2014 Training Camp Thread

[Stewie G]

except up until last season almost everyone on this forum had a problem with Ward having the contract he has.

you make a good case based on numbers. the current coach describes him as a top 6 winger. the current coach has him in the leadership group. he doesn't seem to see him as a bad contract that needs to go.

I never had a problem with Ward or his contract. I think he had been underutilized in the regular season and was one of the players who stepped up during the playoffs. With increased minutes and a winger that complements him well, he showed what he can do.

The coaches see much more than we do from the outside, so maybe what the see behind closed doors somehow justifies the apparent overpayment if one is looking solely at on-ice numbers. I don't think that matters when classifying someone as a top 6 winger though.

 

[Stewie G]

except up until last season almost everyone on this forum had a problem with Ward having the contract he has.

you make a good case based on numbers. the current coach describes him as a top 6 winger. the current coach has him in the leadership group. he doesn't seem to see him as a bad contract that needs to go. Its a common comment about the Caps from the media that they are a much better team with a healthy Brooks Laich in the lineup. He is a difference maker. He is not a favorite of mine really. Ward is and has been.

What do you expect them to say? We're glad that ES anchor is in the pressbox?

I don't know a good way to measure that claim. There is just one season where there is a reasonably large sample of games he missed compared to total games played. I guess one could do a comparison of their record in the games Laich played vs. those he missed last year, but I wouldn't draw any conclusions from it.

 

[txpd]

I never had a problem with Ward or his contract. I think he had been underutilized in the regular season and was one of the players who stepped up during the playoffs. With increased minutes and a winger that complements him well, he showed what he can do.

The coaches see much more than we do from the outside, so maybe what the see behind closed doors somehow justifies the apparent overpayment if one is looking solely at on-ice numbers. I don't think that matters when classifying someone as a top 6 winger though.

I will also say that I know from contact with professional sports management people of the past that players in any sport that can play a legit level of pro play at multi positions are always worth more money. In a salary cap league that is even more valuable. it stretches the salary cap.

I see a player that is a legit top 6 wingers. A legit top 9 center. He plays both wings. That is rare. He is also a legit defenseman if needed. He is a solid first pp unit player and quality first pk unit player. You can plug him in anywhere except playmaking center.

if he is scoring 20g 50pts he is more worth his paycheck. time will tell if that can happen

 

[txpd]

What do you expect them to say? We're glad that ES anchor is in the pressbox?

I don't know a good way to measure that claim. There is just one season where there is a reasonably large sample of games he missed compared to total games played. I guess one could do a comparison of their record in the games Laich played vs. those he missed last year, but I wouldn't draw any conclusions from it.

the media? the analysts??

 

[Langway]

I think BMac has said that 2c's don't grow on trees and other teams are not offering them up in trades. Not having a quality 2c is a common problem around the league.

I don't expect one to just show up here.

Hey, it's George McPhee's rationalizations for mediocrity. I missed those. Thanks, BMac.

There's a difference between quality, average and completely unproven. There are fundamental things required of a 2C that Kuznetsov and Johansson do not possess at this point. There isn't a team in the entire league with a fundamentally weaker solution than those two. Even if you substitute Laich as the more sound defensive/FO option it's still perhaps the very worst 2C in the league. That's jumping the gun a bit but the potential for it is certainly there. The only team that's close is Edmonton if Draisaitl doesn't stick. Relative to the rest of the league it's a glaring weakness by any standard.

To skimp there by design due to high standards or whatever only not to use those same standards elsewhere is the sort of rationalization for the status quo that's made them so stale.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Again, Laich's highest goal total at ES is 13. He did that playing fun 'n gun under Boudreau, on a line with Alex Semin, and with a healthy groin.

It looks very likely that he will not be a featured player on this squad's pp. I think he'll be a lot closer to 15-15 than 20-50.

 

[txpd]

Hey, it's George McPhee's rationalizations for mediocrity. I missed those. Thanks, BMac..

