Speculation: Acq/ Rost. Bldg./ Cap Part XXVII
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SkinsFan09
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Robert Theodorson
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Erat has negative value now, he's a $4.5M player who can't score and does not contribute that much offensively.
On top of this he's a malcontent who has asked two teams to trade him in two years.
The only positive I can see coming from this the Caps getting a 6th/7th rounder and have the Washington Post confront McPhee this summer and ask him why he traded one of the top prospects in the world for a worthless pick and an AHLer. They also need to press Ted hard on why they've kept a failure GM (who peaked his first year) around for over a decade. The Erat trade being the icing on the cake for their already substantial arguement as to why there needs to be a management change in DC.
Sadly, and I write this with contempt, anyone who's been here long enough knows the media will not hold either accountable and DC fans are not of the breed to wear paper bags over their head and shame the organization into making a move.
fedfed
@FedFedRMNB
So I assume I'll be able to recognize you at the games by the bag over your head...?
CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
- Feb 27, 2002
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Yet somehow the magical formula is in that list that will somehow make us a complete playoff team.
If only we could find the correct combination so the spell will work. Freakin brutal....
BrooklynCapsFan
No more choking!
Yet somehow the magical formula is in that list that will somehow make us a complete playoff team.
If only we could find the correct combination so the spell will work. Freakin brutal....
Is anyone actually arguing that? Or just suggesting that they might improve?
He seems to believe no changes are worth pursuing unless they guarantee us multiple cups and any attempt to work with what you and get some incremental have represents naivete. Basically we have to eternally use Johansson as a top line LW and pine about how much he sucks instead of trying a single other player there.
CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
- Feb 27, 2002
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Way to put words in my mouth. Only way your argument and freshmen insults hold any water.
You are not suggesting that Oates toss some of his stupid stubbornness and handedness aside and try new combos? Bringing Fehr off of the bench after all was a complete failure. The guy hasn't produced squat.
And Orlov doesn't belong in the NHL either.
Kundratek is I believe still injured. I thought he was a good puck mover but didn't even seem to get a look this year. Never really got that.
CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
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Define improvement. Some want an uptick in 5v5 play, I want long term fixes with an eye towards moving deeper in the postseason, because these little short term fixes/tinkering have done nothing historically other than put lipstick on a pig.
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SimplySensational
Heard of Hough
The best improvement this team can make is to stop putting negative possession players in the lineup because Oates likes them.
BrooklynCapsFan
No more choking!
So the answer to my question is no. Thanks. Having watched this team I figured most people would remember that sometimes skill players don't mesh (Jagr/Lang) and sometimes weird combos work (Oates/Simon).
Frankly, I just want Crosby to lose the Art Ross. And it annoys me that we're pissing that away. I suffer no delusions of playoff success.
CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
- Feb 27, 2002
- 64,653
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So you're on board with the lipstick on a pig approach of roster/championship building. Thanks!
It's a long season....Crosby has to stay healthy.
BrooklynCapsFan
No more choking!
So you're on board with the lipstick on a pig approach of roster/championship building. Thanks!
It's a long season....Crosby has to stay healthy.
That's clearly what I said. Keep fighting the good fight.
- Feb 15, 2005
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I'll try to say some positive things about the year so far
Fehr - seems to have revived his career
Grabo - done pretty much everything we could have asked of him; much better 2-way player than I'd have thought
Ward and Chimmer - good chemistry; among the few Cap forwards that play something resembling a "hard" game; scoring at a good clip
Ovi and Backstrom - revived their offensive game*
Carlson - evolving into a very solid two-way D guy
Alzner - has stayed pretty solid
Grubauer - big positive surprise there
*But WTF with their ES play. It's driving me up the wall. How can 2 of the NHL's top scorers spend so many of their shifts hemmed in the defensive zone. Ovie's decision-making with the puck is still dumbfounding at times and both Ovie and Nick seemed checked-out at times which is just not something you see from, say, Getzlaf and Perry or Toews or, erp, Crosby (OK, this is straying from positivity)
In the mixed bag category:
Orlov - shows flashes of promise, but he's pretty high-risk, high-reward. So we pair him with Mike Green?
Wilson - I dunno. Hits a lot; willing to go - but how much of an impact does he have on each game? This business about keeping him in the NHL so he's not a target makes little sense to me; he's had 8 fights and guys on the other team know who he is now. Not sure he wouldn't be better off developing more of an all-around game somewhere else.
If I didn't mention anyone else, it's because I'm trying to avoid being negative.
