Speculation: Acq./Rost. Bldg./Cap Part XLVII

[BiPolar Caps]

Why would New York do that?

I can't answer for New York, but go to the Islanders board or the main trade board and you'll get insight into the Islander's fans perspective on Grabner, i.e. contract year, recent sports hernia injury/surgery ala Brooks Laich, Capuano evidently is not a big fan of him/doesn't fit the Islanders style of hockey, many reasons cited. I can see Laich somewhat fitting the Islanders style. The benefit for the Caps is you remove 1.5 cap space in such a transaction, you have the opportunity to take the guy for a test run as it's his contract year, he's 27 so he's a few years younger than Laich, Grabner did score 34 goals for the Isles a few years back. Evidently Grabner's good on the PK as well so he could be Laich's replacement in that role.

 

[Raikkonen]

I hope GMBM realizes that the nature of the window is very fluent. One day it's open, and the next thing you know you've lost to some Bolts in the ECF, your best player is demoralized (I guess from the looks of him in the ending minutes), your most expensive forward is untradeable and useless and your own magician MSL is very old.

I'm not even mentioning Yandle. Rangers were good, were very good and now they're behind again with not so bright future prospects.

McLellan better recognize that we need to indeed win the Cup with Ovie, and one shot at the Cup will be the only one, maybe.

I hope they aren't delusional (both with Trotz) about us. They need to be decisive. I don't want to see Laich as a career Cap. I think it's possible, I laich Brooks, but I like the Cup more.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

The Rangers have 4 draft picks coming up in this draft and they have to deal with RFA Stepan and Hagelin as well, so even with MSL not being signed it may be tight for them.

Thanks to the Glencross trade Caps are down to 5 draft picks and of course we have our own issue with RFAs.

Compare the Rangers and the Caps to the Bolts. The Bolts have 10 draft picks in this coming draft, they only have one UFA Morrow and their RFAs don't seem to be playing significant roles at this point. The Bolts window is only getting wider.

This is why I just shake my head when fans here post their willingness to just shed draft picks in any transaction they propose as if they mean nothing. Furthermore, many of us get lathered up at the TDL for the team to make a transaction which rarely benefits the team and usually ends up costing valuable picks. The Bolts and Stevie Y seem to be doing it right the right way.

 

[Raikkonen]

http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/joel-ward-one-on-one-5-26-15

Ward wants to stay. And win the Cup here. Pay the man. 9 points in 14 games this playoffs! Didn't think he got that much. He's actually tied with Ovechkin for the lead (less goals, better plus-minus).

And I love cheese.

 

[artilector]

http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/joel-ward-one-on-one-5-26-15

Ward wants to stay. And win the Cup here. Pay the man. 9 points in 14 games this playoffs! Didn't think he got that much. He's actually tied with Ovechkin for the lead (less goals, better plus-minus).

And I love cheese.

I have a bad feeling that the Caps are gonna end up with Laich & Brouwer back, and Ward gone.

They seem to plan on a passive approach -- hard to see it working when they have so much potential turnover to deal with.

 

[Langway]

I think they're more likely to be aggressive from a personnel standpoint than becoming more aggressive from a tactically. It may not necessarily be wise or effective aggressiveness from MacLellan but that in part depends on his dance partners. (The supreme irony of course being that their current glaring need was lost in an act of impatient aggressiveness and flimsy pro scouting.)

A bland status quo off-season would then shift the burden to tactics and I'm not sure they really want to go there.

 

[hockeykicker]

I see caps resigning Joel ward and jay beagle (he has basically said he won't play anywhere else). Of course kuzy and holtby. They will let fehr go as well as gleason and glencross.

I see the caps signing either David schlemko or Matt bartowski to be with Schmidt on the third pair. They aren't the best players but they are veterans as i feel gmbm wont want orlov and Schmidt.

The new rw is gonna be sharp imo. Just a gut feeling. Johannson is gonna probably be in that deal

I also feel that they may sign frolik to be a pk and third liner and look to trade chimera/laich. And of course grubauer over peters

 

[Deestroyer]

Elliot Friedman just announced in Hockey night in Canada Braden Holtby's contract is close to done.

 

[third man in]

Elliot Friedman just announced in Hockey night in Canada Braden Holtby's contract is close to done.

I'm hoping it's under 6. 5.75 x 5

 

[hockeykicker]

Elliot Friedman just announced in Hockey night in Canada Braden Holtby's contract is close to done.

im hoping your right as i cant find that information anywhere

 

[Raikkonen]

Sounds like it's longer than 1 year Something much longer. I guess.

