Beautiful goal between the legs by Forsberg

[Revelation]

Has to be one of the stupidest trades in recent years. I just don't see the reasoning behind it and how everyone in the organization wasn't doing everything they could to prevent the trade.

Capitals organization as whole was absurdly low on Forsberg for no reason whatsoever

 

[kylbaz]

Capitals organization as whole was absurdly low on Forsberg for no reason whatsoever

Weird. I mean it's not like he was a 2+ rounder playing over his head, he was a top pick, that's what I don't get.

 

[justafan22]

Has to be one of the stupidest trades in recent years. I just don't see the reasoning behind it and how everyone in the organization wasn't doing everything they could to prevent the trade.

You rarely see a team trade it's 1st rounder just ~9 months after drafting him too.

The only comparable is the Avs letting Bleackley go unsigned, but that took 2 years.

 

[TychoFan]

But GMGM is in Vegas.

Can Vegas fire GMGM if Forsberg knocks them out of the playoffs?

 

[c9777666]

every goal he scores is just filthy

Just ask Colorado

 

[Flair Hay]

Both sick goals from Forsberg. And Arvidsson for that matter.

 

[Lurch]

brb buying martin erat rookie cards

Bastard!

 

[Howard Chuck]

That was a beauty for sure.

 

[PredsV82]

Capitals organization as whole was absurdly low on Forsberg for no reason whatsoever

Two things were going on when the trade went down. McPhee knew he needed to produce a deep run or he was fired. He made a desperation trade trying to save his job.

Second, as was said above, a lot of Caps fans at the time felt like "something" wasnt going right. Forsberg had been a projected top 3 pick in the 2012 draft and fell to the Caps at 11. There were posters and fans at the time saying "ah now we know why he fell to 11, must be something wrong, etc. Claims were made that the Caps trying to get value before he busts, etc.."

There were even a few poor dolts who tried to argue that Latta was the real asset for the Caps in the long run....

You know, all the usual stuff that looks really silly a few years later

 

[Atas2000]

But GMGM is in Vegas.

Would still be a lot of what could have been for Washington fans.

 

[Revelation]

Two things were going on when the trade went down. McPhee knew he needed to produce a deep run or he was fired. He made a desperation trade trying to save his job.

Second, as was said above, a lot of Caps fans at the time felt like "something" wasnt going right. Forsberg had been a projected top 3 pick in the 2012 draft and fell to the Caps at 11. There were posters and fans at the time saying "ah now we know why he fell to 11, must be something wrong, etc. Claims were made that the Caps trying to get value before he busts, etc.."

There were even a few poor dolts who tried to argue that Latta was the real asset for the Caps in the long run....

You know, all the usual stuff that looks really silly a few years later

Yeah, ultimately the buck stops with Leonsis and Dick Patrick (how can you be team president for 40 years of a team that's never won a cup and only had one finals run and not get fired). Pretty sure most ownership groups have high 1st rounders and core players flagged as assets that don't get moved without top down approval.

We know Leonsis forced him to hire Oates over what could have likely been Cooper at the very least and McPhee was traditionally one of the most conservative GMs in the league as far as hoarding good assets (his inexperience in dealing them in blockbuster trades probably contributed to the deal being horrible).

 

[Do Make Say Think]

He didn't beat the goalie clean, so no beauty.

Agreed.

Very cool but not beauty level

 

[PensPlz]

Ya he's hot.

 

[Gnashville]

Weird. I mean it's not like he was a 2+ rounder playing over his head, he was a top pick, that's what I don't get.

My understanding is:
He fell in the draft and the Capitals had never scouted him. GMGM overrode his scouts and drafted him and the scouts immediately started calling it a mistake and that he fell for a reason. The team never gave him a chance and even the day of the trade GMGM said the scouts think he has a poor work ethic and overhyped talent. Predators top European scout had him as a top 5 pick. This is the same scout that found Rinne, Hornqvist, Ekholm, Arvidsson, Josi, and Fiala.

Outside of Habs fans most people think he is the best player from the 2012 draft, it’s crazy how he fell out of the top 10 and then was traded in less than one year.

 

[Gnashville]

I can’t find the other one from last night

 

[kylbaz]

My understanding is:
He fell in the draft and the Capitals had never scouted him. GMGM overrode his scouts and drafted him and the scouts immediately started calling it a mistake and that he fell for a reason. The team never gave him a chance and even the day of the trade GMGM said the scouts think he has a poor work ethic and overhyped talent. Predators top European scout had him as a top 5 pick. This is the same scout that found Rinne, Hornqvist, Ekholm, Arvidsson, Josi, and Fiala.

Outside of Habs fans most people think he is the best player from the 2012 draft, it’s crazy how he fell out of the top 10 and then was traded in less than one year.

I remember as jets fans as he was available for us and everyone was pumped we were going to take him. And we went with Trouba instead. Can't complain too much.

 

[Tomas W]

"poor workethics" lol. Im not a scout but I could see early in FF career (back in Sweden), that this a guy that L O V E S to play hockey. If you love your work you dont really NEED workethics, you will put down the effort and time, just because that is what you want to do with your time.

FF did play in SWE tier two though, before he went over to NA, and the level of play there is of course not very close to NHL level, so I can understand a bit of uncertainty from that. I think he was pretty good in the WJC?

 

[GoldOnGold]

I can’t find the other one from last night

Streamable - free video publishing

 

[johan f]

"poor workethics" lol. Im not a scout but I could early in FF career (back in Sweden), that this a guy that L O V E S to play hockey. If you love your work you dont really NEED workethics, you will put down the effort and time, just because that is what you want to do with your time.

FF did play in SWE tier two though, before he went over to NA, and the level of play there is of course not very close to NHL level, so I can understand a bit of uncertainty from that. I think he was pretty good in the WJC?

Filip was 16-17 when entering Leksand in tier two- league. He showed very early that he was a bonafide talent. Washington has no excuses for that trade.

 

[HanSolo]

People often forget that Erat was a pretty consistent top 6 forward for a long time before that trade.

It just had no business happening at that point in his career.

I don't know. That's like saying a 2004 Toyota Camry was a dependable and effective vehicle when someone trades it in so they can go buy a brand new Corvette. Does it really matter?

It was a bad trade.

 

[Alwalys]

you do ask yourself why this has become so common. it's gotta be something to do with the goaltending style now.

 

[steleh]

Almost as good as his father, Peter Forsberg.

 

[Tomas W]

you do ask yourself why this has become so common. it's gotta be something to do with the goaltending style now.

In this case it was way to get off a forehand shot as quickly as possible.

 

[Elvs]

Eh he was on a slightly better than 40 point pace( with powerplay time) when he was moved, most people hated the trade at the time

Edit: i see you specify "at that point" I just think its a weird call to even slightly defend one of the worst trades ever.

To be fair, Erat was on pace for 60+ points and 20+ goals the two seasons prior, during a low scoring era and on a Nashville team with no offensive stars. Washington was hoping he, next to Ovechkin and Backstrom, could bounce back to a 60 or even a 70 point pace. Meanwhile Forsberg was not exactly considered a blue chip prospect.

Yes, in hindsight the haters of that trade ended up being right. But at the time it was made, it was nowhere close to one of the worst trades ever. A lot of people, especially newer fans, laugh at the trade thinking Erat was just some bum when he was actually a very good player for a long time. One of the best in the young Predators history actually.

In hindsight, it's easy to sit here as a fan saying "I knew Forsberg would become this good", and that "I knew Erat would suck in Washington and they wouldn't win the cup". Imagine the reactions if it was Nail Yakupov who was traded for Erat. Today no one would've cared.