Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines/etc) | 2023-24 Regular Season Edition

[ArmadilloThumb]

Who I'd really like from the Leafs is Knives or Cowan (who they took with the pick we got for Sundin) - but they are almost certainly not available.

I also agree with Lou Sassole on Domi being a potential one-year-pay-an-extra-premium-for target.

 

[CapsSkins]

Who I'd really like from the Leafs is Knives or Cowan (who they took with the pick we got for Sundin) - but they are almost certainly not available.

I also agree with Lou Sassole on Domi being a potential one-year-pay-an-extra-premium-for target.

Domi is 29 coming off a one year contract. Why would he sign another 1 year deal?

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Looking at next summer's UFAs... Could have Draisaitl for just money (and we.will have lots available)... it should.be easier to attract a top UFA if we show another year of growth with youth (i believe we will be better next year).

Sorted by Goal production:

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Domi is 29 coming off a one year contract. Why would he sign another 1 year deal?

I'm suggesting we deliberately overpay someone who is willing to provide a year of scoring. Because we have the space/LTIR relief. It's one possible strategy to hold a spot for Leonard and to better assess our youth before making a big splash. It would increase offense without giving up youth or draft capital.

Any of the potential targets might be willing to sign for a year if you pay them enough. In Domi's case he only made $3M

 

[CapsSkins]

I'm suggesting we deliberately overpay someone who is willing to provide a year of scoring. Because we have the space/LTIR relief. It's one possible strategy to hold a spot for Leonard and to better assess our youth before making a big splash. It would increase offense without giving up youth or draft capital.

Any of the potential targets might be willing to sign for a year if you pay them enough. In Domi's case he only made $3M

If a team offers him 4x$4M that's $16M. There's no realistic one-year "overpay" deal that would be worth it to him.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

MacDavid is available the year after. Could he want out of Edmonton??? Could we manage our cap space an extra year and make a play for him? Or Kaprizov/Panarin? Or Eichel? Would Ovi come back cheap to play a year or two with any of them?

I know I'm getting out there (just spitballin') but we may be one of the better positioned teams to add any of those players because of where we are with cap space going forward. Certainly our guys will need raises but I haven't looked at who would be in a good position to compete for a McDavid should he want out of Edmonton at age 29...

 

[CapsSkins]

MacDavid is available the year after. Could he want out of Edmonton??? Could we manage our cap space an extra year and make a play for him? Or Kaprizov/Panarin? Or Eichel? Would Ovi come back cheap to play a year or two with any of them?

I know I'm getting out there (just spitballin') but we may be one of the better positioned teams to add any of those players because of where we are with cap space going forward. Certainly our guys will need raises but I haven't looked at who would be in a good position to compete for a McDavid should he want out of Edmonton at age 29...

Edmonton ain't letting McJesus walk. They'll give him a max contract and he actually doesn't mind living there, hockey robot that he is.

It's Drai that I hold out hope for because he doesn't like it there. And if Holland can't re-sign him over the summer, you'd think he'd at least gauge the market rather than risk letting him walk for nothing next summer.

Of course, can we compete with the no-state tax teams? Florida and Tampa don't have their 2025 1st's. Dallas could do it but IDK if they'd pay the price and Edmonton may not want to trade him within the Western conference.

Ultimately they probably get an extension done. But hey, if we're headed towards training camp and he doesn't have a deal.... who knows!

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

If a team offers him 4x$4M that's $16M. There's no realistic one-year "overpay" deal that would be worth it to him.

He should take that. I just added him to the list as another poster mentioned him.

My initial list was with older FAs: Marchessault ($3M this year), Stamkos(6.5M), & Tafoli (3.5M)

It's late but I think we will have about $19M if Oshie is LTIR, we bring up another 2 players from Hershey (roster is at 21 now), and we pay Bear. That also takes Kuzy and Patches next year amounts into consideration (please correct me if I'm wrong!).

From that we need to pay CMM and Beck.

So if we wanted to go nuts on getting one of the players I've mentioned we have the means.

