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

[stephenball]

I feel like the Caps being a team that has a good reputation of being a place people enjoy being with could hopefully pay some dividends. Obviously PLD and Chychrun have histories of not always being satisfied with where they’ve been, so hopefully they enjoy being here and can really settle in and play their games.

 

[RedRocking]

I hope we can extend Chychrun. I wonder what kinda contract we’d be looking at.

It’s so nice having a real 1LD again, and he seems to work really well with Carlson already. At only 26, he could be our next #1D after Carlson hangs em up.

 

[Calicaps]

I hope we can extend Chychrun. I wonder what kinda contract we’d be looking at.

It’s so nice having a real 1LD again, and he seems to work really well with Carlson already. At only 26, he could be our next #1D after Carlson hangs em up.

It's been 3 games. I agree he's looked really good, but let's pump the brakes just a bit.

 

[RedRocking]

It's been 3 games. I agree he's looked really good, but let's pump the brakes just a bit.

Pfft…where’s the fun in that? I’m chugging raw milk and scarfing down a pig’s gall bladder! Let’s go full Chychrun, baby!

But yea, sure - the guy has been injury prone and a flake on some questionable teams. Let’s hope he can stay healthy, and find some stability in a locker room that knows how to win.

 

[stephenball]

The Caps taking players in the draft whose biggest negative is skating feels like it makes more sense seeing how fast Protas has looked sometimes to start this season. They must feel like they can really work on skating.

 

[Marshall]

The Caps taking players in the draft whose biggest negative is skating feels like it makes more sense seeing how fast Protas has looked sometimes to start this season. They must feel like they can really work on skating.

I believe this is an organizational philosophy. Cold Rush ftw.

 

[HeyMattyB]

The passing seems ridiculously better than last season. So many quick and accurate passes, including short passes in tight and through congestion, and players are actually receiving the passes instead of the puck exploding off their stick (including Ovi). Plus waaay fewer hope passes that end up directly on the other team's sticks.

Playing with PACE! (If not necessarily "speed." But even with that said, Ovi's skating looks better than last year, Wilson can fly again, and several other players--including Protas, as mentioned--looked improved to my untrained eye. At one point I even thought Sandin looked silky smooth on his skates.)

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I wonder how many backup goalies we face this season

 

[Holtbyisms]

I wonder how many backup goalies we face this season

Probably stop here soon.

 

[Kazer]

Probably stop here soon.

Some of it seems to just be early season not wanting your backup goalie to sit too long. Tampa (3 GP due to the hurricane.. hope everyone down there is recovering okay) and Winnipeg (4 GP) are the only teams who have used one goalie so far this year. Three teams (DET, OTT & LAK) have already used 3.

If the Caps continue to be a high(ish) scoring team (currently 14th with 3.33 GF/G), they will not see as many backups this year.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

I hope we can extend Chychrun. I wonder what kinda contract we’d be looking at.

It’s so nice having a real 1LD again, and he seems to work really well with Carlson already. At only 26, he could be our next #1D after Carlson hangs em up.

I think he gets 8 x 8 right now. The sooner we get it done, the better because he is absolutely a perfect fit and has been incredible. The longer we go, the greater chance he will price himself out IMO.

 

[DWGie26]

I think he gets 8 x 8 right now. The sooner we get it done, the better because he is absolutely a perfect fit and has been incredible. The longer we go, the greater chance he will price himself out IMO.

I don’t think it gets much higher than 8x8. And sometimes players just find their place… system they succeed in. Room they grow in. Culture. So I’m waiting to (a) see if it continues over a stretch, (b) no IR type injuries, and Chychrun getting deeper into Caps culture. Then it may actually be less because player wants to stay here. I love what i see so i hope it continues.

 

[g00n]

"No Skill Willie" currently T4 in the NHL in goals

 

[kicksavedave]

View attachment 919003

"No Skill Willie" currently T4 in the NHL in goals

Predicting that Willie would be better in his 2nd full year after ACL surgery was easy money, but this heater is a joy to behold. He's sniping corners like a guy with max confidence, no gripping his stick too tight like last year. Love Tom Wilson!

 

[zappa4ever]

Soooo00OOooo refreshing to see 'fundamentals' offense:
shot from point > traffic > profit

 

[Misery74]

Soooo00OOooo refreshing to see 'fundamentals' offense:
shot from point > traffic > profit

Imagine when we start playing shitty teams.

Brutal opening stretch for the Caps. 3-1.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Who might be soon to be FAs that hit the trade market?

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10137375-br-nhl-trade-block-big-board-for-october-2024

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I’m impressed with 6…..didn’t think he would be this good, but he looks like a legit 1a D.

 

[DWGie26]

I’m impressed with 6…..didn’t think he would be this good, but he looks like a legit 1a D.

