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

[HandsomeTom43]

We’re not a Sean Monahan trade away from being good. No thanks on that dude. Chychrun on the other hand I’d be good with an extension.

 

[Misery74]

Honestly, If Chychrun isn’t content on re-signing in Ottawa and with Monahan being a pending UFA. Those two additions would make for a pretty interesting playoff team IMO.

- Lapierre and a 2025 3rd for Monahan
- Jensen, Milano, 2025 1st, 2024 3rd for Chychrun

Ovie-Monahan-Wilson
Pacioretty-Strome-Oshie
Protas-McMichael-Mantha
Malenstyn-Dowd-NAK

Chychrun-Carlson
Sandin-TVR
Fehervary-Bear

Kuemper
Lindgren

With Kuznetsov, Phillips, Alexeyev and Edmundson

you think we are better off with 3 months of Monahan, versus Lapierre?

No thanks.

 

[pman25]

Protas is a fine player and that’s a fine cap hit for a middle 6 player. Wish he scored more

 

[hb13xchamps]

You can always find a 4th line center and worst case scenario we put Protas there for a season.

True but we’ve been spoiled going from Beagle to Dowd. Both guys have been really really good 4th line players. Protas isn’t seeing the 4th line after signing his new deal

Has Monahan’s value really gone up that much? He had negative value

 

[Kalopsia]

True but we’ve been spoiled going from Beagle to Dowd. Both guys have been really really good 4th line players. Protas isn’t seeing the 4th line after signing his new deal

Has Monahan’s value really gone up that much? He had negative value

He had negative value when he had a full season left on his contract with a 6.4M cap hit and was coming off season-ending hip surgery. Now hes a rental with a 2M cap hit and he hasn't missed a game this year. That's most of the change in value right there.

 

[HTFN]

I feel like im not that stoked on that deal, Protas is whatever imo

Even if that ends up being true, and I don't think it will be... 3.3m is also whatever.

That's a crazy amount of years locked up at a stable price while they had money to spend and a cushion to dip into... GMBM scored a huge win here just buying a UFA year on a guy who has kept himself in lineups and is playing well.

This is a good deal in like 2010 or so let alone now.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Protas is a fine player and that’s a fine cap hit for a middle 6 player. Wish he scored more

He's always been more of a playmaking center. He's got a nice shot but struggles to get it off because of his windup at the next level where defenders are so much better getting stick on puck. He's out pointing CMM fwiw and they were drafted together. I think he's doing great this stage of his development. Some additional scoring will come with experience but he'll probably never be a 25-30 goal guy. Might get a 15-20ish seasons from him but I think he can become a consistent 45-50 point center one day.

 

[HTFN]

He's always been more of a playmaking center. He's got a nice shot but struggles to get it off because of his windup at the next level where defenders are so much better getting stick on puck. He's out pointing CMM fwiw and they were drafted together. I think he's doing great this stage of his development. Some additional scoring will come with experience but he'll probably never be a 25-30 goal guy. Might get a 15-20ish seasons from him but I think he can become a consistent 45-50 point center one day.

his touch and intuition is really high though, and might carry him a lot farther than that. He's possibly even best on the team right now at making limited touch passes to spaces and having them further play in a dangerous way. More he learns how far his physical ability will carry him, the more that brain is going to help, but he's already making better IQ plays than a lot of guys on the team.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Fantastic deal. Wish it was longer, frankly. I love me some Protas. The kid is still freaking growing, at his height.

Tall players simply take a little longer (usually) to develop in hockey. So I think Protas is not even in his prime yet. I see a 60pt player once he starts getting regular power play time. Maybe more.

His vision is terrific. He’s got wonderful hands. He’s relatively quick for such a large guy, and his passing touch will only improve.

If he can work on his shot somewhat, a 20/40 or 25/45 player could be emerging.

The only other 6’6” F (Tage Thompson) took a similar developmental curve. Thompson is a better scorer than Protas, but I think Protas is the better passer.

2nd half of the season will be big for him. Love to see him hit 40pts, which would mean a little more offense

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Seems like a bit of a steal to get 5 years at that AAV.

 

[pman25]

He's always been more of a playmaking center. He's got a nice shot but struggles to get it off because of his windup at the next level where defenders are so much better getting stick on puck. He's out pointing CMM fwiw and they were drafted together. I think he's doing great this stage of his development. Some additional scoring will come with experience but he'll probably never be a 25-30 goal guy. Might get a 15-20ish seasons from him but I think he can become a consistent 45-50 point center one day.

I’d be thrilled with just 10/12/15 goals really. But 3 goals in 42 games is just rough!

He still finds ways to produce though, so I don’t have an issue with it. Good player for sure. But yeah just wish he could score a little more. Same goes for like every guy on this team though

 

[um]

I'm happy with the Protas deal, I'd do it for more.

Protas doesn't have much of a goal scoring touch, but he's good at every other facet of the game. Good 2 way pleyer, good passer, good along the boards, goes to the net, tries hard, skates well, etc.

I still want to see him tried at center.

 

[Pigskin]

Does DK have negative value due to his patchy season? I'd rather sell DK and extend Chuckie for at least long enough for Stevenson to arrive or prove we need to find another option.

Also, what does a CMM extension look like given the Protas contract.

