Confirmed with Link: Dillon to Jets for 2 second round picks

[txpd]

I'm not sure what's the point just making the playoffs with a bunch of D stopgaps with limited upside when the time can instead be put into working on putting together the next Cup contending blueline. Shouldn't that be the goal and not just fudging it with whatever experience most easily leads to them making the playoffs? If they try to rebuild it now vs. a couple of years they may actually be able to get away with it on the fly. Whereas if they wait they may no longer have the juice to overcome growing pains. If there's a time for risk toward upside it's probably now. There's also a very subtle downside to limited safe players that they need to progress beyond.

Chara would help offset some of Dillon's strengths but he's firmly a third pairing guy. It would thrust someone into at least a second-pair 5-on-5 role. That may be the cheapest route but it leaves a lot less flexibility compared to more D turnover and instead going with a younger UFA more capable of playing up the lineup.

If the idea is to miss the playoffs, they should blow it up and let Ov go somewhere good enough that he can achieve his goals.

 

[Misery74]

Simple question. Do you think the Capitals regular season performances going back to Trotz season 1 are all fake and the cup was a lucky stroke?
The regular season and its 80 games is a far better gauge of the overall quality of a hockey team than a bumpy run of 10 days and 5 games. We treat those 3 overtime games as if they were blow out loses. We treat their first round loss after a division title as if they managed to make it in with a win in the last game and lucky losses by 2 other teams to just get in the playoffs.

In my view that is overreacting.

I think the window is clearly closing. Trotz first year was 7 years ago. That’s a lot of hockey. Players that were in their late 20’s are now in their mid 30’s.

We need an injection of youth. If you think that means a step back, I can understand that. I just don’t view it that way.

Id rather go into the season with youth and some cap flexibility.

 

[HecticGlow]

I don’t think we’ve actually looked like a juggernaut team since the year before the Cup run, either. A good team, and a playoff team, but our RS has never looked as good as it did in the Williams/Beagle/Schmidt/Mojo era (that couldn’t get it done in the playoffs). Coaching and system problems have definitely been a part of it, but we’ve also got progressively older and slower as we’ve lost some of the younger depth in an attempt to stay cap compliant and pay our vets - the last two years especially. I’m not saying those were all bad decisions, because they weren’t, but just as Holtby was starting to look in decline the year before the Cup run, there’s an argument the team as a whole managed to clinch a Cup just as we were starting to head downhill.

 

[Langway]

The idea should be to truly build and that requires perspective and honesty about what they're doing and what they have. It requires having a shred of patience for a change and not just blindly relying on work ethic and convenience. Whether they sign a 44 year old is not an ultimate litmus test on competitiveness. As-is they have one defenseman they've reportedly been trying to move for two plus years in Jensen, a banged up Kempny who even on his best day has no special teams role and then a player in Schultz who has never been super reliable all-around. This is a far cry from the Cup winning defense. If they're unwilling to move on from pretty much all of those three it says a lot more about their risk tolerance than anything else. Moving away from the status quo is only more attractive after subtracting Dillon. It's understandable why he was the first to go because of the interest and his value. That he didn't exactly thrive on the top pair along with Carlson made this foreseeable enough. But the rest of this D group beyond 9/74 doesn't really work either and they've basically subtracted the most solid part of it.

They do need shot blockers and toughness on the back-end but also need to guard against value dictating keeping a third-pair potential boat anchor that limits their flexibility and upside. Alexeyev could replace him sooner than later but I really don't think they should be stopping at Dillon in overhauling this defense. They have more assets at their disposal to make more changes and should do so. If every remaining Ovechkin season is destined to just be another conventional kick at the can it's going to run its course sooner than later. They more than ever need to think outside the box in how to more substantially upgrade the roster. A fair share of that has to be about tolerating more youth and having the necessary top-heaviness on the roster to pull it off. Their recipe the past few seasons hasn't paid off much and the mentality behind it needs to evolve.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Not sure why we would want Chara back.

Would love this Dillon trade to be the start of the purge. Schultz, Kempny, Hagelin, and Kuzy to follow. Let some kids play, and bring in some new blood.

We weren’t contenders last year, bringing back the same guys, a year older won’t make us one this year.

I’m not an advocate of trading away players while having to add assets to do it. Unless absolutely necessary. Any chances they have to succeed will be based on using assets to add. Not subtract.

I’m sure more moves are coming.

 

[twabby]

The idea should be to truly build and that requires perspective and honesty about what they're doing and what they have. It requires having a shred of patience for a change and not just blindly relying on work ethic and convenience. Whether they sign a 44 year old is not an ultimate litmus test on competitiveness. As-is they have one defenseman they've reportedly been trying to move for two plus years in Jensen, a banged up Kempny who even on his best day has no special teams role and then a player in Schultz who has never been super reliable all-around. This is a far cry from the Cup winning defense. If they're unwilling to move on from pretty much all of those three it says a lot more about their risk tolerance than anything else. Moving away from the status quo is only more attractive after subtracting Dillon. It's understandable why he was the first to go because of the interest and his value. That he didn't exactly thrive on the top pair along with Carlson made this foreseeable enough. But the rest of this D group beyond 9/74 doesn't really work.

