Confirmed with Link: The Washington Capitals and head coach Peter Laviolette have agreed to mutually part ways. (UPD 4/17: Forsythe and McCarthy gone too)

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Oshie was pretty pointed about guys being “checked out” and not playing with “heart”:

“the continuous people looking like they didn't care or maybe looking like they weren't going to give everything they had to win…that to me is unacceptable.”

Gee, I wonder who that could be? He’s gotta know that Kuzy/Mantha will hear that and know he means them. Maybe he expects them to be gone?

Hate to say it but Ovie checked out. He was not the same bad man after his dad died.
I’m sure lots of you have had a parent die then have to go work a job you were not interested in at the time. I’m sure he will be back to his old self after an off-season to get his self together.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

enough where he doesn't need to be on the ice apparently.

Just give him and Backstrom cozy front office jobs so they can showcase their heart without the team having to deal with the insane cap headache a quarter of every year. What happens when a cap ceiling team has to miss almost 6 million it allocated for a substantial part of every year and is in no position to replace it with anywhere near comparable effect?

The biggest part of the game is... being on the ice to play it. It's why Ovechkin has the career he has and is challenging the great one instead of having the legacy of a better Kovalchuk. It's also why Crosby isn't gonna make the case for dethroning one of the big 4 when all is said and done

Not saying injuries aren’t a concern….but your attitude towards a guy who clearly sacrifices every game when he‘s out there is ponderous.

Hate to say it but Ovie checked out. He was not the same bad man after his dad died.
I’m sure lots of you have had a parent die then have to go work a job you were not interested in at the time. I’m sure he will be back to his old self after an off-season to get his self together.

He totally was…and nobody should be begrudging him. GMBM might have said, something along the lines of “it isn’t happening, take your time as needed”.

 

[Ridley Simon]

This stood out to me too. Seems all but certain they are going to go with an offensive-minded guy and one who will be tasked with more development instead of putting it onto the backburner.

3 more games until we can hire Carberry

 

[twabby]

3 more games until we can hire Carberry

I say 6 more games because I think that would be funnier than a sweep.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Not saying injuries aren’t a concern….but your attitude towards a guy who clearly sacrifices every game when he‘s out there is ponderous.


He totally was…and nobody should be begrudging him. GMBM might have said, something along the lines of “it isn’t happening, take your time as needed”.

Save yer breath. This dude thinks the world revolves around Kuznetsov. Not much else to say here.

 

[Ovi895]

Not saying injuries aren’t a concern….but your attitude towards a guy who clearly sacrifices every game when he‘s out there is ponderous.

He sure sacrificed that puck to Columbus in OT when they were still in the playoff chase lol. Can imagine the shitshow here if 92 made that play

Guaranteedly missing 20-30 games a season when you're penciled in as a top 6 player and paid like a supporting top line forward isn't a "concern", its absolutely debilitating for the team. This isn't like Kucherov taking the full season off and his GM having the LTIR flexibility of his entire cap hit. This is go to your depleted farm that can barely produce an NHL regular/pluck an Aube Kubel off waivers and cross your fingers that they can plug the hole without going over the cap. Imagine getting injured for 10 games, the rest of your team gets caved in for those 10 games, then you come back while the rest of the roster is demoralized from getting whipped by 5 teams in a row playing to their cap hits. Of course its gonna be easier to show heart then.

Kuznetsov is not without his issues and has been crap this season when our real gud pro forwards miss 20-30 games to injury or suspension and get replaced by the 13th or 14th forward that screws the team just as much if not more

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

3 more games until we can hire Carberry

Team Halpern but I’ll be happy with either

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

He sure sacrificed that puck to Columbus in OT when they were still in the playoff chase lol. Can imagine the shitshow here if 92 made that play

Guaranteedly missing 20-30 games a season when you're penciled in as a top 6 player and paid like a supporting top line forward isn't a "concern", its absolutely debilitating for the team. This isn't like Kucherov taking the full season off and his GM having the LTIR flexibility of his entire cap hit. This is go to your depleted farm that can barely produce an NHL regular/pluck an Aube Kubel off waivers and cross your fingers that they can plug the hole without going over the cap. Imagine getting injured for 10 games, the rest of your team gets caved in for those 10 games, then you come back while the rest of the roster is demoralized from getting whipped by 5 teams in a row playing to their cap hits. Of course its gonna be easier to show heart then.

