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

[Langway]

1st + Bear doesn’t move the needle IMO.

It could depending on how many teams are prepared to move firsts. Probably a good year to do it all things considered. But they'd need a third-party and/or to clear salary out most likely.

As to who their target should be: I'm still mainly thinking Marchand. Who knows if Boston goes there, though. It doesn't seem super likely. Would STL move Schenn or Buchnevich? ROR is not a terrible idea. He doesn't have trade protection and NSH should be looking to restructure/get younger. Not someone that would add speed but another fierce competitor.

A cheap value target like Donato would be alright. Not too bad. He could be a Connolly type I guess. It is slim pickings so they may have to beat the bushes to come up with something significant. Main problem is teams will be asking for their top prospects when ideally it's future picks they move instead. Might be that someone top 5ish has to go in that scenario (Lapierre, Miro or Parascak perhaps).

 

[Silky mitts]

1st + Bear doesn’t move the needle IMO.

Very few rentals in a given year go for more than that, that’s roughly what Orlov went for, and when the Caps made that trade all the teams that were holding out for more for their defensemen were worse off

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Leason is 25, has scored at a 20 point per season pace his entire career, and has put up some of the worst play-driving numbers in the league. He's not the answer at all.

The easy answer is to move the 1st + Bear + whatever other smaller piece you want for Boeser or Nelson 50% retained...

In no way did i suggest Leason was on the same level as Nelson or Boeser! He was a suggestion for a reclamation if they were going to almost nothing other than Leonard.

I'd be fine if we moved a 1st plus Bear or Milano for a Nelson or Boeser. But both their cap hits might make it difficult or too costly as others suggest.

Leason, again, is an option who I'm damn sure Protas would vouch for, and be depth at least and maybe a reclamation surprise if things went well.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Leason is 25, has scored at a 20 point per season pace his entire career, and has put up some of the worst play-driving numbers in the league. He's not the answer at all.

The easy answer is to move the 1st + Bear + whatever other smaller piece you want for Boeser or Nelson 50% retained. If there's a fit and you re-sign them next year, great! If not, no issue with a rental for a playoff run.

Ovi-Strome-Marner
Protas-PLD-Wilson
Milano-CMM-Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Miro

Fehervary-Carlson
Chychrun-Roy
Sandin-Iorio

LT
Stevenson

I know you need to give something to get something but I really am not a fan of moving a 1st for a rental.

 

[qc14]

I know you need to give something to get something but I really am not a fan of moving a 1st for a rental.

I'm absolutely moving 27oa in a very shallow draft for a rental when the team is a surprise president's trophy contender and I'm not thinking twice about it at all. Draft picks, especially ones late in the first round, are for suckers and losers.

In no way did i suggest Leason was on the same level as Nelson or Boeser! He was a suggestion for a reclamation if they were going to almost nothing other than Leonard.

I'd be fine if we moved a 1st plus Bear or Milano for a Nelson or Boeser. But both their cap hits might make it difficult or too costly as others suggest.

Leason, again, is an option who I'm damn sure Protas would vouch for, and be depth at least and maybe a reclamation surprise if things went well.

Caps are currently at $3.65M of space. Re-activate Milano (and send down Vrana in a corresponding move) and that goes down to $2.52M. Move out Bear in a deal and his buried cap hit and that goes back up to $3.43M. Send down Frank to make room on the roster for whoever you're bringing in for a trade and that goes up to $4.21M of space. Double that and they could add a player making $8.42M at 50% retention, all while keeping a full 23-man roster and only risking Vrana and Frank to waivers. Send down Milano instead of Frank and you're at $4.58M of space -- enough room for a $9.16M player half retained. Add Milano into the trade as well instead (and keep Frank on the roster) and you have $5.33M in space or $10.66M half retained, once again with a full 23-man roster. There are literally two expiring UFAs (Tavares and Marner) in the entire league they could not fit under the cap by making these very simple moves. The cap is not even close to being an issue in any way.

As for Leason, the Caps already have like 5 guys I would call "reclamation projects" with a higher upside and a higher NHL floor. Legit would rather have Lappy, Miro, Frank, Vrana, Sgarbossa, Leonard, hell even Rybynski play playoff minutes for them before Leason -- I'm sure Protas would vouch for them pretty strongly as well. If you feel like you absolutely need another true 4w type, just claim NAK.

1st + Bear doesn’t move the needle IMO.

Every year every fan of selling teams say this and every year basically that package ends up getting things done. That's pretty much exactly what we got for Orlov!

 

[Ridley Simon]

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/oates-demands-trade-1.293273

I guess that link didn't work but Oates got pissed we traded for another center and wanted out.

Oates has always been a Prima Dona. Boo
Effing Hoo.

Most guys embrace another top forward to play with. Not Oates.

