I'd want their young Dman Evan Bouchard but highly doubt he'd be available. Also Kuemper prob has Edmonton on his No Trade List.
Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines/etc) | 2023-24 Regular Season Edition
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I'd want their young Dman Evan Bouchard but highly doubt he'd be available. Also Kuemper prob has Edmonton on his No Trade List.
Langway
In den Wolken
- Jul 7, 2006
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Definitely did not anticipate NJD & PIT at .500 on Thanksgiving (and behind PHI). MacLellan was on with Jeff Marek recently and threw cold water on getting ahead of themselves. Long way to go. If nothing else it's confidence-building for Carbery getting some results early.
Big picture I'm not sure a top nine featuring this year's Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Oshie has the look of a playoff team over 82 games. They're getting a bit healthier and have exited the honeymoon period with Carbery. He can freely shift gears and push buttons with players as needed. Pacioretty probably won't be the missing ingredient, though. They probably need more of a consistent on-puck creator, someone shiftier and more dynamic. As a secondary goal-scorer Pacioretty can do some good things and it at least creates further competition.
If they can swap out Kuznetsov or Oshie while not giving up too much in futures for a more dynamic top sixer...they have the look of being able to make the playoffs. But those three and the PP still make you wonder if it won't dry up on them. For now...make hay and bank points.
Big picture I'm not sure a top nine featuring this year's Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Oshie has the look of a playoff team over 82 games. They're getting a bit healthier and have exited the honeymoon period with Carbery. He can freely shift gears and push buttons with players as needed. Pacioretty probably won't be the missing ingredient, though. They probably need more of a consistent on-puck creator, someone shiftier and more dynamic. As a secondary goal-scorer Pacioretty can do some good things and it at least creates further competition.
If they can swap out Kuznetsov or Oshie while not giving up too much in futures for a more dynamic top sixer...they have the look of being able to make the playoffs. But those three and the PP still make you wonder if it won't dry up on them. For now...make hay and bank points.
Let this year be a re-tooling year and ride the youth. Go after bigger fish like Guentzel or Marchessault in FA. I’m not as worried about the C position with Strome, Lapierre, McMichael, and Protas all coming on as younger guys. We need to find scorers to replace leaving/declining guys like Oshie, Mantha, Ovie, etc.
We’re stuck with Oshie’s cap hit another year but hopefully can dump Kuzy in the offseason with just one more year left. We can take on a big contract or two and I’d look to do that at Wing and Defense.
We’re stuck with Oshie’s cap hit another year but hopefully can dump Kuzy in the offseason with just one more year left. We can take on a big contract or two and I’d look to do that at Wing and Defense.
In a hypothetical Nuggent-Hopkins for Kuemper scenario, who says no? Washington, Edmonton or both?
RNH has another 5 years after this @ $5.125m. Kuemper another 3 years @ $5.25m
Are we dumping Kuzy off on them, too? Keep in mind Kuemper probably has Edmonton on his NTC (Kuzy probably does, too, for that matter) and RNH has a full NMC.
Right now we are 6th in point percentage. Facing two bottom 3 teams in Oilers and Sharks next. Sharks is the start of a 5 game road trip. In the next 6 after Oilers and Sharks we have 4 games against top 5 ranked teams in point percenatge two of them at home after the road trip vs NYR and Dallas.
Need to get points in the next two and hopefully pick up at least 3 points against Anaheim and Arizona. Then every point against LA, Dallas, Vegas and NYR will be a bonus. If we go better than 0.5 in point percentage during that schedule things will look good.
Need to get points in the next two and hopefully pick up at least 3 points against Anaheim and Arizona. Then every point against LA, Dallas, Vegas and NYR will be a bonus. If we go better than 0.5 in point percentage during that schedule things will look good.
g00n
Retired Global Mod
- Nov 22, 2007
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Regarding their turnaround following The Speech vs NJ during 2nd INT in October....
In 2018 the team had 105pts, won the Metro, and had a +20 goal differential. So not a huge indication of a team that blows out the opposition nightly.
This year they have the 2nd fewest games played in the East (Sens have 15) and are on pace for 112pts. Rangers are ahead and logging a 130pt pace (Bruins in the Atlantic are on another planet).
113 points won the Metro last season. It could do so again this year. Sample size applies but Thanksgiving is the statistical checkpoint that usually sorts out the playoff teams from the lottery teams. The question is usually "what seeding will you end up with?"
