What's Next for Washington?

[Egghead1999]

Well the Sharks almost did that.

They got Jones

 

[CBJFan19*]

This series is not over yet and they could easily push it it six or seven games.

They had bad luck in past years always running into Pittsburgh and losing those series.

It's over. Teams who need PP to score usually dont win in the playoffs

 

[Gsus]

I wish they did. Except with the Sharks, Martin Jones came in and more or less stole the show in net in his first season with the Sharks. Before that, they had Nabokov, who was a playoff choker, and then Niemi...

Capitals still have two good enough goalies to get there. They just have to find a way.

 

[illpucks]

I was told that Ovi's trade value is Draisaitl. Oilers easily do that trade and put 8 with 97

 

[illpucks]

They need to do smart trades and make the team really fast and really soft.

They need to utilize Ovi like Kessel on the Pens.

Trade Backstrom for Dahlin.

Hire Sutter. Or you know a coach that has passed round 2 at least once in 18 seasons.

 

[Index]

They need to tear it down, keep Ovechkin sure, but trade the rest of the vets especially when you don't have any no move clauses.
I guess we will see first how the series turns out of course, and then the draft.
The message should be clear at the draft, by acquiring as many draft picks.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

They'll most likely win game 3, people will get hopeful but then they'll lose game 4 and then be out after game 5.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

I’d argue Carlson Niskanen and Orlov is a fine top 3. And when they had Shattenkirk that was an awesome top 4.

Replace Shattenkirk with Schmidt and I agree.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Replace Shattenkirk with Schmidt and I agree.

Top 5 with Schmidt too

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Top 5 with Schmidt too

They were stacked last year. The 2nd best team in the playoffs.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

They were stacked last year. The 2nd best team in the playoffs.

Yep they just choked again

 

[jetsforever]

Basically keep trying for a Cup until Ovechkin retires

 

[613Leafer]

Maybe they should try icing a decent defense for the first time god damn ever.

2016-2017: 1st in GAA
2015-2016: 2nd in GAA
2014-2015: 7th in GAA

They did address it for a few years. Didn't help though.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Depends what the owner wants.

If Capitals owner only wants to milk the franchise (not saying that he does)
and cares zero, or little about success,...what's next? A: same old, same old.

I think many NHL franchise, that have stagnated for years (some for decade(s)) now would benefit from new owner.

 

[Pavels Dog]

- Trade for depth scoring
- Trade for good bottom 6 character/grit guy(s) with some scoring
- Upgrade/bolster Defense

They should give it 1 or 2 more legit tries with Ovie/Backstrom. This year feels like a half measure from them.

 

[NextYear67]

Joke franchise. Haven't seen a team waste its window this bad maybe ever

 

[MrSnrub]

Yep they just choked again

How is it a choke if the 2nd best team loses to the best team?

 

[VoluntaryDom]

How is it a choke if the 2nd best team loses to the best team?

At least take em to 7. Pens didn’t have Letang it was the Caps chance.

 

[txpd]

What's next? They have a game tonight. Don't they?

 

[Extra Texture]

At least take em to 7. Pens didn’t have Letang it was the Caps chance.

They actually did manage to take it to 7 last year. They just ran into playoff steroids in the form of Hornqvist and Rust.

But I agree with you on principle. They added Shattenkirk and had a stacked team. Pens were missing their 1D. On top of that Caps had all the momentum heading into game seven, at home. When they couldn’t get it done that year, it was time to face the fact that it just wasn’t gonna happen.

 

[Machinehead]

2016-2017: 1st in GAA
2015-2016: 2nd in GAA
2014-2015: 7th in GAA

They did address it for a few years. Didn't help though.

This is goaltending.

They've never been effective at suppressing chances, generating shots at even strength, or effectively transitioning the puck.

Brooks Orpik has probably led them in minutes or close to it over these three years.

They remind me of quite a few of the Rangers teams I've seen. They've have good "defense" because they have good goaltending.

The only year those Rangers teams defended well by any measure that wasn't Lundqvist was 2014. Wonder how they did that year...

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Build a time machine and draft malkin

 

[SniperOnTheWing]

Build a time machine and draft malkin

So PIT ends up with a Crosby-Ovie top line instead? That helps the Pens win more Cups than the Caps I think.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

So PIT ends up with a Crosby-Ovie top line instead? That helps the Pens win more Cups than the Caps I think.

Hell no. Thank God the caps were dumb enough to draft a winger over a center

 

[Midnight Judges]

It is almost exclusively haters saying trade Ovechkin. The Capitals have never considered it - because it is a monumentally dumb idea.

The Caps have won the division how many years in a row now? Why would anyone blow that up? Trade off great players for draft picks - mere chances to have great players years from now? That is ultra dumb.

Trotz is the problem. He was the exact wrong coach for the Capitals. A team that had some great assets but needed a better playoff strategy hires a coach with zero playoff success. That was a terrible decision. He should have been fired last offseason. A majority of Caps fans agree with that.