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

[Todd Lazarchick]

It’s almost like I JUST called this lol

 

[Misery74]

Have to imagine we are resigning Lindgren.

I had been against trading assets for players, but this is a shrewd move. Tons of possibilities down the middle.

Lapierre
Strome
PLD
Dowd - Protas in 25

Think teams would be interested in a 23 year old, 2nd/3rd center? I can name about 31.

 

[Holtbyisms]

I'd imagine Chucky and Stevenson are the duo next year unless Clay shits the bed in camp. Give him 20-30 starts, see what he can do. He's already 25 so it's now or never. Can't imagine the organization views Sheperd as an NHL goaltender. He just doesn't have the top end talent or size to make up for the lack of talent. In a lot of ways he's a poor mans Lindgren. He's a battler who never quits but at the NHL level the talent level usually picks guys like that apart.

 

[Hivemind]

They need to get an experienced 1B goalie now. They can't roll the dice with 102 total NHL starts as their tandem. Banking on Lindgren being the real deal with the only fallback plans being Stevenson and Shepard is way too much risk.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Other then the contract which is maybe the worst in the league. I think we are a better hockey team today with PLD

 

[Holtbyisms]

They need to get an experienced 1B goalie now. They can't roll the dice with 102 total NHL starts as their tandem. Banking on Lindgren being the real deal with the only fallback plans being Stevenson and Shepard is way too much risk.

You think they're looking at making a run next season? What exactly are we risking lol

 

[Hivemind]

You think they're looking at making a run next season? What exactly are we risking lol

If they’re not looking to compete, why did they just bring in PLD at $8.5M for 7 years with a full NTC?

 

[Carlzner]

If they’re not looking to compete, why did they just bring in PLD at $8.5M for 7 years with a full NTC?

There is no other option than to compete right now with Alex Ovechkin. Take it or leave it... there won't be another (realistic) forward out there that moves the needle as much as this one can. Not guaranteed of course.

Using the money on some depth pieces doesn't help the team.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

And on the full NTC. Do we think it would be hard to get him to waive? Dude seems to be fine going to new teams...

 

[g00n]

It’s almost like I JUST called this lol

You called the opposite lol

 

[Holtbyisms]

If they’re not looking to compete, why did they just bring in PLD at $8.5M for 7 years with a full NTC?

Because he's 25, signed until he's 32ish and fits perfectly age wise for a rebuild? Also, how will the organization ever develop a goaltender if they keep signing vets? I guess if we didn't have a goalie viewed as a top 10 current up and comer in a lot of circles I'd be more inclined to keep going the vet route but we need to see what we've got. There are always vets bouncing around the waiver wire throughout the season, if he fails miserably, grab one.

 

[Hivemind]

There is no other option than to compete right now with Alex Ovechkin. Take it or leave it... there won't be another (realistic) forward out there that moves the needle as much as this one can. Not guaranteed of course.

Using the money on some depth pieces doesn't help the team.

Read the post I was replying to for greater context. Understand that the point I'm making is that PLD is a win-now move, and using that win-now mentality they need to also acquire a goaltender to accompany that move. Their logic seems to be win-now, and thus the extension of that logic is that they can't rely on a Lindgren/Stevenson tandem in 2024-25.

I don't want to get into a back-and-forth war of hypotheticals regarding what forwards they could or could not target. We would have several posts where neither of us change our minds. I agree that depth isn't enough.

Regarding whether or not I think they should actually be pursuing a win-now strategy - I'm not sure if you've ever watched The West Wing. There's an episode in which a character (Josh) closes out a trade deal that ends up sending jobs to India, jobs represented by one of the trade unions that supported their political campaign and that he promised that union he would protect. Near the end of the episode he makes a statement to the effect of "my issue isn't that I broke my promise, my issue is that I made a promise I would never be able to keep in the first place." That's precisely what the promise to Ovechkin to continue to compete during his contract was - a promise that they simply wouldn't be able to achieve regardless of their best intentions.

 

[Hivemind]

Because he's 25, signed until he's 32ish and fits perfectly age wise for a rebuild? Also, how will the organization ever develop a goaltender if they keep signing vets? I guess if we didn't have a goalie viewed as a top 10 current up and comer in a lot of circles I'd be more inclined to keep going the vet route but we need to see what we've got. There are always vets bouncing around the waiver wire throughout the season, if he fails miserably, grab one.

Bringing in a 25 year old is a move you make for a win-now trade. His age 30-32 seasons aren't going to be helping this team when they're trying to contend again. Further still, this type of contract is also a win-now move. You get the best players you can on whatever kind of contracts when you're attempting to get over the hump to a Cup, and deal with the cap consequences later. You do the opposite when rebuilding, shed the long-term contracts, get lean, don't encumber yourself with anything that will block new deals for your younger players or bringing in the missing pieces down the road.

As for developing goalies, Stevenson is an intriguing prospect, but he's not so good that he needs space cleared for him. He's not a Top 10 goalie prospect, and is a long shot from an Askarov or Wallstedt. Stevenson has only had one full season in the AHL at this point. Standing behind a vet for a season won't end his development. If Stevenson is as good as you think he is, he can force his way onto the NHL by shining in spot duty in 2024-25, and then have a spot in 2025-26.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Bringing in a 25 year old is a move you make for a win-now trade. His age 30-32 seasons aren't going to be helping this team when they're trying to contend again. Further still, this type of contract is also a win-now move. You get the best players you can on whatever kind of contracts when you're attempting to get over the hump to a Cup, and deal with the cap consequences later. You do the opposite when rebuilding, shed the long-term contracts, get lean, don't encumber yourself with anything that will block new deals for your younger players or bringing in the missing pieces down the road.