 

[Hivemind]

Neither McDavid or Draisatl will leave Edmonton. Just accept that and move on. Both are pipe dreams.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

And I'll reiterate amid all the way-out but technically possible scenarios..

My hope is we wait a year or two to make any long term FA moves and that we don't move any of our young prospects before letting them develop more and all get achance to play together. Who knows having Miroshnichenko and Leonard on either side may elevate Lapierre or CMM beyond what I am already optimistically predicting. We may have almost everything in place and just need to let it season...

Neither McDavid or Draisatl will leave Edmonton. Just accept that and move on. Both are pipe dreams.

I don't want either. I was just posting who are available in future years.

What I want is our young'uns to far far overachieve - and all I'm advocating for are strategies that open the door to that.

 

[RedRocking]

Yea, all this crazy FA/trade talk is fun. But, seriously - the team needs to rebuild a new core to get back to sustained success. A team full of middle 6 guys is a road to nowhere.

Unless the current crop of young guys vastly over-perform, we’re going to need to tank for ~ 3-5 years, and hope we hit the right years for top line talent. Though, I worry Ted won’t let them do that.

895, of course, will delay this another 2 years. Fortunately, the org hasn’t yet made dumb moves with just that in mind (tho you could argue re-signing TW). But, now with actual cap space, we might see something short-sighted to help juice the offense for Ovi (like the Marner idea).

I’m not opposed to some short term sugar high - but it still just delays the inevitable tanking and rebuild (which will truly be the suck).

 

[Kuz]

Will be interesting to see what Caps do with the cap space they have at least.

Right now the Caps have 37,3 million for 25/26 according to capfriendly with an expected raise to 92 mill.

Already have Kuemper, 6 defencemen (Carlson, TVR, Jensen, Fehervary, Sandin and Iorio only missing Alexeyev).

Forwards:
Ovi, Protas, Strome, Wilson, Milano, Miroschnichenko signed
Leonard hopefully joins next year
Lapierre, Malenstyn and McMichael probably resigned. Thats 10 players already.

Some other cheap young players like Cristall, Funk, Trineyev or Suzdalev.

Some of the players on the team probably back: Dowd, NAK or Sgarbossa.

Lapierre + Alexeyev after next year + McMichael and Malentsyn this year should take some of that cap space.

So they have cap for a big UFA or two aswell which of course is interesting, but the team need to be better next year to be able to attract the top targets aswell. In theory Caps could have the space to add two big targets and would be fun to get some top talent around Ovi for his final year (Unless he decides he want to stay in the NHL for a little longer).

 

[g00n]

I’ll take the one.

Yeah but Kuzy was relied on for playoff production and failed to deliver for many years. This team could've gone deep or even won multiple Cups in some of those seasons when the margin was razor thin and he just didn't show up.

We as fans aren't going to say "we lost in the first round again, and our key guys didn't show up, but at least they looked good in the regular season" for very long, if at all.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Unless the current crop of young guys vastly over-perform, we’re going to need to tank for ~ 3-5 years, and hope we hit the right years for top line talent.

This is the crux of the issue.

Do the staff feel as I do that we should hold off another year or even two to see if the young guys can actually over perform (and fill gaps with savvy short term FA moves) - or do they feel they need to go the other way and tank/move our young talent out soon in trades, as some others suggest.

It should be an interesting summer!

 

[um]

Yeah but Kuzy was relied on for playoff production and failed to deliver for many years. This team could've gone deep or even won multiple Cups in some of those seasons when the margin was razor thin and he just didn't show up.

We as fans aren't going to say "we lost in the first round again, and our key guys didn't show up, but at least they looked good in the regular season" for very long, if at all.

I just think its hard to know who's going to be good in the playoffs vs. who's not. I don't think its so simple as finesse=bad in playoffs.