We like our goalie (c)

 

[OV Rocks]

I'm hoping it's under 6. 5.75 x 5

I would not be upset if it rose to about 6.5M for 6 years or something like that. 6.5 is probably my max

I am expecting it to be 6M for 5-7 years and come year 4 or 5 it could be one of the best contracts in the league. Montreal is similar with Carey Price he is a 6.5 and a great deal I think

 

[Pigskin]

Holtby is an RFA ... shouldn't we take the short term discount bridge deal if there is one to be had ?

I find it hard to imagine his value going higher

$6.5 x 6 would be insane, no way do I want that

Is it impossible we could get him for like $4m x 2 ?

 

[442]

Holtby is an RFA ... shouldn't we take the short term discount bridge deal if there is one to be had ?

I find it hard to imagine his value going higher

$6.5 x 6 would be insane, no way do I want that

Is it impossible we could get him for like $4m x 2 ?

He's coming off a bridge 2 yr deal, makes sense to lock him up

 

[Deestroyer]

Heres the video
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/devils-deny-housley-to-be-named-head-coach/

 

[Denter]

Holtby is an RFA ... shouldn't we take the short term discount bridge deal if there is one to be had ?

I find it hard to imagine his value going higher

$6.5 x 6 would be insane, no way do I want that

Is it impossible we could get him for like $4m x 2 ?

In my opinion we should definitely sign him to 5+ year long deal.
He gained some recognition, but up until this season he wasnt considered (by noncaps fans) a very good goalie and doesnt have a Vezina nomination.
With solidified Caps D, Mitch Corn as Goalie coach and Trotz as HC, IMO he could very well get a Vezina nomination and become an elite goalie in the eyes of public + at the and of this 4m x 2 contract he would not be RFA anymore, Cap will rise.

If everything goes that way, you are looking at a Lundqvist like contract in 17/18.

 

[hockeykicker]

Heres the video
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/devils-deny-housley-to-be-named-head-coach/

Thanks. He says thier is some optimism between the two as they begin to have talks. Hopefully next week or so they get it done.

 

[Langway]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-no-last-stand-for-blackhawks/

18. Another one with no confirmation: that contract talks are underway with Washington and restricted free agent Braden Holtby. He’s their top priority. GM Brian MacLellan and agent David Kaye did not return messages, but another source described opening conversations as optimistic. Holtby is two seasons from being unrestricted, but the belief is the Capitals are more than willing to buy into those years.

19. In his season-ending media conference, MacLellan said he was looking to add a top-six winger. Word is out, though: Don’t even ask about Andre Burakovsky and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

 

[g00n]

Holtby has never struck me as the kind of guy to be chasing the money. I think he wants to win, and may be looking at a backloaded deal that allows cap flexibility until some of these albatross contracts come off the books.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-no-last-stand-for-blackhawks/

Interesting. Say goodbye to our 1st and/or Bowey/Vrana? Not sure how else we'd trade for a 1RW if EK/AB are off the table.

 

[g00n]

Interesting. Say goodbye to our 1st and/or Bowey/Vrana? Not sure how else we'd trade for a 1RW if EK/AB are off the table.

A pick, a prospect, and one of Mojo/Laich/Brouwer depending on the value of the pick/prospect package? I suppose it could be done.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Interesting. Say goodbye to our 1st and/or Bowey/Vrana? Not sure how else we'd trade for a 1RW if EK/AB are off the table.

And say hello to some crap like Vrbata.

 

[Langway]

A pick, a prospect, and one of Mojo/Laich/Brouwer depending on the value of the pick/prospect package? I suppose it could be done.

That's probably the most reasonable way to go about it, particularly if they want some cap space for other priorities like Ward. Maybe no prospect going the other way depending on the target.

And say hello to some crap like Vrbata.

His age certainly isn't ideal but looking at the scoring charts from this past season he may be the only sort of value opportunity available so why not? Certainly we can question the logic behind perhaps wanting to give up prime futures to get older in an increasingly younger league but that's a separate issue. If this is their plan then Vrbata is maybe the most realistic option if he is in the outs in Vancouver. A 30/30 guy even at his age is a mark above anything out there in free agency. Justin Williams at best is the only winger that could maybe put those kinds of numbers up with a bounceback season.

The only way for them to get a real quality younger player back is if Johansson has more value than we normally tend to think. Not sure he does, even in a package.

 

[Brian23]

A pick, a prospect, and one of Mojo/Laich/Brouwer depending on the value of the pick/prospect package? I suppose it could be done.

Tom Wilson's name wasn't on that list...

 

[hockeykicker]

Interesting. Say goodbye to our 1st and/or Bowey/Vrana? Not sure how else we'd trade for a 1RW if EK/AB are off the table.

you would prefer to trade kuzy or burakovsky away instead of vrana and a first?

i know you didnt actually say that. but thats what people are generalizing here.