Speculation: Caps Hockey General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) -- 2017-18 Regular Season Edition

[Ridley Simon]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...dful-of-the-standings/?utm_term=.f2f35081929c

Some quality back-peddling here.

Here comes the D first mentality I was talking about. They are going to batten down the hatches for the next 20 odd games, try and stay around .500, get the kids some important reps, and wait to get healthy to try and push towards top 3 in the Metro.

We will see

 

[Brian23]

Bright side, we're still better then this team.

 

[Corby78]

Here comes the D first mentality I was talking about. They are going to batten down the hatches for the next 20 odd games, try and stay around .500, get the kids some important reps, and wait to get healthy to try and push towards top 3 in the Metro.

We will see

Hard to argue, since that is what I would do...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Here comes the D first mentality I was talking about. They are going to batten down the hatches for the next 20 odd games, try and stay around .500, get the kids some important reps, and wait to get healthy to try and push towards top 3 in the Metro.

We will see

The strategy makes sense doesn’t it if you’re trying to make the playoffs? This typically happens when any team goes through massive injuries.

 

[Hivemind]

Retention spots? I didn't know that was a thing, I just assumed you could retain on as many players as you wanted.

Nope, you can only retain on 3 players at the same time.

 

[Ridley Simon]

The strategy makes sense doesn’t it if you’re trying to make the playoffs? This typically happens when any team goes through massive injuries.

I'm not disagreeing with it. It's going to be "Hunter Hockey" with a larger dose of Ovechkin. If Holtby plays well, they will probably get 6pts every 5 games, which will keep them in the hunt for 3rd in Metro. Probably cant keep pace with Pens or even the Jackets. It's the Flyers I am looking at to see how we match with them....in the race for 3rd.

May slip to 4th or 5th, but that still could be WC land, so thats fine. Hell, I would welcome a "banishment" to the Atlantic for the playoffs. Be far easier than the Metro.

 

[Corby78]

I'm not disagreeing with it. It's going to be "Hunter Hockey" with a larger dose of Ovechkin. If Holtby plays well, they will probably get 6pts every 5 games, which will keep them in the hunt for 3rd in Metro. Probably cant keep pace with Pens or even the Jackets. It's the Flyers I am looking at to see how we match with them....in the race for 3rd.

May slip to 4th or 5th, but that still could be WC land, so thats fine. Hell, I would welcome a "banishment" to the Atlantic for the playoffs. Be far easier than the Metro.

How ironic would it be if that was what got us over the hump. Shoot the one time we made it we went through Buffalo/Boston/Ottawa, so maybe thats the key.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I'm not disagreeing with it. It's going to be "Hunter Hockey" with a larger dose of Ovechkin. If Holtby plays well, they will probably get 6pts every 5 games, which will keep them in the hunt for 3rd in Metro. Probably cant keep pace with Pens or even the Jackets. It's the Flyers I am looking at to see how we match with them....in the race for 3rd.

May slip to 4th or 5th, but that still could be WC land, so thats fine. Hell, I would welcome a "banishment" to the Atlantic for the playoffs. Be far easier than the Metro.

You’re right....it might be beneficial....never know, just make it in.

 

[Langway]

The strategy makes sense doesn’t it if you’re trying to make the playoffs? This typically happens when any team goes through massive injuries.

They were in survival mode off the hop, though. Injuries happen but they're not exactly massive. It's still nothing close to what Pittsburgh had to go through recently. Two extended injuries to regulars shouldn't transform what a team wants to do on the ice much. Not entirely. Teams should still primarily focus on what they do well and mitigate weaknesses. I'm not sure they know what this team does well, though, so it's a reversion to past go-to ideas. The real problem is I don't think Trotz knows how to build cohesion with new parts and also doesn't seem to know how to get more out of the bottom six. In the absence of any real plan to increase offense it's about locking it down and being stingy.

Sure, with Wilson and Chiasson in the top six this almost has to be the way for now but it's also a circumstance of their own making. If Connolly were going at all they'd have a more skilled finishing option to work with. Instead, it's two players that have combined for two points in 13 games and are I suppose more credible 'stabilizers' similar to the Ness/Chorney line of thinking. Constant short-term thinking likely won't result in peak performance or the developmental strides needed to become contenders again. It's mostly just finding the shortcut which, again, is understandable but they never really seem to come up for air and build when the opportunity presents itself either. Injuries present opportunity for individuals but if they're just going to gloss over the substantial improvements those players need to make in preference to team defense then I'm not sure this adversity teaches them any sort of lesson going forward. Best-case their depth forwards are pressured into producing more but that's a must regardless.

