Speculation: Acq/ Rost. Bldg./ Cap Part XXIII: The Return of Michael Jordan

[BobRouse]

I like our roster overall. I am really warming up to the whole Grabovski thing now as I often do when said player I hate comes to my team.

Perhaps the advanced metrics guys are onto something? I did see Moneyball and totally don't want to be one of those old scouts at near the beggining of the film who refuse to believe in something new.

Our forwards are deep and solid. We have a couple blue chip prospects in the pipes in Wilson and Kuznetsov. Yeah we can improve at #2LD but its not a stretch that Orlov/Erskine could step up and do an decent job provided they are healthy.

The big thing is we have a slew of young players who I expect will get better including MJ, MP, Backstrom, Carlson, Alzner, Holtby, Neuvirth, and Orlov if he makes the team(not counting prospects who won't be on the team most likely)

Green and Ovechkin are still in their primes as is Brouwer, Laich, Ward and probably still Erat.

We're in good shape and if we get some guys to put together seasons they are capable of we can go far.

 

[Hivemind]

I wish we had the cap space to invites some of these UFAs to PTOs. Some real useful players still out there. Hainsey, Brunner, Gagne, Morrow, and more goalies than you can shake a stick at.

 

[txpd]

players don't sign up for tryout contracts without the idea they have a reasonable shot at making the team.

 

[n3ss]

I hope Grabovski has a great year so we can buy out Liach.

 

[txpd]

laich will have a solid season. my guess is that grabovski is a one year player. he will either fail and be gone or he will hit it big like ribeiro and be unsignable and be gone.

 

[Liberati0n*]

With Pitkanen out for the season, the subtitle of this thread may really come true

 

[brs03]

laich will have a solid season. my guess is that grabovski is a one year player. he will either fail and be gone or he will hit it big like ribeiro and be unsignable and be gone.

Even if he hits it big, Caps' cap situation should be much more manageable for next season than it was this season. And he'd be a better investment for an extension than Ribeiro was, most likely.

Obviously doesn't mean he'll be back, but it's surprisingly workable.

 

[Stewie G]

If Laich misses any time, it'll be a good way to evaluate his importance to the team. If a top 6 of 90-19-8, and 10-84-20 produce without him, is it necessary to have a $4.5M 3rd liner?

 

[Calicaps]

If Laich misses any time, it'll be a good way to evaluate his importance to the team. If a top 6 of 90-19-8, and 10-84-20 produce without him, is it necessary to have a $4.5M 3rd liner?

Seems to me that can be evaluated whether he's hurt or not, since it's a near certainty that he's going to be 3LW or 3C to start the season anyway.

 

[Stewie G]

Seems to me that can be evaluated whether he's hurt or not, since it's a near certainty that he's going to be 3LW or 3C to start the season anyway.

Crazier things have happened.

Plus, if Laich is out, we'll likely get a chance to see Chimera and MP get consistent 3rd line minutes. Those two have looked good together in the past, especially in the playoffs. Proving that the team has capable options at 3LW and 3C, really would make Laich look like the odd man out.

 

[n3ss]

laich will have a solid season. my guess is that grabovski is a one year player. he will either fail and be gone or he will hit it big like ribeiro and be unsignable and be gone.

He didn't make it 10 minutes into training camp, he's quickly becoming Tom Poti.

 

[Calicaps]

laich will have a solid season. my guess is that grabovski is a one year player. he will either fail and be gone or he will hit it big like ribeiro and be unsignable and be gone.

Our cap situation is much different going into next season. If Grabo is a difference-maker for the Caps, I think he gets his payday right here.

 

[Hivemind]

players don't sign up for tryout contracts without the idea they have a reasonable shot at making the team.

Sure they do. Half of them just want to play in pre-season games to advertise to the league that they can still play. Ideally they sign with the team that gives them a PTO, but if they get a deal anywhere out of it, they're happy.

Also, implying that those players wouldn't have a good chance to displace an incumbant is hilarious. Especially Ron Hainsey.

 

[SimplySensational]

Erskine got the same as Hainsey...

 

[Capitlols]

They both suck.

 

[Ajax1995]

Erskine got the same as Hainsey...

Well technically...

 

[Vladiator16*]

I like our roster overall. I am really warming up to the whole Grabovski thing now as I often do when said player I hate comes to my team.

Perhaps the advanced metrics guys are onto something? I did see Moneyball and totally don't want to be one of those old scouts at near the beggining of the film who refuse to believe in something new.

Our forwards are deep and solid. We have a couple blue chip prospects in the pipes in Wilson and Kuznetsov. Yeah we can improve at #2LD but its not a stretch that Orlov/Erskine could step up and do an decent job provided they are healthy.

The big thing is we have a slew of young players who I expect will get better including MJ, MP, Backstrom, Carlson, Alzner, Holtby, Neuvirth, and Orlov if he makes the team(not counting prospects who won't be on the team most likely)

Green and Ovechkin are still in their primes as is Brouwer, Laich, Ward and probably still Erat.

We're in good shape and if we get some guys to put together seasons they are capable of we can go far.

As much as I love Ersk, that is a stretch.

 

[txpd]

if hainsey were so good, he wouldn't be out of
a job

 

[malyk]

if hainsey were so good, he wouldn't be out of
a job

I think his outspokenness for players and against owners during the lockout put him behind the eight ball, as it were. He probably would have been signed much sooner if he hadn't done that.

 

[Liberati0n*]

I think his outspokenness for players and against owners during the lockout put him behind the eight ball,
as it were.
He probably would have been signed much sooner if he hadn't
done that.

Fixed the formatting
for you.

 

[txpd]

you can believe that if you want. I tend to think that a player that is good enough to help most teams in the league, would have a job. without a job he has to be marginal.

I go back to scott hannan. he walked from the caps and has never had more than a 1 year $1m contract since. critics of McPhee strained to sell the idea that hannan was a multi million dollar/multi year contract player that had over played his hand. that after a good one year contract season he would again be a desirable player. it didn't work out. if a guy doesn't have a job at training camp, he's not a player.

as much as I am not an Erskine fan, if he had been ufa and walked he would have been signed in the first week.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

if hainsey were so good, he wouldn't be out of
a job

He's not out of a job.

 

[brs03]

That's only a valid line of thinking if you think NHL GMs value the right qualities... and even then you have to recognize how many of them are not even in the hunt to begin with due to the cap. Not a very strong representation of actual value.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

if hainsey were so good, he wouldn't be out of
a job

Didn't people say the exact same thing about Grabovski?

 

[RandyHolt]

Hendricks was out of a job. Were all GM's idiots?

Well, besides George. He was a 10G 100 PIM guy. One of his better camp invites.

Players that should be employed, are. The means of how they end up signed take all different routes imaginable.

GMs are faced with filtering through hundreds of potential org adds but they seem to prefer giving looks to all their prospects first. Prospects slip up in Dcamp perhaps, GMs change direction; it takes time to all play out.

Hannan has been employed every year.