That was an anomaly, and we don’t have any “Oates”’s on this team. And if we did, it’s Ovy’s show. Period end.

And everyone knows it, before coming to play for the big team.

 

[DWGie26]

Here is where i am at. We have two OV years left to win another cup. Not worried about goal record because that will come naturally with winning. And I want to win and we are at the doorstop. Three options:

1. Go after a superstar like Marner but you are giving up one of PLD, Protas, and lots of other stuff
2. Get a player maker who can play in top six and push someone (McMicahel) down.
3. Minor move for a third line veteran with playoff experience

I am for number 2 and getting someone who is creative with the puck and can create their own scoring chances. I originally suggested Zegres because he is 23 and is a playmaker. Hurt last year. Shit seems bad in Anaheim this year. And he has term for this year and next. I’m willing to take that chance. Ducks can retain so options for what we can send. And i think the caps can get a lot of juice from that squeeze.

 

[Ridley Simon]

It could depending on how many teams are prepared to move firsts. Probably a good year to do it all things considered. But they'd need a third-party and/or to clear salary out most likely.

As to who their target should be: I'm still mainly thinking Marchand. Who knows if Boston goes there, though. It doesn't seem super likely. Would STL move Schenn or Buchnevich? ROR is not a terrible idea. He doesn't have trade protection and NSH should be looking to restructure/get younger. Not someone that would add speed but another fierce competitor.

A cheap value target like Donato would be alright. Not too bad. He could be a Connolly type I guess. It is slim pickings so they may have to beat the bushes to come up with something significant. Main problem is teams will be asking for their top prospects when ideally it's future picks they move instead. Might be that someone top 5ish has to go in that scenario (Lapierre, Miro or Parascak perhaps).

Boston would never trade Marchand unless he asked for it. It’s his call. Not the teams. He’s earned it.

He’s Backstrom, from a franchise icon standpoint, and they LOVE him.

Think Wilson in 5-6yrs.

Never gonna happen. He won’t request out. That’s not who he is.

Buchnevich, Schenn, or ROR would be difference makers, enough to trade something of value. I’d part w quality to get any of them.

As I would for Tuch or Miller, as we know.

 

[trick9]

Marchand would be a great add, for any team. He's not nearly what he used to be but compared to what's out there, he still stands out.

That said, i'm sure the Bruins are eager to move their captain to a team they are potentially facing in the 1st round.

 

[Silky mitts]

Boston would never trade Marchand unless he asked for it. It’s his call. Not the teams. He’s earned it.

He’s Backstrom, from a franchise icon standpoint, and they LOVE him.

Think Wilson in 5-6yrs.

Never gonna happen. He won’t request out. That’s not who he is.

Buchnevich, Schenn, or ROR would be difference makers, enough to trade something of value. I’d part w quality to get any of them.

As I would for Tuch or Miller, as we know.

ROR is the guy I’d be excited about
Ovy Strome CMM
Pro PLD Wilson
Eller ROR Leonard
Duhaime Dowd Mang
That’s a lot of balls of knives. Get ROR out there taking OT faceoffs, you can withstand an injury to center, signed for 2 more years, Trotz is a wild card though, unpredictable trader

 

[Roshi]

Boston would never trade Marchand unless he asked for it. It’s his call. Not the teams. He’s earned it.

He’s Backstrom, from a franchise icon standpoint, and they LOVE him.

Think Wilson in 5-6yrs.

Never gonna happen. He won’t request out. That’s not who he is.

Buchnevich, Schenn, or ROR would be difference makers, enough to trade something of value. I’d part w quality to get any of them.

As I would for Tuch or Miller, as we know.

I dont mind parting with quality to get difference makers, but im not sure some of the names on your shortlist really have that vibe.

Schenn is on pace for a second in row under 50 points season and has 3 years with 6,5m cap hit. He can always rebound, sure, but as a 33-year old I really, strongly, do not, want to give quality assets to acquire him. Thats the Martin Erat-type right there. Unless you mean Luke Schenn, the two-time cup winner

Buchnevich's 29 years old and his 8m contract is just about to kick in and last forever. That guy also seems to have a little trouble with consistency, especially consistency on being able to play a full season. Thats an alarming sign for a guy who on "the curve" is just on top of his prime years. He could be a PPG-top6 winger in the right org for a little while, but I dont like his contract at all. Again, dont wat to risk the quality pieces here either.

Ive always liked ROR though. But he wont play wing and we already have Strome and Dubois and hopefully we lock in Dowd aswell. ROR would definately be a quality piece imo, but is the kind of luxury quality piece we need/want right now? That means our C-spots will be blocked for the next 3 years, basically. So if a deal goes down here, I propably would send Lapierre as a quality piece going back NSH way. But this one I can see. Lapierre+pick for ROR. Who says no?