They do need shot blockers and toughness on the back-end but also need to guard against value dictating keeping a third-pair potential boat anchor that limits their flexibility and upside. Alexeyev could replace him sooner than later but I really don't think they should be stopping at Dillon in overhauling this defense. They have more assets at their disposal to make more changes and should do so. If every remaining Ovechkin season is destined to just be another conventional kick at the can it's going to run its course sooner than later. They more than ever need to think outside the box in how to more substantially upgrade the roster. A fair share of that has to be about tolerating more youth and having the necessary top-heaviness on the roster to pull it off. Their recipe the past few seasons hasn't paid off much and the mentality behind it needs to evolve.

I'd argue that 74 doesn't work either. Has he shown anything over the past 3 postseasons, or heck the past 5 regular seasons, to indicate that he is the guy to anchor this defense? If they are truly looking to reshape and build a Cup-winning defense it starts and ends with 74. As you mentioned it'll take some outside-the-box thinking and some brutal honesty to make this team a Cup contender again. Why shouldn't they look to move on from Carlson? It'd give them even more assets to help reshape the roster immediately, because as-is they are also-rans who might not even make the playoffs as it stands.

 

[Langway]

They're not signing Dougie. Let it go.

 

[twabby]

They're not signing Dougie. Let it go.

You espouse bold outside-the-box thinking but stop short of actually espousing bold outside-the-box moves. I feel like you need to make up your mind!

 

[Langway]

What I espouse ultimately doesn't matter.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Right now the Capitals have three players (Dowd, Schultz and Kempny) that will be in the last year of their contracts. Some may have limited value at this juncture but that'll change at the TDL. Dowd's cap hit is currently 750 K, it'll be easy to move him at the TDL for a 3rd or more (usually get/pay more at the TDL).

I still think Schultz could still be moved in the coming days/weeks to a club like the Oilers. Oilers have lost Larsson and Klefbom and RD Tyson Barrie a 5.5 cap hit last season is a UFA. Suggests to me a RD like Schultz at 4 for just one year could be attractive and cheaper than a resigning of Barrie. So Schultz to the Oilers for a 2nd or a 3rd in 23 I'd be okay with.

I'm still fixated on Nate Schmidt returning, so I'd take the pick gained from the Schultz trade and couple that with Kempny for Schmidt. The combination of the the two departures (Schultz and Kempny) is a 6.5 cap gain of which 5.950 will be eaten up by the Schmidt trade.

Why would the Canucks do this, well they just paid a 2nd round pick for Schmidt last season, they may get a 2nd or 3rd back (whatever we got from the Oilers) and Kempny via this trade. The Canucks will still shed 3.450 in cap space via this trade and Schmidt still has 4 more years on his contract where Kempny has just next season.

For the Capitals the blue line would resemble this:
Carlson - Orlov
TVR - Schmidt
Jensen - Fehervary

 

[g00n]

I am fine with signing Chara at vet minimum if he is OK with the fact he may be a healthy scratch at times. I think early on in the season would be a great time to test out some of our younger players to see how they fit.

This.

Chara is a regular season 3rd pairing 6/7 guy now. I would take him back in that role so long as we expect to scratch him as a reserve/sub in the playoffs. He just can't keep up with that accelerated postseason pace from what I saw vs BOS.

 

[Futures Passed]

I understand the move, but don’t like it. Not a fan of zero toughness on the blueline.

I like a lot of what Dillon brought in that department and I’m not sure who will PK unless we make some more moves. From what I’ve seen so far though, Fever is tough as nails and will lay down massive hits frequently. I don’t no if he fights though.

 

[John Price]

Helps clear up cap space for Ovechkin extension as well as other stuff

Sad to see but good deal financially

 

[txpd]

This.

Chara is a regular season 3rd pairing 6/7 guy now. I would take him back in that role so long as we expect to scratch him as a reserve/sub in the playoffs. He just can't keep up with that accelerated postseason pace from what I saw vs BOS.

Nah. Take the occasional maintenance scratch? Sure. He might well sign up for that. As a regular scratch with an occasional game or a regular playoff scratch, he is going to say no. So, just move along.

I am kind of digging the idea of Fehervary and TvR as the 2nd pair and Samsonov as the goalie. The meltdowns here would be epic.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I'm not sure what's the point just making the playoffs with a bunch of D stopgaps with limited upside when the time can instead be put into working on putting together the next Cup contending blueline. Shouldn't that be the goal and not just fudging it with whatever experience most easily leads to them making the playoffs? If they try to rebuild it now vs. a couple of years they may actually be able to get away with it on the fly. Whereas if they wait they may no longer have the juice to overcome growing pains. If there's a time for risk toward upside it's probably now. There's also a very subtle downside to limited safe players that they need to progress beyond.

