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

[twabby]

Caps are in the long term investment game, while the Pens are in the quick money game. Long term investment usually prevails in the total outlook.

I made $300 million selling drawings of apes in one year.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Agreed to a degree but riding the fence seems silly and I think they have decided they want to go down fighting. I expect him to make a trade and obviously not because this trade happened…that was sarcasm. I am impressed with what Dubas could do.

I'm not impressed by Dubas. Sharks GM Grier is still getting his feet wet and Habs GM Hughes aint that much better. Grier did not get enough of a good return for Karlsson! The better GM's in the league would have made Dubas pay a lot more for Karlsson.

I made $300 million selling drawings of apes in one year.

Show me the financial records you Twab!

 

[twabby]

Show me the financial records you Twab!

I also lost $300 million the following year betting on the Washington Generals.

 

[g00n]

I also lost $300 million the following year betting on the Washington Generals.

They were due!

 

[HTFN]

I also lost $300 million the following year betting on the Washington Generals.

To be fair, I thought they had great analytics too.

 

[alphabetical]

I made $300 million selling drawings of apes in one year.

That sounds as true as a lot of the other things you post on here.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Dubas traded a bunch of crap assets they wanted to get rid of for Karlsson. Master class.

Your turn BMac.

Yep….even though I would be loathe to give up next year’s 1st AND 2nd, but if we could get a legit top line player….I’m worried BMac/DPatrick might be a little too conservative to really go for it. Poker game isn’t over yet though….still time.

That sounds as true as a lot of the other things you post on here.

He meant 300 million Shiba Inu….

 

[twabby]

FYI new beat writer at the Washington Post so give her a follow on X. At least until X is absorbed by Facebook/Meta after Zuckerberg kicks Elon’s ass in the octagon.

Anyways I wonder how aggressive Mac is targeting a top 6 guy. A deal didn’t materialize at the draft so will he stick to his original price he’d be willing to pay, or will he budge a little bit? Similarly I wonder if asking prices go down or up on certain guys as training camp approaches?

It’ll be interesting. If I had to guess I’d say they won’t make any more changes to the top 6 but I wouldn’t count Mac out either. I think they’ll try but I don’t know that anything great will materialize if it hasn’t already.

 

[g00n]

FYI new beat writer at the Washington Post so give her a follow on X. At least until X is absorbed by Facebook/Meta after Zuckerberg kicks Elon’s ass in the octagon.

Anyways I wonder how aggressive Mac is targeting a top 6 guy. A deal didn’t materialize at the draft so will he stick to his original price he’d be willing to pay, or will he budge a little bit? Similarly I wonder if asking prices go down or up on certain guys as training camp approaches?

It’ll be interesting. If I had to guess I’d say they won’t make any more changes to the top 6 but I wouldn’t count Mac out either. I think they’ll try but I don’t know that anything great will materialize if it hasn’t already.

I think we can take him at his word. He's always played it straight with these things. If he says they're looking to make a change I interpret that as looking to make a change, not just listening to offers.

 

[McVechkin]

I think we can take him at his word. He's always played it straight with these things. If he says they're looking to make a change I interpret that as looking to make a change, not just listening to offers.

I would generally agree with that. He’s always been known for that. But I also feel like he sounds a bit defeated when he keeps getting asked. Like yes… I’m trying.. I want to… but there is nothing there.

 

[Langway]

Rookie camp starts in less than six weeks. There's time to make moves but as they get closer to camp I'd think they'd just let things play out and see how players fare under Carbery. Some trade situations IMO are being held up by teams still wanting to extend players. A number of Calgary's UFAs next summer likely fall under that category. I doubt their ask goes down should talks end and a decision need to be made. They're going to want to exceed a deadline level return at least (something that I think the Caps would oblige). I'm not sure what will have changed with other targets to trigger action. No one in particular stands out as needing to be moved for cap reasons.

Would the Caps be more willing to up their package? I guess but it seems like a Mantha++ for another winger is the most likely move and you wonder how aggressive they should be for a winger given what's in the system a year or two away. It's why Lindholm's versatility stands out and why that seems more likely than a pure winger or a late Kuznetsov for Scheifele swap or something. With the whole Backstrom situation also needing clarity it makes sense to hold off and reassess at least through camp once they see how things fit in practice. I get wanting to shake up the top six beyond Pacioretty but more of a straight swap of Mantha for another change of scenery wing or something is probably not even worth it. They need to go big yet without a too firm sense of their needs under Carbery it may be better to wait.

 

[WanderingCapsFan]

Part of me thinks that you keep Kuzy and Mantha because they are both bounce-back candidates under a new coach and system.

But the other part of me is sick and tired of watching two guys who don't care chronically underachieve. And if I have to watch more of that this coming season I might puke.

 

[Ridley Simon]

FYI new beat writer at the Washington Post so give her a follow on X. At least until X is absorbed by Facebook/Meta after Zuckerberg kicks Elon’s ass in the octagon.

Anyways I wonder how aggressive Mac is targeting a top 6 guy. A deal didn’t materialize at the draft so will he stick to his original price he’d be willing to pay, or will he budge a little bit? Similarly I wonder if asking prices go down or up on certain guys as training camp approaches?

It’ll be interesting. If I had to guess I’d say they won’t make any more changes to the top 6 but I wouldn’t count Mac out either. I think they’ll try but I don’t know that anything great will materialize if it hasn’t already.

