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

[Calicaps]

Sleep is the cousin of death.

Overrated.

crosspost

 

[usiel]

I get Forsythe parting ways (its time)......it was due. In the excellent The Athletic article with Forsythe on the cup run I felt was fascinatingly.

After 17 years with Capitals, Blaine Forsythe is grateful and moving on

Blaine Forsythe ran the Capitals power play for most of his 17 years. He's grateful for the opportunity as he seeks employment elsewhere.

theathletic.com

The unit was at its best during the 2018 playoffs, when it connected at 29.3 percent to help the Caps to their first and only Stanley Cup in franchise history. Not so surprisingly, those magical two months were the most fun Forsythe had in D.C. Everyone was “so dialed-in,” he recalled, at times it felt like the team was on autopilot.

“We got to a point in the conference final against Tampa where you’re still coaching and doing your thing and getting guys ready — your preparation doesn’t change — but during the games, the guys just played,” Forsythe said. “There wasn’t a lot of coaching going on. Like, you didn’t have to. At that point, they were so dialed in. At that point late in the Tampa series through the Stanley Cup Final, we’re just sitting back and letting them do their thing and helping them versus coaching them. That’s what championship teams do; they take ownership.”

 

[Ridley Simon]

Henrique is 33. I don’t see how he fits into what Mac said he wanted. He also has durability concerns. Hard no on Boeser for me.

Names I’m checking in on:

Nic Ehlers (Winnipeg)
Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller (Arizona)
Jesper Bratt (New Jersey) — contract negotiations have been contentious and now they have to pay Meier too. Tomas Tatar could be a decent short term option.
Alex DeBrincat (Ottawa) — if you believe reports he won’t sign there long term.
Troy Terry (Anaheim)

Most of those guys are RFAs. Then there are guys with one year left on their deal (next season) and are free agents in the summer of 2024 who could be interesting names to acquire and extend.

Nylander (Toronto), Backlund (Calgary), DeBrusk (Boston), Dube (Calgary), Marchenko (Columbus), Hayton (Arizona) plus a few others I’d have to think about.

I think the Flyers may be ready to add picks and bottom out.

I’d love Konecny. He’s be worth our first and then some.

 

[g00n]

I get Forsythe parting ways (its time)......it was due. In the excellent The Athletic article with Forsythe on the cup run I felt was fascinatingly.

After 17 years with Capitals, Blaine Forsythe is grateful and moving on

Blaine Forsythe ran the Capitals power play for most of his 17 years. He's grateful for the opportunity as he seeks employment elsewhere.

theathletic.com

Not good for the "Trotz worked magic" story. Pretty good confirmation that Ovie and other leaders in the room took the team on their backs.

 

[Misery74]

So you want to tank….interesting strategy…

Where did I suggest tanking? We just had a veteran coach, and a veteran team, and we tanked.

Have measures got here.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I think the Flyers may be ready to add picks and bottom out.

I’d love Konecny. He’s be worth our first and then some.

Konecny is a good add to the list. Having Wilson and Konecny as your top two right wingers would be pretty entertaining.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Where did I suggest tanking? We just had a veteran coach, and a veteran team, and we tanked.

Have measures got here.

The lineup you’re suggesting is a bottom-10 one.

”no major additions, subtract Mantha and Kuzy”.

Red tank rolls again.

 

[Misery74]

The lineup you’re suggesting is a bottom-10 one.

”no major additions, subtract Mantha and Kuzy”.

Red tank rolls again.

We have a bottom 10 lineup regardless. The last thing we need to do is throw money around and then prolong this.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

We have a bottom 10 lineup regardless. The last thing we need to do is throw money around and then prolong this.

I’m legitimately confused because didn’t you say Lavi and not the roster was the problem?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I’m legitimately confused because didn’t you say Lavi and not the roster was the problem?

Bwahahaha….

We have a bottom 10 lineup regardless. The last thing we need to do is throw money around and then prolong this.

Only if they play the shit you’re suggesting.

They will be infusing this lineup with some talent.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Just seems that making “negative” assumptions is easier than positive ones. So that’s what is happening.

We are on a decline, and it’s inevitable. That’s the mindset it seems. Which is certainly one stance to take.

It’s not my stance. But it is a stance

 

[twabby]

I think being patient (or tanking) next year is a perfectly valid strategy given the quality of the UFA market this offseason and the fact that they may be hamstrung by a couple of contracts on the roster (Kuznetsov, Oshie, Backstrom, and Mantha depending on how he rebounds). They can try all they want in the trade market and they should, but it takes two to tango. I love fantasizing about getting a guy like Pettersson but he's probably not getting traded by Vancouver. If a favorable trade doesn't appear it can't really be forced, can it? I think they should look to trade the #8 pick but they shouldn't make a bad trade with it, for instance.

Worst case next year should be letting the young guys play and get a year of experience to see where they fit in going forward, and then go for it the following season when there are potentially more options available and they have yet another high pick available to use as a trade chip.

Of course they are winning the Bedard Sweepstakes, so they should be fine next year!

 

[Misery74]

I’m legitimately confused because didn’t you say Lavi and not the roster was the problem?

I said Laviolette was a problem. Clearly I was right, he’s gone isn’t he?

I would like to have seen another coach with Laviolettes roster, but we took the easy way out.

Now, we know very little about the potential impact of our young players. I was actually trying to explain this for months.

Hope this clears up some confusion.

 

[Misery74]

Bwahahaha….


Only if they play the shit you’re suggesting.

They will be infusing this lineup with some talent.

Sorry, but when you pay guys what we pay guys, bottom 10 seems about right. Maybe we should take on more salary, hat should be helpful.

If you have a suggestion, I’d love to hear it. But largely, you are wrong about everything.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Sorry, but when you pay guys what we pay guys, bottom 10 seems about right. Maybe we should take on more salary, hat should be helpful.

