1/2 way mark, rate the team.

[SpringfieldSkins]

This year's caps team is certainly the best team to play in this city since the Redskins last won the Super Bowl.

Assuming that everyone can be healthy for the playoffs, there is no reason to change a thing.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Call it "some people who don't like to be pigeonholed into a reason for their evaluation". No team is, or ever will be, perfect. It's an impossible standard. I think this team has been as good as anyone could reasonably expect their team to be. I think that warrants an A+. Don't really care how that A+ has been qualified in the poll.

Then why participate in the poll? The criteria was laid out in the poll. The poll did not say, "give the team a grade and explain how you came to that conclusion."

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Then why participate in the poll? The criteria was laid out in the poll. The poll did not say, "give the team a grade and explain how you came to that conclusion."

Come on, man. When someone lays out rating the team in terms of letter grades, there's a pretty standard scale for evaluation.

If someone were to ask you to rate Ovechkin in terms of the NHL's all time forwards, and set forth this scale:

A- the greatest one to ever play the game
B- Elite
C- Above average

Would you really rate Ovechkin a 'B'?

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Come on, man. When someone lays out rating the team in terms of letter grades, there's a pretty standard scale for evaluation.

If someone were to ask you to rate Ovechkin in terms of the NHL's all time forwards, and set forth this scale:

A- the greatest one to ever play the game
B- Elite
C- Above average

Would you really rate Ovechkin a 'B'?

I'd give Ovechkin an A.

 

[strungout]

A+.

When 21 is your only gripe...still A+.

 

[Blades of Steel]

only reason i put some sort of explanation in the poll this time is because the first poll we did there was arguments on what A+, A, A-, etc.

It's ok, I assumed everyones answer was going to be nearly the same and it has been. I just wanted to bring out the real discussion on what could we possibly even improve on? In this salary cap world with some bad contracts, there will always be a weak spot. That doesn't mean that weak spot is playing all that bad.

Someone mentioned adding a bottom 6 to improve the team, isn't that Richards?

Imagine the roster if everyone is healthy, there are so many possibilities.

 

[Devil Dancer]

The best regular season point total in the history of the league is 132. The Caps are on pace for 130. If that's not an A+ first half, just go ahead and remove the option from the poll.

That's where I am. They're on pace to have one of the best regular seasons of all time, that deserves the A+ to me.

They haven't been perfect, of course, but no team is.

 

[Caps89]

They are very good just need to keep doing the right things and get everyone back healthy.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I will give a grade to every player on the team plus the coaching staff and GMBM.

As good as the team has been IMO you overrated several of the individual players. Here's my tally with a B being "meets expectations":

Ovechkin: B- (puck handling and passing have been flat out bad at times this season)
Backstrom: B
Oshie: B+
Johansson: B (fluctuates from A- to D on any given night)
Kuznetsov: A
Williams: B+
Chimera: A
Beagle: B+
Wilson: A-
Laich: D (would get an F from me without the decent PK)
Latta: B
Burakovsky: C
Galiev: B-

Carlson: B- (I'm in the camp that doesn't love his PP game)
Orpik: C- (based on the few games he's played)
Alzner: A
Niskanen: A
Schmidt: A
Orlov: B+
Chorney: A-

Holtby: A+
Grubauer: C+

Trotz & coaching staff: A (amazing work with a lot of different pieces on D)
GMBM: A (assuming we're including the offsesason moves)

 

[895]

As good as the team has been IMO you overrated several of the individual players. Here's my tally with a B being "meets expectations":

Ovechkin: B- (puck handling and passing have been flat out bad at times this season)
Backstrom: B
Oshie: B+
Johansson: B (fluctuates from A- to D on any given night)
Kuznetsov: A
Williams: B+
Chimera: A
Beagle: B+
Wilson: A-
Laich: D (would get an F from me without the decent PK)
Latta: B
Burakovsky: C
Galiev: B-

Carlson: B- (I'm in the camp that doesn't love his PP game)
Orpik: C- (based on the few games he's played)
Alzner: A
Niskanen: A
Schmidt: A
Orlov: B+
Chorney: A-

Holtby: A+
Grubauer: C+

Trotz & coaching staff: A (amazing work with a lot of different pieces on D)
GMBM: A (assuming we're including the offsesason moves)

