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

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Its no surprise kuzy's performance has dipped (in concert with a couple other of our core players), he still has the skills, but the rest of his linemates aren't commanding enough respect or have enough skills to open the ice for him. If you ship him to a faster team, he'd excel just based on pure skill and nothing else. Basically we need to get some skill and speed back in this lineup. Ovechkin is basically doing nothing on the first line, Carlson hasn't either, neither has Oshie or Backstrom or Jensen or TVR. Just too many players that have no skill / too old / not performing.

I'd rather keep kuzy (can't afford to lose a top 6 center) and then try and jettison tvr/jensen + prospects for some faster D men... ones that can get to the puck before the other team. Tired of seeing our team hemmed in and watching other players get to the puck before our defensemen in our own zone. Wonder if werenski could come the other way in a trade.

Kuzy isn’t a top six center anymore.

 

[mad4comp]

Kuzy isn’t a top six center anymore.

wanna bet he flourishes on whatever team he goes to?

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

wanna bet he flourishes on whatever team he goes to?

He won’t. The dude will go back to the KHL.

 

[mad4comp]

He won’t. The dude will go back to the KHL.

Maybe, but he'll flourish. This team has zero top six players.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Maybe, but he'll flourish. This team has zero top six players.

I’d say Wilson is but nothing after that.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I dont even think it's lack of effort with Kuzy. His hockey mind went on vacation and didn't come back. He's trying but doesn't know how.

I feel like this and the “he’s lost a step” angle is just wishful excuse-making. It’s lack of give a F. Dude should have never opened his mouth and (essentially) said it’s too hard to play at or near his best.

 

[PlushMinus]

I feel like this and the “he’s lost a step” angle is just wishful excuse-making. It’s lack of give a F. Dude should have never opened his mouth and (essentially) said it’s too hard to play at or near his best.

Yeah that was the reddest of red flags right there.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Friedman says the Caps are (sniffing) around Columbus in today's 32T pod.

Kuznetsov for Laine. Add where needed.

Let’s GO!!!!!’

 

[SherVaughn30]

IT'S TIME FOR A SHAKEUP TRADE!

 

[YippieKaey]

I feel like this and the “he’s lost a step” angle is just wishful excuse-making. It’s lack of give a F. Dude should have never opened his mouth and (essentially) said it’s too hard to play at or near his best.

Oh did he say that? I think i missed it. I mean he's probably right that it's very hard but for that money even i would work my ass off.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Maybe, but he'll flourish. This team has zero top six players.

Strome and Wilson are good second line players. McMichael has the look of someone who will develop into a top six guy but he's more middle six at the moment.

We've discussed this a bunch but there's no game breaking offensive talent on this roster anymore. Mantha was supposed to be a top six guy and while he's finding his game again he's not the difference maker they paid for. Ovi looks like he's lost more than just a step or two and it's a fairly big indictment on the rest of the guys that he's still leading them in ES points as much as he's struggled. Oshie, Kuznetsov, and Backstrom are all washed.

It is what it is. The guys they're paying the most money to aren't coming close to earning their keep and the depth players and young guys are being asked to contribute more than can be reasonably expected. There's some solid youth coming up with McMichael, Lapierre, Protas, Sandin, Miro, Leonard, Cristall, etc but they're not close to ready to carry the torch and the old guys stink so we're left with this gap. This and next year always looked like they'd be tough transition years but we thought we'd at least have Ovi to keep us entertained.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Oh did he say that? I think i missed it. I mean he's probably right that it's very hard but for that money even i would work my ass off.

I’m sure someone has a link, but essentially yeah.

 

[trick9]

Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts, Washington is one of the teams that has been "around" Columbus on the trade front. It is unclear if the Capitals are interested in a certain name, though Patrik Laine's name has popped up on trade boards after the Finn's rough start to the year that resulted in a recent healthy scratch.

Meanwhile, Washington ahs its own player in a similar boat, as Evgeny Kuznetsov will be the odd man out on Monday, with head coach Spencer Carbery wanting him to get back on track following offensive struggles, poor penalties and questionable efforts to open 2023-24.

I'm not very high on Laine but... i wish. This seems like a brutal move for the Blue Jackets but who knows how desperate Jarmo is and whether there even is any kind of market for Laine either at this stage. Kuznetsov atleast expires a year sooner.

