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

[MW6]

I’m bored.. Who says no in this 3-way trade:

Caps get:
Mitch Marner (10,903 x1yr UFA)

Leafs get:
Rasmus Andersson (4,6 x2yr UFA)
Andrew Mangiapane (5,8 x1yr UFA)
Caps 2026 1st

Flames get:
Connor McMichael (2,1 x 2yr RFA)
Timothy Liljegren (3,0 x2yr RFA)

- Caps get their point producer post-Ovie
- Flames get younger and deeper and more cost controlled years
- Leafs get cap relief, a 1RHD and a hardworking jack of all trades who can play anywhere in the top-9 basically.

 

[Random schmoe]

I don't know enough about the 'needs' for the Leafs and Flames to judge every party. But I wouldn't want the Caps to give up those 3 pieces for a guy who is a pending UFA. I don't think the idea of that matches what they're trying to do.

 

[Brian23]

I’m bored.. Who says no in this 3-way trade:

Caps get:
Mitch Marner (10,903 x1yr UFA)

Leafs get:
Rasmus Andersson (4,6 x2yr UFA)
Andrew Mangiapane (5,8 x1yr UFA)
Caps 2026 1st

Flames get:
Connor McMichael (2,1 x 2yr RFA)
Timothy Liljegren (3,0 x2yr RFA)

- Caps get their point producer post-Ovie
- Flames get younger and deeper and more cost controlled years
- Leafs get cap relief, a 1RHD and a hardworking jack of all trades who can play anywhere in the top-9 basically.

I would say everyone but the Flames...? This is ridiculous.

Feel like every team but the Flames get worse in this scenario, and they only had to give up one meh asset?

 

[MW6]

I don't know enough about the 'needs' for the Leafs and Flames to judge every party. But I wouldn't want the Caps to give up those 3 pieces for a guy who is a pending UFA. I don't think the idea of that matches what they're trying to do.

I would assume they’re allowed to speak with Marner’s agent before the trade to work out the details of an 8 year, 96M$ deal.
Mangiapane will probably won’t be re-signed anyway and that 1st round pick will hopefully be a late one.
McMichael is an attractive piece right now as he’s both producing and can play both C/W.

 

[MW6]

I would say everyone but the Flames...? This is ridiculous.

Feel like every team but the Flames get worse in this scenario, and they only had to give up one meh asset?

I think you’re really underestimating Rasmus Andersson. Or am I overestimating him? Because IMO he’s a cheap, fast top pairing RHD that put up points. 0.6 pts/game going back 3 seasons on the flames. Plays 23+ min/game, both on the PP and the PK.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I personally don’t like Marner much. If the team is going to give out a 12m a yr contract to someone — I’m pretty sure I don’t want it to be for him.

 

[qc14]

I’m bored.. Who says no in this 3-way trade:

Caps get:
Mitch Marner (10,903 x1yr UFA)

Leafs get:
Rasmus Andersson (4,6 x2yr UFA)
Andrew Mangiapane (5,8 x1yr UFA)
Caps 2026 1st

Flames get:
Connor McMichael (2,1 x 2yr RFA)
Timothy Liljegren (3,0 x2yr RFA)

- Caps get their point producer post-Ovie
- Flames get younger and deeper and more cost controlled years
- Leafs get cap relief, a 1RHD and a hardworking jack of all trades who can play anywhere in the top-9 basically.

Flames say no quickest, then Caps, then Leafs.

 

[g00n]

We did luck into Backstrom, Oshie and Kuzy cap disappeared. But I agree, we are nicely perched. We always knew it needed to be a mix between young and old.

I don't think it was luck. I think they knew those guys probably wouldn't play out their entire contracts when they were signed.

 

[Kolzilla]

I think you’re really underestimating Rasmus Andersson. Or am I overestimating him? Because IMO he’s a cheap, fast top pairing RHD that put up points. 0.6 pts/game going back 3 seasons on the flames. Plays 23+ min/game, both on the PP and the PK.

