Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines/etc) | 2025-26 Summer Edition

[nogatco rd]

Some good perspective from the most underrated hockey site out there :

The Modern Stanley Cup Formula: Depth Over Cap Hits

No player in the salary cap era has won the cup while carrying an AAV above $10MM. Read more at Pro Hockey Rumors.

www.prohockeyrumors.com

Pretty much the mold the caps look to be building towards, no superstar elite gamebreakers, but overwhelming depth that can attack in waves.

 

[zappa4ever]

It's gonna be nice to be able to roll 3 scoring lines with or without Oldmanvechkin, opponents won't know what line to defend against

Curious if we can do something to help at 1RD/2RD or maybe even package Strome for a C upgrade, still have plenty of chips

 

[Holtbyisms]

Points-wise, yes. But you could see in his play he was going to be a force. He just wasn't scoring yet.

Not sure I fully agree here. His skating was atrocious in Hershey at first. His skating development changed his entire trajectory. Even when he first started to score in Hershey he still looked like the slowest player on the ice. You'd have to be an absolute wizard of something to have been able to project his skating development.

 

[g00n]

Not sure I fully agree here. His skating was atrocious in Hershey at first. His skating development changed his entire trajectory. Even when he first started to score in Hershey he still looked like the slowest player on the ice. You'd have to be an absolute wizard of something to have been able to project his skating development.

I was talking about big pro's start with the Caps and didn't look up the stat. Maybe not the same thing.

 

[Holtbyisms]

I was talking about big pro's start with the Caps and didn't look up the stat. Maybe not the same thing.

Word.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

It's gonna be nice to be able to roll 3 scoring lines with or without Oldmanvechkin, opponents won't know what line to defend against

Curious if we can do something to help at 1RD/2RD or maybe even package Strome for a C upgrade, still have plenty of chips

Agree, though we might be getting close to rolling 4, if we keep up this aggressive approach.

I'd be pushing hard to move Beauvillier, Frank, Lappy, and Chuckie. Right now GMs are paying and paying well

I'd still Hronek.

 

[Calicaps]

Agree, though we might be getting close to rolling 4, if we keep up this aggressive approach.

I'd be pushing hard to move Beauvillier, Frank, Lappy, and Chuckie. Right now GMs are paying and paying well

I'd still Hronek.

Van GM said today Hronek isn't available, sadly.

 

[Calicaps]

Some good perspective from the most underrated hockey site out there :

The Modern Stanley Cup Formula: Depth Over Cap Hits

No player in the salary cap era has won the cup while carrying an AAV above $10MM. Read more at Pro Hockey Rumors.

www.prohockeyrumors.com

Pretty much the mold the caps look to be building towards, no superstar elite gamebreakers, but overwhelming depth that can attack in waves.

except now we have a guy north of $10M. guess we're f***ed.

 

[usiel]

I'm going to have to say it but I hope AO hangs it up. Despite the additions no way the teams wins the stanley cup with someone as slow as AO is now on the ice, imho. Even giving him a minute on the power play and 4th line type 5v5 minutes I dont think he can be protected enough to not being taken adantage of after watching the past playoffs.

 

[BMacs Burner]

I'm going to have to say it but I hope AO hangs it up. Despite the additions no way the teams wins the stanley cup with someone as slow as AO is now on the ice, imho. Even giving him a minute on the power play and 4th line type 5v5 minutes I dont think he can be protected enough to not being taken adantage of after watching the past playoffs.

Unfortunate but I tend to agree.

The one hope with the additions they made is that he won't be relied upon as much and can be even more of a specialist than he was last year. I also just don't see any other path to success. No chance he's on both pp units next season, and I hope Strome spends some time away from him where he can flourish independently next to two speedy top-6 wingers.

I do believe this will be the season where everyone accepts a chapter is ending.

 

[stephenball]

Yeah, I’m actually very interested to see how Strome looks this year with faster and more creative linemates. Like, I imagine he would look pretty good with Leonard on the left and Kyrou or Tuch on the right. Strome’s lack of foot speed wouldn’t be as much of a downside as to when he also has Ovechkin on the ice with him. I think in a healthy season he could bounce back to a 65-70 point range.

Franks 2x2 stands out to me, I think Miro has to be looking at the moves they’re making and wondering if he’s even going to get his shot. Maybe he could be on the move for a RHD, but I’d hate to see him go because I do think there’s talent there that could be aided by being put in a consistent spot, I could see him slotting in well with Sourdif and Beau.

 

[Todd Lazarchick]

What are the realistic RD options now?

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Van GM said today Hronek isn't available, sadly.