JC6 looked really good last night. Just the way he retrieves the puck and wheels it. Definitely in the right spots inside the zone. Move quickly. I think he feels the same way… i can thrive in this situation. I still think it is in our best interest to hold till after Christmas to resign him because the other side of the coin is Sandin whom I haven’t liked this year. Especially at his cap hit and term. Probably has to wait until the offseason because not a lot of depth on the left side.

 

[Langway]

Who might be soon to be FAs that hit the trade market?

Haven't done a real deep dive yet but Yanni Gourde sticks out I think. Would fit like a glove immediately making the nominal third line a lot more formidable/pesky.

Radek Faksa is also a guy that could be a solid value 3C add. Always thought he was a bit underrated ala Eller. Not as good but somewhat similar. Plenty of time for that spot to solidify but my immediate priority would probably be constructing a harder-to-play-against third line to more fully fit their overall style. Add Leonard and, I mean, it's a solid looking bunch. Not the most dynamic but hammering out the weakest links and playing a sound team game is the best to ask for. Do that, check at a high level, be disciplined...those types of teams are a handful.

 

[g00n]

Predicting that Willie would be better in his 2nd full year after ACL surgery was easy money, but this heater is a joy to behold. He's sniping corners like a guy with max confidence, no gripping his stick too tight like last year. Love Tom Wilson!

TW (and people feeding him) seem to have been practicing the play where he drifts wide and shoots a one-timer or clapper etc back across to the far post, often 7 hole. I think 3-4 of his goals have been either that play or that spot.

 

[DWGie26]

Did a quick roster for next year more to compemplate what we have now and then heading into next year for purposes of trades this year since we have 3.8M of cap space. I resigned McIlrath but sent him to Hershey. Signed Chesley to Hershey. Brought up Iorio. Did not resign Mangiapani or Bear. But signed Dowd to 2 year extension and Chychrun to 7Mx8. No goalies. That leaves us with $12M of space.

I like Raddish a lot and we could resign him but I resigned both Trineyev and Rybinski (which we will do regardless) in hopes that one of them could be 4RW. I’m most worried about left side of defense. I think we can get better value than what Sandin provides. Fever is good value but seems to be a 3LD who can play up if needed. Milano and TVR can be trade targets as well depending on how season plays out. If we are playing well it may be hard to move pending UFA’s because you don’t want to mess with things. But that is a long ways away.

In short, I’m not looking to do any trades anytime soon.

 

[Misery74]

Haven't done a real deep dive yet but Yanni Gourde sticks out I think. Would fit like a glove immediately making the nominal third line a lot more formidable/pesky.

Radek Faksa is also a guy that could be a solid value 3C add. Always thought he was a bit underrated ala Eller. Not as good but somewhat similar. Plenty of time for that spot to solidify but my immediate priority would probably be constructing a harder-to-play-against third line to more fully fit their overall style. Add Leonard and, I mean, it's a solid looking bunch. Not the most dynamic but hammering out the weakest links and playing a sound team game is the best to ask for. Do that, check at a high level, be disciplined...those types of teams are a handful.

How about Rantanen if Colorado falls out?

 

[qc14]

Haven't done a real deep dive yet but Yanni Gourde sticks out I think. Would fit like a glove immediately making the nominal third line a lot more formidable/pesky.

Don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves but Gourde would be an amazing deadline add for this group if it looks like that's the spot they're in.

Did a quick roster for next year more to compemplate what we have now and then heading into next year for purposes of trades this year since we have 3.8M of cap space. I resigned McIlrath but sent him to Hershey. Signed Chesley to Hershey. Brought up Iorio. Did not resign Mangiapani or Bear. But signed Dowd to 2 year extension and Chychrun to 7Mx8. No goalies. That leaves us with $12M of space.

In short, I’m not looking to do any trades anytime soon.

I like bringing Dowd and Chychrun back and I agree it's crowded next year with Miro and Leonard projected to be up here but ... I see no world in which they don't spend to the cap. There is a certain goalie asking for $12M that could be available though ...

 

[DWGie26]

Don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves but Gourde would be an amazing deadline add for this group if it looks like that's the spot they're in.


I like bringing Dowd and Chychrun back and I agree it's crowded next year with Miro and Leonard projected to be up here but ... I see no world in which they don't spend to the cap. There is a certain goalie asking for $12M that could be available though ...

Haha! I certainly don’t want to spend $12M in goalies. But we aren’t going to spend 1.5M either. But i do think we’ll spend $4-6M.

And agree… they will spend to the Cap as much as they can since it will be OV’s last year. If they want to go get a 3LW, we should move Milano as we do that. I’m not touching the Dee until offseason.