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

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Hard to tell I suppose. I think Carlson actually does better beside guys who contribute offensively instead of stay at home guys.

I’d try Sandin beside Carlson personally. I think they have a lot of complementary skillsets despite both being dubbed offensive defensemen.

Sandin and Carlson will be a black hole defensively IMHO.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

What could go wrong?

 

[SherVaughn30]

What could go wrong?

Why do the Pens always get less back2backs than us?

 

[Calicaps]

I may be an old man yelling at clouds, but could that schedule be any worse formatted? The months run together, team logos instead of names, and are blue or red home games? Oh, there's a key, like in a science experiment. Helpful, especially for the color blind. Won't someone please consider the color blind?

Yeah that's awful by every measure.

On the other hand... yay hockey!

 

[Ridley Simon]

What could go wrong?

That’s so dirty, NHL. What the Fak!??!?!

 

[RedRocking]

Sandin and Carlson will be a black hole defensively IMHO.

Yea, I’d trust Fever playing opposite Carlson more. Fever can at least help recover if one of them gets out of position. Whereas Sandin is a slowbedon like Carlson, and is a liability defensively. Plus Sandin tends to get caved in easily under heavy forecheck.

Sandin with Jensen might make more sense. Will be interesting to see what pairings this new staff likes - the various combos are all far from ideal.

The whole left side is gonna be a mess this year unless one of the kids makes a big leap, or they sign a vet. Or if they miraculously get enough cap relief (via Kuzy, Mantha, Backy) - bring back my guy Dima. As it’s looking now, I think Kuemper might be in for some tough outings.

 

[YippieKaey]

Personally i'd trade Kuemper to a team with Cup hopes. No point in us having a good goalie unless the top six gets way better and he might return some good assets.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Let’s not kid ourselves……Sandin is a lot, lot worse than Carlson defensively and that’s saying something. I like the kid offensively from the backend, but as it stands, he’s absolutely a one-dimensional offensive defenseman. He has to develop a solid and consistent defensive game or he will continue to be a liability defensively.

 

[YippieKaey]

Apparently Zadorov is on the trade block. Fever for Zadorov would be quite nice.

 

[twabby]

I think people’s perception of Sandin’s defensive game is colored by his last few weeks in Washington where the entire team was tanking and he was still learning the system, whatever that was.

I don’t think he’s going to ever be a shutdown guy, but I think he is more than capable of being a perfectly fine defensive player like Carlson is along with being a huge offensive contributor. That’s exactly how he was in Toronto after all, and with Carbery coming in a suspect we’ll be getting a high end version of Sandin this year.

 

[g00n]

What could go wrong?

Eh, I don't see a conthpirathy here. Most of the teams at the top are EC and close to other teams. The teams with the worst travel distances are at the bottom. This is pretty standard. I imagine scheduling is pretty difficult with so many teams, concerts, other sports like NBA, and requirements for home/away/conference matches.

The only real head scratcher is NYI who are not isolated but got off pretty light by comparison.

But it's a scary looking graph for sure. LOL

 

[itsjustsurvival]

I think people’s perception of Sandin’s defensive game is colored by his last few weeks in Washington where the entire team was tanking and he was still learning the system, whatever that was.

I don’t think he’s going to ever be a shutdown guy, but I think he is more than capable of being a perfectly fine defensive player like Carlson is along with being a huge offensive contributor. That’s exactly how he was in Toronto after all, and with Carbery coming in a suspect we’ll be getting a high end version of Sandin this year.

With you on this. Sandin is a smart player with high compete. I think he will have a strong season next year.

 

[OV Rocks]

With you on this. Sandin is a smart player with high compete. I think he will have a strong season next year.

Getting to play a full season with Jensen or TVR is going to be a huge advantage for him. It was a cluster of d pairings when he got here and no real stability, and I believe in Toronto he played a lot with Liljegren on the bottom pairing. Liljegren is another offensive minded guy probably not the best partner for Sandin. He also played with Giordano who is obviously a great player but isn't the quickest by any means and also skews more offensive.

Jense or TVR are solid defense first players but also quick and move the puck will, they will allow Sandin to play to his strengths. I will be very curious to see what his over under on points will be because I am expecting him to put up good numbers.

 

[g00n]

sorry not sorry

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

I think people’s perception of Sandin’s defensive game is colored by his last few weeks in Washington where the entire team was tanking and he was still learning the system, whatever that was.

I don’t think he’s going to ever be a shutdown guy, but I think he is more than capable of being a perfectly fine defensive player like Carlson is along with being a huge offensive contributor. That’s exactly how he was in Toronto after all, and with Carbery coming in a suspect we’ll be getting a high end version of Sandin this year.

