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

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Brian23 said:
My dream lineup, assuming people are preforming at the top of their games.

Ovi - Strome - Protas
Vrana - PLD - Wilson
Mangiapane - CMC/Lapierre - Oshie.
Duahime - Dowd - Raddysh.

I'd probably prefer CMC at 3C and Lapiere playing 1C in Hershey, but they gotta graduate him at some point but I don't want either one playing the wing.
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I like the first two lines but Lapierre was not just the AHL playoff MVP but also probably the Caps' 2nd best player in the NHL playoffs and he has to play this season. I'm taking him and Milano over Vrana and Oshie every day of the week.

There's still a big hole at 1/2RW and a big surplus at 3c. I wonder how far along they got with some McMichael deals this summer as to me he's the very obvious odd man out. It also sure would make me feel better with Leonard in the NHL this year on Ovi's wing!
 
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CapitalsCupReality said:
Clears the 3C for Lappy also…..but alas, don’t see it happening now….

This is a uuuuuuuuuuge year for CMM if he wants to remain a Capital IMO.
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yea with Strome, Protas, and now PLD here long-term and Lapierre, Miro, and Leonard all needing spots I don't really see him being a long-term fit unfortunately
 
I really like Strome, but more and more, I think he's the placeholder. He's inexpensive but as a reclaimed asset his trade value is as high as it's maybe ever gonna be. Assuming PLD works out, I could totally see Stromer getting moved this year or next to fill a hole--1RW?--if Lappy looks ready for full-time 2C (and maybe even 1C) duty this year or next. Then you have CMM at 3C.
 
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I don't see them moving Strome unless they decide to tank in a few years. Far too much value provided at far too important a position to consider flipping him unless it's for a deal they can't refuse.

Even if PLD works out (and works out at center as opposed to wing) I think they would probably just look to deal McMichael instead. Having 3 good centers (Lapierre being the third in this case) can cover up a lot of flaws elsewhere, and unless a team offers them a 1D or something of similar value it's hard to imagine Strome moving.
 
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Kolzilla said:
I think he is most likely to move, but not sure why ppl aren't higher on him. He's been a great 2-way C this past year, which is always useful. Where is his ceiling? I don't know, but I don't think we've seen it yet.
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Just looking at the stats, he wasn't very good at all. Maybe he benefited from Kuznetsov staying with the team as long as he did. It's easy to look good compared to the worst player in the league.
 
Calicaps said:
I really like Strome, but more and more, I think he's the placeholder. He's inexpensive but as a reclaimed asset his trade value is as high as it's maybe ever gonna be. Assuming PLD works out, I could totally see Stromer getting moved this year or next to fill a hole--1RW?--if Lappy looks ready for full-time 2C (and maybe even 1C) duty this year or next. Then you have CMM at 3C.
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He's barely behind Ovi for the team lead in points his two years in DC while putting up great play-driving numbers -- and as I will shout from the rooftops forever, one of the only guys in the last 5 years to make Ovi even break-even at 5v5. Lapierre had a great year and I think he can be an NHL caliber middle 6er for a long time. Almost .5ppg in the NHL as a 21yo is great. Strome in his age 21 season put up .75

They are not moving Strome while they are still in the "retool" phase and would be stupid to do so unless an all-NHL level talent is coming back. Now that Pettersson is signed long term I don't see anyone at that level even remotely available.
 
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Kolzilla said:
...but not sure why ppl aren't higher on him. He's been a great 2-way C this past year, which is always useful. Where is his ceiling? I don't know, but I don't think we've seen it yet.
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Honestly, I believe it's Internet Groupthink. He has a history of missing finishing some good chances and those stuck in some people's memories and then he gets slagged.

Then people are less likely to remember and praise his great finishes (he didn't get 18 goals last year by having them all just deflect off his butt).

I bet he's over 25 goals for us this year.
 
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ArmadilloThumb said:
Honestly, I believe it's Internet Groupthink. He has a history of missing finishing some good chances and those stuck in some people's memories and then he gets slagged.

Then people are less likely to remember and praise his great finishes (he didn't get 18 goals last year by having them all just deflect off his butt).

I bet he's over 25 goals for us this year.
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I dunno if I think he gets over 25, but I'd like to see him have a 20/30 campaign. It's why I'd prefer him at 3C and Lapierre in Hershey, I don't think CMC is going to thrive at the wing. It's just not his game.

To build on that, I think he'd have been probably closer to 50 points last year if we'd had basically anyone else offensively producing. He was still 5th on the team in points, only 3 behind Wilson, and the two top producers not being guys he'd really get to play with.
 
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Protas is a really good third liner. Don't plug him in anywhere else. That's not a knock on him it's a honest assessment. Too good for a third line but not talented enough to be a real top sixer in a 82 game basis. I'd also be shocked if Ovi-Dubois-Willy isn't top line game 1. Get used to to, it's gonna happen wether you like it or not If Vrana makes the team and becomes a mainstay then CMM is the odd man out. Lappy has surpassed him as a prospect already and if CMM can't be a scoring winger then he'll be looking elsewhere for work. Like Mikey a lot but he's now redundant unless we already plan on sell sell sell at the deadline...which I'm totally cool with.
 
