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

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Do they look to upgrade 7D? Alexeyev seems out of favor at this point and Big Mac doesn’t play unless there’s an injury.

I know this team is one of the highest scoring teams in the league but they also have some guys with crazy shooting percentages. If you’re making a trade to upgrade the team I’d venture you look to target someone who puts the puck in the net.

I think it would be good for Alsxeyev to get traded if only to give him a chance at jump starting his career somewhere else.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Does his agent have a history of playing hard ball?

Agent Andy Scott

https://puckpedia.com/agent/andrew-scott

He seems pretty fair

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Does his agent have a history of playing hard ball?

Who is his agent?

 

[Pigskin]

I'm on board with trading CMM as part of a deal to land a big fish. I'm yet to be convinced he is the real deal, and think he just had a hot streak to start this season. I also think its hard to build a 3rd line around him. I don't like 2 young players on that line, and whatever combo's I come up with I throw in the bin.

 

[Jags]

I'm not understanding the desire to go after Tuch. He's putting up a 59 point pace while getting over 19 minutes a game playing on the top line and a good chunk of PP time. Who does he replace in our top 6 that will allow him to continue to hit those numbers?

For his cap hit, even just 59 points is a steal. He'd definitely be a great add, no question.

It strikes me as a bad trade. That’s the stance. I don’t see why you trade off the roster to get a guy producing at an equal rate and then suggest he’ll improve under Carbery when we have a younger guy who has improved under Carbery already and is still cooking.

Yeah, the deal strikes me as odd, too, Rid. You've been saying the last couple days that the whole point of this is to make this year's team better. Adding Tuch would be outstanding, but subtracting McMike at the same time could yield no improvement at all, plus the additional cost of another prospect and a 1st? That would be a brutal trade for us.

If they're into the idea of trading him at all, they might take all futures given where their roster stands at the moment. I wouldn't subtract from today's roster at all unless we had to make the cap work, and Mangiapane's the prime candidate there, and should be easy to move.

If I'm Buffalo I'm not dealing Tuch regardless, so I doubt it's realistic. But if he is available, we'd be nuts to lose McMichael in the deal. It'd kind defeat the point of the whole thing.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Ovi-PLD-Protas
Tuch-Strome-Wilson
Mangiapane-McMichael-Eller
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh

Not someone I would give up a Cristall for but the 25 1st + Iorio? Sign me up.

Well, I actually would be open to that but would tweak it to:

Ovi-PLD-Protas
Tuch-Strome-Wilson
Mangiapane-McMichael- Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh

And offer return of either the 26 or 27 1st + 27 2nd and Iorio. Would also move Eller, Milano, Vrana out for picks if anyone wants them, and would be willing to add some of the proceeds as sweetners for Tuch.

The big caveat for me would be that we don't resign Tuch, but rather give that and the Mangiapane spot to whomever wins them out of Cristall, Miroshnichenko, Pro Jr, Lappy, and Frank for both the cost management and to give them a chance to step up like CMM and Protas have.

So count me open to movin out some very limited assets. But let me keep my beloved nuts!

And as Jags mentioned above, probably won't be enough

 

[qc14]

Well, I actually would be open to that but would tweak it to:

Ovi-PLD-Protas
Tuch-Strome-Wilson
Mangiapane-McMichael- Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh

And offer return of either the 26 or 27 1st + 27 2nd and Iorio. Would also move Eller, Milano, Vrana out for picks if anyone wants them, and would be willing to add some of the proceeds as sweetners for Tuch.

The big caveat for me would be that we don't resign Tuch, but rather give that and the Mangiapane spot to whomever wins them out of Cristall, Miroshnichenko, Lappy, and Frank for both the cost management and to give them a chance to step up like CMM and Protas have.

So count me open to movin out some very limited assets. But let me keep my beloved nuts!

And as Jags mentioned above, probably won't be enough

Yea I don't think Tuch will be available and if he is it will be for the kind of roster player heavy package that I don't think the Caps are the right fit for.

I think hoarding nuts in general is the right call but you hoard them for a reason -- every once in a while go out and spend some! I'd definitely much rather move the 25 1st though, which is almost guaranteed to be 25oa or later, than a 26 or 27 one.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Random thought about 3 or 4 years out. Maybe a top 9 looks like:

Protas - PLD - Protas
Cristall -Strome - Leonard
Miroshnichenko -McMichael- Wilson

Could be some mix and match and maybe what the result are three really great lines.

Plus there is potential from Parascak and Mateiko.

Loaded up with potential, I tell ya...

I'd definitely much rather move the 25 1st though, which is almost guaranteed to be 25oa or later, than a 26 or 27 one.

I hopefully disagree, as I am expecting we only get better over the next 3 or 4 years. Maybe those 2026 and 2027 1st rounders are actually 30+ OA!! Yes I'm am optimist.

 

[qc14]

Random thought about 3 or 4 years out. Maybe a top 9 looks like:

Protas - PLD - Protas
Cristall -Strome - Leonard
Miroshnichenko -McMichael- Wilson

Plus there is potential from Parascak and Mateiko.

Loaded up with potential, I tell ya...



I hopefully disagree, as I am expecting we only get better over the next 3 or 4 years. Maybe those 2026 and 2027 1st rounders are actually 30+ OA!! Yes I'm am optimist.

I love the optimism, and Protas-PLD-Protas would be absolutely hilarious.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

I love the optimism, and Protas-PLD-Protas would be absolutely hilarious.

And big too!! Talk about driving play and net front mayhem.

