Speculation: Acq./Rost. Bldg./Cap/Lines etc. Part LXXXIII -- Summer Free Agency 2017

[Serial_Derecho]

What happened to January?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Because if there's one thing Caps management is known for, it's "we like our guys".....lol.

I wouldn't be surprised at all...sadly.

 

[hockeykicker]

what happened to january?

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Sunday, February 4th game against Vegas looks like it would be the Super Bowl Sunday Matinee.

 

[ovikovy817]

So, Djoos will make the team next year.

edit: oh, I thought it was 1.3 AAV, sorry. So no, he won't.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

So, Djoos will make the team next year.

This is where it would be cool if someone pinged him on social media (if he's on it)and said, psst buddy, you might want to start adding 15 lbs Of muscle and come into camp in the best shape of your life if you're serious about being an NHL'er. Maybe see if you can latch on and train with some NHL pros this summer? Could be his golden ticket year. At worst Bowey beats him out and he should get callup duty. Year 2 is one way.

 

[hockeykicker]

this is where it would be cool if someone pinged him on social media (if he's on it)and said, psst buddy, you might want to start adding 15 lbs of muscle and come into camp in the best shape of your life if you're serious about being an nhl'er. maybe see if you can latch on and train with some nhl pros this summer? Could be his golden ticket year. At worst bowey beats him out and he should get callup duty. Year 2 is one way.

 

[Jags]

This organization does not have "it". They have the playoff yips. They need performance psychologists more than some magic TDL move.

"It." Heart, grit, soul, intangibles, spirit, passion...

Those things are certainly meaningful, but that's not the issue here. The Pens core is just better than ours. More consistent, more dynamic, more dangerous, less predictable, more multi-dimensional.

Not by a mile, mind you. Our core is pretty great. But theirs is better. Clearly, inarguably better overall.

It's not the playoff yips. It's an inability to overcome a fundamentally better team. Our team could be deeper, we might have a slight edge here or there, healthier, whatever. But the Pens core is better, and those are the guys that drive their success, then that success snowballs and opens things up for more of their guys to be successful.

We're talking about 3 or 4 locks for the Hall of Fame, a couple justifiably in the "best ever" discussion, that have been playing together for a long time. Give those guys solid goaltending and an otherwise evenly-talented roster, and they win Cups.

Our key guys are similar, but far less consistent, and are more specialists than all-around, dominant, unstoppable forces of nature. Crosby/Malkin are among the best 1-2 punches in the history of the game, and certainly in the cap era.

Unless a shrink can do a full shutdown shadow of two of the best centers ever, I don't think that's the solution...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Funny, timely.

 

[Hivemind]

With his frame, Djoos is never going to be the strongest player out there. I think he needs to be more explosive in everything he does if he wants to stick in the NHL as an undersized defenseman. He needs to be beating the opposition to loose pucks, not battling for them.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

"It." Heart, grit, soul, intangibles, spirit, passion...

Those things are certainly meaningful, but that's not the issue here. The Pens core is just better than ours. More consistent, more dynamic, more dangerous, less predictable, more multi-dimensional.

Not by a mile, mind you. Our core is pretty great. But theirs is better. Clearly, inarguably better overall.

It's not the playoff yips. It's an inability to overcome a fundamentally better team. Our team could be deeper, we might have a slight edge here or there, healthier, whatever. But the Pens core is better, and those are the guys that drive their success, then that success snowballs and opens things up for more of their guys to be successful.

We're talking about 3 or 4 locks for the Hall of Fame, a couple justifiably in the "best ever" discussion, that have been playing together for a long time. Give those guys solid goaltending and an otherwise evenly-talented roster, and they win Cups.

Our key guys are similar, but far less consistent, and are more specialists than all-around, dominant, unstoppable forces of nature. Crosby/Malkin are among the best 1-2 punches in the history of the game, and certainly in the cap era.

Unless a shrink can do a full shutdown shadow of two of the best centers ever, I don't think that's the solution...

Oh it's certainly part of the issue. You can see this team go into vapor lock it's so obvious. Mentally fragile would be generous. And yeah having 2 generational talents is a blessing for the Pens.

Caps definitely need some heavy lifting by a sport psychologist.