Tuch was a fun discussion. Miller, I dont see him as a fit. Strome is going the other way ooooorr....?

If we are really going for difference maker, ill throw my own shortlist so I dont look like im just always whining for what others are suggesting

Filip Forsberg (homegrown!)
Ryan O'Reilly (I too, like this one)
Mason McTavish
Sidney Crosby (just to watch the world burn)
Brock Boeser
Jordan Kyrou/Robert Thomas (If Blues suddenly decide to blow it up...)
Mitch Marner/William Nylander (If Leafs suddenly decides to blow up the big 4)

And some other names that id consider that could add up some quality depth for lower cost.

Morgan Frost
Conor Garland
Ryan Strome (unite the brothers)
Mikael Granlund (can play both, C & W, boost the PP)
Jesse Puljujarvi (hey, its a long shot, but we are having good success with the reclamation-group atm)
Nils Hoglander
Joel Armia (ive asked to trade him for a decade, so i will not end today)
Trent Frederic

 

[Kuz]

I dont mind parting with quality to get difference makers, but im not sure some of the names on your shortlist really have that vibe.

Schenn is on pace for a second in row under 50 points season and has 3 years with 6,5m cap hit. He can always rebound, sure, but as a 33-year old I really, strongly, do not, want to give quality assets to acquire him. Thats the Martin Erat-type right there. Unless you mean Luke Schenn, the two-time cup winner

Buchnevich's 29 years old and his 8m contract is just about to kick in and last forever. That guy also seems to have a little trouble with consistency, especially consistency on being able to play a full season. Thats an alarming sign for a guy who on "the curve" is just on top of his prime years. He could be a PPG-top6 winger in the right org for a little while, but I dont like his contract at all. Again, dont wat to risk the quality pieces here either.

Ive always liked ROR though. But he wont play wing and we already have Strome and Dubois and hopefully we lock in Dowd aswell. ROR would definately be a quality piece imo, but is the kind of luxury quality piece we need/want right now? That means our C-spots will be blocked for the next 3 years, basically. So if a deal goes down here, I propably would send Lapierre as a quality piece going back NSH way. But this one I can see. Lapierre+pick for ROR. Who says no?

Tuch was a fun discussion. Miller, I dont see him as a fit. Strome is going the other way ooooorr....?

If we are really going for difference maker, ill throw my own shortlist so I dont look like im just always whining for what others are suggesting

Filip Forsberg (homegrown!)
Ryan O'Reilly (I too, like this one)
Mason McTavish
Sidney Crosby (just to watch the world burn)
Brock Boeser
Jordan Kyrou/Robert Thomas (If Blues suddenly decide to blow it up...)
Mitch Marner/William Nylander (If Leafs suddenly decides to blow up the big 4)

And some other names that id consider that could add up some quality depth for lower cost.

Morgan Frost
Conor Garland
Ryan Strome (unite the brothers)
Mikael Granlund (can play both, C & W, boost the PP)
Jesse Puljujarvi (hey, its a long shot, but we are having good success with the reclamation-group atm)
Nils Hoglander
Joel Armia (ive asked to trade him for a decade, so i will not end today)
Trent Frederic

Would love to get Forsberg back. What he did last year with 48 goals and 94 points was impressive and being clearly the best forward also this year on a weak Nashville team is impressing. He also plays a very good two way game.

Nashville looks like they failed with all their signings and will struggle going forward. Forsberg is a guy they could get a lot of stuff back for. Hes also on a good contract at 8,5 million. Hes by far the most productive Nashville forward this year and last year.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I'm absolutely moving 27oa in a very shallow draft for a rental when the team is a surprise president's trophy contender and I'm not thinking twice about it at all. Draft picks, especially ones late in the first round, are for suckers and losers.

Caps are currently at $3.65M of space. Re-activate Milano (and send down Vrana in a corresponding move) and that goes down to $2.52M. Move out Bear in a deal and his buried cap hit and that goes back up to $3.43M. Send down Frank to make room on the roster for whoever you're bringing in for a trade and that goes up to $4.21M of space. Double that and they could add a player making $8.42M at 50% retention, all while keeping a full 23-man roster and only risking Vrana and Frank to waivers. Send down Milano instead of Frank and you're at $4.58M of space -- enough room for a $9.16M player half retained. Add Milano into the trade as well instead (and keep Frank on the roster) and you have $5.33M in space or $10.66M half retained, once again with a full 23-man roster. There are literally two expiring UFAs (Tavares and Marner) in the entire league they could not fit under the cap by making these very simple moves. The cap is not even close to being an issue in any way.