I'd love to get the sure thing and pick up nothing but playoff warriors, but I don't think that's realistic. At some point you gotta take a chance and get what you need. Caps took chances on all of Niskanen, Orpik, Oshie despite reservations and they all worked out. We also got playoff hero Justin Williams and he didn't get us over the hump.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

No way I want Marner or Nylander on the Caps. Culture really matter and it's a hard no on both of these.

And giving up any of Leonard, Cristall, CMM, Protas, or Miroshnichenko at this point is inviting Forsberg deva vu and Karma.

McMichael had 18 goals in his first season with the Caps. Forsberg had 26 in his first year with Nashville - and 48 goals this year. I will repeat I am convinced CMM will have at least a few seasons with 35+ goals and has a 200 foot game and is cost controlled for whatever number of years they negotiate this summer. Do not give that up at this point.

I would give up any player you listed except Leonard for Marner and I wouldn’t think twice about.

The reservations about not wanting to give up a prospect for Marner or him being soft are crazy to me. He has scored (or paced to score but didn’t get the opportunity due to a shortened season) 90+ points five straight seasons leading up to this season when he had a “down” year with 85 points. He turns 27 in three days. The Caps can afford him. He is literally exactly what they need. He helps them now and in the future, and he helps Ovi reach 895.

If the Leafs are dumb enough to trade him the Caps should make an aggressive push for him. See if the Leafs are interested in Jensen/TvR for defensive depth and package one of them with Wilson + a draft pick if need be. I am on record as saying I love Tom Wilson but you almost never get an opportunity to acquire a Mitch Marner unless you’re drafting at the top of the first round.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

I just think its hard to know who's going to be good in the playoffs vs. who's not. I don't think its so simple as finesse=bad in playoffs.

I'd love to get the sure thing ....

And that's hockey. Winning requires chemistry, other intangibles, and - in the case of winning the Cup - LUCK.

That's why going after the big name in a trade or FA doesn't guarantee anything. All these big names we have tossed around with varying degrees of seriousness... McDavid, Mathews, Nylander, Marner - none have won a Cup.

But Oshie has. Maybe what we need are three Oshie types and not these others. Leonard may be one (who may be a level or two higher...), Miroshnichenko may be a variation on the type too...

BTW, before the very first home game after Oshie retires the #77 should go up to the rafters...

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

If the Leafs are dumb enough to trade him the Caps should make an aggressive push for him. See if the Leafs are interested in Jensen/TvR for defensive depth and package one of them with Wilson + a draft pick if need be. I am on record as saying I love Tom Wilson but you almost never get an opportunity to acquire a Mitch Marner unless you’re drafting at the top of the first round.

You might get me to go along with a package like that. I would be open to trying to right Marner's issues with a better culture, especially if we keep our young players. Maybe one of the Chuckie or Keumper instead of Tom - I'd rather keep Tom as his influence would straighten out any attitude issues Marner might have. In that case he would be coming into an already entrenched solid cohesive culture (watch any of our post game videos, and then watch the Leafs stars on the bench last Saturday).

I'd also be up for giving 2 1sts and a goalie and Jensen for Marner if you want to press me. Leafs are almost pickless (over the next 3 Drafts they have 2 of 3 1sts, ZERO 2nds, and only ONE 3rd).... If we kept our youth and added Marner we would have a full pool up front to develop. Then build the D through FA and maybe hockey trades (and D take longer to develop - any we take mid round this or next year will take a while).

I'd also be open to a goalie(s) + Jensen + a couple of 1sts to get Marner-like youngish Top 6 scoring.

 

[trick9]

Marner is the best scapegoat for Nylander, Rielly and Matthews because he's the small expensive winger. Once he's gone and the Nylander contract kicks in it's going to be him.

 

[g00n]

I just think its hard to know who's going to be good in the playoffs vs. who's not. I don't think its so simple as finesse=bad in playoffs.

I'd love to get the sure thing and pick up nothing but playoff warriors, but I don't think that's realistic. At some point you gotta take a chance and get what you need. Caps took chances on all of Niskanen, Orpik, Oshie despite reservations and they all worked out. We also got playoff hero Justin Williams and he didn't get us over the hump.

