Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2023 Off-season

[CapitalsCupReality]

The vast majority of players duck checks like that all the time. Every now and then they simply are not fast enough. My SWAG opinion it is statistically no a big deal enough to make a rules change.

Yup, if you’re gonna dodge, don’t F up and fumble the dodge…..because it’s probably more damaging.

 

[Jags]

Checks get finished because the risk is low and the reward is high. You can potentially knock an opponent out of a game/series by “finishing a check” and there is very little risk of incurring a penalty given the way interference is enforced.

HTFN's done a good job illustrating these hits from the perspective of the checker, but a rule change would also change the perspective of the checkee.

In a world where you're effectively giving someone more time to make a decision, they're just going to use that time in most cases. So that part wouldn't change much, if at all. And what's left would just be making a key part of the game taboo.

I think the current thresholds are fine. If they want to adjust what's allowed in finishing a check so that you can't full-on kill a guy away from the puck, great. But understand that'd be one of those "I know it when I see it" types of rules that everyone hates and will be haphazardly enforced, causing everyone to hate it even more. It's already pretty much that way now.

At some point everyone involved needs to accept that there's inherent risks in being a full-contact professional athlete. Sometimes firefighters get burned, cops get shot, pilots crash, divers drown, and assholes get kicked in the sack. There's occasionally a real cost to doing what you love.

Wear a fancier helmet. Learn to duck or move or make that decision faster or take that hit better. No one wants to watch Nerf Hockey.

 

[HTFN]

I think you can hit aggressively and amp it up to predatory from there….most Of the time you simply rub a guy out on the boards…..sometimes you decide to take a run, and recognize a guy in a vulnerable position for a monster hit….I guess I don’t have the negative association you‘re suggesting with predatory. Dog eat dog…..it’s a contact sport with hitting at its core.

I don't think it has a negative association personally, to me it's the description of a dynamic. I guess maybe a non-predatory hit is, like, loose puck battle and fully expected 50/50 contact scenarios but nearly every other time somebody is looking to hit the puck carrier they're trying to find an opportunity and ideal path to do it before essentially timing an assault. It's predator and prey, unless the person you tried to hit is more hippo than gazelle and feeds your shit back to you

other folks sure seem to hate anything they can call predatory though and I just don't get what they want to see instead

 

[g00n]

People think eliminating hitting will open the game up to fast skating and more finessed "skill" play but imo it will SLOW the game down in an NHL sized rink because players will have to be much more careful and aware of where their bodies are.

Fast players who can weave in and out of defenses don't usually get plastered in open ice anyway so that won't change, but as soon as the puck is anywhere close to the boards or if two guys see each other coming everything will slow down.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don't think it has a negative association personally, to me it's the description of a dynamic. I guess maybe a non-predatory hit is, like, loose puck battle and fully expected 50/50 contact scenarios but nearly every other time somebody is looking to hit the puck carrier they're trying to find an opportunity and ideal path to do it before essentially timing an assault. It's predator and prey, unless the person you tried to hit is more hippo than gazelle and feeds your shit back to you

other folks sure seem to hate anything they can call predatory though and I just don't get what they want to see instead

I think the rate of those hits are much higher, but we‘re close to agreement.

 

[HTFN]

I think the rate of those hits are much higher, but we‘re close to agreement.

Actually, you're right. I overstated originally because my mental framework was already sort of shifted to hits on puck carriers and there are fewer open ice thumpings than there are shoulder to shoulder jousts by a lot.

 

[Calicaps]

My last comment on this anti-checking foolishness: In his recent interview (linked somewhere on this board) Lavi mentioned that along with GOAT goal-scorer, Ovie is poised to be top 3 all-time in HITS. Imagine our captain playing hockey without hitting.

May it never be so.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

My last comment on this anti-checking foolishness: In his recent interview (linked somewhere on this board) Lavi mentioned that along with GOAT goal-scorer, Ovie is poised to be top 3 all-time in HITS. Imagine our captain playing hockey without hitting.

May it never be so.

This is the way.

 

[HTFN]

My last comment on this anti-checking foolishness: In his recent interview (linked somewhere on this board) Lavi mentioned that along with GOAT goal-scorer, Ovie is poised to be top 3 all-time in HITS. Imagine our captain playing hockey without hitting.

May it never be so.

the chief bring the beef

forever and always

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

I’d be fine if they pursue exactly zero of these guys. In fact I’d be fine if they don’t sign a single veteran free agent.

Strongly agree. Signing any vet to term is more blockage for young talent.

Miro may be on a faster track than many have expected, CCM seems to have regained his confidence and may be ready, HL not far behind, Protas may take a further step up as he has eventually done at every other level he played at, etc.

There is some possibility whoever we get at 8 OA could be on the Caps in year and could be something special (maybe one of Leonard/Smith/Moore/Benson).

After we see where we are with new talent acquired at the draft, any pre UFA day moves out (Kuzy, Mantha, maybe even one of Fever or AA if it made sense in a deal) and put that all in context of what they then know about Backstrom's status... then, maybe, we need a stop gap addition to the top 6 or back end for one or at most two years.

