'm aware of, Stout Public House. I was sitting in the chair with the green arrow pointing at it.

It was pretty dead for that game, maybe 8-10 people at the bar as a whole.

I was back in San Diego for the cup finals that year, and went to Stout for Game 5. One of my biggest regrets is not taking the day off work and driving out to Vegas for the game, but I had recently been scolded by my boss for not extending a previous trip after a completely different project out there had an issue, so I didn't want to risk anything. I assumed the bar would be similarly dead to the second round game (or maybe half-full, like it had been for some previous playoff series against the Rangers I had been there for), and I was hoping I could get the same table out of superstition. But I was dead wrong, it was packed to the gills with people. Maybe about 60% Vegas fans when I arrived, but by the end of the game it was more Caps fans (people definitely bandwagoned across lines as the game went on). Place was going nuts during the DSP and Eller goals.

 

[YippieKaey]

It depends heavily on who you are getting back.

The problem with a CMM+ for Ehlers swap is that the Caps would be getting much older in that deal. (CMM is 23 and Ehlers is 28). I would be open to swapping CMM for a player like Cole Perfetti, however, as Perfetti just 22.

I think at this point CMM is more proven than Perfetti no?

 

[hockeykicker]

Darcy Kuemper for Pierre-Luc Dubois trade ‘would make some sense’ for both Capitals and Kings

Capitals' general manager Brian MacLellan shared on Breakdown Day that he believes Darcy Kuemper will "have a good year next year", signaling…

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

 

[Brian23]

Darcy Kuemper for Pierre-Luc Dubois trade ‘would make some sense’ for both Capitals and Kings

Capitals' general manager Brian MacLellan shared on Breakdown Day that he believes Darcy Kuemper will "have a good year next year", signaling…

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

How...? This makes zero sense too me.

Keumper had 3 years left, with only 1 year where his actual money owed is the same as his cap hit. After that he's owed less then the actual cap number, which can have some value to cheap teams trying to hit the floor. PLD has 7 more years with a 3.25 million dollar higher cap hit.

One for one is a day time robbery. Like, these are not the same.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

How...? This makes zero sense too me.

Keumper had 3 years left, with only 1 year where his actual money owed is the same as his cap hit. After that he's owed less then the actual cap number, which can have some value to cheap teams trying to hit the floor. PLD has 7 more years with a 3.25 million dollar higher cap hit.

One for one is a day time robbery. Like, these are not the same.
View attachment 866680

View attachment 866681

Marek and Friedman are not looking at the math, they're looking at each team's needs.

 

[hb13xchamps]

A PLD and Darcy swap better involve a heck of a lot more incentive for Washington

 

[Brian23]

Marek and Friedman are not looking at the math, they're looking at each team's needs.

Their needs are entirely dependent upon the math.

Beyond that, I just don't even see PLD as the type of player they'd covet. Let alone for that amount of term and money.

 

[NA Hockey]

I think at this point CMM is more proven than Perfetti no?

No he isn't lol

This year:

CMM: 80 gp / 18 goals / 15 assists / 33 points / -20 / ppg 0.41
Perfetti: 71 gp / 19 goals / 19 assists / 38 points / +13 / ppg 0.54

Career:

CMM: 155 gp / 27 goals / 24assists / 51 points / -23 / career ppg 0.33
Perfetti: 140 gp / 29 goals / 46 assists / 75 points / +24 / career ppg 0.54

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

GMBM “I want to leave room for our guys to grow. I want to get with the coaching staff and target a couple areas that I think or hopefully they think we need.”

That means the plan is sign CMM, and not move him or Lappy or Protas for some old expensive big name. Maybe you consider a age-similar talent-similar hockey deal, but the problem there is the message you send to the other young players that you are or will be developing. The notion this team is prone to pulling the rug out on everything they have been telling them is not a rep you want or your young'uns to worry about.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Also remember GMBM and staff like to go deeper than "The Name Player" and try to find aquire someone is is primed to move up a level.

A DK + Dowd + one of next year 2nds might be a package that they identify as someone on an upward trajectory.

For those that don't "see" CMM having a much higher ceiling, many of us do. And we should find out soon what the team thinks from what they offer him. Don't be shocked if they pay him very, very well.

We shall see.

 

[OV Rocks]

Their needs are entirely dependent upon the math.

Beyond that, I just don't even see PLD as the type of player they'd covet. Let alone for that amount of term and money.

Really? The guy is 100% the type of player they covet. Big frame, (can be) good both sides of the puck, good shot, (can) play physical. You line a motivated PLD next to Wilson and Protas and that can be a pain in the ass to play against.

His biggest knock is he takes shifts/nights off, which ironically enough is what the Caps did all this year. He will look terrible in the 6-1 losses and great in the 2-1 wins.

Perfect fit!

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

For those wanting PLD, the only path I'd be open to would be if they do the buy out before the June deadline and then offer him a one year prove-it deal. And even then I'm.not sure he wouldn't be a non-fit culturally.

Also, this...

 

[CapsSkins]

Guentzel would be a good signing but he's prob going to a contender.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Guentzel would be a good signing but he's prob going to a contender.

He's going to where they pay big.

 

[CapsSkins]

He's going to where they pay big.

Not mutually exclusive with "contender"! But agreed

 

[Kazer]

Winnipeg doesn't have a first round pick in this draft as they had traded it to Montreal for Monahan. Have to imagine any discussions involving Ehlers begins with Winnipeg getting a first round pick in the coming draft.

If Jets don't or can't move Ehlers before the draft, then it may be worth getting creative with an offer. Some possible Capitals roster players to consider in such an offer would be Dowd, Jensen, Sandin and Protas. Caps could also offer to take Nate Schmidt back, that would be 12 mil in cap space the Jets would be shedding from their current roster with the departures of Ehlers/Schmidt.

Winnipeg probably needs to rebuild, but I'm not sure their financial situation allows for it. They weren't exactly drawing fans in droves this season.

If they are going to move on from key cogs like Ehlers, my guess is they would prefer guys like Sandin who can start contributing immediately.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

So if Smith does make the jump to SJ as some are speculating (rightly or wrongly) it still might be possible Leonard changes his mind. If so (where any of the 1 - 3 RW could shuffle into any of those slots)...

XXXXX - Strome - Wilson
Ovi - Lapierre- Miroshnichenko
Milano- CMM - Leonard
Malenstyn - Protas - Sgarbossa

Where XXXXX is a scoring addition. If we go with a one-year overpayment for scoring as I have suggested as an option, it opens the door to considering any of next year's UFAs for offering long term contract (that would include potentially Rantanen, Draisaitl, Boeser, Vehaeghe, Konecny, Sharangovich - all under 30 and currently > 30 goals).

Advantage there is you would likely be giving someone closer to 27 the 7 year deal if we wanted to go the long FA commitment route. In that case the contract would not age out as quickly as any 7 year deal you do this summer. Also gives a Cristall/Funk/Suzy a shot at blossoming to be considered in the mix.