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

[Chokingdogs]

Now I’m getting annoyed, Phillips Schmillips…at least big guy Bri scored goalz!!1

on the PP no less!?

 

[swansonsays]

I’ve seen some here saying they’ve seen enough, or they are done with him. He’s fine in our limited lineup….leave him in there….just don’t expect a ton.

I’m clamoring for a trade to infuse some talent…..but if they brought up Miro for example….are you pitching a fit if Phillips sits then? I’m not.

Miro is not ready for a call up. He needs a full season in Hershey to adapt to this level of play. He's got the shot, but it doesn't always hit the net, and he's got moves offensively, but his defense is not there. Todd Nelson isn't going to let that go, which is why Miro was a healthy scratch a couple of weeks ago. Give him a year, with a defensive minded head coach and see where he is next season. Aren't we already at our quota for Russian forwards who don't care to defend?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Miro is not ready for a call up. He needs a full season in Hershey to adapt to this level of play. He's got the shot, but it doesn't always hit the net, and he's got moves offensively, but his defense is not there. Todd Nelson isn't going to let that go, which is why Miro was a healthy scratch a couple of weeks ago. Give him a year, with a defensive minded head coach and see where he is next season. Aren't we already at our quota for Russian forwards who don't care to defend?

I’d have no problem giving him a taste at some point later this year. And it was a hypothetical example…..not a statement of his readiness today. My preference….as I also stated above, is a trade.

 

[TheSmokingMan]

Miro is not ready for a call up. He needs a full season in Hershey to adapt to this level of play. He's got the shot, but it doesn't always hit the net, and he's got moves offensively, but his defense is not there. Todd Nelson isn't going to let that go, which is why Miro was a healthy scratch a couple of weeks ago. Give him a year, with a defensive minded head coach and see where he is next season. Aren't we already at our quota for Russian forwards who don't care to defend?

I agree, he needs more time in the Hershey oven. We shouldn't rush him because of the offensive crisis on the big team. Having said that, I don't mind seeing him called up for a few games later in the year as a reward as long as he keeps making progress.

 

[alphabetical]

I just gonna say it. Twabby has no common sense and just tries to shove advanced stats into ppl's faces to support his argument, currently it's Phillips and he does this plenty so with forcing arguments for other players that most wouldn't agree on. Phillips is a good AHL player, but a fringe NHL player if a team has too many injuries. He's not a good enough player, end of the story.

Your story lacks support from facts and statistics. Your opinions are noted, but they aren't facts.

 

[alphabetical]

I’ve seen some here saying they’ve seen enough, or they are done with him. He’s fine in our limited lineup….leave him in there….just don’t expect a ton.

I’m clamoring for a trade to infuse some talent…..but if they brought up Miro for example….are you pitching a fit if Phillips sits then? I’m not.

This is pretty much how people are arguing for him though - he's not going to be as bad as some of the other options presently on the roster. I don't expect him to be a first line player, but I do expect him to be better than Oshie or Malenstyn.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

This is pretty much how people are arguing for him though - he's not going to be as bad as some of the other options presently on the roster. I don't expect him to be a first line player, but I do expect him to be better than Oshie or Malenstyn.

Asking him to be better then a healthy Oshie is a big ask. I think teams would be lining up for him if he could sniff TJ upside

 

[HTFN]

I'm not going to claim he's lighting the world up, but for a guy who gets 10 minutes a game what type of production do you expect? He's significantly outscoring Wilson, Strome, and Ovechkin at 5v5 on a rate basis, for example. He's scoring right in line with guys like Mantha and McMichael who have been considered solid players this year.

Ideally he's probably a third line dude on a good team but given the other options he's probably a top 6er on this team. His defensive impacts are the best on the team, despite the claims that he's too much of a liability out there. Good outcomes happen when he's out there. He doesn't take dumb penalties.

I guess people see what they want to see. But I leave everyone with this ancient proverb:

Classic case of you arguing a straw man, show me the defensive liability posts.