As for developing goalies, Stevenson is an intriguing prospect, but he's not so good that he needs space cleared for him. He's not a Top 10 goalie prospect, and is a long shot from an Askarov or Wallstedt. Stevenson has only had one full season in the AHL at this point. Standing behind a vet for a season won't end his development. If Stevenson is as good as you think he is, he can force his way onto the NHL by shining in spot duty in 2024-25, and then have a spot in 2025-26.

Disagree with about your entire post. I guess that's the norm though.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I'd imagine Chucky and Stevenson are the duo next year unless Clay shits the bed in camp. Give him 20-30 starts, see what he can do. He's already 25 so it's now or never. Can't imagine the organization views Sheperd as an NHL goaltender. He just doesn't have the top end talent or size to make up for the lack of talent. In a lot of ways he's a poor mans Lindgren. He's a battler who never quits but at the NHL level the talent level usually picks guys like that apart.

It's Lindgren/Shep next season. Stevenson should cook for another year in Hershey. It's not like Shep is going blind against NHL shooters. He has paid his dues and accomplished everything at the AHL level with the Bears. In his short stint with the Caps, there were mixed results. You give him training camp/preseason to hash things out with the big boys and I think Shep should be fine backing Lindgren.

 

[Holtbyisms]

It's Lindgren/Shep next season. Stevenson should cook for another year in Hershey. It's not like Shep is going blind against NHL shooters. He has paid his dues and accomplished everything at the AHL level with the Bears. In his short stint with the Caps, there were mixed results. You give him training camp/preseason to hash things out with the big boys and I think Shep should be fine backing Lindgren.

I don't know, be a cool story but paying your dues and having the talent for the next level are different things. We'll see how it goes in camp. They'll make it an open competition but I feel like unless he falls apart it's Stevenson's spot to lose. They're very high on him.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I feel like both Hershey goalies could get 15+ games next season

And possibly a lot more if Lindy gets hurt

 

[SherVaughn30]

I don't know, be a cool story but paying your dues and having the talent for the next level are different things. We'll see how it goes in camp. They'll make it an open competition but I feel like unless he falls apart it's Stevenson's spot to lose. They're very high on him.

They would be making a similar Sammy mistake(1 year AHL trying to learn the North American game and next year NHL) to Stevenson, if he were backing up Lindgren. Have Stevenson get more Hershey starts and not have Shep taking starts away. The advantage for Stevenson, he doesn't have to adjust his game from European style play to North American.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I feel like both Hershey goalies could get 15+ games next season

And possibly a lot more if Lindy gets hurt

I just don't see it that way. Stevenson/Gibson will be Hershey's goalies next season. Lindgren will have his usual workload from last season. Shep gets his chance to backup with somewhere between 20 - 30 starts. If for some reason he can't hold up, then he could be picked up on waivers or traded and then the Caps should have no problem picking up a cheap vet to backup Lindgren.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

yeah, I can’t see us going dumpster diving over Stevenson if we need a third Goalie

 

[SherVaughn30]

They need to get an experienced 1B goalie now. They can't roll the dice with 102 total NHL starts as their tandem. Banking on Lindgren being the real deal with the only fallback plans being Stevenson and Shepard is way too much risk.

It's not an immediate need yet. If Shep can't hold being Lindgren's backup, then you sign a cheap vet(there is always ones avail). Stevenson in my opinion no more then maybe a few games call-up during the season.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Bit of a gut feeling that GMBM continues the aggressive moves and tries to get some picks for Dowd/Jensen/TVR before/at the Draft. Late 1st or early-mid 2nd would be nice, and then go after D. Montour would be my hope, with Skjei/Roy/Pesce as other potential D targets.

 

[Holtbyisms]

They would be making a similar Sammy mistake(1 year AHL trying to learn the North American game and next year NHL) to Stevenson, if he were backing up Lindgren. Have Stevenson get more Hershey starts and not have Shep taking starts away. The advantage for Stevenson, he doesn't have to adjust his game from European style play to North American.

They're very different scenarios. Clay is North American as you pointed out so there's no adjustment needed. He has a year of being the #1 in the ECHL and he was pretty much the #1 in Hershey this year until he hit a rough patch towards the 3/4 mark of the season(he started more games that Shepherd this season and outplayed him for most of the season by a mile). Sammy was 21 and seemingly immature (example: the ATV accident) where Clay is 25 years old, has battled through a tremendous amount of adversity already in his life and risen the the occasion at every level.

 

[SherVaughn30]

They're very different scenarios. Clay is North American as you pointed out so there's no adjustment needed. He has a year of being the #1 in the ECHL and he was pretty much the #1 in Hershey this year until he hit a rough patch towards the 3/4 mark of the season(he started more games that Shepherd this season and outplayed him for most of the season by a mile). Sammy was 21 and seemingly immature (example: the ATV accident) where Clay is 25 years old, has battled through a tremendous amount of adversity already in his life and risen the the occasion at every level.

If Stevenson is the Caps future #1(I think the Caps eye him that way), then he's not in the picture for this coming Caps season. Continue being Hershey's #1 is good for development(also let's him get a good taste for playoff goaltending).

I only brought up Sammy scenario in the sense, already having Stevenson playing at the NHL level is a development mistake. See if Stevenson can follow up his rookie AHL season. If he does, then bring him up after that.

 

[pman25]

I’m pro internal promotion of Stevenson or even Shep if they’re worried about losing him to waivers. Carry three goalies at times if you want.

I’d rather get Clay in there, but if they’re gonna run Lindgren into the ground and just need a warm body, I’m fine with Shep.