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

[qc14]

Habs fan here

I would like to know what would You Ask for Hendrix Lapierre?
Do you see NHL potentiel ? Top 6 or Top 9 ? Center of LW?

I'd probably value him at around a second round pick, but would want to move him in a larger package for an established NHL player. I think he ends up as an offensive 3c in the NHL who could play up with elite wingers if you have no better option and is a pretty good PP2 option. Stylistically I think he's a bit less of a passer and more of a balanced offensive player than most of these guys but I think for some NHL comps and roles you're looking at a Stephenson at the absolute high end, then maybe Domi, then Colton, then Roslovic, then Krebs, then a AAAA guy like a Mike Sgarbossa at the bottom.

I don't really see what a deal with Montreal would look like though. Maybe Lapierre for Evans would've been a solid base of something if he wasn't extended. Ideally though Washington would move him along with a first round pick for a legit top 6 forward though and Montreal doesn't have that guy to move.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Get a guy who can play in the top six and either push someone down or establish a scoring threat on the third line. That bottom 6 needs help. Feels like that fourth line hasn’t been the same as they were at the beginning of the year for a bit.

 

[trick9]

Do it. Not for the blue chips. But do it.

= Rantanen didn't take their contract offer.

I think they still keep him and he goes back to Colorado for free in the summer.

 

[MW6]

= Rantanen didn't take their contract offer.

I think they still keep him and he goes back to Colorado for free in the summer.

Don’t you think there’ll be bad blood between Rantanen and Avs after they traded away him out of the blue?

 

[trick9]

Don’t you think there’ll be bad blood between Rantanen and Avs after they traded away him out of the blue?

Who knows?

It's where his life, friends and everything have been for a long time. Seeing that trade was propably frustrating for him at the time, but after 4 months? I don't know. Maybe he'll feel differently after a while.

 

[MW6]

Who knows?

It's where his life, friends and everything have been for a long time. Seeing that trade was propably frustrating for him at the time, but after 4 months? I don't know. Maybe he'll feel differently after a while.

Yeah, it’s an even better situation for them in Colorado with the additions of Necas and Drury. Maybe they were playing 3D chess all along!?

 

[trick9]

Yeah, it’s an even better situation for them in Colorado with the additions of Necas and Drury. Maybe they were playing 3D chess all along!?

Would be hilarious if it end up that way. They already have the platform as of what it'd take to sign Rantanen, and while they added cap space with Necas and Drury, they can easily make the cap work by multiple different ways. Could finally get rid of the rotten apple in Valeri Nichuskin when his NMC expires in the summer, or could move Mittelstadt and move Necas to 2C. That said they might move Mittelstadt already at the TDL if they want to add more already.

It'd be a masterpiece from the Avs to turn few months of Rantanen + Nichuskin for Rantanen + Necas + Drury + futures you get for Nichuskin.

 

[Kuz]

Could finally get rid of the rotten apple in Valeri Nichuskin when his NMC expires in the summer

Nichuskin is a very good player when on the ice and he had a very good playoff when they won and also last year with 9 goals in 8 games. Problem is his off ice problems. If Colorado decide to trade him he will have limited value because of them.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Rod’s style of play seems to handcuff creative, improvisational talent. If the Canes don’t sign Rantanen, they will have solidified themselves as the franchise to avoid for high-end forward talent. Which would be just a shame, eh?

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Rangers up to 63% chance of playoffs. The highest of the WC teams

 

[Kazer]

Rangers up to 63% chance of playoffs. The highest of the WC teams

I assume this is weighted based on their model, but CBJ looks incredibly low for a team that is currently WC1 even if it is by a razor thin margin. CBJ has a flat 5 point lead on NYI (same GP) and has only a 6.5% better chance of making the playoffs.

Honestly, given the Hughes injury, I wouldn't be entirely shocked to see CBJ & NYR make it over NJD, who has a 4 point lead over CBJ but CBJ has 2 games in hand. Note that the Devils & Jackets play twice over the next two weeks. CBJ also plays NYR twice in the same time span.

Also, I spy Carolina with the highest cup odds. That seems high given that the team is 6-6 since the Rantanen/Necas swap.

 

[Random schmoe]

Just because I'm feeling some deadline fever and need a laugh or groan, thought I'd recap some of the PuckPedia PuckGM 'deals' involving the Caps from the last 18 or so hours. I'm excluding the obvious joking ones, like one titled 'Goon it up' that is only intended to get the Caps a bunch of fighters.