I hadn't heard, thank you for the update.. it's hard to keep with everything going down!

Maybe we can still move all of Beauvillier, Frank, Lappy, and Chuckie as part of a package, or individualaly for chips to include with our 18 OA in a package to get a true #1 RD that is on no one's radar now... classic Caps move...

 

[qcal1427]

What are the realistic RD options now?

Varying degrees of "realistic" here but

UFA:
Carlson
Andersson
Trouba
Jensen
TVR
Gudas
Klingberg
Blankenburg
Coghlan

Trade:
Hronek
Spence
Whitecloud
Durzi
Faulk
Ristolainen
Schneider

 

[Holtbyisms]

Agree, though we might be getting close to rolling 4, if we keep up this aggressive approach.

I'd be pushing hard to move Beauvillier, Frank, Lappy, and Chuckie. Right now GMs are paying and paying well

I'd still Hronek.

It's been widely reported, very recently, he's not moving and is likely the next captain there. Give it up.

 

[Corby78]

The addition of Tuch really makes me like the Kyrou deal more. If we can get 55g 55a out of those two, we are replacing the offense of Ovie/CMM and getting faster and better rounded. If Ovie comes back it’s gravy. Add in more developed youth and we should be a threat again and not some easy to play loser.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Varying degrees of "realistic" here but

UFA:
Carlson
Andersson
Trouba
Jensen
TVR
Gudas
Klingberg
Blankenburg
Coghlan

Trade:
Hronek
Spence
Whitecloud
Durzi
Faulk
Ristolainen
Schneider

This list is not very hopeful. It kind of shows why we have been trading for Midling defenders with draft picks.

 

[Corby78]

What if, and hear me out, what if we made a deal with Ovie for the second half of the season? Gives guys like cristall more PT this year, keeps Ovie fresh, no training camp, and he still gets a round the league last hurrah. Also would cost less and we could go bigger at RD.

How stupid is this idea?

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

BMac literally said last week that they don't want to be too young. They aren't rebuilding, and they want everyone (e.g. McDavid/Matthews/Thomas) to know it.

But if Cristall wants a spot he can earn it.

I agree he should earn it.. but I also think the team owes it to THEMSELVES to give both Miro and Cristall the same opportunity to earn it that Lappy had. I suspect both make their case rather quickly.

If you are going to draft well... develop well, bring in a serious injection of scoring you should also make a Lappy level audition available for them both as the cherry on top...

If you don't test real upside potential when its ready to fly, why even draft??

 

[hockeykicker]

What if, and hear me out, what if we made a deal with Ovie for the second half of the season? Gives guys like cristall more PT this year, keeps Ovie fresh, no training camp, and he still gets a round the league last hurrah. Also would cost less and we could go bigger at RD.

How stupid is this idea?

its happened before in the nhl

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

What if, and hear me out, what if we made a deal with Ovie for the second half of the season? Gives guys like cristall more PT this year, keeps Ovie fresh, no training camp, and he still gets a round the league last hurrah. Also would cost less and we could go bigger at RD.

How stupid is this idea?

Maybe Ovi comes back as a Reggie Dunlop cheerleader role with just enough TOI to make him part of the ride.

How about this... he only plays home games... Russian Machine Maintenance Days when the the team is out of town.. then he's closer to 100% fresh for the playoffs. And avoids the Farewell Tour.

 

[stephenball]

Benson signed 7x7.5, the minute we can have the opportunity to extend Leonard just offer him the same deal

 

[stephenball]

Honestly I’m also like, can we just throw a 5 year 20 million contract extension at Sourdif? Or do they think because he’s likely going to be penciled at 4C this year maybe he won’t be in a position to ask for a crazy raise, but I see value in just locking up a young guy who can anchor that 4th line for years, while also seeming like he can play any role anywhere in the lineup that they need him.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I think they’ll go (to start the season):

Tuch-Strome-Ovechkin
BigPro-PLD-Wilson
Leonard-Lil’Pro-Kyrou
Beauvillier-Sourdif-Frank

Then adjust from there as LilPro acclimates and others performance demands.

 

[qcal1427]

In addition to getting two very good players, both of these moves have some pretty important macro effects:

1) It proves Ted is fine spending money even as the cap explodes. It's not something I was worried about per se but there was always a risk that he wouldn't
2) Players want to come to DC. As much as the taxes and palm trees and whatever do matter, a team being a destination for players is kind of a self-fulling prophecy (see Minnesota for example, who were absolutely not on those lists before the Hughes trade)

Anyways, can't wait for both McDavid and Matthews next year