Confirmed with Link: Richard Panik 4 years at 2.65 mil

[Hivemind]

And I firmly believe that every season you have to give a deserving kid or three a shot. If one can't impress in ten games, on to the next one, but the infusion of young hungry blood is imperative to success.

Let them beat out other players for those spots. Unless you're in a full-on rebuild, you don't earmark the spots for prospects.

The youth wave of 2017-18 didn't come without competition. The Capitals had Chiasson in camp on a PTO and DSP on a two-way contract. They had traded for Tyler Graovac and signed Anthony Peluso in the off-season. Taylor Chorney was still around. Even Jryki Jokipakka was invited to training camp on a PTO. Chandler Stephenson didn't make the opening day roster. The young guys paved their own way, past the veterans and competition for slots.

 

[RVACapsFan]

After Hagelin was resigned we pretty much know it would be him and Eller on the third line with the third spot undetermined. Connolly wasn’t coming back, so instead of Bura we saved $750K in cap room, added a second and third round pick, and signed Panik who’s more productive than Bura.

I’ll take it.

 

[Futures Passed]

I like it. I was already good with the player but I think the AAV is actually a steal. He’s in his prime so I have no issue with the term. I feel like he’s underrated. If we end up getting someone like Pirri too now with the extra space, then this will look even better.

I’ll miss Connolly, but he earned his next contract and I wish the best of luck at his next spot. The fact is that, aside from last season, Panik has consistently put up more points then Connolly and he’s only 28. His numbers last season were already a pretty decent starting point but I think he could work out really well on the Caps. It sounds like his 200 foot play might well be an upgrade. Lastly, things were a little stale last season and we probably needed some fresh blood to compete for the Cup again. Overall, I’m hopeful about the direction of the team.

 

[Langway]

Let's say you sign Vrana for $3.4 for 2 years. Djoos and Stephenson sign their QOs. You have about $1.8 left. That's enough for a 4th line stud you really like and a guy like Pinho, AJF, Gersich, etc. Or if Stephenson really gets out played, another Hershey kid. It's 100% doeable.

Very hard to assume Djoos & Stephenson accept the QO, though. They could very well file for arbitration and leave them in a bind if they do heavily pursue someone in that range. Of course, they could also trade them at some point and not at all have them pencilled in and instead opt for someone at league minimum.

I'd guess $800k-1M is more up their alley in at least one forward, if not two. It sounded like Stephenson's spot was most in jeopardy but I wouldn't doubt them wanting a more trustworthy and experienced option over Boyd as well. The points from Boyd were nice but putting him on the PK was absurd and it's hard to see him improving all that much defensively.

 

[Sam Spade]

Let them beat out other players for those spots. Unless you're in a full-on rebuild, you don't earmark the spots for prospects.

The youth wave of 2017-18 didn't come without competition. The Capitals had Chiasson in camp on a PTO and DSP on a two-way contract. They had traded for Tyler Graovac and signed Anthony Peluso in the off-season. Taylor Chorney was still around. Even Jryki Jokipakka was invited to training camp on a PTO. Chandler Stephenson didn't make the opening day roster. The young guys paved their own way, past the veterans and competition for slots.

Except that we all know no matter how well a kid plays it is always downplayed that "it was just pre-season" and the coaches spout the platitudes about how "if we could keep him we would but there are other considerations" and the Jaskin's and the Stephenson's keep their NHL spots all season no matter what.

If the Caps internally say to a few choice kids, "we have one spot earn it and it is yours", I think that would be fun to watch. As it is now unless someone comes in and goes insane they have to know they are going back to their leagues or up to Hershey before camp even begins, especially if the Caps sign another 4th line plug tomorrow.

 

[Brian23]

I dunno why they'd not just go Connoly if that's what they're gonna pay this guy...unless Brett's deal is also higher then advertised.

 

[Futures Passed]

Very hard to assume Djoos & Stephenson accept the QO, though. They could very well file for arbitration and leave them in a bind if they do heavily pursue someone in that range. Of course, they could also trade them at some point and not at all have them pencilled in and instead opt for someone at league minmum.