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CMM should be better because:

• the improved D will mean way less getting bogged down in their own zone, which was a significant frustration last year. That should mean more offensive zone time and more and better chances for him.

• more and better chances should mean the game will continue to "slow down" for CMM, which I suspect is still happening for him.

And I will repeat, I suspect he will have a number of 30+ goal seasons during his career. It would be really sad to see him do that elsewhere.
 
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Holtbyisms said:
Protas is a really good third liner. Don't plug him in anywhere else. That's not a knock on him it's a honest assessment. Too good for a third line but not talented enough to be a real top sixer in a 82 game basis. I'd also be shocked if Ovi-Dubois-Willy isn't top line game 1. Get used to to, it's gonna happen wether you like it or not If Vrana makes the team and becomes a mainstay then CMM is the odd man out. Lappy has surpassed him as a prospect already and if CMM can't be a scoring winger then he'll be looking elsewhere for work. Like Mikey a lot but he's now redundant unless we already plan on sell sell sell at the deadline...which I'm totally cool with.
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If, and it's a big if, that Vrana becomes a mainstay I'd say Milano should be the odd man out. Long way for Vrana to go at this point.

Keep in mind Vrana's best seasons ever were only 6 & 7 goals better than CMM's 18 last year. And he has crashed and burned since then. I don't get the eagerness for the potential for shipping out CMM for him.

Protas has great sympatico with Ovi off the ice. They really should try that and all sorts of different combinations to see what magic combinations might emerge. Strome on wing is one I would like to see for a bit, as he has stated he is comfortable there. Would allow us to see how Lappy and CMM both are in C roles now.

First couple of months should be a bit of a Test Kitchen.
 
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I’d rather not CMM get traded, unless it’s for a pretty big upgrade somewhere.

I also don’t think they will do anything until training camp shakes some things out (Oshie and Vrana are 2 huge ? going in to camp….if one or both force the issue to start in the top 12, well then suddenly they have way too many forwards to feed).

Lapierre could get returned to Hershey (I guess) and Raddysh could be 13. But golly.

Ovy - PLD - Wilson
Mangiapane - Strome - Oshie
Milano - CMM - Vrana
Duhaime - Dowd - Protas
Raddysh

Or someone gets dealt. Milano would not hurt my feelings, get Lapierre back into the top 9.

but if Vrana is a shell of himself AND Oshie is LTIR?

Then it’s more simple. Lapierre and Raddysh are back in, and no one gets dealt.
 
i think some form of
ovi-strome-wilson
mcmichael-pld-mangiapane
vrana/miro-lapierre-milano
duhaime-dowd-protas
raddysh

is the opening night forward group. would be surprised and likely disappointed if nobody can beat out raddysh for a roster spot
 
I like our roster compared to last season...yeah kind of a no brainer. It really does not matter who the starting 20 are...the best players who fit will play over time and there will be injuries. Our D has been upgraded..Carberry has more options overall this season.
 
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Re: McMichael -- scoring is the #1 job of a forward and this team's biggest issue, and he hasn't outscored other bubble top-6ers in the lineup like Milano, Mangiapane, or Wilson. He also is at significant risk of being passed by Lapierre, Miro, and Vrana in that area of the game. He also isn't quite as good at the non-scoring things as other bottom-6ers like Protas, Dowd, Duhaime, or Raddysh. It just gives him a much smaller margin for error. There isn't much bona-fide top tier talent at forward, but especially if you count some Hershey guys there are probably 16 or 17 legit NHL talents at forward.

Also -- while I totally buy that the better D-corps will help everyone generate more chances, I hate the argument that player X would just score more if they had better linemates. At some point you have to be the better linemates that help everyone else score more!

Could he score 30 next season? Not out of the question but I would be absolutely astounded. Even 25, which doesn't seem like a big jump, would be pretty insane. That's an almost 40% increase from last season!
 
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Can Vrana make the team and be sent to Hershey? I know hes played some in the AHL the last few seasons. I would keep and stash him if hes willing. Im guessing he would have to clear waivers again.
 
Ovechkins Wodka said:
Can Vrana make the team and be sent to Hershey? I know hes played some in the AHL the last few seasons. I would keep and stash him if hes willing. Im guessing he would have to clear waivers again.
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he could, and personally i hope this happens if he doesn’t make the team. was a fan favorite in hershey, too. i don’t think the odds of him making the team are high but it would be cool
 
One thing for sure is there are going to be a lot of options and hopefully we see some different looks through camp(s) and preseason.

I think it is better for Miro to play in Hershey. I think it is better for Lapierre to play in Washington. I think it is highly likely Oshie starts the year on LTIR.

Caps got PLD to be 1C so he is going to get a strong look there. If OV and PLD find good chemistry that is going to be fun. And sure Wilson on the right.

Lapierre and McMichael both need to play in NHL. One will have to play wing (unless injuries). I’m not trading anyone until we see how things shake out. Maybe TDL or more likely at draft. But yes, this is competition and I’m here for it. Will make them both better.
 
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