And in that case someone who fits that mix, not another high cost, long term name.

 

[HTFN]

Strongly agree. Signing any vet to term is more blockage for young talent.

Miro may be on a faster track than many have expected, CCM seems to have regained his confidence and may be ready, HL not far behind, Protas may take a further step up as he has eventually done at every other level he played at, etc.

There is some possibility whoever we get at 8 OA could be on the Caps in year and could be something special (maybe one of Leonard/Smith/Moore/Benson).

After we see where we are with new talent acquired at the draft, any pre UFA day moves out (Kuzy, Mantha, maybe even one of Fever or AA if it made sense in a deal) and put that all in context of what they then know about Backstrom's status... then, maybe we need a stop gap addition to the top 6 or back end for one or at most two years.

And in that case someone who fits that mix, not another high cost, long term name.

It all depends on the trade market really, and the packages involved. If you hit on futures you'll have to replace bare minimum production and keep an insulation for it all going terribly wrong. Mantha wasn't a good body last year but you probably still want to replace him if you trade him one way or another.

I think blockage will be more about the coach than how many good players he has to work with. If he's willing to truly just evaluate and play his best players the competition will only make them stronger.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Brendan Witt would not appreciate this debate on hitting.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

May it never be so. My last comment on this anti-checking foolishness: In his recent interview (linked somewhere on this board) Lavi mentioned that along with GOAT goal-scorer, Ovie is poised to be top 3 all-time in HITS. Imagine our captain playing hockey without hitting.

Cali, I love you very much.

Can this post be stickied across our entire sub-forum……for, forever?

Many of us played hockey too, not at the highest level, but throughout our lives…….

And the anti-hit comments are asinine.

 

[Marshall]

I wonder how much time Lawson Crouse has spent on his off-wing...

 

[pman25]

Can we just steal Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz instead of going thru FA. Take that salary away from the yotes and give them #8, Mantha, some more futures. Somehow flip Kuz for another 1st and send that to the Yotes too.

 

[Langway]

Caps talk upcoming. Heard on the latest 32T pod that Halpern is expected to interview next week with the Caps so nothing immanent on that front yet.

 

[Rayquaza64]

If Wilson wants more than the 5.75M range you sell him to the highest bidder (and by god is there a chance that is a HAUL)

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Gonna float this out there….what if GMBM has put out feelers and tried to move the obvious choices from the roster and nobody is biting, even for future of any notable value?

If they can’t move any of the obvious options, all we have left is limited UFA moves or other trades. We very well could be looking at another top-10 pick next year if they can’t make meaningful additions to the lineup.

 

[Calicaps]

Caps talk upcoming. Heard on the latest 32T pod that Halpern is expected to interview next week with the Caps so nothing immanent on that front yet.

Gee thanks Whyno... That was underwhelming to say the least.

Gonna float this out there….what if GMBM has put out feelers and tried to move the obvious choices from the roster and nobody is biting, even for future of any notable value?

If they can’t move any of the obvious options, all we have left is limited UFA moves or other trades. We very well could be looking at another top-10 pick next year if they can’t make meaningful additions to the lineup.

Well, yeah.... But there's a long way to go in the offseason.

 

[g00n]

Gonna float this out there….what if GMBM has put out feelers and tried to move the obvious choices from the roster and nobody is biting, even for future of any notable value?

If they can’t move any of the obvious options, all we have left is limited UFA moves or other trades. We very well could be looking at another top-10 pick next year if they can’t make meaningful additions to the lineup.

Possibly, as they were sellers at the deadline and unabashedly so.

But I thought I read gmbm say something about not getting the right value for the guys they didn't trade, which suggested some interest but not a good TDL haul. And I doubt he was shopping guys like Kuzy which might still happen this offseason.

I suspect there's interest in guys like Mantha and Kuzy but gmbm won't pull the trigger unless the deal is good enough. No more Hagelin dumps.

 

[Rayquaza64]

I doubt he’s already come to the conclusion he can’t get anything of value. The playoffs haven’t ended, we only have one assistant and zero head coaches, I’d be shocked if anything happens until they figure out the coach and have a talk with them.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Yep, twabby vs rest of the Caps board.

Every. F*cking. Offseason.

Well, I was more implying pointless debates about shit that really doesn’t matter at all and the argument goes in circles and leads nowhere. Although, now that I think about it, that’s basically what we do anyways.

 

[pman25]

Well, I was more implying pointless debates about shit that really doesn’t matter at all and the argument goes in circles and leads nowhere. Although, now that I think about it, that’s basically what we do anyways.

That’s just message board life. Wait maybe that’s just life. Ah well

 

[twabby]

Yep, twabby vs rest of the Caps board.

Every. F*cking. Offseason.

Yeah it kicks ass!

 

[Cappy76]

I’m going to continue to push and try and get more in my camp that for the right price I feel like the caps should really pursue Bertuzzi.

I feel like he’d be a great add for the caps next year.