Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines/etc) | 2024-25 Summer Edition

[CapitalsCupReality]

Reminder for everyone when thinking about trade proposals: in terms of draft picks the Caps have their first this year, two seconds (theirs and Boston’s), one third (Carolina’s), one fourth and one fifth (both their own), and no sixth or seventh. Next year they have their first and second, no third, two fourths (theirs and Vegas), and their fifth, sixth, and seventh. Five picks in the first two rounds for the next two drafts is pretty good for a team this good. They can throw a few draft picks in trades either now or at the draft and still have a relatively full allotment of picks.

That Boston 2nd looks teed up for trade if need be.

 

[Roshi]

Strongly in the ’do nothing’ camp.

Top 6 is somehow working with the unexpected parts. No need to mess it up. Fourth line is solid. Theres a lot of pieces to ball around for third line, Eller is reliable and both Vrana and Mangiapane are guys that can get on a heater. Lappy, Miro, Milano and even Leonard on the mix.

Defence has all the depth we need.

Both goalies seem to have earned the teams trust.

Just roll with it and keep all the futures. I dont see us being a piece away from winning it all. Just need to stay healthy and get on the roll at the right time, see what happens.

And as a bonus, im still daydreaming of Oshie comeback for playoffs

 

[usiel]

I wouldn’t trade any futures and just stick with the team. 3rd line winger rotation will sort itself out over time.

Happy struggling but he needs more time. Miro too.

Leonard should be the main “acquisition “ at/after Tdl

This.

 

[Brian23]

I think they should continue to be in the market for players that would be here for term, so looking at Hoglander or what have you is totally fine, but I don't think there's anything I'd want as a rental that they'd also want.

By that I mean I still would like a better 3C and 3W rental option, maybe flip Mangi for someone. That 3rd line still feels awful to me, and I feel like it really hurts some of their flexibility in the top 9. I'd love to go into the playoffs/next year with Leonard - 3C acquisition - Miro/Vrana/Milano over what they have now but I think the Eller trade kinda puts the kabosh on that.

 

[Ridley Simon]

The obvious slot for upgrade is Mangiapane. And I like the player. BUT, that 5.8m or whatever is where the capital will need to come from, to acquire someone that makes an actual — you know — difference?

Other than that, it’ll be an injury replacement, I fear. With Ovy out, this team has slowed their goal roll, like quite a lot. Which is concerning.

So that’s where I would look, were I running the team.

Edit — I could see a trade for Michael Granlund. Mangiapane going the other way to absorb salary.

Issue would be cost. He probably would be EXpensive. But he’s been really good in San Jose, and would make sense as a top 6F (or top 9) to supplant the current team.

I DO worry that Protas and CMM will slow down. So having another versatile forward to plug in would be a major plus.

 

[qc14]

I think they should continue to be in the market for players that would be here for term, so looking at Hoglander or what have you is totally fine, but I don't think there's anything I'd want as a rental that they'd also want.

By that I mean I still would like a better 3C and 3W rental option, maybe flip Mangi for someone. That 3rd line still feels awful to me, and I feel like it really hurts some of their flexibility in the top 9. I'd love to go into the playoffs/next year with Leonard - 3C acquisition - Miro/Vrana/Milano over what they have now but I think the Eller trade kinda puts the kabosh on that.

I'm the other way where I actually think they're fairly set for next year where theoretically Lappy, Miro, and Leonard need full-time slots at forward and Milano may be healthy. They're good now so I'd much rather pay a premium for a better rental that will help this year than take on another guy like Hoglander that Carbery may or may not trust this year and may or may not win a slot next year.

Give me Vatrano or Frederic for that Boston second and let them (and Mangiapane) walk in the summer:
Protas-Strome-Ovi
McM-PLD-Wilson
Frederic-Eller-Mangiapane
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh

then next year:
Protas-Strome-Ovi
McM-PLD-Wilson
???-Lappy-Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Miro

 

[Ridley Simon]

I'm the other way where I actually think they're fairly set for next year where theoretically Lappy, Miro, and Leonard need full-time slots at forward and Milano may be healthy. They're good now so I'd much rather pay a premium for a better rental that will help this year than take on another guy like Hoglander that Carbery may or may not trust this year and may or may not win a slot next year.

Give me Vatrano or Frederic for that Boston second and let them (and Mangiapane) walk in the summer:
Protas-Strome-Ovi
McM-PLD-Wilson
Frederic-Eller-Mangiapane
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh

then next year:
Protas-Strome-Ovi
McM-PLD-Wilson
???-Lappy-Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Miro

Why the Boston 2nd. It’s better than ours. Send over our 2nd. And Frederic?

