Confirmed with Link: The Tiger 2.0 | Lars Eller traded back to Washington from Pittsburgh (for a 3rd in 2027 and a 5th in 2025)

[wickedwitch]

I don't hate this for three reasons:
1) If we're running Leonard at 3R in the playoffs, then we're going to want an experienced center who is very good defensively, which Lapierre was never going to be, regardless of how well he was playing.
2) There's no chance he'll screw up locker room chemistry
3) We didn't pay much.

 

[twabby]

I have impartially evaluated this trade, and I am pleased to give it my official:

 

[Pigskin]

I wonder if Lars will feel like he is cured of that horrendous disease ... being a Penguin

 

[EroCaps]

I don't hate this for three reasons:
1) If we're running Leonard at 3R in the playoffs, then we're going to want an experienced center who is very good defensively, which Lapierre was never going to be, regardless of how well he was playing.
2) There's no chance he'll screw up locker room chemistry
3) We didn't pay much.

Nice thinking with Leonard.

Eller has been real solid for Pittsburgh and is beloved in DC. I quite like the idea of adding him for what is probably the bands last run.

The Dubois moved totally f***ed Lapierre and he knows it. He’s not a wing. Strome and Dubois have long term contracts. Something’s going to move here.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Welcome back, Lars! Let's finish 2024-25 the same way we did 2017-18.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I like the 1 year deal and he should fit like a glove in the locker room. Almost no chance he busts. We know what we are getting

 

[Caps8112]

Womp womp at least he didn’t cost much and will be gone at the end of the season. Love him for his big goals in the cup run but he was awful his last season here

 

[Jags]

1) If we're running Leonard at 3R in the playoffs, then we're going to want an experienced center who is very good defensively, which Lapierre was never going to be, regardless of how well he was playing.

Right, but with Eller you have the opposite problem. His offensive awareness is atrocious. That was fine when our 3rd line was geared more for defense or had shifty guys like Connolly that generate offense on their own, but now our 3Ws are Vrana, Milano, Mangiapane and, as you said, potentially Leonard.

Hopefully those guys can drive offense regardless of Eller's tendencies, or maybe Lars has tweaked his game a bit in the meantime. It's good that the 3rd will be better able to eat minutes and not bleed goals against, but we're potentially handcuffing the offensive strengths of those wings.

I hope I'm wrong. That said, we didn't give up much and it's just for this year, so it's not the end of the world if I'm right.

 

[JayBeagleFanAccount]

throwing away draft picks for the caliber of player you can get on waivers lmfao amazing stuff

 

[Kalopsia]

Older and slower. I thought Sgarbs looked decent.

Lars is 66th percentile in top speed, while Sgarbossa’s in the bottom quarter.

 

[Hivemind]

Weird timing. 3rd line has obviously been the weakness of the team so far, but I don't get the rush to make this move before Thanksgiving. I would have preferred giving Lapierre a longer rope to find his bearings (particularly when the team as a whole is still doing well), and preferred to see what other players emerge as potential targets as the deadline approaches. This is putting them less than $700K away from maxxing out their available LTIR space, some of which they can claw back by demoting someone (Lapierre?) to Hershey. But ultimately they aren't going to have much space to play with at the deadline now.

It's a storybook fit, and it shouldn't cause the team any direct harm, but it's just a bit awkward.

On the plus side, the 3rd rounder isn't until 2027. So that's nice.

 

[Rayquaza64]

I don’t feel like doing this at this point in time was necessary

 

[BallardEra]

Solid deal. Eller is playing better now than when we traded him originally and he fetched a 2nd then IIRC. I know pens fans had been hopeful they would get a late 1st for him

I agree.

I have no problem with it being done now if they had Eller targeted as the one they wanted.

Why pay more at the TDL?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Hahahaha…..this guy was a whipping boy here….some of you must be furious…


I wonder how he’ll look reinserted into a better lineup. Good motor, great teammate. I’m fine with it.