Its true that McPhee is still calling the shots.

 

[txpd]

Again, Laich's highest goal total at ES is 13. He did that playing fun 'n gun under Boudreau, on a line with Alex Semin, and with a healthy groin.

It looks very likely that he will not be a featured player on this squad's pp. I think he'll be a lot closer to 15-15 than 20-50.

featured player? what does that mean? he has never been featured. he is a complimentary player. he will get his pp time.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

featured player? what does that mean? he has never been featured. he is a complimentary player. he will get his pp time.

He got 2:57 PPTOI/G in 2010 and 2:59 PPTOI/G in 2011 (4th among forwards both years and about 30 seconds behind Backstrom/Semin). I imagine he'll get about a third of that this year -primarily on the 2nd unit.

 

[Langway]

Its true that McPhee is still calling the shots.

His protege anyway. Mac is more ballsy but it remains to be seen if their pro scouting and roster building has improved at all. That's been a big hindrance over the years and boldness itself won't change that.

 

[BobRouse]

His protege anyway. Mac is more ballsy but it remains to be seen if their pro scouting and roster building has improved at all. That's been a big hindrance over the years and boldness itself won't change that.

BMac pretty much acknowledged what most of us have been harping on to be an issue the last 15 years...the D!

So thats a good start. Did he get the right guys to address the need? We shall see. But at least he knows it was a big issue unlike his mentor.

 

[txpd]

He got 2:57 PPTOI/G in 2010 and 2:59 PPTOI/G in 2011 (4th among forwards both years and about 30 seconds behind Backstrom/Semin). I imagine he'll get about a third of that this year -primarily on the 2nd unit.

featured means just being on the pp then? the capitals featured player is ovechkin. the power play is set up with 8 as first shooting option. Laich was 5th shooting option. I would call that filler not featured.

 

[txpd]

His protege anyway. Mac is more ballsy but it remains to be seen if their pro scouting and roster building has improved at all. That's been a big hindrance over the years and boldness itself won't change that.

McPhee left the building saying the team was strong for the future. Leonsis seemed to believe that. BMac carries on the plan. The difference? McPhee would have signed Grabovski and MacLellan wanted defensemen more.

 

[BobRouse]

McPhee left the building saying the team was strong for the future. Leonsis seemed to believe that. BMac carries on the plan. The difference? McPhee would have signed Grabovski and MacLellan wanted defensemen more.

This is true based on history.

McPhee has been absolutely FIXATED on that 2C slot since the Jagr thing.

Lang, Nylander, Nylander again, Fedorov, BMo, Belanger, Ribs, Grabo...

All the while essentially totally ignoring the D. Hamrlik and Hannan were two rather weak efforts. I don't even count guys like Corvo and Wideman since they weren't even the type of D we needed.

 

[Langway]

McPhee left the building saying the team was strong for the future. Leonsis seemed to believe that. BMac carries on the plan. The difference? McPhee would have signed Grabovski and MacLellan wanted defensemen more.

BMac also seems to want to actually coordinate with his head coach (although you can also factor in McPhee being handed Oates as suboptimal). Who knows what McPhee would have done. BMac does seem more willing to recognize glaring roster weaknesses but I'm not sold on their player evaluation overall. Trotz will have a hand in it and that helps but organizationally there's going to need to be a greater degree of coherence (from coaching style to developmental emphasis to pro and amateur scouting).

Jordan Staal & Derek Stepan seriously hurt. Ryan Johansen still at a contract impasse. Fortunate developments for the Caps re: Metro centers at least.

 

[BobRouse]

BMac also seems to want to actually coordinate with his head coach (although you can also factor in McPhee being handed Oates as suboptimal). Who knows what McPhee would have done. BMac does seem more willing to recognize glaring roster weaknesses but I'm not sold on their player evaluation overall. Trotz will have a hand in it and that helps but organizationally there's going to need to be a greater degree of coherence (from coaching style to developmental emphasis to pro and amateur scouting).