I'd guess $800k-1M is more up their alley in at least one forward, if not two. It sounded like Stephenson's spot was most in jeopardy but I wouldn't doubt them wanting a more trustworthy and experienced option over Boyd as well. The points from Boyd were nice but putting him on the PK was absurd and it's hard to see him improving all that much defensively.

I’m good with trading them if they end up with a bigger number. I don’t think it’s too tough to replace them at this point. Lewington looked good here and the Caps are crazy deep at left D. Siegenthaler is ready now.

Plus I would actually be fine with looking for another Dowd type player to replace Stephenson now and try and find some more upside. If we grabbed Pirri and Carr and traded Stephenson, I’d be good with that.

 

[Calicaps]

I dunno why they'd not just go Connoly if that's what they're gonna pay this guy...unless Brett's deal is also higher then advertised.

Wut? Report was $2.5...

 

[GoCaps2004]

hopeful he means $2.65....

 

[Corby78]

3.65? What?

 

[peterthegreat12]

Ok, I like the player but not at 3.65 x 4

 

[Charles Calvert]

Wut? Report was $2.5...

Hit the Panik button.

 

[peterthegreat12]

 

[895]

Technically 3.65m is north of 2.5m...

 

[GoCaps2004]

That wouldn’t make sense with Izzy suggesting there’s another depth signing coming. We wouldn’t have space for another depth signing with this cap hit (3.65)

 

[895]

Yeah we dont have room to sign 22 guys if this is true.

 

[Langway]

Beer goggled this one, if true.

 

[Brian23]

I'm hoping he just mistyped a 3 instead of a 2, as 2.65 would make sense with what he was trying to say. But he hasn't corrected it soooooooooooo.....

 

[Charles Calvert]

That's cool I didn't want to sleep anyway.

 

[895]

I don't think GMBM or even Chiarelli could look at our cap situation and think we can afford 3.65m.

That 100% necessitates a trade to get under the cap.

 

[Hivemind]

Except that we all know no matter how well a kid plays it is always downplayed that "it was just pre-season" and the coaches spout the platitudes about how "if we could keep him we would but there are other considerations" and the Jaskin's and the Stephenson's keep their NHL spots all season no matter what.

If the Caps internally say to a few choice kids, "we have one spot earn it and it is yours", I think that would be fun to watch. As it is now unless someone comes in and goes insane they have to know they are going back to their leagues or up to Hershey before camp even begins, especially if the Caps sign another 4th line plug tomorrow.

If the Jaskins of the world kept their spots, then Jaskin wouldn't have been available via waivers for the Capitals to claim. And we'd never have seen guys like Liam O'Brien or Connor Carrick crack opening night rosters. And sometimes they don't crack opening night roster, but force their ways on later in the season. Chandler Stephenson did just that. Look at the Penguins when they won back-to-back. The Pens threw everything at the wall to see what stuck, and ended up with Sheary, Rust, and Kuhnackl. But they also tried Plotkinov, Sprong, Farnham, Porter, Bennett, Wilson, and Sundqvist up front. As well as Erixon and Warofsky on the back-end. They traded Perron and Scuderi for a better fit when it became clear they needed a different player. They also traded Polotkinov, Warofsky, and Farnham when they knew they didn't have a place.

Competition for spots is good. But don't limit the competition to only your AHL tweeners that are about to age out.

 

[Hivemind]

$2.5M is good. $3.65M makes me wonder why they didn't take a harder run at Donskoi or Connolly.

 

[Silky mitts]

If it’s 3.65 if Vrana gets $3M or more they can’t carry 23 without cutting payroll

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[Hivemind]

Well, that's a relief

 

[Charles Calvert]

I have a really hard time believing $3.65 million is figure. It doesn't fit into the current cap structure at all. And it doesn't go with the earlier reports at all.

If it is though, freaking yikes.