Chara would help offset some of Dillon's strengths but he's firmly a third pairing guy. It would thrust someone into at least a second-pair 5-on-5 role. That may be the cheapest route but it leaves a lot less flexibility compared to more D turnover and instead going with a younger UFA more capable of playing up the lineup.

the big hitch being “making the playoffs”…..you think horseshoeing a few rookies into the blue line is conducive to that?

I’m constantly reading here how they’ll be fighting for their playoff lives next season…..feels like some moves like that will almost ensure a struggle to qualify for the postseason.

 

[Raikkonen]

They have 2 LDs now. Kempny is big question. AA is... maybe they think AA is ready?

Didnt expect them trade Dillon first.

Anyway Id like them to not field 4 RDs at once, so they better trade one more. In this line of thinking Schultz out and Schmidt in doesnt look bad. Id just pair guys differently from what BiPolar did.

Fever-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
Schmidt-TVR

and try to switch Schmidt and Fever from time to time. Although that lineup is looking pretty interchangeable.

 

[blindsideheadshot]

I like Schmidt a lot and feel like Trotz did him dirty, but adding that much money and term to the left side when Alexeyev is another year away at most is iffy. I suppose the easy out is letting Orlov walk at the end of his deal as the natural progression, but he has a physicality dynamic that none of the others (bar maybe AA to an extent) offer.

 

[Langway]

the big hitch being “making the playoffs”…..you think horseshoeing a few rookies into the blue line is conducive to that?

I’m constantly reading here how they’ll be fighting for their playoff lives next season…..feels like some moves like that will almost ensure a struggle to qualify for the postseason.

I'm not sure I'd necessarily play both of the rookies. It's on them earning it but I'd at least not rule it out and be sure to build up their confidence rather than making it all about avoiding mistakes. Comfort for a young defenseman is huge and I'm not sure they've done well in that regard lately. A good deal in whether a young player works out of not is the approach they're walking into. They need to aware of that and adjust accordingly.

Mainly I think churning over most of the 3-6D while primarily focusing on acquiring more of a Niskanen replacement #3 should be the operative goal. If that means going with a rookie or perhaps even two then so be it. I'd rather they were structured that way than maintain an increasingly suspect status quo. To me Dillon was kind of the lynch pin keeping the bottom two pairs together. Subtract him and I could mostly do without the rest on a fundamental level.

Getting out from under Kempny would be wise. I'm not sure either Schultz or Jensen would be ideal partners for Fehervary. Beyond replacing Dillon's grit the overall fit of what they've got is pretty questionable, particularly if said Dillon replacement is inferior.

 

[Corby78]

I'd argue that 74 doesn't work either. Has he shown anything over the past 3 postseasons, or heck the past 5 regular seasons, to indicate that he is the guy to anchor this defense? If they are truly looking to reshape and build a Cup-winning defense it starts and ends with 74. As you mentioned it'll take some outside-the-box thinking and some brutal honesty to make this team a Cup contender again. Why shouldn't they look to move on from Carlson? It'd give them even more assets to help reshape the roster immediately, because as-is they are also-rans who might not even make the playoffs as it stands.

Every time I think the Carlson hate has reached its peak.....

 

[um]

If the idea is to miss the playoffs, they should blow it up and let Ov go somewhere good enough that he can achieve his goals.

Chara might help us make the playoffs but to win a cup I’d rather use guys who can skate.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

This.

Chara is a regular season 3rd pairing 6/7 guy now. I would take him back in that role so long as we expect to scratch him as a reserve/sub in the playoffs. He just can't keep up with that accelerated postseason pace from what I saw vs BOS.

I agree with you but that's why he stepped away from the Bruins as they indicated that he only figured in their plans in a limited way.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I don't think Dillon was a good fit. I think this move makes the team better in addition to providing the necessary cap space.

 

[g00n]

I agree with you but that's why he stepped away from the Bruins as they indicated that he only figured in their plans in a limited way.

I never said he would agree, of course. But that seems to be where he is.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I think the window is clearly closing. Trotz first year was 7 years ago. That’s a lot of hockey. Players that were in their late 20’s are now in their mid 30’s.

We need an injection of youth. If you think that means a step back, I can understand that. I just don’t view it that way.

Id rather go into the season with youth and some cap flexibility.

Well…. Not to be a dick…..but Of Course The Window Is Closing! Ovechkin is 36! Their core is over 30!

Good lord. This is the end of the era. We either ride it to the bitter end, or we let them all go and start over. There is no other way to do it, for the sakes of those still left.

now you want to trade Carlson or Kuznetsov (or both), assuming you get returns you want? Sure. Hockey trades or you free up cap space to add other players via FA (I guess??). But you cannot pare it to the bones and expect that to work.

 

[txpd]

Chara might help us make the playoffs but to win a cup I’d rather use guys who can skate.

If you have all guys that can skate and some can win a corner battle and can box the opposition out from rebounds and can properly defend their crease, great. The Caps won a cup with Brooks Orpik delivering pain. Dillon can skate but we don't want him.