League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - 2022-23 season, Vol. 4, Off-season Edition

[StrikingDistance]

Jesus, can’t believe my post hit a nerve because Karlsson makes the Pens better than they were yesterday. Not to mention they finished ahead of us last year, and with our amazing moves of Joel Edmundson with his herniated disks and Patches who is missing his ACL, call me pragmatic for estimating we’re going to finish behind them and the New York teams and Carolina.

I’m calling a spade a spade. I’m not being positive or negative. I’m happy with our long term outlook with the way our contracts are lined up and our cap space projections. We’re not going to be very good. I love this team. I love our fanbase. I always will. It’s ok to be critical of bad moves or lack of moves. I like the Wilson contract so I’m being positive about that. Long term, as a Caps fan I love the Karlsson deal. It will prolong their rebuild even further. But it does make them a better team today.

Seems like you’re hanging on by a thread though with your hysterical analysis of my post. Maybe take a step back and lighten up.

"This is the nail in the coffin for Caps playoff chances."

hahahahahaha

GTFO

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

For new Sharks GM Mike Grier (Who was pretty good on the caps) I think getting a 1st rounder that could be a lottery pick for EK is pretty good. Last offseason EK had a negative value and he would have had to trade picks for someone to take that bad contract.

I dont think anyone here wanted EK when he was pretty much free for the taking.

Edit: We traded Grier for Jakub Klepiš. Ouch lol

 

[Jags]

It’s a fine strategy. Now is the time in their competitive window to be aggressive with their moves even if it comes with significant risk. I hope Washington adopts this strategy soon enough.

Their aging stars are dynamic players still playing pretty great hockey. We have one of those, but he's not dynamic. The rest of our aging core are either often injured, permanently hobbled, have serious effort issues, or just had their ear shot off by a former teammate.

One of those groups is worth going all-in on and one isn't. I'll give you two guesses which is which.

Pittsburgh was wise to make the move they did. We are wise to not make similar moves.

 

[twabby]

Their aging stars are dynamic players still playing pretty great hockey. We have one of those, but he's not dynamic. The rest of our aging core are either often injured, permanently hobbled, have serious effort issues, or just had their ear shot off by a former teammate.

One of those groups is worth going all-in on and one isn't. I'll give you two guesses which is which.

Pittsburgh was wise to make the move they did. We are wise to not make similar moves.

The question for me becomes do the Capitals have a shot to win another Cup with Ovechkin?

I don’t mind if they decide this year is not the time to be aggressive mainly for the reasons you mention. But I will be highly disappointed if they just spend the rest of Ovechkin’s career rebuilding. In that case I’d rather they just trade him to a contender.

At some point I want them to be aggressive buyers because I want Ovechkin to win another Cup. If not here then elsewhere.

 

[HTFN]

The question for me becomes do the Capitals have a shot to win another Cup with Ovechkin?

I don’t mind if they decide this year is not the time to be aggressive mainly for the reasons you mention. But I will be highly disappointed if they just spend the rest of Ovechkin’s career rebuilding. In that case I’d rather they just trade him to a contender.

At some point I want them to be aggressive buyers because I want Ovechkin to win another Cup. If not here then elsewhere.

I can't read the future anymore than anybody else but I have been aggressively posting their cap structure and if you want a hunch, they're going to.

This isn't the year for it but they're primed to do literally anything they want and I do think there's going to be one more really aggressive swing before the end of the OV era. Might be the exact year he breaks the record, might be the next, but they're so primed for it to happen I'd be stunned if it doesn't.

That's also exactly why they should test their upcoming RFA's to see which value points they can extract and not have to purchase. This is going almost according to plan, outside of basically Backstrom and Kuznetsov.

 

[Jags]

The question for me becomes do the Capitals have a shot to win another Cup with Ovechkin?

This is the question, and the answer is no.

IF Ovi wants to play beyond his current deal, and especially if he does so at a reasonable cap hit, then maybe we can get back to a believable contention window.

Zero chance this year, of course. We get some space next year, but I still think our needs will outweigh our cap space by a pretty wide margin. If Nick actually plays out his deal -- and I mean physically plays in the games -- our ability to add the kind of talent we need is seriously curtailed.

