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Roster/Rumors/Speculation/Trade Talk - 2023-24: Hotel California

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Barzal critiques seem to fall right inline with Isles salary cap and age concerns. Essentially bupkis and non-material.

The salary cap will probably rise, because that is what Bill Daly needs for his cap-strapped sh!tb@g Rags to sign the next shiny toy and try to bail out the clueless Raggies braintrust again (plus maybe another lottery win).

Barzal will be OK. Would I like him to shoot more, score goals and dictate play? Of course. But at this point, as long as he is making some strides, he is the least of our concerns.

Just like when the Isles start mixing in players like Raty, Dufour, Holmstrom, Ish, Bolduc, Durandeau, etc. age of the team will be a non-issue.

Hopefully the Isles continue to do well, flex in their depth and can actually attract a quality free agent next off-season. That would go a long way to continued success.
 

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Throttle said:
You have to shoot to actually hit a post…
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Curious what you think of Backstrom? His current cap charge is $9.2M and he has only scored more than 23 goals once in his career. His typical season is 21/22 goals. Backstrom also doesn’t shoot much. He prefers to pass regardless whether Ovi is on the ice with him or not.
 
Glory Days said:
Curious what you think of Backstrom? His current cap charge is $9.2M and he has only scored more than 23 goals once in his career. His typical season is 21/22 goals. Backstrom also doesn’t shoot much. He prefers to pass regardless whether Ovi is on the ice with him or not.
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Backstrom is waaayy overpaid at this point. The Caps paid him for the Stanley Cup. But bear in mind that in Backstrom's prime he was never the highest paid player on the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin was. In Backstrom's best years he was making around $6.7M/yr while Ovechkin was making $10M/yr.
 
saintunspecified said:
Honestly, I don't like it. I don't like Kane as a fit especially with Barzal, and I don't see the point of paying the cost to acquire a center when other teams will be trying to acquire a center.

My #1 target would be Tarasenko. I never dreamed he could be available, but if the Blues continue on this path, he could be. Too many moves mess with the chemistry, but I think he would fit in very well.
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Tarasenko has always been available. He requested a trade 2 years ago and his agent confirmed recently that it has not been rescinded. The GM is just being a pain in the ass moving him. Nothing like making 100% sure there is zero chance of a re-sign once he hits UFA. Keep they guy hostage for 2 years after the request lol that oughta do it.

But yes I agree 100% Tarasenko is the guy and he has always been the guy. Pastrnak is a pipe dream if he decides to leave Boston. I won’t even consider him available because I think he goes to a big market. For me Tarasenko is the player we have needed for years. He is healthy, plays defense, plays hard and can do everything and do it all at a superstar level. Him next to Barzal fixes so many problems. Guy has 6 months left with the Blues and likely 4 if they miss the playoffs. Beauvillier straight up should do it at this point.

On a side note Doug Armstrong should be fired for how he handled this situation. He could have got so much more for him if he traded him with 2 years left on his deal rather than a couple months. He could have received a high end prospect and a decent pick and now all he will get is a mid 6 roster player. Really feel like he is just keeping him there out of spite and idk how he isn’t fired for obvious bad asset management. Almost seems personal. Tarasenko showed he was healthy and a beast in October and he didn’t trade him. Then the trade deadline came and still nothing. This past summer lol.. nothing. Just losing ground. If st Louis misses the POs and he doesn’t trade Tarasenko he is fired within the week IMO.
 
MJF said:
Backstrom is waaayy overpaid at this point. The Caps paid him for the Stanley Cup. But bear in mind that in Backstrom's prime he was never the highest paid player on the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin was. In Backstrom's best years he was making around $6.7M/yr while Ovechkin was making $10M/yr.
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I agree he is currently over paid. But my main point is that even in his prime Backstrom never took many shots and was never a big goal scorer except for 1 season. Considering you criticize Barzal for his lack of shooting and goal scoring I am curious if you have the same negative opinion of Backstrom.
 
Glory Days said:
Curious what you think of Backstrom? His current cap charge is $9.2M and he has only scored more than 23 goals once in his career. His typical season is 21/22 goals. Backstrom also doesn’t shoot much. He prefers to pass regardless whether Ovi is on the ice with him or not.
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Backstrom is a complimentary player to two other players. He wasn’t anointed anything beyond being someone’s center and to MJFs point, he was only paid his current deal bc of the Cup and who he plays with.
 