If you have a suggestion, I’d love to hear it. But largely, you are wrong about everything.

My suggestion….improve this roster. Does that plan assault your fragile genius?

Next?

 

[Misery74]

My suggestion….improve this roster. Does that plan assault your fragile genius?

Next?

Improve it how? With what cap space? With what assets?

Any ideas? Or do you just spew garbage?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Improve it how? With what cap space? With what assets?

Any ideas? Or do you just spew garbage?

These questions seem so obvious and the answers rudimentary….make hockey trades, pare salary and reinvest. Still need hand holding?

 

[Misery74]

These questions seem so obvious and the answers rudimentary….make hockey trades, pare salary and reinvest. Still need hand holding?

No, we are done.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

No, we are done.

That’s what I thought.

 

[Langway]

I wouldn't trade the 8th pick. Mostly because I don't know how aggressive to be to likely still be a first round underdog still somewhat on the wrong side of age curves. They need to give it a go and ideally jolt them back into competitiveness but is this blueline ready to support that? I'm not sure it is even if they were to do moderately well shuffling around top six pieces and in their coaching hire. It needs to be a broad, long game approach. If the standard is just being a bubble team then it may be pretty easy to move some things around and be in that mix. But if it's more about breaking into the top 3 of the Metro and being more than a first round underdog they'll need to be very disciplined and selective throughout. It requires keeping the powder dry if need be to maintain flexibility and assets for a bigger fish if they're not immediately available.

I'm generally skeptical a team in their circumstances should execute impatiently. Too much can get sacrificed without more lasting benefit. I do think there's some wisdom in banking on a coaching change and more of a focus on skill development as being the main move. Not to the exclusion of sweeping personnel changes but, as said, it can't be forced. That's going to need to be the biggest difference-maker to help finesse some tricky situations going forward.

 

[Misery74]

That’s what I thought.

Ohhh. Lol.

 

[Misery74]

I wouldn't trade the 8th pick. Mostly because I don't know how aggressive to be to likely still be a first round underdog still somewhat on the wrong side of age curves. They need to give it a go and ideally jolt them back into competitiveness but is this blueline ready to support that? I'm not sure it is even if they were to do moderately well shuffling around top six pieces and in their coaching hire. It needs to be a broad, long game approach. If the standard is just being a bubble team then it may be pretty easy to move some things around and be in that mix. But if it's more about breaking into the top 3 of the Metro and being more than a first round underdog they'll need to be very disciplined and selective throughout. It requires keeping the powder dry if need be to maintain flexibility and assets for a bigger fish if they're not immediately available.

I'm generally skeptical a team in their circumstances should execute impatiently. Too much can get sacrificed without more lasting benefit. I do think there's some wisdom in banking on a coaching change and more of a focus on skill development as being the main move. Not to the exclusion of sweeping personnel changes but, as said, it can't be forced. That's going to need to be the biggest difference-maker to help finesse some tricky situations going forward.

Completely agree. We don’t know what we don’t know.

Going to be very hard to pass the top 3 in this division. Hard to imagine a single addition to the top 6 that changes this.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

No to trading the pick. Bedard will be an instant offensive impact, at the very minimum.

Mantha - meh. I think he was ill-deployed and is a prime candidate for a resurgence with a new coach. Wouldn't be upset with the cap flexibility that comes with moving him, though.

Feverbaby - I'm more bullish on him than the models. I see no reason he couldn't be Nick Jensen-like, which would make him an extremely valuable player. That said, wouldn't be upset if the Caps pivoted here. I think he's prime bait to pair with the next guy in a trade for improvement at top-4 LD. Is there another Chychrun type that might be available for salary or change of scenery reasons? What do the #fancystats say about Fowler or Matheson?

Kuznetsov - He looks to be done here, unfortunately. I fully expect him to bounce back on his new team and score like 80, but I'd be borderline shocked if he's not traded. What's the best player that Kuzy + Feverbaby gets you? Either target a legit top-4 LD, or target an impact winger and sign Orlov.

McMike - For the love of Ovechkin, give him ice time at C. He's going to be a core player going forward if you do.

Backstrom - This is the guy that determines the competitiveness of next year's team. If he can get back to 20-21 form, the Caps are in good shape. If not? He'll be an anchor on the ice and on the salary cap. Hopefully his impact in the locker room and off-the-ice mentoring of McMike and CB looms large.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I said Laviolette was a problem. Clearly I was right, he’s gone isn’t he?

I would like to have seen another coach with Laviolettes roster, but we took the easy way out.

Now, we know very little about the potential impact of our young players. I was actually trying to explain this for months.

Hope this clears up some confusion.

You didn’t clear up anything, and you made some random comment about them taking the easy way out without saying what the decision was, so nope still not following.

Or is this when you tell us that the Devils fired their coach in 2000 after the trade deadline so Washington should have done the same with Lavi even though the situations aren’t remotely comparable? Is that the “easy way out?”

 

[Misery74]

You didn’t clear up anything, and you made some random comment about them taking the easy way out without saying what the decision was, so nope still not following.

Or is this when you tell us that the Devils fired their coach in 2000 after the trade deadline so Washington should have done the same with Lavi even though the situations aren’t remotely comparable? Is that the “easy way out?”

My stance all year was that we needed to see what we had in the system. Laviolette had no interest in what that was. Therefore, he needed to go. It didn’t hurt my position that he happened to be a terrible coach as well. We needed to fire him. By letting him finish, we took the easy way out.

Now, we still don’t know. We let a year get away.

To outweigh older guys on bloated contracts, we need young guys on their first contracts. It’s math.

You want them to bring in guys, I get it. I just think it’s the wrong approach, and could prolong mediocrity.