I never said "finesse = bad in the playoffs". I said I didn't want another finesse player who disappears in the playoffs.

Sure we can't know for certain but if a finesse player already has a record of ghosting then why take that chance? We've been through it.

And that's hockey. Winning requires chemistry, other intangibles, and - in the case of winning the Cup - LUCK.

That's why going after the big name in a trade or FA doesn't guarantee anything. All these big names we have tossed around with varying degrees of seriousness... McDavid, Mathews, Nylander, Marner - none have won a Cup.

But Oshie has. Maybe what we need are three Oshie types and not these others. Leonard may be one (who may be a level or two higher...), Miroshnichenko may be a variation on the type too...

BTW, before the very first home game after Oshie retires the #77 should go up to the rafters...

Pretty much this. I want guys who have fire in their bellies, not donuts.

 

[HeyMattyB]

Pretty much this. I want guys who have fire in their bellies, not donuts.

Why choose when you can have both?

 

[Calicaps]

And that's hockey. Winning requires chemistry, other intangibles, and - in the case of winning the Cup - LUCK.

That's why going after the big name in a trade or FA doesn't guarantee anything. All these big names we have tossed around with varying degrees of seriousness... McDavid, Mathews, Nylander, Marner - none have won a Cup.

But Oshie has. Maybe what we need are three Oshie types and not these others. Leonard may be one (who may be a level or two higher...), Miroshnichenko may be a variation on the type too...

BTW, before the very first home game after Oshie retires the #77 should go up to the rafters...

I don't disagree overall here, but I'd point out that Oshie hadn't won dick when the Caps traded for him and had a record of underperforming in the playoffs. I think it's more about your first sentence here than about past history. Oshie came from an environment that for whatever reason wasn't bringing out his best to one that did. Same could possibly be true for any of the fancy free agents or trade targets being discussed.

I think the key with established NHL players, as opposed to prospects, is that in the draft, you generally want BPA regardless of position or need. But with trades and free agents, it's the opposite. You should be trading/signing for FIT. Which is why I said it's about your first sentence. I hope/expect our scouts and management to identify guys who could fit with the guys we have, provide what's missing, and who, like Oshie, might thrive in our environment. If that's Marner, fine. If it's someone not being drooled over here, also fine.

 

[HeyMattyB]

 

[Corby78]

As far as I’m concerned we’re already in a rebuild. Keep the kids, only trade picks if it’s moving up in a draft or to grab other young tallent. We need to build a roster, I don’t think we’re a Marner away from being legit again.

 

[HTFN]

I don't disagree overall here, but I'd point out that Oshie hadn't won dick when the Caps traded for him and had a record of underperforming in the playoffs. I think it's more about your first sentence here than about past history. Oshie came from an environment that for whatever reason wasn't bringing out his best to one that did. Same could be said for any of the fancy free agents or trade targets being discussed.

I think the key with established NHL players, as opposed to prospects, is that in the draft, you generally want BPA regardless of position or need. But with trades and free agents, it's the opposite. You should be trading/signing for FIT. Which is why I said it's about your first line. I hope/expect our scouts and management to identify guys who could fit with the guys we have, provide what's missing, and who, like Oshie, might thrive in our environment. If that's Marner, fine. If it's someone not being drooled over here, also fine.

I thought the "issue" with Oshie (outside of Hitchcock and if they got along) was that he was seen as "the guy" in St. Louis when he's just not that level of player. They kept expecting this next level to unlock and for Oshie to get to an all-star 'takeover' level of player, and that pressure meant Oshie was trying (at times too hard) to make that happen, not playing his best hockey as a result, and then getting down.

It was creating a negative feedback loop and the change of scenery trade to Washington put him on a team where he was instantly recognized as maybe the third best forward on the roster and allowed to be a complementary player.

Marner's also probably in a pretty negative loop right now, but what I'm less certain of is how he changes for the better if moved because the issue at hand doesn't seem to be the same.