I won’t speak for others but my position on Phillips is pretty backed up by these stats: he can’t convert on his defensive contribution because he’s too easy to erase from play and it’s the same reason his even strength offense is essentially replacement level, which has always been your favorite of saying “provides nothing”

So we’ve got a tiny guy who could maybe take more minutes but would ultimately just be providing checking line impacts. Now we need to look at how to make that happen with a guy whose zone starts are similar to Evgeny Kuznetsov and take a more offensive tilt than powerhouses like Lapierre and Milano and hope that doesn’t have any disadvantages built in…

Like people have actually said to you, he just needs to provide one extra tool and he doesn’t, which makes him hard to fit. If he were thicker and could stay on pucks maybe you can deploy him defensively more but his frame makes him more effective in transition than in-zone play to these eyes and I think that’s what’s reflecting in his stats. If he had more even strength offense he’d be actually creating chances and it wouldn’t matter what his size was because he’s making it work both ways but what we're seeing is a good IQ player with good touches and hands still providing very little offense because _____ and I invite you to tell me what you think _____ is.

 

[RedRocking]

I think there is an incredibly strong correlation between how people feel about Phillips and how they feel about Tom Wilson and his contract, for instance.

As always, all roads lead back to Tom Wilson, and trying to prove some point about him. We get it, you don’t like his style of play and contract. Perhaps your feelings on the subject have clouded your reality.

Of course, not sure what specifically Wilson has to do with people’s impressions of Phillips. Appears you’ve simply just imagined a straw man with a Neanderthal mindset (big player that hits = good; small player, no hits = bad). Everyone who has remarked on Phillips’ game has explained what they see - good and bad. No one is being as reductionist as you seem to imply.

The fact that analytics can show that certain undersized players, like Phillips, are undervalued is fine and perfectly valid. However, it is spurious logic to act as though that proves that a player like Tom Wilson is overvalued.

 

[alphabetical]

Asking him to be better then a healthy Oshie is a big ask. I think teams would be lining up for him if he could sniff TJ upside

Tj Oshie from what year? 2020? He's been a very poor player 5 on 5 this season and the last two. He's at 2 even strength points in 17 games this year, 24 even strength points in 58 games last year, and 15 even strength points in 44 games two years ago.

No team is lining up for that productivity at his cap hit. Especially not considering he's missed a whopping 68 games in the last three seasons, is coming off yet another concussion, and can't keep up with the play any more.

I'm sorry, but you're living in the past.

 

[HTFN]

Tj Oshie from what year? 2020? He's been a very poor player 5 on 5 this season and the last two. He's at 2 even strength points in 17 games this year, 24 even strength points in 58 games last year, and 15 even strength points in 44 games two years ago.

No team is lining up for that productivity at his cap hit. Especially not considering he's missed a whopping 68 games in the last three seasons, is coming off yet another concussion, and can't keep up with the play any more.

I'm sorry, but you're living in the past.

You two are having distinctly different conversations. TJ Upside is not TJ Now, and I'm not sure why they went there because Oshie now is... not good at all but that's the gap on display.

Here's the problem though: Phillips is, by that chart, hardly better than Malenstyn right now. In fact, when the team needs even strength offense, Malenstyn is the better option by about three times based on the measured impact in the graph.

So again, what is his role on the team? He's got good defensive impact but also slightly favorable deployments, and gets erased at even strength on offense. How often can you send out a pass interception specialist who thrives in positioning and transition defensively thanks to his IQ but keeps getting blocked out of the subsequent offense and generally doesn't seem to make impacts in cycle play?

 

[alphabetical]

You two are having distinctly different conversations. TJ Upside is not TJ Now, and I'm not sure why they went there because Oshie now is... not good at all but that's the gap on display.

Here's the problem though: Phillips is, by that chart, hardly better than Malenstyn right now. In fact, when the team needs even strength offense, Malenstyn is the better option by about three times based on the measured impact in the graph.