I mentioned recently watching the replay of G6 vs the Pens in 2018. One of the things that stood out then and now was how the entire team functioned as a machine...with everyone knowing EXACTLY where to be, and getting there EXACTLY when they needed to. This meant spacing, support, anticipation, and execution while operating on what was probably autopilot after 4 years of Trotz hockey.
There were NO passengers on any line. Their "next man up" mentality allowed them to eliminate the Pens, who were practically undefeated against us in elimination games prior to that contest, even without Orpik, Backstrom, Wilson, and I think maybe Burakovsky.
That team had fight and fire and determination, and a clear goal. This team may be developing something similar. It wasn't there at the start of the season. Instead they seemed to have a "let's see where this goes" mindset as they adjusted to a new coach and system. It seems to be clicking as familiarity and repetition rises, but I think the attitude has also changed.
So again regarding goal differential, which would you rather have...a squad of choking dogs that blow out regular season opposition with a +85GD but can't win a playoff series, or fighters who leave everything on the ice every night and scrape their way to victory?
In 2018 the team had 105pts, won the Metro, and had a +20 goal differential. So not a huge indication of a team that blows out the opposition nightly.
This year they have the 2nd fewest games played in the East (Sens have 15) and are on pace for 112pts. Rangers are ahead and logging a 130pt pace (Bruins in the Atlantic are on another planet).
113 points won the Metro last season. It could do so again this year. Sample size applies but Thanksgiving is the statistical checkpoint that usually sorts out the playoff teams from the lottery teams. The question is usually "what seeding will you end up with?"
I mentioned recently watching the replay of G6 vs the Pens in 2018. One of the things that stood out then and now was how the entire team functioned as a machine...with everyone knowing EXACTLY where to be, and getting there EXACTLY when they needed to. This meant spacing, support, anticipation, and execution while operating on what was probably autopilot after 4 years of Trotz hockey.
There were NO passengers on any line. Their "next man up" mentality allowed them to eliminate the Pens, who were practically undefeated against us in elimination games prior to that contest, even without Orpik, Backstrom, Wilson, and I think maybe Burakovsky.
That team had fight and fire and determination, and a clear goal. This team may be developing something similar. It wasn't there at the start of the season. Instead they seemed to have a "let's see where this goes" mindset as they adjusted to a new coach and system. It seems to be clicking as familiarity and repetition rises, but I think the attitude has also changed.
So again regarding goal differential, which would you rather have...a squad of choking dogs that blow out regular season opposition with a +85GD but can't win a playoff series, or fighters who leave everything on the ice every night and scrape their way to victory?
They got Dylan Strome for free and have him locked up at $5M/year for four more years after this one. They got Sonny Milano for free and have him locked up at $1.9M/year for two more years after this. Tip of the cap to GMBM and team for those two stellar pieces of business.
zappa4ever
Music is the Best!
While this 9-1-1 streak has been awesome and we've shown a lot, winning in a variety of ways...
We've benefited from a lopsided 11H v 5A schedule and fancy stat "Strength of Schedule" shows we've had one of the easiest schedules so far and the rest of the season shows us with one of the hardest...
9 of next 12 are on the road so after gm 28 if we're still looking good that's going to say a lot about this team, quite a challenge coming the next few weeks:
Fri, Nov 24 vs Edmonton 3:00 PM
Mon, Nov 27 @ San Jose 10:30 PM
Wed, Nov 29 @ Los Angeles 10:30 PM
Thu, Nov 30 @ Anaheim 10:00 PM
Sat, Dec 2 @ Vegas 10:00 PM
Mon, Dec 4 @ Arizona 9:00 PM
Thu, Dec 7 vs Dallas 8:00 PM
Sat, Dec 9 vs New York Rangers 7:00 PM
Sun, Dec 10 @ Chicago 7:00 PM
Thu, Dec 14 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Sat, Dec 16 @ Nashville 8:00 PM
Sun, Dec 17 @ Carolina 6:00 PM
We've benefited from a lopsided 11H v 5A schedule and fancy stat "Strength of Schedule" shows we've had one of the easiest schedules so far and the rest of the season shows us with one of the hardest...
