Speculation: What changes should be made for this team to be successful?

[Chimaera]

Note, I also think there is still more good than bad here.

They've got 2 pretty good young goalies. They've got 3 defensive parts that most teams would covet. They have the best goal scorer in the league. One of the better centers (if he gets his head out of his arse, though I think that's Oates), 2 pretty good young forwards in the NHL now. A couple of other kids I'm excited about down the road (Bowey, the kid in Erie, Barber). Two or three other parts on this roster that could be moved for a decent return (Brouwer, Laich, Green).

 

[BiPolar Caps]

From WAPO today, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...hts-on-the-capitals-2-0-loss-to-the-penguins/. Need to bring in player(s) that are good in the dot as well.

- So short list is fire management/coaches
- Acquire two top defensemen
- Acquire a good strong centerman who's good in the dot

 

[trick9]

There haven't even been any injuries. Brooks Laich? Is there a team in the league that hasn't lost a comparable forward for at least as much time?

Yeah that injury excuse makes absolutely no sense considering the amount of injuries other EC teams have had, like Detroit, Columbus, Pittspurgh and Tampa.

 

[strungout]

I might get flamed, but I'm not completely out on GMGM.

I'm still nervous about what may come instead. It's a difficult move with an owner who doesn't really have a track record of picking great GMs, and who will stick with a guy for a while. He also has a reputation of not wanting to pay top dollar.

I think he should go, as long as there's a suitable replacement. But there's no telling on that.

While I do think GMGM has had enough time, I still respect the talent he has been able to get in the draft. He's not able to do it in the UFA market, and his trades haven't paid off, but he's found a lot more NHLers than many of his peers through the draft. If that's Mahoney, so be it.


I would be fine if they fire GMGM. I just want to make sure we don't end up as a doormat for the next 10 years instead of a team that should make the playoffs regularly with a decent coach, even if they're no threat to win it all.

Im as big a Mafki supporter you'll find on here...and I agree with what you are saying....but there isnt much coming back from something this lame.

If they somehow pull it together and make the playoffs....Im sure the odds of him keeping his job are pretty good.

But Im just done. I can't do this any more. When I get like this about anything....it time to purge.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Im as big a Mafki supporter you'll find on here...and I agree with what you are saying....but there isnt much coming back from something this lame.

If they somehow pull it together and make the playoffs....Im sure the odds of him keeping his job are pretty good.

But Im just done. I can't do this any more. When I get like this about anything....it time to purge.

Here's the remainder of the schedule:
Vancouver (win)
Toronto (win)
@ Anaheim (lost)
@ LA (lost)
@ San Jose (lost)
@ Nashville (win)
LA (lost)
Boston (lost)
Dallas (lost)
@ NJ (lost)
@ NYI (win)
@ St. Louis (lost)
@ Carolina (lost)
Chicago (lost)
TB (lost)

I'm being overly optimistic and I see them finishing out 4-11 over the remaining 15 games.

 

[artilector]

-Fire McPhee
-Fire McPhee again to make sure
-Fire left-handed coaches
-Fire right-handed coaches
-Fire ambidextrous coaches
-Trade Green & Laich
-Acquire reliable D, the more the merrier
-Hire new coaches, removing the current contract article that states "Ovi and Nick MUST play on the same line for 95% of ES time"
-...
-Profit.

And.. hate to say this, if I were objective (which I'm mostly not on this, lol), I'd be thinking about when might be the right time to trade Ovi, if the ES struggles continue. There are a bunch of things that can and should be tried before seriously exploring a trade, but right now to have negative effectiveness at ES for 9.5M is horrendous. And as time goes by, other obvious factors come into play..

 

[SlappaDaBass]

-Fire McPhee
-Fire McPhee again to make sure
-Fire left-handed coaches
-Fire right-handed coaches
-Fire ambidextrous coaches
-Trade Green & Laich
-Acquire reliable D, the more the merrier
-Hire new coaches, removing the current contract article that states "Ovi and Nick MUST play on the same line for 95% of ES time"
-...
-Profit.

And.. hate to say this, if I were objective (which I'm mostly not on this, lol), I'd be thinking about when might be the right time to trade Ovi, if the ES struggles continue. There are a bunch of things that can and should be tried before seriously exploring a trade, but right now to have negative effectiveness at ES for 9.5M is horrendous. And as time goes by, other obvious factors come into play..

It doesn't matter what GM we bring in, as long as Ted is the owner Ovechkin will NEVER be traded. Ted makes entirely too much money off him.

 

[g00n]

I might get flamed, but I'm not completely out on GMGM.

I'm still nervous about what may come instead. It's a difficult move with an owner who doesn't really have a track record of picking great GMs, and who will stick with a guy for a while. He also has a reputation of not wanting to pay top dollar.

I think he should go, as long as there's a suitable replacement. But there's no telling on that.

While I do think GMGM has had enough time, I still respect the talent he has been able to get in the draft. He's not able to do it in the UFA market, and his trades haven't paid off, but he's found a lot more NHLers than many of his peers through the draft. If that's Mahoney, so be it.


