League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - COVID Post-Season Edition

[twabby]

I'd be more than open to shopping McMichael if it meant getting a #1C in return now. Even if McMichael evolves into a #1 center at the NHL level when is that expected to happen? 3+ years? Backstrom and Ovechkin will be 37 and 39 years old respectively when McMichael enters his prime. The timeline doesn't really make sense if they are truly trying to compete in the next few years, and that's assuming McMichael doesn't actually disappoint once he gets to the NHL level.

If the idea is the continue to be competitive after Ovechkin and Backstrom retire then it's probably best to make McMichael close to untouchable, but that'll come at a cost of making the team for the next 2 years or so (when we can at least expect top 6 quality out of Ovechkin and Backstrom) less competitive.

 

[kicksavedave]

I don't know most of the people here thinks Ted is going to keep going for it until Ovechkin's wheels come off. Rebuild definitely isn't the worst idea with this roster imo.

I think they will say "We're going for it" right up until they change their mind and say "We're going to rebuild". Wanting Ovi and Backie to retire as Caps is one thing, but I would not expect Ovi to resign for long if he knows a rebuild is coming soon, so his next contract (1/2 yrs or 5/6 years) will inform us a lot of their long term plans.

Entirely possible also is that they hang on to hope with 8/19 and remain modestly competitive in the RS, but never actually rebuild nor seriously contend for a title, for 4 or 5 more years before all the wheels fall off. This is where the safe money bet is.

 

[Melkor]

I'd be more than open to shopping McMichael if it meant getting a #1C in return now. Even if McMichael evolves into a #1 center at the NHL level when is that expected to happen? 3+ years? Backstrom and Ovechkin will be 37 and 39 years old respectively when McMichael enters his prime. The timeline doesn't really make sense if they are truly trying to compete in the next few years, and that's assuming McMichael doesn't actually disappoint once he gets to the NHL level.

If the idea is the continue to be competitive after Ovechkin and Backstrom retire then it's probably best to make McMichael close to untouchable, but that'll come at a cost of making the team for the next 2 years or so (when we can at least expect top 6 quality out of Ovechkin and Backstrom) less competitive.

The third scenario: nobody really considers mcmichael that good to give up a #1C in a trade for him and some secondary pieces. In that case Caps don't have too many options to choose from. Either don't do anything or accept the best package on the table

 

[txpd]

Interesting but not unexpected. Very female heavy announcing staff for ESPN. These are game analysts and studio analyists. Not Kathryn Tappen hosts.

ESPN’s diverse group of commentators includes NHL greats Mark Messier and Chris Chelios, former US women’s hockey Olympic gold medalist and Nantucket native A.J. Mleczko, Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Kevin Weekes, Ryan Callahan, Rick DiPietro, Hilary Knight, and longtime ESPN analyst Barry Melrose.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The b*tching and whining goes both ways.

some views would suggest that. Some degrees of it are exponentially worse.

[mod delete]

Anyway…hoping they find a sucker buyer for 92, but not expecting it.

 

[kicksavedave]

Interesting but not unexpected. Very female heavy announcing staff for ESPN. These are game analysts and studio analyists. Not Kathryn Tappen hosts.

ESPN’s diverse group of commentators includes NHL greats Mark Messier and Chris Chelios, former US women’s hockey Olympic gold medalist and Nantucket native A.J. Mleczko, Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Kevin Weekes, Ryan Callahan, Rick DiPietro, Hilary Knight, and longtime ESPN analyst Barry Melrose.

Unclear why "Nantucket native" needs to be added to A.J. Mleczko's description?

 

[twabby]

Adam Fox wins the Norris. Well-deserved, well done by the voters.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Don't think any of the prospects should be off limits. Just depends on what the Caps are offered for them..

Right. So a shake up deal could be Kuznetsov + someone like Lapierre. And/or someone else like Alexeyev?

I see McMichael and Fehervery being the young blood they need to push the vets. Akin to 2017-18. That said, if the team likes Alexeyev more and he’s basically on track for the same timelines, then that’s the other option.

so what’s does a deal that has:
Kuznetsov
Lapierre
Alexeyev/Fehervary
High Draft Pick

get the Caps?

 

[Ridley Simon]

Adam Fox wins the Norris. Well-deserved, well done by the voters.

Meh. I only care because:

-I hate the Rags
-Queen Bee is going to come on here and claim he knew it before everyone else did, and we should all bow down to the greatness

Just watch. UGH

 

[Ridley Simon]

I dont think the Caps have ever been a go for broke team. If McMichael and Lapierre are legit and Fehervary and AA are top 4 defensemen and one of Vanecek or Samsonov is legit, the Caps can remain competitive. If they went for broke they would have spent those guys

No. When Ovy and Backs were younger, this wasn’t needed.

not at this age? I think they definitely think about it. They just did one w Mantha for Vrana.

