Acq/ Rost. Bldg./ Cap Part XXXIII: UFA Frenzy

[Brian23]

Capgeek's Armchair GM is pretty fun. I wind up dumping Green & Brouwer for futures or cheap roster players almost by default. They could build a legit four line team with a balanced defense and a deeper system if the timing is right and there's enough of a desire to churn the roster over. Always easier said than done, particularly since pro scouting and flexible roster thinking hasn't exactly been their calling card.

Only issue is being "realistic" with it for me. I can trade people off okay, but bringing guys in that aren't free agents is a pain.

 

[Brian23]

@TSNBobMcKenzie: ANA not qualifying Mathieu Perreault. Ducks have, however, given him contract offer they deem to be substantial. He's UFA unless he accepts.

BRING THE P HOME!

He wouldn't fit Trotz system but I'd love to bring him back.

 

[Liberati0n*]

BRING THE P HOME!

He wouldn't fit Trotz system but I'd love to bring him back.

That doesn't have to be true. If Grabovski's gone (he is), sign Legwand and Perreault and let them have the 2C/3C spots for now.

 

[Brian23]

That doesn't have to be true. If Grabovski's gone (he is), sign Legwand and Perreault and let them have the 2C/3C spots for now.

If I remember right, Centers are all relied upon heavily and I just don't see him being able to handle that physical strain as well as responsibilities.

 

[txpd]

wonder what the Caps could have gotten if they had traded him instead of holding onto him

I wonder how many heads would have exploded had McPhee resigned Ribeiro to the contract he wanted and McPhee declined.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

@TSNBobMcKenzie: ANA not qualifying Mathieu Perreault. Ducks have, however, given him contract offer they deem to be substantial. He's UFA unless he accepts.

With the arrivals of Kesler and Thompson, getting crowded at center in Anaheim. Would imagine PRO ending up a healthy scratch most nights if he stuck around.

 

[CapNMac]

I wonder how many heads would have exploded had McPhee resigned Ribeiro to the contract he wanted and McPhee declined.

Or how many heads would be exploding if we were having to do a buyout of his huge contract one year after signing it?!

I hope we don't even look at the guy in FA. We gave him a chance to be loyal and fit into an org that wanted and valued him, and offered him good coin, but just like he is doing now with PHO and refusing to waive his NTC so they have to buy him out - he was/still is a selfish *****.

 

[Langway]

With the arrivals of Kesler and Thompson, getting crowded at center in Anaheim. Would imagine PRO ending up a healthy scratch most nights if he stuck around.

They did move Bonino to VAN, though, so there's still a 3C spot for him. Not giving him a QO is all about denying him arbitration leverage (and likely going with more of a two-way guy ultimately unless he buckles).

 

[ChibiPooky]

They did move Bonino to VAN, though, so there's still a 3C spot for him. Not giving him a QO is all about denying him arbitration leverage (and likely going with more of a two-way guy ultimately unless he buckles).

Seems like a poor play to try to take away arbitration leverage by giving him UFA status. I guess they're just OK with him walking if it doesn't work.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I don't see Washington winning out on the Ehrhoff bidding war (Detroit, Colorado, and Anaheim all seem like good bets to pursue him aggressively), so I'm not pencilling him into the roster. I've already made my feelings on Niskanen known.

Trade Brouwer for Gorges.
Re-sign Grabovski (5 years, $24M)
Sign Mark Fayne (4 years, $17M)
Sign Justin Peters (1 year, $900k)
Put Wilson and Carrick in Hershey (Wilson as first recall)
Orlov on LTIR to start season

CAPGEEK.COM ARMCHAIR GM ROSTER

FORWARDS
Evgeny Kuznetsov ($0.900m) / Nicklas Backstrom ($6.700m) / Alex Ovechkin ($9.538m)
Eric Fehr ($1.500m) / Mikhail Grabovski ($4.900m) / Marcus Johansson ($2.000m)
Jason Chimera ($2.000m) / Brooks Laich ($4.500m) / Joel Ward ($3.000m)
Chris Brown ($0.853m) / Michael Latta ($0.805m) / Jay Beagle ($0.900m)
Aaron Volpatti ($0.575m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Karl Alzner ($2.800m) / John Carlson ($3.967m)
Josh Gorges ($3.900m) / Mike Green ($6.083m)
Jack Hillen ($0.700m) / Mark Fayne ($4.250m)
John Erskine ($1.963m) / Tomas Kundratek ($0.550m)
GOALTENDERS
Braden Holtby ($1.850m)
Justin Peters ($0.900m)
BUYOUTS
Jeff Schultz ($0.000m)
LTIR
Dmitry Orlov ($2.000m)
BONUS OVERAGE
$150,000
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,000,000; CAP PAYROLL: $65,284,295; BONUSES: $1,971,667
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $3,715,705

That 2nd line is Uggo. Rather not sign Grabo, and use cap space and assets on Pavelski. Or whatever C the Sharks are willing to trade (Thornton or Marleau being the other 2).

