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

[qc14]

With Backstrom and Oshie coming off the books does it make sense to throw a bunch of money at one of the top UFAs like Rantanen or Marner?

I would do it but I also understand why you wouldn't

 

[trick9]

With Backstrom and Oshie coming off the books does it make sense to throw a bunch of money at one of the top UFAs like Rantanen or Marner?

I'd guess they would be heavily after Rantanen if he makes it to open market. The cap space is there and he checks all the boxes Caps value highly in a winger.

Who knows where he'll actually want to play though. There'll be 32 teams after him.

 

[Lou Sassole]

Or maybe management is dumb -- they didn't choose Carlson either.

Seriously, Caps fans referring to someone as "not a winner" based on international team selection is doubly stupid.

He may or may not be a winner, but there's no evidence of the latter besides the narrative that he's not a winner. His performance in big games has been great.

Regardless of his skill level, he's soft as baby shit and has a low compete level. You don't generally win in the playoffs with a lot of those guys on the roster. Maybe we could insulate his deficiencies playing him with PLD/Protas/Wilson types, maybe not, but it seems pretty risky at this point. I'd love for him to figure it out, because his skill level is sublime, but he could be Kuzy level good or bad.

 

[Byron Bitz]

I'd guess they would be heavily after Rantanen if he makes it to open market. The cap space is there and he checks all the boxes Caps value highly in a winger.

Who knows where he'll actually want to play though. There'll be 32 teams after him.

There won’t be 32 teams with 13 million in cap space to sign him. There will probably be around 7-10 teams to compete with and some of them will be trying to trade for his rights to give him the 8th year. Caps have two seconds this year so they could also be in the mix for his rights

 

[Kazer]

Marchand makes so much sense to me.

It pushes McMichael to the third line instead of Protas or Wilson who should stay in the top 6. Marchand also has the ability to play on a shutdown line with Dubois, while being an offensive option as well.

Ovie-Strome-Protas
Marchand-Dubois-Wilson (that's a lot of hate )
McMichael/Mangi-Eller/McMichael-Mangi/Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh/Mangi

There's a lot of options if you use McMichael at 3C.

I just don't see Boston trading Marchand (period). Maybe if they were completely out of it, but that seems incredibly unlikely with how condensed the East is. They're currently 2 points out of a playoff spot (Note: Ottawa has a game in hand but even if they win they're only 4 back).

Troy Terry would be a stellar addition if we can swing it, and I would happily do the package proposed by Beags.

 

[Misery74]

Troy Terry is under contract until 2030. As far as I know, there is no PLD situation. For $7m.

Little chance Terry goes anywhere, and we shouldn’t be adding $7m wings right now, unless the are a UFA.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Ethan Bear, you are a Duck!

Don't get excited everyone, probably just Bear for Leason. Haha!!

 

[Ridley Simon]

Marchand makes so much sense to me.

It pushes McMichael to the third line instead of Protas or Wilson who should stay in the top 6. Marchand also has the ability to play on a shutdown line with Dubois, while being an offensive option as well.

Ovie-Strome-Protas
Marchand-Dubois-Wilson (that's a lot of hate )
McMichael/Mangi-Eller/McMichael-Mangi/Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh/Mangi

There's a lot of options if you use McMichael at 3C.

I’d be really surprised if the Bruins sent him anywhere. Like at all.

Unless they talk about it, and he is OK w it

They did sent Ray Bourque out, after all

 

[Ridley Simon]

With Backstrom and Oshie coming off the books does it make sense to throw a bunch of money at one of the top UFAs like Rantanen or Marner?

No. People seem to forget that we have mostly *already filled* this cap slots. They are only 3.6m away from the cap, and discounts Backstrom, Oshie AND Milano.

They will have some money because: cap raise, Mangie contract, JC6’s contract and a few lower levels.

JC6 — assuming they can coral him — will take up most of their space. And also Chucky. Those 2 alone will take up at least 65-70% of their space

 

[Kazer]

No. People seem to forget that we have mostly *already filled* this cap slots. They are only 3.6m away from the cap, and discounts Backstrom, Oshie AND Milano.

They will have some money because: cap raise, Mangie contract, JC6’s contract and a few lower levels.

JC6 — assuming they can coral him — will take up most of their space. And also Chucky. Those 2 alone will take up at least 65-70% of their space

This is making a lot of assumptions but if you fill out a logical roster with one kid making it (one of Leonard/Miro/Cristall), cheap 4RW, and moderate replacements at 3C and 4C (I used 4m for 3C and 2m for 4C) and re-signed Charlie at 3 mil flat, that leaves the Caps with 13 F, 6 D, and 2 G with 14.5 mil in cap space.

If the Caps re-sign Chychrun at 8mil, they have 6.5 in cap space left with 13 F, 7 D, and 2 G, but that's not enough to bring in a Marner/Rantanen.

If the Caps don't re-sign Chychrun and go cheap with the 6/7 D spots, then they have about 13.5 mil to play with (which might be enough for a Rantanen/Marner but with little room to spare and no Chychrun).

Tl;dr - Ridley is right. We have space but not as much as you might think (especially if we re-sign Chychrun). If anyone wants to play around with my assumptions, I used PuckGM.

 

[Ridley Simon]

This is making a lot of assumptions but if you fill out a logical roster with one kid making it (one of Leonard/Miro/Cristall), cheap 4RW, and moderate replacements at 3C and 4C (I used 4m for 3C and 2m for 4C) and re-signed Charlie at 3 mil flat, that leaves the Caps with 13 F, 6 D, and 2 G with 14.5 mil in cap space.

If the Caps re-sign Chychrun at 8mil, they have 6.5 in cap space left with 13 F, 7 D, and 2 G, but that's not enough to bring in a Marner/Rantanen.

If the Caps don't re-sign Chychrun and go cheap with the 6/7 D spots, then they have about 13.5 mil to play with (which might be enough for a Rantanen/Marner but with little room to spare and no Chychrun).

Tl;dr - Ridley is right. We have space but not as much as you might think (especially if we re-sign Chychrun). If anyone wants to play around with my assumptions, I used PuckGM.

Nail squarely on head. BAM!

Thompsons contract is getting absorbed. That’s a hit. JC6 @ 8m is a thing. Chucky @ 3m is as well. Both of those could be a tad low (500k, each).

Why about Dowd? We don’t want him back? Why not? 2-2.5m is fair “ish”.

Lose Eller. But who plays 3c? Take back that 4m for a 3C and add the 5m (if resigning all of 6, 26, 79 at 500k over @Kazer’s $$$).

A 9m player. Somewhere. With 3C still open.

It’s decent space. But Not 13-14m space