Players are not perfect. To me, it is obvious that Sandin needs to continue to work on and develop his defensive game. Even in Toronto, he had holes defensively and just wasn't consistent enough in that aspect of his game.

Don't get me wrong, I love the player and think he is a great talent, but I want him to develop into a solid two-way defender that is capable of significantly above average offensive production - not a one-dimensional Green-lite.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I know it’s fun to speculate about what a Wilson return would look like but that fundamentally ignores one of my arguments against trading him: I like watching Tom Wilson play hockey for the Capitals. I’d like to watch winning hockey too but I watch hockey to be entertained and No Skill Willy normally provides entertainment in spades. I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive either: I think this team is better with Tom Wilson on it.

 

[g00n]

I know it’s fun to speculate about what a Wilson return would look like but that fundamentally ignores one of my arguments against trading him: I like watching Tom Wilson play hockey for the Capitals. I’d like to watch winning hockey too but I watch hockey to be entertained and No Skill Willy normally provides entertainment in spades. I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive either: I think this team is better with Tom Wilson on it.

Wilson trade talk around here approaches zero during the season for a reason.

 

[kicksavedave]

View attachment 722520

sorry not sorry

I mean, we all know the reason for these trade rumors. It starts with a T and ends with wabby.

The dude is an influencer!

 

[twabby]

I mean, we all know the reason for these trade rumors. It starts with a T and ends with wabby.

The dude is an influencer!

*sigh* if only I was a good enough influencer

 

[twabby]

Now that they made their pick, and Tom Wilson is off the table, I do wonder exactly how they are going to improve this offseason beyond depth additions. For a team whose problem isn’t depth, that seems like a huge problem!

If they are using this year as a tank year to then go for it the following year then that’s fine. I buy that as a strategy. But in that case they better prioritize getting rid of the dead weight. Kuznetsov should be sold to whoever wants him, or put in the press box. Backstrom should get 10 games to prove himself and then be moved out of the way for CMM and Protas. No low upside vets should be added in free agency outside of cheap 1 year deals and flipped at the deadline. Etc.

 

[usiel]

Wilson being AO's right wing makes sense for the record chase which is the primary focus. If there is lightning in the bottle type season/playoff run I would think it would replaced.

 

[McVechkin]

Now that they made their pick, and Tom Wilson is off the table, I do wonder exactly how they are going to improve this offseason beyond depth additions. For a team whose problem isn’t depth, that seems like a huge problem!

If they are using this year as a tank year to then go for it the following year then that’s fine. I buy that as a strategy. But in that case they better prioritize getting rid of the dead weight. Kuznetsov should be sold to whoever wants him, or put in the press box. Backstrom should get 10 games to prove himself and then be moved out of the way for CMM and Protas. No low upside vets should be added in free agency outside of cheap 1 year deals and flipped at the deadline. Etc.

Ya…. Not arguing if it would be the best thing or not to continue the “retool on the fly” they started at the TDL.. but I would have assumed draft day 1 would have been a great time to do it… no real change in the roster by the end of the first round is a real letdown.

 

[Hivemind]

I'd be curious to hear what the "off-season isn't over, let's see what GMBM has up his sleeve" crowd thinks will happen the remainder of the off-season. Do they forsee a Kuznetsov trade, after the RyJo, Hayes, and Hall trades? Do they forsee a Mantha trade despite the 1st round of the draft being done? Do they forsee Backstrom being LTIR'd? Where do they anticipate the cap space to make major overhauls to come from? Or, are they like many of us, largely anticipating budget-oriented signings?

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

I'd be curious to hear what the "off-season isn't over, let's see what GMBM has up his sleeve" crowd thinks will happen the remainder of the off-season. Do they forsee a Kuznetsov trade, after the RyJo, Hayes, and Hall trades? Do they forsee a Mantha trade despite the 1st round of the draft being done? Do they forsee Backstrom being LTIR'd? Where do they anticipate the cap space to make major overhauls to come from? Or, are they like many of us, largely anticipating budget-oriented signings?

I’m by no means a BMac Stan but I’ll give him this, when he says he wants to do something, he does it. I believe him when he says he wants to reshape the top six so I do believe he will find cap room somehow.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Eh, I don't see a conthpirathy here. Most of the teams at the top are EC and close to other teams. The teams with the worst travel distances are at the bottom. This is pretty standard. I imagine scheduling is pretty difficult with so many teams, concerts, other sports like NBA, and requirements for home/away/conference matches.

The only real head scratcher is NYI who are not isolated but got off pretty light by comparison.

But it's a scary looking graph for sure. LOL

I'm not a fan of back to back NHL games.