Speculation: Acq./Rost. Bldg./Cap/Lines etc. Part LXXV (Dog Days - Woof!) Galiev waived

[MrGone]

Agreed. Trotz began to put pressure on the centers to be more defensive, and while it's not the best trait of his game, he naturally was self-conscious of the mistakes he made. The way he is taking it into this season, he has to realize and ACCEPT what his strengths are, and that his team not only makes the same mistakes, but he can trust them to bail him out of his mistakes. He shouldn't be afraid to play the way he was at the beginning of last season.

We don't have years for him to get his head right (Poor sad Mike Green). He needs to get it fixed or be traded while the team get still get a king ransom for him. The window is a lot closer to being closed then a lot of people are willing to believe. He like others on the team will just not be twice the player as contract doubles.

 

[RandyHolt]

With cap hell coming, I think it's prudent for BMac to try to make trades. He shouldn't need to see a year of Oshie Alzner etc to decide their worth and need.

Last years team - Chim + Eller is the same team as last year. BMac knows what he has already.

Kuz is the big wild card. Barry needs to get his game sorted out and fast. He did pot a goal, but otherwise it's awkward.

 

[txpd]

Alzner/Carlson
Orlov/Niskanen
Orpik/Schmidt

Make it happen, Trotz.

Niskanen is not a stay at home defenseman either. He has 4 assists so far. He is the only defenseman producing points right now. Lets not hang Orlov around his neck and make him play Alzner and Oprik's game

 

[txpd]

Mojo is clutch guy. G7 assist to Ovi against Rangers has to be the best thing in his career.

Just that finishing is not his best asset.

Not his fault we don't have better finishers.

I actually think Johansson is a high pressure player. On the pp he controls the puck in very tight spaces that don't allow for mistakes and he does that consistently as well as Backstrom does. Quick look at the stats page and he has 4 points so far.

 

[RandyHolt]

Niskaken has absolutely been playing a stay at home role, a few rushes aside, his entire time here. Don't let the assists in the small sample size fool you. #Oleksied

Ok this is good too. MJ is a high pressure player?

Is there any time easier to play than on the PP? Sure he can sneak in the odd goal late in a playoff series, but Erksine scored in a game 6 or 7 once. MJ is a very good stickhandler but is not VG in limited tight high pressures areas, which basically equates to ES.

 

[twabby]

I've been kind of back and forth between who is the Capitals #1 defenseman. Carlson has been considered for several seasons the Capitals best defenseman, but he's really not very good defensively and he doesn't really tilt the ice much in terms of shot-attempt differential.

Meanwhile, Niskanen has been very good defensively and generally tilts the ice better than any of the Capitals top defensemen, but hasn't contributed as much offensively at even strength as a good #1 defenseman does. He mentioned in the offseason he wants to add more offense to his game, and so far his point totals seem to reflect that.

Right now it seems like Niskanen is the #1 on the team (but that could change). And given that, I kind of understand not wanting to put Orlov alongside him right away because it would mean the toughest matchups. However, I think it needs to be tried just like everything else because this is almost surely going to be a playoff team no matter what. Why not find out if they can form chemistry? Why not find out if Orlov can handle the toughest matchups reasonably well?

Also, I don't really buy that Orlov has somehow held back Carlson's offense. There's no real evidence of that being true.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Kuzy is a shell of his former self. This team is going no where with him playing the way he's played the last ~40 games.

 

[txpd]

Niskaken has absolutely been playing a stay at home role, a few rushes aside, his entire time here. Don't let the assists in the small sample size fool you. #Oleksied

Ok this is good too. MJ is a high pressure player?

Is there any time easier to play than on the PP? Sure he can sneak in the odd goal late in a playoff series, but Erksine scored in a game 6 or 7 once. MJ is a very good stickhandler but is not VG in limited tight high pressures areas, which basically equates to ES.

Alzner is the stay at home. Niskanen is the puck mover. Yes, he is more cautious because he is assigned to the oppoping 1 line. You are not seriously saying that Niskanen is Alzner, Orpik, Witt, Reekie? He's Carlson. Better defensively and not as good offensively but he is not a stay at home.