Your grades are the closest to mine in this thread. Only things I would change are downgrading Oshie to B (is wasteful of chances), upgrading Williams to A(thought he was done since he took a paycut and LA didn't want him) and upgrading Laich to B (because I expected him to be a 4th liner, regardless of how much he's paid)

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

As good as the team has been IMO you overrated several of the individual players. Here's my tally with a B being "meets expectations":

Ovechkin: B- (puck handling and passing have been flat out bad at times this season)
Backstrom: B
Oshie: B+
Johansson: B (fluctuates from A- to D on any given night)
Kuznetsov: A
Williams: B+
Chimera: A
Beagle: B+
Wilson: A-
Laich: D (would get an F from me without the decent PK)
Latta: B
Burakovsky: C
Galiev: B-

Carlson: B- (I'm in the camp that doesn't love his PP game)
Orpik: C- (based on the few games he's played)
Alzner: A
Niskanen: A
Schmidt: A
Orlov: B+
Chorney: A-

Holtby: A+
Grubauer: C+

Trotz & coaching staff: A (amazing work with a lot of different pieces on D)
GMBM: A (assuming we're including the offsesason moves)

You have a much different take than me. Yours is mostly based on the eye test, whereas I assessed mostly with the stats.

I'm a very optimistic person and it's in my nature to only see the good side of things. I pay little attention to someone's weaknesses.

I give crap to #74 for his inaccurate passes to Ovi but I pay a lot more attention to his bomb of a slap shot and his great play defensively on most nights.

 

[895]

Can anyone say Ovechkin is playing above expectations?

He's a first ballet HHOF and 3 time Hart winner. Expectations are sky high so it's not an insult to say he gets a B.

 

[Mackinnonen]

A+ Don't make anymore changes .

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Oh and the only thing this team will be remembered for is how they do in the playoffs. if they get 125 points and the presidents and can't beat the rangers in the 2nd round the season will be a fail.

So my grade is a incomplete

 

[txpd]

the only thing shorting the Caps from an A+ are the injuries to Orpik and Beagle which create some uncertainty. That's about it. I am not sure how you can ask for more in a regular season.

 

[Acallabeth]

B. Too much sleepwalking.

 

[Midnight Judges]

You guys are nuts. This is the best team in the NHL right now having arguably one of the best starts to a season ever.

A+

If there was an option for A++ I would have selected that.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

B. Too much sleepwalking.

What would be our record if we didn't sleepwalk at all?

 

[Midnight Judges]

What would be our record if we didn't sleepwalk at all?

Meh, B half plus. B pluh

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

B. Too much sleepwalking.

Tough crowd....

 

[Drake1588]

Duplication of the first half would give them one of the best regular season totals in NHL history, a couple of points off the '76-'77 Habs. That's an A+ first half.

 

[Calicaps]

I said A. This team, really the whole organization it seems, is awesome, but nothing is ever perfect. I don't have the expertise to know how best to even further improve this roster, but if anyone does, it's BMac.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

My opinion is upsetting some posters sensibilities. So I will just disagree.

Their record is A+. The team is not. Least not yet. As I said, solid solid A. Not A+

I agree with you. A+ is PERFECT. A is the only grade that makes sense.

 

[artilector]

First of all, there clearly needs to be another poll to vote on possible meanings of A+!

Relative to my expectations at the start of the season, I'd give the Caps A+, and I suspect very few fans expected them to be this strong overall, not to mention the record.

Off the charts: Schmidt
Well above expectations: Chimera, Wilson
Above expectations: Orlov, Chorney, Williams, Beagle, Mojo, Kuz, Holtby(?)
Below expectations: Bura

I mean, something like 9-10 players outperforming expectations and only really 1 underperforming is pretty insane.

In absolute performance terms, I'd give the Caps an A, where A+ would be some "generational" team. At the same time, A+ for finding ways to win close games.

 

[Corby78]

-Holtby has been amazing, arguably the best in the league.
-Williams/TJ have been solid and been big contributors in all facets.
-Ovie has been solid
-We have weathered some injuries with solid call up play
-Young defensemen have been better then expected
-Team has showed a lot of character especially when down. This team looks like they have shaken off the demons of the previous teams when it comes to style of play, determination, heart, ect. I hope it continues into the playoffs.
-Wilson....glad he is on our side.

Negatives
-BL has not stepped up but disappeared
-Bura is still struggling to find his game
-Opriks injury is apparently worse then I was hoping, and until I see Carlson I'm going to worry about him.

Up in the air
-Wonder what Richards will bring