9 of next 12 are on the road so after gm 28 if we're still looking good that's going to say a lot about this team, quite a challenge coming the next few weeks:
Fri, Nov 24 vs Edmonton 3:00 PM
Mon, Nov 27 @ San Jose 10:30 PM
Wed, Nov 29 @ Los Angeles 10:30 PM
Thu, Nov 30 @ Anaheim 10:00 PM
Sat, Dec 2 @ Vegas 10:00 PM
Mon, Dec 4 @ Arizona 9:00 PM
Thu, Dec 7 vs Dallas 8:00 PM
Sat, Dec 9 vs New York Rangers 7:00 PM
Sun, Dec 10 @ Chicago 7:00 PM
Thu, Dec 14 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Sat, Dec 16 @ Nashville 8:00 PM
Sun, Dec 17 @ Carolina 6:00 PM
- Feb 10, 2010
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NJ no, PIT yes.
The Pens were not a playoff team last year despite all their key players being healthy. Now they're another critical year older.
I think it's hilarious that they fancy themselves buyers as a non-playoff team to the point where they are pissing away first round picks.
trick9
Registered User
- Jun 2, 2013
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I hope they keep buying again at the deadline.
Same for the Islanders. They've traded 4 1st round picks in a row already and their team looks... bad. Why not make it 5 in a row, Lou?
bacchist
lumpy, lumpy head
- Feb 7, 2013
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If you look at the underlying stats for the regular season in 2017-18, it would be hard to guess that they would go on to win the cup. Somewhat similar profile to this year's team. The main difference is they were scoring way more than expected. With 47.5% xGoals, they actually got 51.82%. This year, our xGoals are 47.95%, and actual goals are 48.81%. Corsi/Fenwick were just as bad back then as they have been this year.
I would not put too much stock in the home vs away. Caps have been mostly good on the road in recent years. Things are clicking right now and when they dont its not going to be simply because they are not playing in their own barn. Caps are in a very interesting position right now. They are playing with somewhat unsustainable defensive numbers and sooner or later the pk will stop going 23-0 sterches and Lindgren’s hot streak will end. At the same time their low offensive output is also somewhat unsustainable, sooner or later you expect the pp to stop being dead last and some vets get out of their funk. If they can find a balance between the two this team may be very dangerous come playoffs.
Well said.
And I love the way all Hershey players are playing. They're all smart, hard working, and play a team game. It's that championship DNA.
zappa4ever
Music is the Best!
Well, that's the main question, isn't it?
Where is the "middle"?
"Too crazy for Boy's Town, too much of a boy for Crazy Town!"
which things are sustainable and which will revert
under:
- PPG
- OV goals
- Dmen goals
- Vet scoring (Willy/Oshie/Kuz)
over:
- PK
- backup goalies
- young'ns performing
unknowns:
- Patches/Edmundson
Where is the "middle"?
"Too crazy for Boy's Town, too much of a boy for Crazy Town!"
which things are sustainable and which will revert
under:
- PPG
- OV goals
- Dmen goals
- Vet scoring (Willy/Oshie/Kuz)
over:
- PK
- backup goalies
- young'ns performing
unknowns:
- Patches/Edmundson
Langway
In den Wolken
- Jul 7, 2006
- 33,294
- 10,936
True. Buffalo and Ottawa not being better thus far is more surprising. I didn't drink the Dubas kool-aid in the off-season either. Their depth is bad. Goaltending still bad. Karlsson wasn't going to salvage them. But I suspect they'll still be in the mix. .500 just seems a bit low for them still. They're not a contender at this stage but being top-heavy like that can often work in the regular season. Definitely a team that needs to get younger/faster.
Only three teams have fewer goals/game than the Caps. Playing a tight margin style out of necessity will leave them with narrow margins. Ovechkin will likely still find a way somehow but Kuz/Oshie in the top nine is problematic. Pacioretty at least will offer more competition but is short of what's singularly needed.
You wonder if they're in a similar place come Jan./Feb. whether they think about a trade of Kuz/Oshie for a top six invigorator. Not a rental piece but someone with term. If they're moving the first rounder it probably needs to be of that sort of magnitude.
Ovechkins Wodka
Registered User
The big tests will be NYR and the Canes. Maybe the Flyers bc of the Metro standings. I dont see many other teams that scare me.
right now we project 2/3 Metro playoffs vs the Canes. and prob a 2nd round date with Lavi and the Rangers. If we drop down to wild card it could be NYR 1st round.
Last edited:
Ovechkins Wodka
Registered User
CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
- Feb 27, 2002
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zappa4ever
Music is the Best!
Ovechkins Wodka
Registered User
Can never forget what Chris Kreider did to us from his college call up in the playoffs
And more recently Cam Makar
May have already taken my Thanksgiving edible
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