I would be fine if they fire GMGM. I just want to make sure we don't end up as a doormat for the next 10 years instead of a team that should make the playoffs regularly with a decent coach, even if they're no threat to win it all.

Not singling you out but to this sentiment in general, which is common in sports talk:

You can never be sure of anything. Risk is required in life. If there was a guaranteed method to success that required no risk everyone would do it, then it probably wouldn't work anymore because the playing field would again be level. This applies to hiring GMs, coaches, players, ...almost anything.

GMGM is the guy in charge and he hasn't gotten it done. You just hope Ted learns from his mistakes and doesn't give the next guy another 15 year pass to do whatever. You can't leave a guy in place who is failing simply because you're afraid the alternative MIGHT be worse.

 

[um]

laich, and green out. brouwer out if we can get a defensemen back.

Ovechkin-Grabovski-_______
_______-Backstrom-Kuznetsov
Chimera-Johansson-Ward
Fehr-Latta-Wilson

_______-Carlson
Alzner-_______
Schmidt-Orlov

Holtby
_______

lot of big holes to fill with few guys to fill them. maybe we can fill 1 via trade, 1 via free agency than we have to hope that one of our prospects really pans out.

 

[Liberati0n*]

Ted's imbecility really can't be overstated. The best argument against firing McPhee has always been that Ted will be responsible for picking his successor. Odds are the guy is going to make such an outstandingly ****ing terrible decision that it'll just get worse.

 

[thelebaron]

i know hunter hockey is pretty controversial here, but what style does hunter actually coach with the london ontario knights?

everyone has pretty much nailed the key issues: management and coaching need to go, some big moves to address the blueline as well. I dont really see why people even bother talking about moving ovi, you might as well fantasize about winning the lottery and what you would do with it, that is almost guaranteed not to happen.

 

[Calicaps]

Ted's imbecility really can't be overstated. The best argument against firing McPhee has always been that Ted will be responsible for picking his successor. Odds are the guy is going to make such an outstandingly ****ing terrible decision that it'll just get worse.

Maybe. I am not defending him at all, but really he's done... nothing, which may be stupid, but maybe it's just cowardly.

It's hard to know what ability he has wrt hiring.

 

[Ajax1995]

And.. hate to say this, if I were objective (which I'm mostly not on this, lol), I'd be thinking about when might be the right time to trade Ovi, if the ES struggles continue. There are a bunch of things that can and should be tried before seriously exploring a trade, but right now to have negative effectiveness at ES for 9.5M is horrendous. And as time goes by, other obvious factors come into play..

This guy's fancy stats say Ovechkin is the best player in the league at ES, well at least counting last season and this one up to 12/20.

http://statsportsconsulting.com/thor/

Who knew...?

 

[Calicaps]

This guy's fancy stats say Ovechkin is the best player in the league at ES, well at least counting last season and this one up to 12/20.

http://statsportsconsulting.com/thor/

Who knew...?

The Oates effect. #winning

 

[Fallschirmyager]

And.. hate to say this, if I were objective (which I'm mostly not on this, lol), I'd be thinking about when might be the right time to trade Ovi, if the ES struggles continue. There are a bunch of things that can and should be tried before seriously exploring a trade, but right now to have negative effectiveness at ES for 9.5M is horrendous. And as time goes by, other obvious factors come into play..

Ovechkin and this team need a coach that won't coddle them. The Oates, "I don't yell" bs needs to go. it doesn't work. You'll get more effort out of any group of people if you give them what they've earned. Whether that be praise or an animal house inspired spit flying yelling spree.

 

[Calicaps]

Ovechkin and this team need a coach that won't coddle them. The Oates, "I don't yell" bs needs to go. it doesn't work. You'll get more effort out of any group of people if you give them what they've earned. Whether that be praise or an animal house inspired spit flying yelling spree.

And motivation at the start. Oates doesn't yell, he also doesn't inspire. There's a reason that Lombardi-type speeches are iconic. They work.

See: Brooks, Herb

 

[artilector]

This guy's fancy stats say Ovechkin is the best player in the league at ES, well at least counting last season and this one up to 12/20.

http://statsportsconsulting.com/thor/

Who knew...?

The Caps need to produce a line combo with Ovi that will be a net positive at ES. I don't think one can take it for granted any more (and going forward) that Ovi just needs the right system/linemates for that to happen. And also, there are questions like whether there is a system that a) would allow Ovi thrive and b) would be effective enough to contend against machine-like teams.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

And motivation at the start. Oates doesn't yell, he also doesn't inspire. There's a reason that Lombardi-type speeches are iconic. They work.

See: Brooks, Herb

yep. Plus it's easier to truly understand how pissed someone is when your ears are flapping from the wind their yelling is creating. That also makes their praise that much more worthy.

 

[Mothra]

I am not in favor of trading Green but if he is not going to be on the 1st pp unit, then keeping him is a waste of time.