Guy is a clown show on ice. f*** him. Don’t want him on the team. Ovechkin jabbed him in the family jewels, remember? We want them playing together? No thanks.

Granlund or bust. That’s my ride

 

[qc14]

Why the Boston 2nd. It’s better than ours. Send over our 2nd. And Frederic?

Guy is a clown show on ice. f*** him. Don’t want him on the team. Ovechkin jabbed him in the family jewels, remember? We want them playing together? No thanks.

Granlund or bust. That’s my ride

I'm less convinced by Granlund, he to me is the epitome of a "someone has to score the points" player on a bad team and I'm not sure we would have the powerplay time for him that he needs to be most effective.

As for Frederic he's definitely a guy you hate ... until he's on your team. Would give the third line a little more bite without being a liability offensively.

 

[trick9]

Granlund struggles vs. East and already was a TDL failure for an EC team that brought him in to provide secondary scoring.

On the contrary he's great vs. West and has familiarity with few WC teams.

This isn't a bidding war we, or any other Eastern team is likely to win. Which is propably a good thing.

Perfect TDL was upgrading 3C early. Now bring in Leonard and this team is more than ready.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

I don't know if Granlund offers enough of an upgrade over the similarly-sized Mangiapane to spend the assets to get him. The biggest advantage of having him would be if they want to plug Leonard in at 3RW right away, in which case I think he's best served having a creative playmaker like Granlund on his line, which is neither Eller nor Mangiapane.

Feels like it'd be setting Granlund up for failure, going from playing 21 minutes a night on the top line with skilled players to ~15 minutes a night on a 3rd line with Lars Eller. We saw what happened when Pittsburgh tried doing that a few years ago at the TDL. Better to upgrade Mangiapane with somebody who has more oomph to their game and can bring a different dimension to those 15 minutes.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Not interested in Granlund. If they didn’t get Lars I’d say sure but he’s redundant with Eller. He doesn’t add tangible size, speed, or skill over Mangiapane or Vrana.

 

[qc14]

My "3W upgrades" tier list taking into account assumed acquisition cost and including every forward on the Athletic's most recent big board except swapping the already traded Kaako for Leonard:

Top Targets
Vatrano - scorer that can play up if someone gets hurt, still responsible and probably cheaper
Nelson - best all around forward, not sure what the cost would be

Some Concerns
Marchand - second best all around forward, cost probably prohibitive
Frederic - bring some bite and speed to the third line
Gourde - somewhat redundant with Eller but the best defender on the list

Serious Concerns
Leonard - will Carbery trust him right away?
Hall - can he play the right style for that third line?
Olivier - can he be more than a worse Duhaime?
Bjugstad - why would Utah move on from him?
Rossi - I don't understand why he's on the trade board

Would Rather Stay Put
Rakell - too much term
Granlund - needs to be a top guy and won't get that here
Kreider - too much money and term
Nyquist - can't keep up with the speed

Hard Pass
Saad - if you're being scratched by the Blues ...
Faksa - way too slow
Goodrow - awful playoff results
Robertson - why take on another version of Lapierre

 

[Kazer]

My "3W upgrades" tier list taking into account assumed acquisition cost and including every forward on the Athletic's most recent big board except swapping the already traded Kaako for Leonard:

Top Targets
Vatrano - scorer that can play up if someone gets hurt, still responsible and probably cheaper
Nelson - best all around forward, not sure what the cost would be

Some Concerns
Marchand - second best all around forward, cost probably prohibitive
Frederic - bring some bite and speed to the third line
Gourde - somewhat redundant with Eller but the best defender on the list

Serious Concerns
Leonard - will Carbery trust him right away?
Hall - can he play the right style for that third line?
Olivier - can he be more than a worse Duhaime?
Bjugstad - why would Utah move on from him?
Rossi - I don't understand why he's on the trade board

Would Rather Stay Put
Rakell - too much term
Granlund - needs to be a top guy and won't get that here
Kreider - too much money and term
Nyquist - can't keep up with the speed

Hard Pass
Saad - if you're being scratched by the Blues ...
Faksa - way too slow
Goodrow - awful playoff results
Robertson - why take on another version of Lapierre

While I ultimately am leaning towards no moves, Vatrano is the obvious target out there. Someone who would be relatively cheap and would clearly upgrade the 3rd line.

I still believe the Caps made their deadline move already with the Eller trade and that the team will solve the 3rd line wing issues in house between Vrana (playing better finally, Lappy, Miro, Leonard, and Mangipane.

I had no idea that Rakell had 3 full years left. There's someone I would've been interested in him as a UFA but yikes to that term.