I personally would rather have Andersson than Marner

 

[Brian23]

I think you’re really underestimating Rasmus Andersson. Or am I overestimating him? Because IMO he’s a cheap, fast top pairing RHD that put up points. 0.6 pts/game going back 3 seasons on the flames. Plays 23+ min/game, both on the PP and the PK.

I had him and the other RD Rasmus swapped in my head, Ristolainen, so no not a meh asset. I was wrong.

Still, two cheaper top 6 forwards and a 1st for maybe one year of a top line, extremely expensive player, is big no no for me.

 

[TheSmokingMan]

Just looked at the stat line on Hendrix Lapierre and it's much worse than I thought. He has played 6 games, with 0 points, only 4 shots on goal, and a team worst -4. He is one of only 3 roster players who has a negative +/- (the other two are Roy and Milano). He's been getting about 10 minutes TOI average. I know it's important to give a player a chance to get out of a slump, but you can't keep him in the lineup with these sort of numbers forever.

Does he need new line mates? Maybe the coaches have him working on a part of his game and he is overthinking things and becoming more hesitant. I don't often see him turn on the jets and try to make something happen. The creativity in his game seems to be missing. How much longer do we give him to turn it around before we sit him or send him down to Hershey?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Just looked at the stat line on Hendrix Lapierre and it's much worse than I thought. He has played 6 games, with 0 points, only 4 shots on goal, and a team worst -4. He is one of only 3 roster players who has a negative +/- (the other two are Roy and Milano). He's been getting about 10 minutes TOI average. I know it's important to give a player a chance to get out of a slump, but you can't keep him in the lineup with these sort of numbers forever.

Does he need new line mates? Maybe the coaches have him working on a part of his game and he is overthinking things and becoming more hesitant. I don't often see him turn on the jets and try to make something happen. The creativity in his game seems to be missing. How much longer do we give him to turn it around before we sit him or send him down to Hershey?

“Forever” no you’re right, they can’t do it forever.

 

[Calicaps]

Just looked at the stat line on Hendrix Lapierre and it's much worse than I thought. He has played 6 games, with 0 points, only 4 shots on goal, and a team worst -4. He is one of only 3 roster players who has a negative +/- (the other two are Roy and Milano). He's been getting about 10 minutes TOI average. I know it's important to give a player a chance to get out of a slump, but you can't keep him in the lineup with these sort of numbers forever.

Does he need new line mates? Maybe the coaches have him working on a part of his game and he is overthinking things and becoming more hesitant. I don't often see him turn on the jets and try to make something happen. The creativity in his game seems to be missing. How much longer do we give him to turn it around before we sit him or send him down to Hershey?

IINM at least three of those minuses were in game 1. The line's been an offensive dead zone, but they've done fine defensively.

 

[usiel]

Kinda felt like one of the games that the caps were not going to score but not that they were playing terrible other than the PP. As far as the PP even when they get setup it doesn't feel very decisive.

 

[Kuz]

Yeah, no luck and a hot goalie. Definitely in the game and played to their level on the ice, but sometimes the puck just bounces the wrong way. Its a reason why its best of 7 in the playoffs as any team can beat another with some lucky bounces and a hot goalie on a single night.

Facing NYR that are probably the best team along with Florida in the east so lets see if they can put up a good game and bounce back from this loss.

 

[Holtbyisms]

"we're probably not going to go 81-1" - PLD

 

[trick9]

Just looked at the stat line on Hendrix Lapierre and it's much worse than I thought. He has played 6 games, with 0 points, only 4 shots on goal, and a team worst -4. He is one of only 3 roster players who has a negative +/- (the other two are Roy and Milano). He's been getting about 10 minutes TOI average. I know it's important to give a player a chance to get out of a slump, but you can't keep him in the lineup with these sort of numbers forever.

Does he need new line mates? Maybe the coaches have him working on a part of his game and he is overthinking things and becoming more hesitant. I don't often see him turn on the jets and try to make something happen. The creativity in his game seems to be missing. How much longer do we give him to turn it around before we sit him or send him down to Hershey?

xGF shares have that line doing fine, just snakebit.

Andrew Mangiapane - 66.53%
Hendrix Lapierre - 54.35%
Jakub Vrana - 51.38%

Need to start finishing their chances at some point. But they have been getting chances.

