Confirmed with Link: Capitals extend Lars Eller (5y/$3.5M AAV)

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Ridley Simon

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Feb 27, 2002
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This is a great deal. I love the term too. This guy just seems to be getting better, so we will have a top 9C for years to come at a salary that will age really well. I'd much rather this be a 5yr deal than a 3yr one. He's completely cost controlled and I would think at 31/32 (so a 3yr deal), he'd be looking for a raise as the Sal Cap will only be going up.

I love everything about it. Every Single Thing
 
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Alexander the Gr8

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May 2, 2013
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My only hesitation with this plan is then all 4 of the Cs are LH. Not ideal for faceoffs.

The game is evolving, it's not uncommon anymore to have your wingers take face-offs.
Look at the Flyers, they have Couturier as their top line C (a lefty) with Giroux (a righty) on his wing. They take turns at face-offs, depending on who they're facing. We do a little bit of that with Oshie and Wilson regularly taking face-offs.

Not a big issue IMO.
 

Revelation

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Aug 15, 2016
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Should have moved on from him, he's a good possession player but you can't have your 3C be a certified offensive black hole for half a season and expect to come out on top against 3Cs who put up .5 PPG or more in the playoffs like Bonino or Pageau or Point/Johnson. Caps bottom 6 can't buy a goal in the postseason and his lack of offensive skill and hockey IQ is a big part of it since he's occupying the juiciest offensive bottom 6 slot.

Contract is solid and movable though
 

maacoshark

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Jul 22, 2017
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Should have moved on from him, he's a good possession player but you can't have your 3C be a certified offensive black hole for half a season and expect to come out on top against 3Cs who put up .5 PPG or more in the playoffs like Bonino or Pageau or Point/Johnson. Caps bottom 6 can't buy a goal in the postseason and his lack of offensive skill and hockey IQ is a big part of it since he's occupying the juiciest offensive bottom 6 slot.

Contract is solid and movable though
I'm on the fence with Eller. If he keeps playing the way he is this signing will be fine. But he is a streaky player. For his standards this has been a career year. I'm not sure he can repeat this.
 

traparatus

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Oct 19, 2012
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I'm on the fence with Eller. If he keeps playing the way he is this signing will be fine. But he is a streaky player. For his standards this has been a career year. I'm not sure he can repeat this.

Yeah, when Eller is cold he is ice cold. However, Caps do play in the right end of the ice A LOT when Eller is out there and it doesn't depend on who his line mates are.

It's an easily moveable contract, too. The one thing that concerns me is the way that we limiting development opportunities for prospects. Boyd is 24 and he might be a perfectly suitable #3 center and a lot cheaper than 3.5m. How are we ever going to find out? Same story with Stephenson.

Can't learn if a player is a good 3rd line center while he is playing 4th line wing.
 
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maacoshark

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Jul 22, 2017
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Yeah, when Eller is cold he is ice cold. However, Caps do play in the right end of the ice A LOT when Eller is out there and it doesn't depend on who his line mates are.

It's an easily moveable contract, too. The one thing that concerns me is the way that we limiting development opportunities for prospects. Boyd is 24 and he might be a perfectly suitable #3 center and a lot cheaper than 3.5m. How are we ever going to find out? Same story with Stephenson.

Can't learn if a player is a good 3rd line center while he is playing 4th line wing.
Eller's strength is that he is an excellent possession player because of his stick handling ability.
I'd rather see us trade him and use Stephenson as our 3rd center. It might work out fine.
 

artilector

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Jan 11, 2006
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Heh, this is basically Zubrus-type money, only 10 years later.
In terms of comparables, seems like excellent value.
Kuz should pay for his dinners the rest of the way...
 
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Revelation

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Aug 15, 2016
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I'm on the fence with Eller. If he keeps playing the way he is this signing will be fine. But he is a streaky player. For his standards this has been a career year. I'm not sure he can repeat this.

I like him as a 4C on a stacked team chasing the puck around without a care in the world like Clifford the Big Red Dog but picking up someone like William Karlsson or Nick Bonino or Erik Haula out of nowhere and having them score mad points on the cheap is too tempting with the league the way it is. If we're lucky Stephenson becomes that player
 

Brian23

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Dec 3, 2011
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The half a point per game Centers everyone is talking about are guys who're generally on ELC's, and get big money in free agency, or guys who have a career year. Eller's signing neither stops or removes the possibilty of either of those. We could have someone come up and light the world on fire on an ELC and Eller could have a career year and pot 41 points. Both are possible.

I also think this is a bit of insurance for if we lose Backstrom in 2 years, we at least have a capable NHLer to man the center depth with Kuznetsov and we're not caught with our pants around our ankles.
 
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maacoshark

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Jul 22, 2017
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I like him as a 4C on a stacked team chasing the puck around without a care in the world like Clifford the Big Red Dog but picking up someone like William Karlsson or Nick Bonino or Erik Haula out of nowhere and having them score mad points on the cheap is too tempting with the league the way it is. If we're lucky Stephenson becomes that player
Stephenson is a very good 2 way player. He does pretty much everything. I think Trotz referred to him as a swiss army knife because he is so versitile. I think his biggest problem us that he is a very unselfish player. I would like to see him shoot more. If he can improve offensively he will be a good player for a long time.
 

Roughing

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Oct 11, 2010
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Great deal.

Stephenson should be 4C going forward. Really no need for Beagle any more after this year, which is another $1.75M available this off season.

Sign Carly, get a 2D, and hope the stars get hot for the playoffs...
 

twabby

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Mar 9, 2010
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I think Stephenson has looked better on the wing than his short stints at center. Maybe he’ll eventually be a center but I agree I’d rather just get a cheap 4C replacement in free agency. Those guys should be a dime a dozen and Stephenson hasn’t looked out of place on the third line.
 
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