If you really want them to win, I would clean house in the front office and then trade the former young guys for a reset. That includes 8.

Ok i gotta ask.....

why are you still not in favor of trading 52? It has to be either you think he is still good as it is....or you see him becoming the 1st team all-star he was several years ago. Please...I gotta hear this. Why is it better for the Caps that he remain?

but....if you trade 52 you might as well trade 19 and 8 too? Is that what im supposed to take from that?

 

[FloridaCap]

New coach
New GM
Top-4, left-handed, defensive defenseman to pair with Green
Bottom pairing, right handed defenseman
Move Ovechkin back to LW
Legitimate two-way center
Buy out Laich
Trade Erskine for a bag of pucks
Trade Mojo for a true winger
Develop Kuznetsov as a center, let Grabo walk, use that money elsewhere
Split up Backstrom and Ovechkin for good -- their play styles simply no longer fit each other. Backstrom is clearly weighed down by Ovechkin's game, and Backstrom is just too slow of a skater to keep up with Ovechkin.
Resign Halak and use a Halak/Holtby duo instead of just handing the job to Holtby again

Fehr-Backstrom-Winger Mojo is traded for
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Brouwer I guess
Chimera-2wayC-Ward
blah blah 4th line zZzz

Alzner-Carlson
newD-Green
Orlov-newD

Halak
Holtby

 

[FloridaCap]

Ok i gotta ask.....

why are you still not in favor of trading 52? It has to be either you think he is still good as it is....or you see him becoming the 1st team all-star he was several years ago. Please...I gotta hear this. Why is it better for the Caps that he remain?

but....if you trade 52 you might as well trade 19 and 8 too? Is that what im supposed to take from that?

I'm on the fence when it comes to trading Green, and here's why:

We won't get anything for Green. Absolutely nothing. He's injury prone, and thanks to Oates, doesn't put up good numbers anymore either.

On the flip side, if we got a coach that actually knew how to utilize him, he'd prove far more valuable on our team than anyone/anything we'd get back in a trade for him.

Is he worth 6M? No. Under Oates he's worth about 1M, and under a good coach, he'd probably be worth about 5.

 

[Calicaps]

yep. Plus it's easier to truly understand how pissed someone is when your ears are flapping from the wind their yelling is creating. That also makes their praise that much more worthy.

indeed.

Oates may be a robot.

 

[Calicaps]

Ted's imbecility really can't be overstated. The best argument against firing McPhee has always been that Ted will be responsible for picking his successor. Odds are the guy is going to make such an outstandingly ****ing terrible decision that it'll just get worse.

Maybe. I am not defending him at all, but really he's done... nothing, which may be stupid, but maybe it's just cowardly.

It's hard to know what ability he has wrt hiring.

I should add to the above that, by contrast, we know full well what we get with GMGM. We know the ****** coaching and irrational rosters.

Ted might possibly do well. Makfi won't.

 

[g00n]

Ok i gotta ask.....

why are you still not in favor of trading 52? It has to be either you think he is still good as it is....or you see him becoming the 1st team all-star he was several years ago. Please...I gotta hear this. Why is it better for the Caps that he remain?

but....if you trade 52 you might as well trade 19 and 8 too? Is that what im supposed to take from that?

He may or may not answer you himself but I've had this discussion with him before. He sets up the slippery slope argument that if you do X then therefore Z with no logical Y prior to that. He argues that significant change means 3-5 years of sucking and that means all the stars need to be traded. His defense of Green is that he can return to his old form because why not, and if you don't think so then you're wrong because we didn't trade Ovechkin and Ovie's numbers went down and then up again.

Essentially, in his scenarios we're being held hostage by the fear of trading Ovechkin and stinking for 5 years while holding out hope that players like Green reverse the trends of the last few years. In some threads he attacks fans for being "self loathing" and hating everything about the organization, then within minutes or hours he's in a thread like this saying he's OK with changing GMs BUT we're all still idiots and X=Z.

That about sum it up, tx? Saved you some typing, I hope.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

I'm on the fence when it comes to trading Green, and here's why:

We won't get anything for Green. Absolutely nothing. He's injury prone, and thanks to Oates, doesn't put up good numbers anymore either.

On the flip side, if we got a coach that actually knew how to utilize him, he'd prove far more valuable on our team than anyone/anything we'd get back in a trade for him.

Is he worth 6M? No. Under Oates he's worth about 1M, and under a good coach, he'd probably be worth about 5.

This is exactly why I'm in favor of clearing it out now. IF the guy you want is available now, bring him in and let him hire his coach and let everyone fight for a job. While Green isn't as bad as his reputation says he is, he is still the perfect sacrificial lamb and would be addition by subtraction. No we wouldn't get great value for him but sending him off and clearing that 6 mil salary would help at any rate.

The list of those players that aren't allowed to be traded is short. everyone else is available if the new GM feels the need. 8, 19, 74, 27, 92 and maybe a prospect or two but everyone else is on the block if required to obtain FIXES and not more band aids.