Jordan Staal & Derek Stepan seriously hurt. Ryan Johansen still at a contract impasse. Fortunate developments for the Caps re: Metro centers at least.

BMac also had the cajones to tell Ted "what time it is". Thats something that McPhee NEVER did in all his years (think Jagr, Cassidy and then Oates). McPhee was more worried about job preservation than standing up for what he believes in.

I'm not sold on the player evaluation either but I like his mentality and approach.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

featured means just being on the pp then? the capitals featured player is ovechkin. the power play is set up with 8 as first shooting option. Laich was 5th shooting option. I would call that filler not featured.

You think he's going to get 3 minutes on the PP each game and hit 20-50?

 

[Hivemind]

This is true based on history.

McPhee has been absolutely FIXATED on that 2C slot since the Jagr thing.

Lang, Nylander, Nylander again, Fedorov, BMo, Belanger, Ribs, Grabo...

All the while essentially totally ignoring the D. Hamrlik and Hannan were two rather weak efforts. I don't even count guys like Corvo and Wideman since they weren't even the type of D we needed.

What in the actual hell?

McPhee was fixated on 2C? That couldn't be further from the truth. He had bandaid 2C solutions and stopgaps, just like he did on defense. You have BMo and Belanger on that list, yet somehow Hamrlik, Hannan, Corvo, and Wideman don't count.

Not to mention that Orpik is the latest in Hamrlik/Hannan, and Niskanen is the latest in Wideman/Corvo.

 

[EroCaps]

Find a 2C at the deadline? Patchwork the most important forward position and hope to get lucky... Where have I seen this before?

Organization was full of excuses and half-measures under McPhee and pissed away most of their window.

I'll let the Kesler thing go, as he didn't want to come here. I like that Bmac was serious about it. He needs to get on his horse and find a C... soon.

 

[EroCaps]

What in the actual hell?

McPhee was fixated on 2C? That couldn't be further from the truth. He had bandaid 2C solutions and stopgaps, just like he did on defense. You have BMo and Belanger on that list, yet somehow Hamrlik, Hannan, Corvo, and Wideman don't count.

Not to mention that Orpik is the latest in Hamrlik/Hannan, and Niskanen is the latest in Wideman/Corvo.

I'll be ecstatic if Orpik is as good as Hamrlik.

And Niskanen is clearly better than those two.

 

[SimplySensational]

He's a drag on Ovechkin and Backstrom.

Brouwer with Ovechkin and Backstrom doesn't work.

Laich and Brouwer do not work together.

I told people the CBO should of been used on him. He has no place on this team, Burakovsky or Fehr shouldn't be screwed over because Laich makes more money than them.

 

[rt]

How's Chris Brown doing? What's the plan for him?

 

[BobRouse]

Healthier than he felt last season, when he showed up to training camp still recovering from summer knee surgery, told the Capitals he felt less than 100 percent and got inserted into the lineup anyway, Erskine ranks as the elder statemen among the youngers gunning for the gig.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capitals-insider/wp/2014/09/25/capitals-assistant-todd-reirden-pulling-for-old-teammate-john-erskine/

This is just so Oates its not even funny.

 

[Backstrom #19]

Healthier than he felt last season, when he showed up to training camp still recovering from summer knee surgery, told the Capitals he felt less than 100 percent and got inserted into the lineup anyway, Erskine ranks as the elder statemen among the youngers gunning for the gig.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capitals-insider/wp/2014/09/25/capitals-assistant-todd-reirden-pulling-for-old-teammate-john-erskine/

This is just so Oates its not even funny.

I read that as well. Oates was beyond horrible.

 

[SimplySensational]

JapersRink
@JapersRink
And in the #Caps' case, we're talking about the 2C. ~10 ES draws per game, max. Diff. b/t "good" 50% and "awful" 40% is one FO win. (1/2)

Pretty good point...