 

[HTFN]

I'm happy with the Protas deal, I'd do it for more.

Protas doesn't have much of a goal scoring touch, but he's good at every other facet of the game. Good 2 way pleyer, good passer, good along the boards, goes to the net, tries hard, skates well, etc.

I still want to see him tried at center.

I think based on how he plays he'd be a little more likely to shoot at center, and remember it as his natural position, but really I think that will just have to wait until next year.

I'm betting Protas looks at this season and either works on his shot specifically (and the speed of it) or his separation speed and creating more angles to use the shot he does have by skating or powering through defenses.

If he really does keep taking steps forward that would be the next one for me, and could really unlock him as a weapon.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Dreger isn’t very good at this so I don’t really believe this connection. But happens every year. Montreal’s spare parts are always hyped up for the trade deadline.

We gotta take a lesson from them and get Dowd and Lindgren floating in the rumor mill to get 1sts for them!


Yea swindled. Threw away a 3rd rounder for a crappy depth defenseman. We had AHLers who can do what he does

Wrong! None of the Caps d-man in Hershey are that size and can play a physical game and have the NHL experience. Edmundson is an Orpik lite. He won a Cup with the Blues as one of their regular d-men. I don't see why everyone has to attack Edmundson? He plays the 3rd pairing and fills in 2nd pairing if their is an injuring during a game. The way I see it, he's a serviceable fit in the Caps d-group and becomes more valuable in playoffs if the Caps make it. With Hathaway gone, Edmundson becomes a buffer in the fighting department considering Wilson is wearing that special shield and can't take any punches to the face right now.

 

[SherVaughn30]

You only move Dowd and Chucky if you plan on using the returning assets to help retool the top 6.

I’d only move Dowd for a 1st or a nice prospect. I know that sounds crazy for a fourth liner but he’s on a cheap contract, one of the best PKers and he’s the only one who seems like they can win a face off.

Dowd will not get a 1st for him. 2nd + mid prospect forward. BMac would take the potential highest draft pick position possible from a team.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Does DK have negative value due to his patchy season? I'd rather sell DK and extend Chuckie for at least long enough for Stevenson to arrive or prove we need to find another option.

Also, what does a CMM extension look like given the Protas contract.

I would say his value is kind of meh, mainly the fact that Lindgren has stolen the #1 job and Kuemper's numbers are not where they can be. Kuemper is still a capable #1 and his cap hit is somewhat reasonable @ $5.25 million for another 3 years. His advantage over Lindgren is his size, durability and experience(Cup winner). Kuemper might have reasonable value to a team like the Kings, Devils, Wings, Canes, Leafs, and even Oilers(Skinner has been good during their 12 game win streak, but he can switch quick to being very bad), Hawks/Sharks(as they don't really have a #1 goalie right now).

Caps biggest strength is their goalie depth(Stevenson future #1 for sure, Gibson could be high end backup/platoon to possible starter, Shepard backup). They could retain on Kuemper and I think it would cost interested teams a 2nd + prospect. Lindgren's trade value would probably cost teams more @ 2nd ++. If Kuemper is traded, then I would give Lindgren a 2 or 3 year extension deal @ $2 - 2.5 million cap hit(teams don't really start giving a player/goalie an extension till the summer before or during the final year.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I think based on how he plays he'd be a little more likely to shoot at center, and remember it as his natural position, but really I think that will just have to wait until next year.

I'm betting Protas looks at this season and either works on his shot specifically (and the speed of it) or his separation speed and creating more angles to use the shot he does have by skating or powering through defenses.

If he really does keep taking steps forward that would be the next one for me, and could really unlock him as a weapon.

His shot is underrated and he doesn't use it enough. In the offseason he can work on shot in terms of releasing it quicker. If his release becomes quicker, then he can be a 15 - 20 goal scorer.

 

[The Instigator]

I get Michal Handzus kind of vibes from Protas which I would be A-Okay with. Could be a great middle six guy.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Someone else made a Brian Boyle comparison for Protas, and I think it’s a good one.

Big dudes who could skate and move the puck very well for their size. Boyle had more of a scoring touch than Protas and was a lot more aggressive, but Protas might have that in him too.

 

[g00n]

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Father Time is undefeated

 

[Kuz]

Someone else made a Brian Boyle comparison for Protas, and I think it’s a good one.

Big dudes who could skate and move the puck very well for their size. Boyle had more of a scoring touch than Protas and was a lot more aggressive, but Protas might have that in him too.

Brian Boyle had one 21 goal season and after that one with 15 and 4 seasons with 13. One 36 point season and then 26 and 24. I think Protas will definetely be a better point producer. Already on pace to match Boyle’s best season this year. So should produce more and with time he should be a 15 goalscorer.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Brian Boyle had one 21 goal season and after that one with 15 and 4 seasons with 13. One 36 point season and then 26 and 24. I think Protas will definetely be a better point producer. Already on pace to match Boyle’s best season this year. So should produce more and with time he should be a 15 goalscorer.

I think that’s pretty good value at $3M a year. Also, Boyle played in a lower scoring era than Protas. 21 goals back then was solid production.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Protas is not a finished product and each year he has gotten better and better. I’m not going to call him Tom Wilson but he reminds me of his trajectory.