D works...though I'd rather they spend 7m on Ehrhoff than more than 4m on Fayne

 

[txpd]

wait...so Anaheim is not qualifying Matty? I thought letting him get away was a disaster. Now the Ducks don't want him anymore?

edit: seeing that Gleason is getting bought out. I would really like to see him as the 3rd pair veteran.

 

[txpd]

Or how many heads would be exploding if we were having to do a buyout of his huge contract one year after signing it?!

I hope we don't even look at the guy in FA. We gave him a chance to be loyal and fit into an org that wanted and valued him, and offered him good coin, but just like he is doing now with PHO and refusing to waive his NTC so they have to buy him out - he was/still is a selfish *****.

that was kind of my point.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

wait...so Anaheim is not qualifying Matty? I thought letting him get away was a disaster. Now the Ducks don't want him anymore?

The Ducks do want him, or they wouldn't have offered him a UFA contract. They also bolstered their C depth by acquiring Kesler. Maybe they don't want to pay him 1.1 next year because they are going after Ehrhoff and need the cap space. We traded Matty P for a used puck bag so we could play Eric Fehr out of position and give Tom Wilson 7 minutes a night. You're right though, similar situations.

 

[CapNMac]

that was kind of my point.

Yeah, that's why I was backing you up.

 

[caps4cup]

Need to sign at least 1 of Ehrhoff/Niskanen and then sign or trade for 1 of Stralman/Gorges/Fayne/Orpik (in order of first preference).

If they sign Niskanen it makes sense to trade Green. Similar (large) contracts and both probably need PP time.

 

[dillyboy93]

Wouldn't mind it:

Josh Rubin ‏@jprterp 1m
Told to watch David Legwand and the Caps tomorrow (Trotz connection)...Legwand would be the perfect 2nd line center in DC.

 

[LifetimeUFA]

Wouldn't mind it:

Josh Rubin ‏@jprterp 1m
Told to watch David Legwand and the Caps tomorrow (Trotz connection)...Legwand would be the perfect 2nd line center in DC.

That would be a good first step tomorrow, it would at least keep me from going into a free agency depression i usually get this time of year

 

[artilector]

Bring Purretu back, all will be forgiven!

 

[Hivemind]

That 2nd line is Uggo. Rather not sign Grabo, and use cap space and assets on Pavelski. Or whatever C the Sharks are willing to trade (Thornton or Marleau being the other 2).

D works...though I'd rather they spend 7m on Ehrhoff than more than 4m on Fayne

I don't see us getting Thornton/Pavelski/Marleau unless we part with Kuznetsov and/or Wilson (and more). There's still about $2M (Orlov on LTIR doesn't last forever) that could be spent on trying to upgrade the 2nd line, and more could be freed up via further trades. Ultimately I think you roll with what you have for a while, bank cap space, then address it via an in-season trade if necessary.

As for Ehrhoff, I specified why I didn't have him on the roster at the beginning of the post. I just don't see the Caps winning that bidding war.

 

[Langway]

The Reirden connection will be a huge factor in them being willing to take on the risk of a Niskanen UFA contract. Not sure they'll be the top bidder and Trotz/Reirden will have to sell him a bit but they may be more willing than most to give him the term he's looking for.

 

[EroCaps]

If Legwand... I have to laugh.

they're going forward with the same sign a temporary, inferior veteran C and build from the wings.

 

[SimplySensational]

So what we have now is nepotism, but for the Nashville and Pittsburgh orgs.

Pittsburgh is fine, but ****ing Nashville has 1 playoff series win in their history. I thought Trotz was supposed to use what he has, not try to get what wasn't working.

 

[Coldplay619]

If Legwand... I have to laugh.

they're going forward with the same sign a temporary, inferior veteran C and build from the wings.

And the ****** thing is that we've downgraded on the wings as well.

Ovechkin isn't near his old level.

Semin > every wing we have.

Knuble > every wing we have.

 

[MW6]

If they sign Legwand with the intent to play him as 3C for 3 years $10M I'd be ecstatic. If he's going to be the paid as a 2C for more then 3 yrs, I don't approve!

 

[Ridley Simon]

I don't see us getting Thornton/Pavelski/Marleau unless we part with Kuznetsov and/or Wilson (and more). There's still about $2M (Orlov on LTIR doesn't last forever) that could be spent on trying to upgrade the 2nd line, and more could be freed up via further trades. Ultimately I think you roll with what you have for a while, bank cap space, then address it via an in-season trade if necessary.

As for Ehrhoff, I specified why I didn't have him on the roster at the beginning of the post. I just don't see the Caps winning that bidding war.

I think the Sharks want a top 12 forward now. MaJo and Burakovsky (plus a pick or another lesser known future) should be enough to get them to listen for Pavelski (I would give that much for Thornton or Marleau...but I would for Pavelski).

Do you think Fayne is worth that much? Or would it be better to save that cap space as well?