League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - 2021-2 Regular Season Edition, Vol. 2

[txpd]

not down on the guy, I’ve been a supporter since he was drafted…..I said I don’t see “star” in him yet. It remains to be seen if he can develop high end offensive skills.

I see everything but regular finish, which I think comes with time. His read and his details are right. He gets the puck away from legit NHL players in the corner on the regular and then makes the right play with it. His passing seems quality. He goes to the dirty areas. He plays big. I need to see more shooting and more pucks in nets. But there is time for that.

I see Tom Wilson growth in him. Wilson was coachable and would grow a full side his game every season. Protas really only to score some goals.

Of course this is only my opinion.

 

[shtorm2005]

 

[tycoonheart]

Yup, most likely. It almost always is. Look at the Red Wings after Yzerman and Federov, the Pens after Mario and Jagr, the Avs after Sakic and Forsberg, etc. Unless there’s some draft luck or some of their prospects take a huge leap they’ll likely stink for a while after the Ovi Era, which is why I don’t understand all the negativity around here all the time. A painful rebuild is likely on the horizon so enjoy this while it lasts. In a salary cap world and with the Draft set as it is it’s almost inevitable that every team will go through the suck after they’re good for a while.

I think the negativity is out of frustration. We have a generational talent and I feel like had the organization managed things right, we should've had more cup wins with Ovi. Other than the cup year, we didn't even make it out of the 2nd round. In my lifetime I have never seen a talent like Ovi in DC area sports, I think the closest thing to him is maybe Darrell Green. And the chance we see someone like him again are so slim. So it does suck a little bit that we haven't been able to get more championships with him here.

 

[txpd]

I think the negativity is out of frustration. We have a generational talent and I feel like had the organization managed things right, we should've had more cup wins with Ovi. Other than the cup year, we didn't even make it out of the 2nd round. In my lifetime I have never seen a talent like Ovi in DC area sports, I think the closest thing to him is maybe Darrell Green. And the chance we see someone like him again are so slim. So it does suck a little bit that we haven't been able to get more championships with him here.

4 straight playoffs with a rookie goalie didn't help. The team needed a Brooks Orpik that whole time too. That said their legacy rested in those 4 series against Pittsburgh. The Caps weren't outclassed in any of those. I think the league played a role in them losing at least the first one.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I think the negativity is out of frustration. We have a generational talent and I feel like had the organization managed things right, we should've had more cup wins with Ovi. Other than the cup year, we didn't even make it out of the 2nd round. In my lifetime I have never seen a talent like Ovi in DC area sports, I think the closest thing to him is maybe Darrell Green. And the chance we see someone like him again are so slim. So it does suck a little bit that we haven't been able to get more championships with him here.

I think that’s a fair point of view. I too wish we had more Cups but then I remember that Ovi is not on a list with the Sedin twins, Pavel Bure, Henrik Lundqvist, Jarome Iginila, Daniel Alfredsson, Joe Thornton, etc of “greatest players to never win a Stanley Cup” and I remember how hard it is to win one. Some of the best players today are generational talents and they haven’t even come close, ex: McDavid, Draisatl, MacKinnon, Matthews. Stamkos didn’t get it until he had a stacked team around him that was the result of good fortune/timing and luck.

If at the end of this 20 year run the record shows one Cup and two decades of fun hockey plus hopefully the goal scoring crown I’m very much at peace with that outcome. Won’t complain about more Cups though.

 

[twabby]

Between the Boudreau hire and Castonguay’s hire, it’s time to become a Canucks fan again!

You know she’s like 10 times more qualified than any man in the league, otherwise she would not have gotten the job.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I think that’s a fair point of view. I too wish we had more Cups but then I remember that Ovi is not on a list with the Sedin twins, Pavel Bure, Henrik Lundqvist, Jarome Iginila, Daniel Alfredsson, Joe Thornton, etc of “greatest players to never win a Stanley Cup” and I remember how hard it is to win one. Some of the best players today are generational talents and they haven’t even come close, ex: McDavid, Draisatl, MacKinnon, Matthews. Stamkos didn’t get it until he had a stacked team around him that was the result of good fortune/timing and luck.

If at the end of this 20 year run the record shows one Cup and two decades of fun hockey plus hopefully the goal scoring crown I’m very much at peace with that outcome. Won’t complain about more Cups though.

this a million times over….sure more is great, but that one…..unforgettable.

very much at peace as well.

 

[g00n]

I see everything but regular finish, which I think comes with time. His read and his details are right. He gets the puck away from legit NHL players in the corner on the regular and then makes the right play with it. His passing seems quality. He goes to the dirty areas. He plays big. I need to see more shooting and more pucks in nets. But there is time for that.

I see Tom Wilson growth in him. Wilson was coachable and would grow a full side his game every season. Protas really only to score some goals.

Of course this is only my opinion.