 

[Chokingdogs]

"we're probably not going to go 81-1" - PLD

I always enjoy sarcastic truth, from pro athletes, when asked stupid questions.

I assume that response was due to a ? along those lines.

 

[twabby]

xGF shares have that line doing fine, just snakebit.

Andrew Mangiapane - 66.53%
Hendrix Lapierre - 54.35%
Jakub Vrana - 51.38%

Need to start finishing their chances at some point. But they have been getting chances.

Lapierre and Vrana have been worse than the rest of their teammates, and when adjusting for context they've been easily the worst line.

As a team they are 58%. Lapierre and Vrana have been getting by far the easiest deployments and are still doing worse than the rest of the lines. The GAR stats aren't available yet but I suspect they won't look kindly on those two in particular. They are putting up the same or slightly worse than the Dowd line who is getting shackled with the tough deployments.

 

[qc14]

Lapierre and Vrana have been worse than the rest of their teammates, and when adjusting for context they've been easily the worst line.

As a team they are 58%. Lapierre and Vrana have been getting by far the easiest deployments and are still doing worse than the rest of the lines. The GAR stats aren't available yet but I suspect they won't look kindly on those two in particular. They are putting up the same or slightly worse than the Dowd line who is getting shackled with the tough deployments.

Vrana and Lappy have definitely been the weakest links but I think both 1) they haven't been quite as bad as the +/- says and 2) I don't know what else you do at that spot

Do you bring Sgarbossa up and play him there? Break up the amazing 2nd line so that McMichael can play 3c and bring Milano back in? Just don't see what the solution is besides letting him ride it out. Much more important to iron out the PP issues IMO

 

[Langway]

The easiest play is putting Protas at 3C I think, Mangiapane 1RW and then calling up Miro for 3RW. They need to get Mangiapane going and it's very hard to expect that on the third line. That does make the top line smaller and perhaps easier to play against but that may be worthwhile for a sturdier third line. If they wanted to I guess they could give Miro a shot on the top line here or there. Ultimately 1RW seems obviously where Leonard ought to end up...

There's a lot of merit to letting McMichael lead his own line at center based on what we've seen. How much more could he create from the middle with softer usage? Their options at 3W aren't great currently so it is a matter of priorities. They need to be willing to sacrifice elements in the top six for the sake of more depth and better balance. Better strength up the middle and more balance would seem to be the play. Even if Lapierre gets it going somewhat it's very tough to believe he will be the hardest-to-play-against option any time soon.

 

[DWGie26]

I’m letting these lines gel for a couple/few more games. Maybe bring Milano back in and see if that sparks something. But I don’t want to mess with other three lines.

I don’t think caps bring any bears up until an injury necessitates it or post 40 games.

 

[MW6]

I think this is worth a try:

Ovie-Strome-Lapierre
Mangiapane-Dubois-Wilson
Milano*-McMichael-Protas
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh

*= Milano/Vrana/Mirosnichenko

 

[twabby]

I think I like Langway's suggestion of moving Protas to 3C, getting Mangiapane back to the top line, and giving Miro a shot on the third line. Seems like the cleanest way of keeping lines 2 and 4 together while also strengthening the 3C spot. I think McMichael has been too strong to take out of the top 6 and drop to 3C so that really leaves Protas as the only other 3C option.

 

[StrikingDistance]

I think I like Langway's suggestion of moving Protas to 3C, getting Mangiapane back to the top line, and giving Miro a shot on the third line. Seems like the cleanest way of keeping lines 2 and 4 together while also strengthening the 3C spot. I think McMichael has been too strong to take out of the top 6 and drop to 3C so that really leaves Protas as the only other 3C option.

Correct. Absolutely do not touch the 2nd and 4th lines. Although I do like keeping the scoring threat of the bread eater on the 3rd line. I have faith carbs will start tinkering soon.

Now the PP...think it's time to finally stop making Ovi the obvious shooter. We all said this last year. Move him to another spot, or move him to PP2, or have him just 'move' instead of stand there.