 

[twabby]

Look at that #4 in voting. Maybe the Caps should go after him in free agency!

 

[Hivemind]

Remember kids, Adam Fox is just the flavor of the week, and claiming he’s the best D in the East division is worthy of laugh reactions.

 

[twabby]

The third scenario: nobody really considers mcmichael that good to give up a #1C in a trade for him and some secondary pieces. In that case Caps don't have too many options to choose from. Either don't do anything or accept the best package on the table

I don’t think McMichael alone would be the centerpiece of a trade. He’d probably have to be packaged with a primary piece like Wilson or Carlson in order for a deal to make sense from another team’s perspective.

 

[twabby]

Meh. I only care because:

-I hate the Rags
-Queen Bee is going to come on here and claim he knew it before everyone else did, and we should all bow down to the greatness

Just watch. UGH

I’m mostly concerned because Fox is going to be really good for a while, and the Rangers are going to be very competitive next year. The division is going to be a nightmare for the Capitals to navigate next year unless they make some big roster changes.

 

[g00n]

Remember kids, Adam Fox is just the flavor of the week, and claiming he’s the best D in the East division is worthy of laugh reactions.

Ah there it is

 

[Ridley Simon]

Ah there it is

But of course. Was surprised it took 11 minutes

 

[Ridley Simon]

Remember kids, Adam Fox is just the flavor of the week, and claiming he’s the best D in the East division is worthy of laugh reactions.

This post is what’s worthy of laugh reactions.

What a soothsayer you are, Queen Bee.

Sucks you will have to get that left arm reset again…..as I’m sure it’s broken for the nth time, after all that self back patting you’ve done.

we can start a “go fund me” site for the costs. I’m in! You earned it!

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

I'm OK with trading Kuzy but there is NO WAY any of CCM, AA, MF, HL, or Protas/Leason should be traded. That group represents the pool of potential ascendant players and if some of those, do indeed, rise to a higher than projected level while cost controled they can be KEY to having a real window for more cups, and also for a new core after Ovi/Backs go.

I think that pool has a LOT of potential, and a lot of posters on here are underestimating them significantly, both in terms of how good and when will they be ready.

 

[txpd]

No. When Ovy and Backs were younger, this wasn’t needed.

not at this age? I think they definitely think about it. They just did one w Mantha for Vrana.

The Mantha/Vrana deal wasnt a go for broke deal. It was a strong move, sure, but the team still has a full tank of their top prospects. They traded a 1st round pick out of a draft that appears to be a total crap shoot because COVID kept so many from playing. Go for broke might be Forsberg for Erat but they kept Wilson.

When I say go for broke I mean take a shot at now by spending your future. Win or die. The Caps traded Vrana and a 1st yet they have 2 top quality forward prospects and 2 top 4 defenseman prospects and as of now 2 top quality baby goalies.

 

[g00n]

This post is what’s worthy of laugh reactions.

What a soothsayer you are, Queen Bee.

Sucks you will have to get that left arm reset again…..as I’m sure it’s broken for the nth time, after all that self back patting you’ve done.

we can start a “go fund me” site for the costs. I’m in! You earned it!

I wonder if player polling is still a popularity contest littered with in-house ballot stuffing, while hockey writers are completely objective and not subject to local biases.

 

[twabby]

I wonder if player polling is still a popularity contest littered with in-house ballot stuffing, while hockey writers are completely objective and not subject to local biases.

Yes that’s correct to an extent. The writers’ ballots are now public, so there is probably some pressure for them to do their research before casting a ballot. Not perfectly objective of course, but much better than a fun poll for friends about friends that the NHLPA conducted.

 

[Corby78]

Look at that #4 in voting. Maybe the Caps should go after him in free agency!

What is even more crazy is that Carlson (not a #1D) finished 12th. Which if I did my math right, means he had to have beat out about 18 other #1D. Not sure how that happened.

 

[twabby]

What is even more crazy is that Carlson (not a #1D) finished 12th. Which if I did my math right, means he had to have beat out about 18 other #1D. Not sure how that happened.

Yes he got two 4th place votes out of 100 writers. I’d be interested in who those two voters are.

 

[txpd]

Yes he got two 4th place votes out of 100 writers. I’d be interested in who those two voters are.

How could they really know who was good or bad anyway. All they did was see the points. We know points isnt an indicator or quality

 

[twabby]

How could they really know who was good or bad anyway. All they did was see the points. We know points isnt an indicator or quality

Yes that’s correct. Tyson Barrie led the NHL in points by defensemen and did not receive a single Norris vote and rightfully so.