 

[Calicaps]

Don't love it. I want Lappy to grow with this organization. I can't imagine they're ready to give up on him yet, given how patient they were with CMM. But yeah, it's 1 season and a low price. I guess we'll see.

 

[895]

Don’t like this deal.

It’s too early.

This would be fine on deadline day if Lapierre doesn’t work out but why now? Give Hendrix a chance.

 

[crab]

Was concerned about bringing Lars back after his last season here but this is a good deal.

Low price and from the fan base that watches him all the time he has played really well the last year +.

Don't love it. I want Lappy to grow with this organization. I can't imagine they're ready to give up on him yet, given how patient they were with CMM. But yeah, it's 1 season. I guess we'll see.

I don’t see harm in it. Lappy can now go and play top line minutes in Hershey to develop. He’s super talented as we seen late last season and in the playoffs. He just needs time and Hershey is ideal for him right now

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Womp womp at least he didn’t cost much and will be gone at the end of the season. Love him for his big goals in the cup run but he was awful his last season here

Think he was dealing with an injury that year as he bounced back and has been great in pgh.

 

[wickedwitch]

Don’t like this deal.

It’s too early.

This would be fine on deadline day if Lapierre doesn’t work out but why now? Give Hendrix a chance.

I really do hope they try Lappy on the wing before sending him down. I don't feel he's gotten much rope here.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

@twabby what’s the source of your avatar?

 

[Lou Sassole]

I don't hate this for three reasons:
1) If we're running Leonard at 3R in the playoffs, then we're going to want an experienced center who is very good defensively, which Lapierre was never going to be, regardless of how well he was playing.
2) There's no chance he'll screw up locker room chemistry
3) We didn't pay much.

Plus, Lapierre clearly isn't ready, or something is off with him. The NHL isn't a developmental league, we overcook our guys, so he needs to go to Hershey and figure things out.

 

[qc14]

Not surprised by the move at all. I think it was clear something had to change with the 3rd line as Carbery clearly doesn't trust having two of Milano, Vrana, Lappy, and Sgarbossa on the ice at the same time. Not sustainable to have those two guys playing 10 minutes a night and not helping out on special teams. Eller is still good defensively, won't kill the vibe in the locker room, and is a very, very good penalty-killer.

Reading between the lines, I also think this means Milano may have some more serious health/concussion issues that will keep him out the rest of the year. My guess is he heads to LTIR, Sgarbossa gets sent down, and Vrana/Lappy rotate on the wing. I still think it's not helpful for Lappy to go back to Hershey. He just looks mentally exhausted from all the hockey he played last year and a rotation on the wing here would be better for that.

 

[Calicaps]

I really do hope they try Lappy on the wing before sending him down. I don't feel he's gotten much rope here.

to be fair, this was the same complaint many here had about CMM and even somewhat Pro. And look how that's worked out. I trust the org to develop their guys the right way. I just don't want Lapierre to be on the market (barring a stupid-good offer, of course).

 

[wickedwitch]

Not surprised by the move at all. I think it was clear something had to change with the 3rd line as Carbery clearly doesn't trust having two of Milano, Vrana, Lappy, and Sgarbossa on the ice at the same time. Not sustainable to have those two guys playing 10 minutes a night and not helping out on special teams. Eller is still good defensively, won't kill the vibe in the locker room, and is a very, very good penalty-killer.

Reading between the lines, I also think this means Milano may have some more serious health/concussion issues that will keep him out the rest of the year. My guess is he heads to LTIR, Sgarbossa gets sent down, and Vrana/Lappy rotate on the wing. I still think it's not helpful for Lappy to go back to Hershey. He just looks mentally exhausted from all the hockey he played last year and a rotation on the wing here would be better for that.

Yep, they just announced they're sending Sgarbossa to Hershey. I'm good with that.

 

[twabby]

I don't mind getting a trade done early. He's new to Carbery's system and having 60+ games to get acclimated is better than 20 games. We've all seen awkward TDL acquisitions that don't really have time to gel.