 

[Revelation]

Schlemko could actually have been a replacement for Schmidt that worked... one of the most underrated D out there. Guess 2019 5th is too much when you have as many potential future #7s as we do

 

[hockeykicker]

Schlemko could actually have been a replacement for Schmidt that worked... one of the most underrated D out there. Guess 2019 5th is too much when you have as many potential future #7s as we do

seems like djoos already puts up better stats

 

[Brian23]

With his frame, Djoos is never going to be the strongest player out there. I think he needs to be more explosive in everything he does if he wants to stick in the NHL as an undersized defenseman. He needs to be beating the opposition to loose pucks, not battling for them.

I mean...he's listed at 6 foot and 160 pounds. I actually think he looks a little taller then that and think he could easily fill out to just around the 200lb mark.

Not sure why we keep calling him undersized he's the same size as Orlov and Schmidt.

 

[Hivemind]

seems like djoos already puts up better stats

Not sure if serious

 

[hockeykicker]

Not sure if serious

no im not

 

[Hivemind]

I mean...he's listed at 6 foot and 160 pounds. I actually think he looks a little taller then that and think he could easily fill out to just around the 200lb mark.

Not sure why we keep calling him undersized he's the same size as Orlov and Schmidt.

Height and frame aren't the same thing. It's not like we're talking about a kid playing in juniors here being able to suddenly put on 20 lbs of muscle (let alone 40 as you're suggesting). He's already 22 and has two North American seasons on his belt after three full seasons in the top Swedish league. Can he add a little weight/strength? Probably. Can he add enough to where he's going to be considered "strong" by NHL standards? Doubtful.

I don't say this to throw him under the bus. I believe undersized defensive can be successful in the NHL. But in order to do so they need to be highly mobile (Spurgeon, Ellis), terrific offensively (Vatanen, DeAngelo, Klingberg), or good positional defensemen who can block shots and maintain their ground (Russell). And that third category is pretty questionable beyond a limited role. If Djoos can utilize his hockey sense and mobility to fit into the first or second category at the NHL level, terrific. But I'm not sure if his skating or shot are up to that level.

 

[Jags]

Schlemko could actually have been a replacement for Schmidt that worked... one of the most underrated D out there. Guess 2019 5th is too much when you have as many potential future #7s as we do

Agreed, though there's that question of whether McPhee hates us now, so we may not have had a shot. It's never as simple as, "If we had offered the same, we would have gotten him."

 

[hockeykicker]

Agreed, though there's that question of whether McPhee hates us now, so we may not have had a shot. It's never as simple as, "If we had offered the same, we would have gotten him."

yea dont see why mcphee would like us

 

[Revelation]

Agreed, though there's that question of whether McPhee hates us now, so we may not have had a shot. It's never as simple as, "If we had offered the same, we would have gotten him."

Yeah, I guess at this point it's pretty obvious that he does. He took buyout/waver tier players (Engelland, Bellemare, Sbisa, Pulkkinen, Emelin, Reinhart) from half the teams without even any compensation incentive but wouldn't do the same for us.

 

[Brian23]

Height and frame aren't the same thing. It's not like we're talking about a kid playing in juniors here being able to suddenly put on 20 lbs of muscle (let alone 40 as you're suggesting). He's already 22 and has two North American seasons on his belt after three full seasons in the top Swedish league. Can he add a little weight/strength? Probably. Can he add enough to where he's going to be considered "strong" by NHL standards? Doubtful.

I don't say this to throw him under the bus. I believe undersized defensive can be successful in the NHL. But in order to do so they need to be highly mobile (Spurgeon, Ellis), terrific offensively (Vatanen, DeAngelo, Klingberg), or good positional defensemen who can block shots and maintain their ground (Russell). And that third category is pretty questionable beyond a limited role. If Djoos can utilize his hockey sense and mobility to fit into the first or second category at the NHL level, terrific. But I'm not sure if his skating or shot are up to that level.

I mean he's 22. Djoos can still put on 20 pounds, I don't doubt that (that's also going with that Wikipedia is up to date). It can take time, but if a coaching staff gets behind him to do it I just don't think anything can stop him but himself. It's not like I expect him to ever be 225 but I just don't believe that he can't.

 

[Hivemind]

He's been a pro for five years now, with the types of training staffs associated with being a pro. He's also been around the Capitals development staff before and during his time in Hershey. It's not like he's just now getting exposed to how to build strength via training.

 

[hockeykicker]

thats really weird, russo tweet was from last night and isabelle just "bumped it"

 

[EroCaps]

thats really weird, russo tweet was from last night and isabelle just "bumped it"

Suter for Ovechkin.

 

[hockeykicker]

The heck is this?