Caps get Parker Wotherspoon from Boston for a 2025 5th round pick. (As part of a larger EP40 deal to Boston.)
Caps get Tarasenko from Detroit for a 2025 2nd round pick.
Caps get Donato and Craig Smith from Chicago for Hendrix Lapierre.
Caps get Donato from Chicago for a 2025 1st round pick.
Caps get Danton Heinen from Pittsburgh for Milano and a 2025 2nd round pick.
Caps get Carlo and Zacha from Boston for (rights to) Leonard and (rights to) Miro Satan.
Caps get Justin Brazeau and Parker Wotherspoon from Boston for a 2025 2nd round pick. (As part of a larger Wyatt Johnston trade to Boston.)
Caps get Marcus Johansson from Minnesota for a 2025 round pick.
Caps get Brandon Carlo from Boston for 2025 1st round pick, 2025 2nd round pick [Boston], and 2025 3rd round pick [Carolina]
Caps get Miles Wood from Colorado for a 2026 6th round pick. (As part of a larger deal getting Brock Nelson and Alex Tuch to Colorado.)
Caps get Justin Brazeau and Parker Wotherspoon from Boston for a 2026 2nd round pick.
Caps get Jean-Gabriel Pageau from New York Islanders for a 2025 2nd round pick.
Caps get Pius Suter and a 2025 6th round pick from Vancouver for a 2025 round pick.


In the same set: (
Caps get McCann from Seattle, with $375K retained, for Hendrix Lapierre.
Caps get 2025 2nd round pick [Buffalo] and 2025 7th round pick [Caps] from Buffalo for Andrew Mangiapane
Caps get 2025 5th round pick [Utah] from Utah for Ethan Bear.
)

In the same set: (
Caps get Reilly Smith from New York Rangers for a 2025 3rd round pick [Carolina] and a 2026 6th round pick.
Caps get a 2025 5th round pick from Los Angeles for retaining salary in a Brock Boeser deal.
)

In the same set: (
Caps get Ryan Strome from Anaheim for Hendrix LaPierre, Lars Eller, and a 2025 2nd round pick.
Caps get a 2025 2nd round pick from Vancouver for Andrew Mangiapane, with the Caps retaining $1M.
Caps get Evander Kane from Edmonton for Ethan Bear and a 2025 2nd round pick.
)

In the same set: (
Caps get Evander Kane and a 2025 3rd round pick [St. Louis] from Edmonton for Ethan Bear and Andrew Mangiapane, with the Caps retaining $2M.
Caps get Brock Nelson with $3M retained from New York Islanders for Lars Eller, 2025 1st round pick, and 2025 3rd round pick [St. Louis].
)

 

[trick9]

Nichuskin is a very good player when on the ice and he had a very good playoff when they won and also last year with 9 goals in 8 games. Problem is his off ice problems. If Colorado decide to trade him he will have limited value because of them.

Off-ice issues indeed.

He has disappeared for his team during the Playoffs, not once, but twice.

 

[Random schmoe]

Timing is mildly interesting since they could have left him there for 2 more games. Wonder if they just want the depth in DC through tomorrow.

 

[DWGie26]

Timing is mildly interesting since they could have left him there for 2 more games. Wonder if they just want the depth in DC through tomorrow.

They can also send McIlrath down for a condition stint.

Also, Bears recalled Hudson Thornton from Orlando Solar Bears. So Mac may not get a stint right now. Seems like Massie and Ness are out for a while but haven’t heard anything official.

 

[Kolzilla]

If available, I think the best bang for you buck acquisition and needs fit for us is Pius Suter. Solid top-9 player that can move up and down as needed, decent defensively, and could solve the 3C issue. Another poster brought this up a few days ago, and I think this is a sneaky acquisition like Kempny was back in 2018.

 

[Silky mitts]

Heard this on Vogel's podcast: Chychrun is in his 10th season and has been through 3 ownership changes plus the Coyote's move to ASU.

 

[swansonsays]

Timing is mildly interesting since they could have left him there for 2 more games. Wonder if they just want the depth in DC through tomorrow.

Hershey is heading on a 10 game road trip. Could be easier to bring him back now than to arrange for a separate ride home from Cleveland, for example.

 

[Random schmoe]

Hershey is heading on a 10 game road trip. Could be easier to bring him back now than to arrange for a separate ride home from Cleveland, for example.

This is a great point.

Also acknowledgement to @DWGie26 for pointing out that they can also send McIlrath for a stint.