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washi...capitals-trade-chatter-blue-jackets-kuznetsov

 

[Empty Goal Net]

I'm not very high on Laine but... i wish. This seems like a brutal move for the Blue Jackets but who knows how desperate Jarmo is and whether there even is any kind of market for Laine either at this stage. Kuznetsov atleast expires a year sooner.

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washi...capitals-trade-chatter-blue-jackets-kuznetsov

Although it goes w/o saying I will type it anyway, we don't know what goes on in locker rooms or what's been said privately to mgmt/coaches/individual players and their agents. Comes a time when a move needs to be made for the good of the team. The player doesn't need to be a locker room cancer for that to happen. Some of us lived through the end of the Bobby Carpenter era when he was told to stay away from the team. It took about five weeks before Poile could trade him to the Rags for a decent return of Rids and Miller. (for those unfamiliar with this saga, see here (Bob Fachet Nov 26 1986)

Anyway, even if the change of scenery doesn't inspire one or both of the players, it's probably worth a try. The cap will be going up and PP needs a shake-up.

 

[twabby]

NHL attendance analysis: Biggest risers and fallers year-over-yea

Caps with the biggest year-to-year decline in attendance. I wonder if this gets Ted's attention.

 

[trick9]

 

[g00n]

NHL attendance analysis: Biggest risers and fallers year-over-yea

Caps with the biggest year-to-year decline in attendance. I wonder if this gets Ted's attention.

If they make the playoffs it will go back up. This has been a trend for a long time. I did an analysis of it maybe 20 years ago during the firesale period...attendance goes down after they fail to make the playoffs or have a particularly bad playoff result.

But yes, they will probably do something drastic this year. I think that's always been in the cards.

 

[Misery74]

Ovechkin is cooked. Anticipated a lot of problems coming into this year, this wasn’t one of them.

He’s fallen off a cliff.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Ovechkin is cooked. Anticipated a lot of problems coming into this year, this wasn’t one of them.

He’s fallen off a cliff.

Outside of his on ice game, I'm also just not seeing the intensity and passion we've seen before from him. IMHO he doesn't seem to be as emotionally invested in playing. Obviously that is a wild take from where I sit but I see a difference.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

NHL attendance analysis: Biggest risers and fallers year-over-yea

Caps with the biggest year-to-year decline in attendance. I wonder if this gets Ted's attention.

It already has his attention, but when your most expensive players are playing like boat anchors, no major trades to be had unless you’re moving young inexpensive players, and they’re not doing that in a mediocre deal.

They need to find out how to add some star power. We have no offensive players who move the needle.

 

[um]

wanna bet he flourishes on whatever team he goes to?

It doesn't really matter, as he has no interest in trying here.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It doesn't really matter, as he has no interest in trying here.

Yup, I’ve said it many times before…he would probably be motivated to play better to give the Caps the middle finger if they moved him. Would likely be short lived, but painful for us.

 

[Cappy76]

I wonder if the drug use had long term effects on Kuzy. He just doesn't care out there most nights.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Benching Kuznetsov doesn't seem to have had an amazing effect on performance last night.

Sometimes players get heat for problems that run deeper than one player. For example, Jack Eichel used to get heat in Buffalo.

 

[Langway]

Sometimes players get heat for problems that run deeper than one player.

I think this is true when it comes to team leadership and their ability to keep Kuznetsov accountable and engaged. Too much these days is optional and it's a sign the core group is basically spent. Their headliners aren't headliners any longer. What drives their success is depth and work ethic. Same as it's been for years now and it's probably only going to become more pronounced. Structurally it's so wonky that it's hard to believe it's viable enough to make the playoffs. It can still happen but a lot needs to go right to be successful enough with so little offensive punch.

Kuznetsov has always been a bit injury-prone and I think that also plays into his mentality in largely avoiding contact and harder areas. He's not going to go that extra mile for the sake of the team and that alone should put him on the outskirts of the lineup, esp. since it's not like he generates much through open play either. They tried. They fed him minutes but the underlying play is awful and sitting him is more likely IMO to lead to an exit than a turnaround. He doesn't really seem capable of taking ownership of his game or else his behavior for a considerable period would have played out differently. Given all of his negative antics they probably should look to resolve the issue ASAP unless he's seriously on board for once. Seems unlikely.

If the top six and key support pieces like Milano can't hack it they need to start think about giving opportunities to some Hershey alternatives. Miro, Frank, Dube, Snively, Even Sutter. And further load up McMichael, Mantha and anyone else that happens to play well. Many more spots should be at risk than just Kuznetsov's when the PP is so awful and only SJS scores less.