I like what I've seen as well and had a crazy thought the other day:

What about Protas in the Oshie/bumper spot on PP1 for a spell? He's so f***ing hard to move I'd like to see him running kind of a more active pivot/distribute/shoot role there for a bit.

 

[kicksavedave]

I like what I've seen as well and had a crazy thought the other day:

What about Protas in the Oshie/bumper spot on PP1 for a spell? He's so f***ing hard to move I'd like to see him running kind of a more active pivot/distribute/shoot role there for a bit.

I'd plant Protas right in the goalies face and let the D focus on him. We used to deploy Knuble like this, if we want to shake up the PP, how about creating some actual traffic on front of the goaltender? Protas fits the bill. Thomas Holmstrom made a career out of playing in the crease. This current PP has no grit.

Somehow we got away from putting someone in the crease in favor of the bumper, which lets the goalie see a lot more than he should.

 

[um]

I'd plant Protas right in the goalies face and let the D focus on him. We used to deploy Knuble like this, if we want to shake up the PP, how about creating some actual traffic on front of the goaltender? Protas fits the bill. Thomas Holmstrom made a career out of playing in the crease. This current PP has no grit.

Somehow we got away from putting someone in the crease in favor of the bumper, which lets the goalie see a lot more than he should.

There's no point. Carlson refuses to shoot the puck these days.

 

[txpd]

They replaced Knuble in the crease with a bumper shooter because teams were taking Ovechkin away and Knuble was only good for rebounds. Oshie plays in an area where pks had to choose between guarding him or cutting off the pass to Ovechkin. It gives them 3 shooting options instead of 2. Ovechkin also used to hit Knuble with shots that would have gone in had he not been standing there.

Carlson is 3rd on the team in shots on goal. He doesn't shoot on the pp because the opposition is making a priority of taking his shooting lanes away.

Watch the pk tonight. Vegas is a west team and they might not have a special for the Caps pk but many teams are standing a guy between Carlson and the net. This player is there whether Carlson has the puck or not.

 

[Hivemind]

They replaced Knuble in the crease with a bumper shooter because teams were taking Ovechkin away and Knuble was only good for rebounds.

Knuble left the team before Oates & Forsythe implemented the 1-3-1

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Caps legends Daniels Winnik and Carr on Team Canada.

 

[Hivemind]

Caps legends Daniels Winnik and Carr on Team Canada.

Also Eddie Pasquale

 

[John Price]

let them deal with him, don't want him here

 

[John Price]

some talk of Kane to Caps thankfully the Caps didn't follow through

 

[895]

Man I had my speech about people deserve second or third or fourth chances already written.

 

[John Price]

 

[ovikovy817]

His agent is not dumb.
He will score a lot of points with McDrai then some stupid gm will give him 5*5 in the summer and wil regret it by December

 

[twabby]

Washington dodged a bullet. This guy is bad news!

 

[shtorm2005]

Washington dodged a bullet. This guy is bad news!

 

[Peeri]

Washington dodged a bullet. This guy is bad news!

Yea we really "dodged" a bullet there. Edmonton just got significantly stronger for a very cheap price. Watch him absolutely lit teams on fire with Drai and Mcd

 

[HTFN]

Yea we really "dodged" a bullet there. Edmonton just got significantly stronger for a very cheap price. Watch him absolutely lit teams on fire with Drai and Mcd

the guy is a f***ing loser and if you have any pride in the franchise you should be glad you don't have to see him wear the colors.

I don't give a shit if he pots 50 goals from now until the end of the season, he's a piece of shit. There are things in sports that are still more important than wins and losses

 

[twabby]

Yea we really "dodged" a bullet there. Edmonton just got significantly stronger for a very cheap price. Watch him absolutely lit teams on fire with Drai and Mcd

I think Kane’s impact is overblown from an on-ice perspective. He’s a fine player, but even if you ignore his, uh, questionable character he’s not really what Washington needs IMO. Washington needs a playdriver and Kane is mediocre to a little above average in that aspect of the game.

He also has consistently had a terrible penalty differential and is below replacement level defensively. Seeing as he came in at a $2 million cap hit that’s also $2 million that can’t be spent on positions of greater need: goaltender and top 6 center.

They avoided a bad move IMO.

 

[Peeri]

I think Kane’s impact is overblown from an on-ice perspective. He’s a fine player, but even if you ignore his, uh, questionable character he’s not really what Washington needs IMO. Washington needs a playdriver and Kane is mediocre to a little above average in that aspect of the game.

He also has consistently had a terrible penalty differential and is below replacement level defensively. Seeing as he came in at a $2 million cap hit that’s also $2 million that can’t be spent on positions of greater need: goaltender and top 6 center.

They avoided a bad move IMO.

Well we can agree to disagree. Someone who can carry the puck to offensive zone (Power Play hello) and is a great finisher aswell is absolutely what capitals needed. For his cap hit I would not think twice about acquiring him. But i'm confident that he would have chosen Edmonton either way, just to get a chance to play with 2 talented centers.