So 2025-2026 is the earliest we could have a legit shot, but even then it'll rely on winning highly-contested battles for top free agents AND having some high-end prospects pan out big and early. That's a lot of ifs.

So IF those types of things break our way, sure, then maybe we leverage some future to give Ovi one last crack at it. If he's still effective and willing to play a reduced role on a cheaper deal, he could get a few cracks at it.

And that's the smart way to play it if you're actually a Capitals fan and not just an Ovechkin fan. We can try to force it and go all-in soon with a pair of fours, or we can wait and build the team the way we should (and have been the last couple years) and give him a shot or two worth taking.

I don't think any of the above is even a question. That's pretty obviously the situation we're in. The question for me is whether Alex Ovechkin is actually more of a Caps fan than an Ovechkin fan. Does he have the patience and humility to stick with the team as it maneuvers in the way a smart team should?

And it's okay if he doesn't. It'd break my heart, but if he really wants to compete for a title every year for the rest of his career, then yeah, I'd rather they trade him to a contender.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Pens ain't doing f***, they're as cooked as we are. lol

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Y’all are depressing me. Apparently the Caps will just fade away due to a death by entropy if what you all are saying is correct. I choose to believe they still actually want to win and will make a move still to improve the top six. I admire what Pitt did even if it costs them with their rebuild. They owe it to Malkin/Crosby/Letang to give it another shot. Kudos to them. Go down swinging instead of like a fart in the wind.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Of course they want to win as an organization, but it’s highly unlikely without a Kuzy/Backstrom/Mantha return to form……anyone holding their breath for that?

F that trade Ovechkin crap. If he wants to be here, he stays.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I looked at Columbus’s roster and it’s worse than I thought it was. So if I was a betting man I would say we will finish ahead of them as well. However, I do feel the Islanders roster is similar, I think their difference makers are better than ours overall.

Isles are similar.

Rags are one Shesterkin injury from being in trouble.

Pens are reminding me of the early Dan Snyder Redskins. Lots of pomp but not much circumstance. “Super Teams” don’t work often in any sport save NBA. Let’s not anoint them anything yet.

NHL is a strange bird. Caps have a lot of winners on their roster. And off-season isn’t done yet.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Jesus, can’t believe my post hit a nerve because Karlsson makes the Pens better than they were yesterday. Not to mention they finished ahead of us last year, and with our amazing moves of Joel Edmundson with his herniated disks and Patches who is missing his ACL, call me pragmatic for estimating we’re going to finish behind them and the New York teams and Carolina.

I’m calling a spade a spade. I’m not being positive or negative. I’m happy with our long term outlook with the way our contracts are lined up and our cap space projections. We’re not going to be very good. I love this team. I love our fanbase. I always will. It’s ok to be critical of bad moves or lack of moves. I like the Wilson contract so I’m being positive about that. Long term, as a Caps fan I love the Karlsson deal. It will prolong their rebuild even further. But it does make them a better team today.

Seems like you’re hanging on by a thread though with your hysterical analysis of my post. Maybe take a step back and lighten up.

See post above. The super teams hardly work. Maybe this one will be different, but I’d personally bet against it. That’s just me.

Doesn’t mean the Caps will be any good, but the Pens depth is horrible. And it’s not like Wilkes-Barre was any good ….they were ahhh (checks notes) 29th outta 32 teams. Nor are they burgeoning w talent to fill their senior squad in Pittsburgh.

So, yeah. We will see about all of this.

 

[HandsomeTom43]

I don’t think the Pens are a good team either just slightly better with EK. It just makes it that much more difficult to make the playoffs with an improved Pens.

I think the Islanders defense and goaltending will be more consistent.

Rangers have better high end talent than us. However I think only the Canes and Devils are clearly better than us( and everyone else). I just don’t see us being better than we were last year. We can hope.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Jesus, can’t believe my post hit a nerve because Karlsson makes the Pens better than they were yesterday. Not to mention they finished ahead of us last year, and with our amazing moves of Joel Edmundson with his herniated disks and Patches who is missing his ACL, call me pragmatic for estimating we’re going to finish behind them and the New York teams and Carolina.

I’m calling a spade a spade. I’m not being positive or negative. I’m happy with our long term outlook with the way our contracts are lined up and our cap space projections. We’re not going to be very good. I love this team. I love our fanbase. I always will. It’s ok to be critical of bad moves or lack of moves. I like the Wilson contract so I’m being positive about that. Long term, as a Caps fan I love the Karlsson deal. It will prolong their rebuild even further. But it does make them a better team today.