Throttle said:
Backstrom is a complimentary player to two other players. He wasn’t anointed anything beyond being someone’s center and to MJFs point, he was only paid his current deal bc of the Cup and who he plays with.
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Ok but do you think he was a #1 center in his prime scoring 21 goals per year? He signed for $6.7M per year back in 2010. That would surely be more if he signed today- probably $8M per season.
 
Glory Days said:
I agree he is currently over paid. But my main point is that even in his prime Backstrom never took many shots and was never a big goal scorer except for 1 season. Considering you criticize Barzal for his lack of shooting and goal scoring I am curious if you have the same negative opinion of Backstrom.
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No because he was never paid to be a scorer. He was paid as Ovechkin's set up man.
 
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MJF said:
No because he was never paid to be a scorer. He was paid as Ovechkin's set up man.
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Throttle said:
Yup
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Wow I guess neither of you watch much hockey or certainly not the Caps. To call Backstrom a setup man is severely underestimating his impact on Ovi and the Caps success. I guess neither of you value assists so that is why you have such a low opinion of both Backstrom and Barzal.
 
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MJF said:
That Aho is only credited with 3 turnovers is surprising news to me.
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Just throwing this theory out there…

Seems to me that he tends to get bumped off the puck with some regularity… but recovers enough to regain possession before the forecheckers get the puck.

So while it doesn't get recorded as a turnover, it's no less stress inducing to the viewer and bad look for Aho.
 
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Glory Days said:
Wow I guess neither of you watch much hockey or certainly not the Caps. To call Backstrom a setup man is severely underestimating his impact on Ovi and the Caps success. I guess neither of you value assists so that is why you have such a low opinion of both Backstrom and Barzal.
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That's not a low opinion, it's acknowledging roles and how players fit in a salary cap league. Let's face reality, Ovechkin is the one who carries the mail in Washington, not Backstrom. And while Backstrom has been hobbled the last 2 years, Ovi keeps on scoring.

Islanders fans are going to keep glorifying Mat Barzal's attributes because his edges and his abilty to hold onto the puck are intoxicating and get everyone oohing and aahing on Twitter and Insta, but we need more out of him. He's now getting a goal scorers salary. Either he scores goals or he simplifies his game to fit the team he has around him. And not just for 2 or 3 games but all season long.
 
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MJF said:
That's not a low opinion, it's acknowledging roles and how players fit in a salary cap league. Let's face reality, Ovechkin is the one who carries the mail in Washington, not Backstrom. And while Backstrom has been hobbled the last 2 years, Ovi keeps on scoring.

Islanders fans are going to keep glorifying Mat Barzal's attributes because his edges and his abilty to hold onto the puck are intoxicating and get everyone oohing and aahing on Twitter and Insta, but we need more out of him. He's now getting a goal scorers salary. Either he scores goals or he simplifies his game to fit the team he has around him. And not just for 2 or 3 games but all season long.
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Are you really trying to compare Barzal to 2 future hall of famers? No wonder why you can never be happy with his play. Barzal is on pace for 82 points, while once again having no other true top line forwards to play with.

Id take 80 points out of Barzal any day of the week.
 
MJF said:
That's not a low opinion, it's acknowledging roles and how players fit in a salary cap league. Let's face reality, Ovechkin is the one who carries the mail in Washington, not Backstrom. And while Backstrom has been hobbled the last 2 years, Ovi keeps on scoring.

Islanders fans are going to keep glorifying Mat Barzal's attributes because his edges and his abilty to hold onto the puck are intoxicating and get everyone oohing and aahing on Twitter and Insta, but we need more out of him. He's now getting a goal scorers salary. Either he scores goals or he simplifies his game to fit the team he has around him. And not just for 2 or 3 games but all season long.
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Yes but you are clearly minimizing the role of a play maker. IMO Ovi doesn’t score nearly as many goals as he has without a playmaker like Backstrom. This discussion isn’t about Barzal. Players like Backstrom and Huberdeau are a big part of their teams success because they create goals for teammates.
 
WangMustGo said:
Are you really trying to compare Barzal to 2 future hall of famers? No wonder why you can never be happy with his play. Barzal is on pace for 82 points, while once again having no other true top line forwards to play with.

Id take 80 points out of Barzal any day of the week.
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I’m not. I responded to a post that brought up Backstrom and his cap hit. You and Glory Days are taking this down a weird path.
 
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