Fehr - seems to have revived his career
Grabo - done pretty much everything we could have asked of him; much better 2-way player than I'd have thought
Ward and Chimmer - good chemistry; among the few Cap forwards that play something resembling a "hard" game; scoring at a good clip
Ovi and Backstrom - revived their offensive game*
Carlson - evolving into a very solid two-way D guy
Alzner - has stayed pretty solid
Grubauer - big positive surprise there
*But WTF with their ES play. It's driving me up the wall. How can 2 of the NHL's top scorers spend so many of their shifts hemmed in the defensive zone. Ovie's decision-making with the puck is still dumbfounding at times and both Ovie and Nick seemed checked-out at times which is just not something you see from, say, Getzlaf and Perry or Toews or, erp, Crosby (OK, this is straying from positivity)
In the mixed bag category:
Orlov - shows flashes of promise, but he's pretty high-risk, high-reward. So we pair him with Mike Green?
Wilson - I dunno. Hits a lot; willing to go - but how much of an impact does he have on each game? This business about keeping him in the NHL so he's not a target makes little sense to me; he's had 8 fights and guys on the other team know who he is now. Not sure he wouldn't be better off developing more of an all-around game somewhere else.
If I didn't mention anyone else, it's because I'm trying to avoid being negative.
SkinsFan09
Registered User
Line ideas posted in prior thread:
Ovi - Grabo - Erat
Fehr - Backstrom - Ward
Chimera - Johansson - Brouwer
Volpatti - Beagle/Latta - Wilson
Ovi - Grabo - Erat
Fehr - Backstrom - Ward
Chimera - Johansson - Brouwer
Volpatti - Beagle/Latta - Wilson
Board seems to disagree but by all means keep boxing yourself in. It's fun to watch.
Have you ever considered that bringing in new players AND trying to get more out of the ones we have are not mutually exclusive options? That the very act of bringing in different players would require more of that "line shuffling garbage" you seem to hate?
SkinsFan09
Registered User
Changing the lineup (as is needed) will not screw us next season...
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SDBondra
Registered User
- Jul 24, 2005
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I'm not opposed to shaking things up occasionally but why would we separate Chimera and Ward?
SimplySensational
Heard of Hough
Brouwer is faster and more of a north-south player, Chimera-Johansson-Brouwer has that team speed component. Ward cycles and works the boards more, there could be a fit with Backstrom and Fehr there. Johansson doesn't really fit on the 3rd line though, Chimera-Latta-Ward has more of a bottom 6 identity and should still be good at ES.
SDBondra
Registered User
- Jul 24, 2005
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- 489
Makes sense on paper but Chimera and Ward have been really great together. I personally wouldn't touch it. In my opinion what this team needs to do is figure out a way to get Ovie more involved 5-on-5. I'm not sure pairing him with Grabo does that. I think moving him back to LW and putting him with Backstrom and Fehr does that. So to not be a backseat coach, this is what I think makes us the best team:
Ovie-Backstrom-Fehr
MoJo-Grabo-Brouwer
Chimera-Erat-Ward (I think this line has looked great)
Volpatti-Beagle/Latta-Wilson
And I don't know what the solution on defense is but I'm sure it involves never putting Erskine and Oleksy together again.
I personally don't want that 3rd line but that seems to be the reasoning, and dunno, it could work simply because Chimera and Johansson could do well off the rush together against low quality competition.
You could get more out of both Ovechkin and Backstrom IMO, separating them would be as much for getting Backstrom involved in the play and doing things he doesn't do with Ovechkin, like shoot. Having him be with 2 forecheckers would also let him spend less energy doing puck retrieval stuff and more making plays and shooting. We're using him as a Kozlov/Knuble right now and that's not a good use of his talent.
Grabo is pretty good at pressuring the puck (not just pretty good... our best guy at it) and plays a fast game. Ovechkin/Grabo/Erat would be a fast north-south line with Grabo and Erat both being good along the boards, having playmaking skills and driving the net. On paper it looks like a good complement to Ovechkin, in the Zubrus-Clark/Fedorov-Kozlov mold. Grabo at least shoots more than Backstrom and goes to the net harder, Ovechkin could get some assists there. Ovechkin without Backstrom is automatically more involved. Remember, Oates pretty much made Ovechkin into a turret and Backstrom into a feeder. Separately they'd each have to become more.
For defense just put Urbom or Schmidt in there over Erskine, probably Urbom since Schmidt would require someone waived. That's about as good as we can do with this roster.
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