Seems like you’re hanging on by a thread though with your hysterical analysis of my post. Maybe take a step back and lighten up.

You're entitled to your opinion. There are no givens and organizations are always seeking to improve. Every team can be hit with injuries especially teams full of stars. Karlsson has rebounded nicely, however he's much older and an injury away especially with this division. I detest the Pens and see this as a win for them in the short term. This is HF so every post is under scrutiny by some. I totally understand what you meant. There is no win or lose post on Caps forums. If the Caps had made this move the hate would be just as bad as if they didn't do anything. We just need to let the players play and let them decide their fate.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Pens ain't doing f***, they're as cooked as we are. lol

I hope.

 

[usiel]

They’re prioritizing giving their aging superstars one more shot at a Cup while they are still effective even if it hurts their longer-term outlook.

It’s a fine strategy. Now is the time in their competitive window to be aggressive with their moves even if it comes with significant risk. I hope Washington adopts this strategy soon enough.

Bolded, imho, a take I agree with.

The italicsed, imho, seems fairly ridiculous. But I do appreciate you sharing your opinion like EVERYONE even when I disagree with it.

 

[traparatus]

I am not a huge Karlsson fan but it's very impressive that Pens managed to dump all that junk AND get Karlsson in return. I thought it would take a minimum of 1st round pick just to make Granlund disappear.

That's some silky smooth manoeuvring.

 

[HTFN]

Bolded, imho, a take I agree with.

The italicsed, imho, seems fairly ridiculous. But I do appreciate you sharing your opinion like EVERYONE even when I disagree with it.

It's the take of an Ovechkin fan and not somebody who will buy into the franchise after, as they've said themselves.

 

[HecticGlow]

Karlsson was also very good in 2021-22 so it’s been two seasons in a row where he’s been a legit #1D.

I don’t know if he’s the ideal fit in Pittsburgh but he’s been great recently and Pittsburgh gave up very little to get a high-ceiling player. It’s exactly the type of swing they should be taking while their core is still effective.

He’s been a legit #1D on a team where the games - and therefore goals against - didn’t matter. Analytically, he’s been atrocious defensively. The Q I would have is whether he can defend become defensively responsible for Mike Sullivan without losing too much of his offensive game. There’s no way Pittsburgh let’s him play the same way he did in San Jose and gives him meaningful minutes.

 

[Raikkonen]

Good Kuzy can still be a better player than anyone on Pens roster.

Lets stick with our own deficiencies and the ways to fix them before claiming Caps are doomed because of EK (who I respect!)

 

[marcel snapshot]

Here for the irony of Mike Hoffman being part of the Erik Karlsson deal.

I'm of the most (maybe all) of the benefits Karlsson might be provide could be undone by his defensive deficiencies, which will be a lot more consequential on a old, middling team trying to stay relevant than on a small market team not trying to win. Yes, Dubas also got to clean up some of his trash (Granlund, Petry) But who is actually there to play D for the Pens? Lars Eller maybe. And remind of who they have in net.

No one can say Dubas did nothing, so he's got that going for him. And maybe it has the effect of either sparking 1 last run, or clarifying the need to blow the team up by not working and thereby putting an exclamation point on their decline. And then I guess the 11.5 million cap hit (minus the 1.5 retention by SJS) doesn't matter so much?

 

[Ridley Simon]

Sad thing here — is I like Lars Eller a whole lot. Never minded any part of his game. I knew what he was here to do (play 3C), and what he was paid to do (play 3C). He was never (IMO) truly underwater at 3C, and typically was one of the best at it. He was never expensive either (3.5m is NOT expensive).

And now he’s a Pen and I have to wish his down year (this past one), is who he is now. Most any other team, and I could root for him to be who he was. Not now.

And frankly, that sucks.

 

[Calicaps]

Caps aren't making any significant moves this off-season

Because three teams completing a major deal in August is proof that the offseason is over...

 

[StrikingDistance]

Did Mike Green move to Pittsburg?

 

[twabby]

E: moved to the other thread

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Did Mike Green move to Pittsburg?

Lol I totally remember that moment….