 

[Raikkonen]

Langway has been telling us about this cohesivenessnessness for several years already and there is still no sign Caps organization has any of it. Why would they magically get some now? They won't, most probably. And if anyone agree, well, just say to yourself: "it's over".

 

[Dream Big]

The Caps were cohesive last year and doing well. Then Shattenkirk happened. Schmidt got sat and well you all know the rest. Where would the Caps be if they hadn't made that pick up?

 

[Raikkonen]

The Caps were cohesive last year and doing well. Then Shattenkirk happened. Schmidt got sat and well you all know the rest. Where would the Caps be if they hadn't made that pick up?

Shattenkirk the guilty one? How about "playoffs + Trotz" happened?

 

[amjay13]

Connolly likely out at least a few games, who will get called up?

 

[g00n]

Here's a thought: what if Ted mostly gets his day to day info about the Caps from online sources and his employees know this? So what some of them say in the press is more about talking to their boss than the fans?

 

[Ridley Simon]

Here's a thought: what if Ted mostly gets his day to day info about the Caps from online sources and his employees know this? So what some of them say in the press is more about talking to their boss than the fans?

Example being?

 

[Brian23]

The Caps were cohesive last year and doing well. Then Shattenkirk happened. Schmidt got sat and well you all know the rest. Where would the Caps be if they hadn't made that pick up?

Shattenkirk + 88 was actually great when they got paired together in the playoffs, even though he "flamed out" it certainly wasn't his fault for the teams failures. Realistically, being so stuck on playing Alzner and Orpik plus the continuing lack of any sort of offensive strucutre did him in.

In reality, the team was so damn loaded what was adding one more "star" going to really do? It's not like we were the Pen's who didn't have anyone outside the top 2 guys.

 

[hockeykicker]

Worth a claim?

 

[g00n]

Example being?

Nothing specific other than a thought based on some of the "excuse making" we always talk about and the conversation that was going on in a few of these threads about some of what Trotz was saying.

 

[ovikovy817]

Worth a claim?

Remaining Daily Cap Hit:

: $4,031,183

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Garrison comes with a prohibitive price tag. He's what we need right now but we can't afford it. Pass.

 

[hockeykicker]

Garrison comes with a prohibitive price tag. He's what we need right now but we can't afford it. Pass.

Even if it's the last year of deal and some money already is paid?

 

[hockeykicker]

concerning connolly

 

[Hivemind]

Worth a claim?

We couldn't keep him past Niskanen returning, but I wouldn't be entirely opposed to it as a bandaid fix while Nisky is hurt.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

This caps roster is not good enough to be a contender this season. I've been trying to think the fastest way to get this roster back to a cup contender.
First we must accept this season is a waste and our all in penalty

Trade Holtby - his cap hit is large and his money needs to be used to fix the D. He could return quite a nice haul and could help restock the minors

Trade Carlson - he is going to be a UFA. He should be the top avaible player at the deadline and could fetch what we paid last season for Shattenkirk.

By moving these guys we free up a lot of cap space and in return will restock us with draft picks and rookie contract NHL players .

With the resources gained by these trades (cap space, cheap NHL players, and draft picks) we would have the ability to add the depth needed to contend.

We could even sign Carlson again over the summer if we wanted .

Trading Holtby stinks but it's pretty clear no goalie could make this AHL defense look good. And Grubby and Samonsov would be just fine if we invested in fixing the D.

 

[RaindanceMaggie]

I just wanted to touch on a few topics and figured this would be the best place for it.

Concerning our playoff history in the post-lockout era, I have mixed thoughts. Throughout the Boudreau era I felt we played the right style and were well coached but were held back by poor defensemen and average goaltending. The Trotz era in my opinion has been a waste of a talented group. Our defense this year is abysmal but the past 2 seasons we've had a solid enough defense corps and goaltending to win the cup. My view is that we should have been playing the BB run & gun system with our current roster of the past few years, our improved d and Holtby probably would've been enough to plug the holes that plagued us during our first real contention years under BB.

As for this season, I'm leaning towards lost cause. Even if we pull it together and have a successful regular season our defense as is will get picked apart by anybody in the playoffs once the intensity ramps up. I think Holtby is the most logical piece to move. He's been good for us at times but also hasn't stolen any series save for Boston and his trade value is very high. Move him for a top defenseman and then move Carlson as well, I don't see much worth in keeping him especially considering he will be asking for the sun this offseason.