As for Leason, the Caps already have like 5 guys I would call "reclamation projects" with a higher upside and a higher NHL floor. Legit would rather have Lappy, Miro, Frank, Vrana, Sgarbossa, Leonard, hell even Rybynski play playoff minutes for them before Leason -- I'm sure Protas would vouch for them pretty strongly as well. If you feel like you absolutely need another true 4w type, just claim NAK.


Every year every fan of selling teams say this and every year basically that package ends up getting things done. That's pretty much exactly what we got for Orlov!

We’ll see if it’s Bear, I don’t see it.

 

[895]

Gourde for Lapierre, 2nd,

 

[qc14]

We’ll see if it’s Bear, I don’t see it.

It's not that Bear is some great piece a team wants so badly, it's necessary for sellers to take back expiring money to make deals work in a league where basically everyone is capped out. It's how you got Craig Smith, Washington Capital. Caps got a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Smith for Orlov and Hathaway. I believe that the 2nd was for Hathaway, but even if you think it was the third then it's a 1st, 2nd, and Smith for Orlov. O'Reilly got a 1st, 3rd, and Adam Gaudette. Bertuzzi to Boston for a 1st and 4th. Henrique to Edmonton for a 1st and a 4th. Horvat to NYI for a 1st, Raaty (former 2nd round pick, I would say maybe an Iorio equivalent), and Beauvillier.

Prices for rentals are just not nearly as high as people think they are, and this idea we would need to include Lappy or Miro in a deal, let alone McMichael or Protas, is just something that doesn't make sense to me at all.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It's not that Bear is some great piece a team wants so badly, it's necessary for sellers to take back expiring money to make deals work in a league where basically everyone is capped out. It's how you got Craig Smith, Washington Capital. Caps got a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Smith for Orlov and Hathaway. I believe that the 2nd was for Hathaway, but even if you think it was the third then it's a 1st, 2nd, and Smith for Orlov. O'Reilly got a 1st, 3rd, and Adam Gaudette. Bertuzzi to Boston for a 1st and 4th. Henrique to Edmonton for a 1st and a 4th. Horvat to NYI for a 1st, Raaty (former 2nd round pick, I would say maybe an Iorio equivalent), and Beauvillier.

Prices for rentals are just not nearly as high as people think they are, and this idea we would need to include Lappy or Miro in a deal, let alone McMichael or Protas, is just something that doesn't make sense to me at all.

I wouldn’t trade those guys for a rental either.

 

[Corby78]

Please no to any Schenn talk, he is depreciating fast

 

[John Price]

 

[Silky mitts]

LeBrun thinks there's a chance the Caps sign LT for north of $5.25M AAV before Four Nations

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/~3067627

LeBrun had the LT deal 4 days early

 

[um]

Gourde for Lapierre, 2nd,

Way too much for a third liner. Though I do like Gourde as a target if we can't get a top 6 guy.

You can’t be fu*king serious my man. How?

Some people are under the impression that you shouldn't pay for good goalies. You can just throw any bum in net and the results are the same.

These people must never watch hockey past April.

 

[Random schmoe]

Random laugh I just got: Per hockey-reference, these are Charlie Lindgren's ranks among all Caps goalies of all time:

Rate stats:
Save Percentage: 6th (.906)
Goals Against Average: 7th (2.74)
Adjusted Goals Against Average: 9th (2.83)

Counting stats:
Goalie Point Shares: 10th (17.5)
Goals Allowed Adjusted: 8th (97)
Shutouts: Tied-6th (7)

 

[Silky mitts]

Good profile on Strome with an emphasis on what happened in Chicago

'It's pretty rare': How Dylan Strome finally found his superpowers with the Capitals

The 27-year-old's development was a bit of a roller coaster. But he has found a home with the Caps and is on a path to stardom.

www.espn.com

 

[Calicaps]

Good article, though I'm tired of everyone talking about the Caps "surprising success." Stop being surprised. It's a really well built team and a great organization.

In other news, that piece got me thinking. I wonder if the Caps could pry DeBrincat away from Detroit. The Wings are a dumpster fire and he's 27 with 2 1/2 more years at less than $8M per.

 

[um]

Good article, though I'm tired of everyone talking about the Caps "surprising success." Stop being surprised. It's a really well built team and a great organization.

In other news, that piece got me thinking. I wonder if the Caps could pry DeBrincat away from Detroit. The Wings are a dumpster fire and he's 27 with 2 1/2 more years at less than $8M per.

Is that our new franchise identity?

We're now the team always prying away underperforming 25-30 year olds.

 

[Calicaps]

Is that our new franchise identity?

We're now the team always prying away underperforming 25-30 year olds.

Why not? Being a landing spot for guys to get a fresh start and flourish is a good thing. Also, DeBrincat has 39 points in 50 games on a shit team this year so he's not that underperforming really.