Kuznetsov is not without his issues and has been crap this season when our real gud pro forwards miss 20-30 games to injury or suspension and get replaced by the 13th or 14th forward that screws the team just as much if not more

Kuzy has had a much lesser impact on this franchise than Oshie. Kuzy downright hurts this roster far too often. Near $8 mil a year for half-assing it.

Team Halpern but I’ll be happy with either

Hard to not like the understudy to Cooper….that’s a crap ton of how to win it experience.

 

[Ovi895]

Kuzy has had a much lesser impact on this franchise than Oshie. Kuzy downright hurts this roster far too often. Near $8 mil a year for half-assing it.

By intangibles conveyed from rehabbing in the pressbox maybe. Not by his scoring, not by his playoff impact, as Kuzy on top of his superior scoring and league leading cup run has actually put the nail in the coffin in several playoff series (including the Pens one in 2017). But its just easier to blindly assume that Captain America's all around game and team spirit makes up for all the games he misses and overshadows Kuznetsov's four >70 point seasons for this franchise.

Its fine to like Oshie, he's a good player when he plays, but gets an automatic pass for the same reason Carlson's career as a cap is elevated higher than Orlov's to the Ovechkin/Backstrom pantheon.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

By intangibles conveyed from rehabbing in the pressbox maybe. Not by his scoring, not by his playoff impact, as Kuzy on top of his superior scoring and league leading cup run has actually put the nail in the coffin in several playoff series (including the Pens one in 2017). But its just easier to blindly assume that Captain America's all around game and team spirit makes up for all the games he misses and overshadows Kuznetsov's four >70 point seasons for this franchise.

Its fine to like Oshie, he's a good player when he plays, but gets an automatic pass for the same reason Carlson's career as a cap is elevated higher than Orlov's to the Ovechkin/Backstrom pantheon.

I won’t bother….you’re off the reservation….who cares about the pettiness of ranking one against another? Oshie is revered, Kuzy is a disappointment. Doesn’t mean he didn’t have some invaluable contributions, but this franchise needs someone who delivers every night at C to remain a playoff team. And what pass is Carlson getting? Dude has been getting it for years here…

 

[Ovi895]

I won’t bother….you’re off the reservation….

Sorry, didn't mean to bruise your ego with naked facts, those can be pesky at times.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Sorry, didn't mean to bruise your ego with naked facts, those can be pesky at times.

Laughable….

 

[Ovi895]

Laughable….

No attempt to dispute any of the actual numbers, as expected.

What's more likely, Kuznetsov having another 70+ point season next year or Oshie playing a full season putting up even 50 points with all those super next level intangibles that have amounted to so much? For reference Kuznetsov just came off a 78 point one a year ago

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

No attempt to dispute any of the actual numbers, as expected.

What's more likely, Kuznetsov having another 70+ point season next year or Oshie playing a full season putting up even 50 points with all those super next level intangibles that have amounted to so much? For reference Kuznetsov just came off a 78 point one a year ago

This debate is about what is better moving forward not your petty ranking one vs another. The Kuzy who put in a Conn Smythe worthy performance will never be seen again. You’re living in the past.

He’s a flash in the pan now at best. They must move on from him or they will go nowhere. Kuzy has a good season last year after getting called into the office for a come to Jesus conversation. He immediately slacked off the next season. He’s unreliable.

Oshie was our 3rd leading goal scorer in limited time, but I’m open to hockey trades where we get better players back…so make a deal.

 

[StrikingDistance]

Apologies for stepping in:

I think it's a difference of effort between Oshie and Kuzy that CCR is talking about. Hard to fault Oshie for calling people out when he's gives ~100% every game...even if that 100% effort leads to him getting hurt and unable to play some games. It's even crazier to me, that someone would criticize him for missing games because of the effort. Like the guy somehow likes missing games? Insanity.

If he coasted around like Kuzy, I'm sure he'd play a lot more games.

 

[SherVaughn30]

There is zero valid defense of Murray. He ruined Holtby to the point where Mitch Korn had to be dragged out of retirement to fix him prior to the 2018 playoffs. He ruined Holtby again after that. Sammy showed promise during his first NHL stint, but then as soon as he was exposed to Murray on a full time basis, he imploded. Vitek treaded water under Murray. Both Sammy and Vitek took steps forward away from Murray. Even Phoenix Copley improved on a team without Murray. Lindgren regressed under Murray this season. The best goalie under Murray was Grubauer, but he also got years of tutelage under Korn and went on to be a Vezina finalist under Parkkila in Colorado.