Welp, the currently have 8 forwards for top 9 minutes:
Kuznetsov, Strome, Wilson, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie, Milano, Mantha.

That doesn’t include any kids from Hershey or anywhere else. Nor does it include Pacioretty.

And they have no salary room. So it’s gotta be money out, no matter what. Or LTIR.

That said, Mac says he will do something, he almost always does it.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Even if nothing comes of Mac saying he wants to shake up top 6, , the message to anyone not named Ovie or Wilson is that nothing is guaranteed - and that’s good

 

[HTFN]

I would generally agree with that. He’s always been known for that. But I also feel like he sounds a bit defeated when he keeps getting asked. Like yes… I’m trying.. I want to… but there is nothing there.

Yeah, but that's on the line of questioning. Trying to repeatedly explain to people that you still have in-house values for your things and aren't just trading names for press releases gets old. "I'm going to make sure I get what I consider equal value or at least a trade worth pursuing instead of bailing and losing" is not a press release, there aren't a lot of cool ways to say it.

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[g00n]

BULLSHIT!

WE'RE DONE!

 

[Brian23]

I fully believe he's still working the phones, and intends to revamp the Top 6 with a new talent, but I think the most interesting thing is I just cannot imagine who he'd be targeting.

Ehlers feels like a grade A GMBM target, but I can't imagine they have what's required to get him. So what, or who, else could they be targeting?

 

[Langway]

Still think it's Lindholm and the hold up is Calgary wanting to re-sign him. Does Mantha, McMichael and a 2nd get it done? Is that more appealing than a late first and likely lesser prospect at the deadline?

I doubt a 23 year-old with upside ala Sandin is available at a relatively convenient price. Even Lindholm may not move as Calgary continues to try to get a deal done and make it work. The only other name that comes to mind that was supposed to move and hasn't is Scheifele but perhaps buying out Wheeler was enough change for them. They're trying but there's basically zero buzz at this point in the off-season. I can't think of any other teams on the record as actively looking make trades with any urgency. You never know but I wouldn't expect anything over the next five weeks at least. They've got assets at some point but most GMs seem to be in vacation mode.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Capitals remain in market to acquire a generational player too. In other shocking news water is wet. Shouldn't we always be in the market to improve the team? Lol why is this news.

 

[usiel]

Don't think it is a bad thing that BM is working the phones a lot as this is setting the ground work for later on. Might see the trade market open up again in TC/early regular season. So many variables going into TC which probably starts with Carberry at the top of the list followed by Backstrom's condition then Kuz's play.

 

[DWGie26]

I feel like Milano is actually one of our best trade pieces not talked about. He is middle 6, good rebound year and on a friendly contract at 1.9M x 3. I could see some type of Mantha/Milano for something. Maybe a 6-7M player coming back which gives us enough space to be cap compliant, change our top 6, and create a roster spot for a prospect. Probably a bad contract coming back. Maybe other team willing to buy out Mantha.

Crazy thoughts. But i think those are the conversations happening. Everyone trying to get creative. Just don’t do anything rash/stupid! Haha

 

[usiel]

I feel like Milano is actually one of our best trade pieces not talked about. He is middle 6, good rebound year and on a friendly contract at 1.9M x 3. I could see some type of Mantha/Milano for something. Maybe a 6-7M player coming back which gives us enough space to be cap compliant, change our top 6, and create a roster spot for a prospect. Probably a bad contract coming back. Maybe other team willing to buy out Mantha.

Crazy thoughts. But i think those are the conversations happening. Everyone trying to get creative. Just don’t do anything rash/stupid! Haha

I admit I've completely forgot that Milano is still on the roster /the dark days of August hockey summer talk.

 

[Roshi]

Just on top of my head some names that might move, or have been in discussions through last months...

Adam Henrique
Elias Lindholm
Byfield (just for Twabby)
Logan Couture
Tomas Hertl
Anthony Duclair
J.T. Miller
Brock Boeser
Conor Garland
Clayton Keller
Nick Schmaltz
Mark Scheifele
Joel Farabee
Jake DeBrusk
Victor Olofsson
William Nylander

Id figure its a waiting game right now. None of these teams are in a rush to make a bad deal.

 

[trick9]

Still think it's Lindholm and the hold up is Calgary wanting to re-sign him. Does Mantha, McMichael and a 2nd get it done? Is that more appealing than a late first and likely lesser prospect at the deadline?

I doubt a 23 year-old with upside ala Sandin is available at a relatively convenient price. Even Lindholm may not move as Calgary continues to try to get a deal done and make it work. The only other name that comes to mind that was supposed to move and hasn't is Scheifele but perhaps buying out Wheeler was enough change for them. They're trying but there's basically zero buzz at this point in the off-season. I can't think of any other teams on the record as actively looking make trades with any urgency. You never know but I wouldn't expect anything over the next five weeks at least. They've got assets at some point but most GMs seem to be in vacation mode.

Would you do that trade if you were Calgary?

I mean... is that 2nd round pick enough to get rid of Mantha without retention? Maybe, maybe not. I think it might be just enough for some team to take him. I don't think Calgary would.

That leaves the trade with Lindholm for McMichael. That's just silly. McMichael at this stage of his career value-wise is closer to hitting the waivers than value of Elias Lindholm.