So again, what is his role on the team? He's got good defensive impact but also slightly favorable deployments, and gets erased at even strength on offense. How often can you send out a pass interception specialist who thrives in positioning and transition defensively thanks to his IQ but keeps getting blocked out of the subsequent offense and generally doesn't seem to make impacts in cycle play?

Despite those shortcomings, he's still the second or third best right wing on the team. Thus I'd play him on the second or third line despite all his warts. I'd still rather see Ethen Frank try out that role, but until some players are jettisoned that's not an option.

 

[HTFN]

Despite those shortcomings, he's still the second or third best right wing on the team. Thus I'd play him on the second or third line despite all his warts. I'd still rather see Ethen Frank try out that role, but until some players are jettisoned that's not an option.

I'm sorry but that's when you know the strict stat adherence is losing you ground. He's third best at best and really only that.

Ethen Frank? Really? Your emotions are getting the better of your statistics if you think that's the move.

 

[alphabetical]

I'm sorry but that's when you know the strict stat adherence is losing you ground. He's third best at best and really only that.

Ethen Frank? Really? Your emotions are getting the better of your statistics if you think that's the move.

Third best, great. That matches his current spot on the roster. I'm glad we agree on that one.

And ethen frank, he's just someone to eat minutes while we wait for better prospects in the system to mature. I'm sure your view on him are as strong as your views on everything else, so please share why he's such a downgrade on phillips.

 

[bacchist]

Here's the problem though: Phillips is, by that chart, hardly better than Malenstyn right now. In fact, when the team needs even strength offense, Malenstyn is the better option by about three times based on the measured impact in the graph.

What are you talking about?

 

[g00n]

It looks like every year there has to be some guy to bitch about not getting enough time.

 

[bacchist]

Now we need to look at how to make that happen with a guy whose zone starts are similar to Evgeny Kuznetsov

Phillips starts more of his shifts on the fly than anyone on the team, and gets very few offensive zone starts compared to anyone outside of the 4th line.

 

[g00n]

Is Wayne Brady gonna have to ignore some people?

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Big game vs Lavi and the Rangers today. Let’s give them the Tom Wilson treatment. I would like us to win this one.

 

[pman25]

4th line hasn’t been impressive lately. I’d sub out NAK for sure. Depending on how things shake when Pacioretty joins or Oshie returns, I’d try Protas or Phillips down on L4

 

[Midnight Judges]

There have been times where that player that we all thought should have gotten more ice time turned out to be pretty good when they went to another team - like Vrana, Schmidt, and Burakovsky.

 

[g00n]

There have been times where that player that we all thought should have gotten more ice time turned out to be pretty good when they went to another team - like Vrana, Schmidt, and Burakovsky.

And some haven't.

No need to rehash all these players.

The daily spam about Phillips is noise.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

 

[zappa4ever]

Phillips - 18GP - 1g 4a
only goal against former team (in his 2nd game)
the 5pts came in 4gms (before his Apple in last game he had a -- 2a in 15gms -- stretch going)
0 SOG in 11 of 18gms (13 SOG total)
look at his shifts and he's the 1st person benched late in games for his ineffectiveness
look at the chart previously posted above and there's 9 other fwds Carbery chooses for Offense before him (and Phillips ain't here for his defensive prowess)

He's a cheap fwd who's very fortunate to get some starts, and at 25 might not get another opp without actual production

 

[g00n]

I watched his AHL highlights. He's a very small player who needs open ice and time and space to be effective. When he has those things he can create plays or put up a nice shot.

But he has to get those things.

He's 25 now and has very little NHL experience. At his age Martin St Louis wasn't tearing up the league, either. It took a few more years for him to blossom into the great player he became...in his 30s.

MSL defied all the odds. It's not something you bet on.

Is it possible Phillips finds some way to play a 2-way game and find those passing and scoring opportunities without being thrown around or knocked off the puck? Anything is possible. But it's not something we or Carbery should be counting on just by throwing the guy out there more.

He should probably study before and after film of MSL from his 20s vs 30s.