I challenge his supporters to name one goalie who has played his best hockey under Murray. You can’t.

For an organization that has been the best in the league at developing young goalies the past 20 years, Scott Murray is clearly dropping the ball compared to not only Mitch Korn but also Dave Prior (who’s available to be hired btw). Fire Scott Murray.

Spot on fire like your avatar! Hershey already had their previous goalie coach pulled away by Wings GM Yzerman. Why, because Yzerman recognized what Alex Westlund did with Hershey's goalies and didn't hesitate. Another teams GM might do the same thing with Juha Lehtola, who has done a very good job coaching Hunter Shepard and Zach Fucale, and hire him away from the Caps organization. It's too easy to figure out that Lavi/McCarthy/Fraudsythe's contracts all expired. Murray/Allen are still here because they are still under contract. Hopefully Murray's contract expires next season and he's gone. Allen deserves to be kept on board and the fact the Caps don't want to lose him like they did Scott Arniel.

 

[RandyHolt]

Wow since our cup we have made suck. Glad Lavi is gone but its hockey folks. Its not rocket science out there. Coaches should be shitcanned immediately after their 2nd first round exit.

 

[Calicaps]

Wow since our cup we have made suck. Glad Lavi is gone but its hockey folks. Its not rocket science out there. Coaches should be shitcanned immediately after their 2nd first round exit.

Normally, I'd probably agree, but Lavi's first first-round exit was during a pandemic after having no training camp and a bizarre on-again off-again season. Not exactly a typical year. He deserved a mulligan on that.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Normally, I'd probably agree, but Lavi's first first-round exit was during a pandemic after having no training camp and a bizarre on-again off-again season. Not exactly a typical year. He deserved a mulligan on that.

I mean, he didn't face an unfair disadvantage. Every team had the same issues. I don't think anyone paid millions a year to coach gets a mulligan when they're not having a successful season.

 

[RedRocking]

I mean, he didn't face an unfair disadvantage. Every team had the same issues. I don't think anyone paid millions a year to coach gets a mulligan when they're not having a successful season.

Yea, but not every team had a first year HC trying to install a new system, etc…. Plus all of PP1 got hurt in the final couple weeks of the season, and Kuzy/Sammy were AWOL to start the series.

Not necessarily trying to be a Lavi apologist, but they had a good regular season (albeit in that bizarre format), and he deserved a chance to have a normal camp and regular season to work with the team.

 

[Ovi895]

Yea, but not every team had a first year HC trying to install a new system, etc…. Plus all of PP1 got hurt in the final couple weeks of the season, and Kuzy/Sammy were AWOL to start the series.

Not necessarily trying to be a Lavi apologist, but they had a good regular season (albeit in that bizarre format), and he deserved a chance to have a normal camp and regular season to work with the team.

They were comically dominant against Boston several seasons in a row leading into to series IIRC, something like 16-1

 

[Calicaps]

Yea, but not every team had a first year HC trying to install a new system, etc…. Plus all of PP1 got hurt in the final couple weeks of the season, and Kuzy/Sammy were AWOL to start the series.

Not necessarily trying to be a Lavi apologist, but they had a good regular season (albeit in that bizarre format), and he deserved a chance to have a normal camp and regular season to work with the team.

Yes, this was the point.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Rangers fan coming in peace:

Rangers might announce Laviolette this week

 

[trick9]

I'm propably not as low as Laviolette as most here and think he's actually still an okay coach but i think it's a bad fit for the Rangers. Laviolette has his weaknesses and developing forwards is at the top of my list. I don't think he's the guy that can get the most out of their young talent.

Prepare for the upcoming Matt Irwin signing. I wouldn’t be shocked if Conor Sheary started the season in their top-6, either.

 

[Brian23]

Lavi felt like a guy that should go to Toronto. A place that doesn't really have anyone that needs developing, the core is ready to go right now. I think all his warts here will show up just the same in New York with them trying to develop Lafreniere and Kakko. I could easily see either, or both, of them getting the Vrana treatment.

I figure they'll still win a bunch of games, hope Igor doesn't get worn down, but I dunno if he puts them over the cusp.