And...I get it people here don't like Johansson. Give him credit for being good at something and you are politically incorrect.

 

[txpd]

Kuzy is a shell of his former self. This team is going no where with him playing the way he's played the last ~40 games.

Its a cold snap. that's all. remember that. nothing to see here. move along

 

[txpd]

Why not find out if Orlov can handle the toughest matchups reasonably well?

Also, I don't really buy that Orlov has somehow held back Carlson's offense. There's no real evidence of that being true.

Buddy, they are. Didn't you watch the Oilers game? He gave up a stereotypical pizza up the slot for a grade A chance that Holtby got. He got turned inside out on a goal against.

As for Carlson. Lets go back to what I said about Orlov and Carlson playing together. This was the pair YOU wanted. I said that I was fine with trying it. But if covering for Orlov had an adverse effect on Carlson's offensive game, they would need to change it. That Carlson's offensive game is more important than Orlov.

Now, you are saying that Carlson isn't that good. He's not that good defensively and if Orlov isn't holding his offensive game back, then he is also not that good offensively.

You are going to have a hard time selling that Carlson isn't that good. Yea, he isn't a stay at home Alzner/Orpik defenseman. In that role with Orlov, he is miscast.

meanwhile it reads like you are back to saying Orlov should be on the 1st pair.

 

[Hivemind]

Niskanen is not a stay at home defenseman either. He has 4 assists so far. He is the only defenseman producing points right now. Lets not hang Orlov around his neck and make him play Alzner and Oprik's game

Not every pairing needs to be "stay at home" + "puck mover."

 

[Acallabeth]

Kuzy is a shell of his former self.

Past his prime.
The concerning thing is that he had regressed after his breakout KHL season as well.

 

[txpd]

Not every pairing needs to be "stay at home" + "puck mover."

Are you sure? Look at Orlov and Carlson. While with Alzner and Orpik, Carlson would as a matter of course jump into the play. With Orlov he does far less of that. He does not go deep in the offensive zone any more than what Alzner and Orpik, who do it but at a far lower rate than what Schmidt, Orlov and Niskanen do.

Do you think that Carlson has not reduced his offensive game from what he typically did in the past? Seems pretty clear that he has and the production backs that up

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Not every pairing needs to be "stay at home" + "puck mover."

The pair with Orlov does....someone has to pull the pizzas out of the oven.


Carlson's game is off, there's no doubt. Is that on 9? Not sure. Things seem to point to "babysitter" duty....

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Past his prime.
The concerning thing is that he had regressed after his breakout KHL season as well.

He's obviously still in his prime. He's 24 years old, he's just in a major slump. It's like when Selanne had 32 pts in 78 games in 2004 and after the lockout he scored 90 pts in 80 games.

Kuznetsov is at his lowest since his rookie season, he will bounce back eventually but I hope he does it in the first half of the season. He was an All-Star last year, so he gets more attention from the defense, he needs to adapt to the extra coverage on him.

Also, it would help if he had a more positive attitude on the ice instead of playing frustrated.

 

[txpd]

The pair with Orlov does....someone has to pull the pizzas out of the oven.....

Thanks to Trotz for the pizza comment. one of the all time greats

 

[txpd]

He was an All-Star last year, so he gets more attention from the defense, he needs to adapt to the extra coverage on him..

As long as he is on the 2nd line he gets less attention than the Ovechkin group gets. This is why I would never have put him with Ov until after he had found his game and gotten some momentum.

 

[strungout]

I like the line changes.

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[MrGone]

As long as he is on the 2nd line he gets less attention than the Ovechkin group gets. This is why I would never have put him with Ov until after he had found his game and gotten some momentum.

After 40+ games maybe they are hoping OV can get him going. They could be grasping at straws at this point.

 

[g00n]

Wow. Serious line shuffling and some REAL PRACTICE on transition/passing.


Hi, Barry!

 

[g00n]

The pair with Orlov does....someone has to pull the pizzas out of the oven.

/golf clap

 

[Carlzner]

McIlrath, golden boy of the NYR corsi fanatics on this site, gets waived and goes unclaimed.

Pretty amusing.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Nice. I'm not sure Willy is the guy that's going to get Kuzy going, but otherwise I like.