 

[Calicaps]

There is not a single team in all of sports that at least in principle could not be made better. And excluding a few individual players on the planet, there is not a single position that could not, in principle, be upgraded. But contrary to the discussion in this thread, the various factors are not mutually exclusive.

• A good front office is ALWAYS looking to improve their team. Part of making a team better is making upgrades while also NOT f***ing up a good culture or disrupting great chemistry. Another part is knowing which assets to spend on what and when.
• Good players want to win. And if they know they have a great front office that's working every day to give them the best chance to win, changes to the roster are likely to be well received, reducing the likelihood of damage to the culture.

We have an arguably GREAT front office. So I'm confident that they have their finger on the pulse of that room and know who is core or not and where they could upgrade (given the opportunity) without hurting the team. Are they infallible? Of course not. But I trust that if they feel they can make this team better and improve the chance to win now, they will do it. And at the same time, I trust that their decision-making process will include not only the current roster's great chemistry and strong play, but also the guys coming soon like Lenny and the long-term future of the franchise.

 

[Ridley Simon]

For his cap hit, even just 59 points is a steal. He'd definitely be a great add, no question.



Yeah, the deal strikes me as odd, too, Rid. You've been saying the last couple days that the whole point of this is to make this year's team better. Adding Tuch would be outstanding, but subtracting McMike at the same time could yield no improvement at all, plus the additional cost of another prospect and a 1st? That would be a brutal trade for us.

If they're into the idea of trading him at all, they might take all futures given where their roster stands at the moment. I wouldn't subtract from today's roster at all unless we had to make the cap work, and Mangiapane's the prime candidate there, and should be easy to move.

If I'm Buffalo I'm not dealing Tuch regardless, so I doubt it's realistic. But if he is available, we'd be nuts to lose McMichael in the deal. It'd kind defeat the point of the whole thing.

Tuch is a much better player than CMM. We can agree to disagree if you feel otherwise.

I’d happily give up him, a very late 1st, and a lesser prospect (which is what I stated above) for Tuch.

Happily.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I’d want a bigger fish than Tuch to send out CMM…

CMM isn’t untouchable, but I’d need to be convinced Tuch could produce at a much higher rate here. He’s basically had one great season in his career.

 

[wickedwitch]

I have a hard time seeing the Caps trading CMM++++ for someone like Tuch. (Tuch's great, but he's not a superstar.) That's never been their MO, even when they were desperate for a Cup.

(Also, I still don't think Buffalo trades Tuch. They will try to re-sign him first which they can't do until the summer.)

 

[trick9]

I’d want a bigger fish than Tuch to send out CMM…

CMM isn’t untouchable, but I’d need to be convinced Tuch could produce at a much higher rate here. He’s basically had one great season in his career.

The issue with Tuch for me is his next contract. I mean sure, it's great for 1½ seasons. At the expense of McMichael? Not so much. He's propably the better player but chemistry issues are real and it takes time to gel with the new team.

Also re: his next contract. Wilson contract got so much shit, even around here. He signed through age 29-37. Now some of the same people who were shitting on Wilson contract want Tuch? His next contract goes through age 30-38. Yikes. Do you acquire him solely for this 1½ year span and then let him walk?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The issue with Tuch for me is his next contract. I mean sure, it's great for 1½ seasons. At the expense of McMichael? Not so much. He's propably the better player but chemistry issues are real and it takes time to gel with the new team.

Also re: his next contract. Wilson contract got so much shit, even around here. He signed through age 29-37. Now some of the same people who were shitting on Wilson contract want Tuch? His next contract goes through age 30-38. Yikes. Do you acquire him solely for this 1½ year span and then let him walk?

The next 2 playoff runs are pretty significant no? Could we not trade Tuch ourselves if it didn’t work out after year one?

Who are those people?

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Looks like they may be approaching a realistic limit of how many prospects one can expect to make the jump to Hershey next season. Leonard should avoid it but is there room for all of Allen, Chesley, Cristall, Mateiko and Protas on a Hershey team that tends to not play an abundance of rookies?

Isn’t Protas ineligible for the AHL next year? He’ll turn 19 over the summer

 

[Roshi]

Yeah i can get behind the idea of going after Tuch too, but for CMM ++?

Their trajectory looks quite similar, Tuch was 25 when he broke at his current level, from 50 point guy to 70-80. CMM just turned 24 and is having quite the same kind of a 50-point season that Tuch had at that same age.

Straight up, maybe, ill let the FO judge that. With the adds, mmh. Tuch has some injury history too. Thats risky move.

Id like to have both of them. Lapierre+1st as a base doesnt get it done?

 

[trick9]

The next 2 playoff runs are pretty significant no? Could we not trade Tuch ourselves if it didn’t work out after year one?

Who are those people?

Equally as significant as the next 2 playoff runs after that.

Yes we could. I don't think he'd return a break-out player like McMichael though who you can pencil in for ~50-60 points straight away. If this was futures only? Yes, you could always just move him and get some futures back.

I'm not naming names. The Wilson -contract thread is still around.

 

[Kuz]

For his cap hit, even just 59 points is a steal. He'd definitely be a great add, no question.

The thing is he wont be a 60 point player here as he wont get the same amount of minutes and not the same amount of time on the PP. Unless you want to demote Wilson, McM or Protas who are all pacing for 60+ points this year. I dont see him putting up those numbers in the Caps playing on the third line. Like Mangiapane put up 55, 43, 40 the three years before joining Washington, but he plays 3 minute less pr game here and will be closer to 30 points if he keeps his current pace.

Mangiapane/Frank/Miro - Eller - Wilson/Tuch/McM

He would be a good signing and could help the third line or move Wilson down there. McM havent really worked that well on the third line.