Confirmed with Link: Big Z (Zdeno Chara) signed to 1 year, $795,000 deal

max21

NBA Yungboy
Apr 17, 2019
4,582
4,884
Virginia
On the topic of Chara, good indication that this was a great signing is seeing all the Pens fans try to argue that his signing is a negative.

Seeing them getting frisky about it means that they’re starting to be insecure. I would be insecure if our defense was as shitty as theirs.
They all seem to love the Marino deal
 

HTFN

Registered User
Feb 8, 2009
12,186
10,715
Sure but defense doesn't profile as a distinguishing strength barring a lot of physical maturity to go along with a real dedication to the details as he gets older. If that area jumps with time he could become more like a Toews or Horvat IMO. The best Caps hybrid for him I can think of would be Vrana and Ribeiro at the moment.
If we're doing it from ex-Caps, I see Brendan Morrison right now with a little higher upside.
 

Langway

In den Wolken
Jul 7, 2006
32,267
8,894
If we're doing it from ex-Caps, I see Brendan Morrison right now with a little higher upside.
Better finisher than Morrison but Morrison in his prime did have a 70 point season and was a passable 1C.

We'll see how he fares in these next two games. Can he elevate his play further, particularly if Canada gets behind? They're such a strong, balanced team that he hasn't needed to be great. He's been very good and perhaps their most crucial forward after Cozens but let's see if he finds another level if it's needed. He's created a lot for himself and his linemates but I think there's still a little more to give all-around.

The Caps haven't really had many goal-scoring centers in their franchise history. Backstrom leads the way at 243. CMM likely plays wing for at least a little while I'd think but he's got a chance if all goes right to be up there when all is said and done. One of the bigger near-term keys will be how they manage to integrate him into the PP because that should be an easier route to gaining confidence if they manage it well. I don't expect him to factor in this season much but if a key injury hits you never know.
 
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Calicaps

NFA
Aug 3, 2006
21,816
14,097
Almost Canada
Brendan Morrison or Lars Eller (I :heart: the Tiger)? The kid's already an elite shooter and has a crazy high offensive IQ. Will he be Kuzy? No. He doesn't have the wheels. Will he be Backs? No. He's not a pass-first centerman. Are those the only choices and otherwise he's a bust? No. If he continues to develop and has the motivation to improve in his weaker areas, he could be a terrific player. He's 19 years old FFS.

Good grief, people here are so spoiled and impatient.
 

Raikkonen

Dumb guy
Aug 19, 2009
10,716
3,166
Russia
What about

Dillon-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
Chara-Schultz

for starters?

then they can try to switch Jensen-Schultz and maybe Dillon too

Anyway, this D looks deep as hell

A year ago we had only 3 players from those 6, mind you!
 

CapitalsCupReality

It’s Go Time!!
Feb 27, 2002
64,390
19,096
Jensen @2rd is a fail longterm IMO. swap with Schultz.

other than that, happy to try anything as an experiment for a short try.
 

CapitalsCupReality

It’s Go Time!!
Feb 27, 2002
64,390
19,096
Better finisher than Morrison but Morrison in his prime did have a 70 point season and was a passable 1C.

We'll see how he fares in these next two games. Can he elevate his play further, particularly if Canada gets behind? They're such a strong, balanced team that he hasn't needed to be great. He's been very good and perhaps their most crucial forward after Cozens but let's see if he finds another level if it's needed. He's created a lot for himself and his linemates but I think there's still a little more to give all-around.

The Caps haven't really had many goal-scoring centers in their franchise history. Backstrom leads the way at 243. CMM likely plays wing for at least a little while I'd think but he's got a chance if all goes right to be up there when all is said and done. One of the bigger near-term keys will be how they manage to integrate him into the PP because that should be an easier route to gaining confidence if they manage it well. I don't expect him to factor in this season much but if a key injury hits you never know.

Prime Mike Ridley might have been our best in terms of goalscoring ability.

I expect he’s in sponge mode watching and learning all year....might not even get a game unless he’s really stands out in team practice and they need bodies. Keeping expectations low myself also....
 

um

Registered User
Sep 4, 2008
15,699
5,295
toronto
What about

Dillon-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
Chara-Schultz

for starters?

then they can try to switch Jensen-Schultz and maybe Dillon too

Anyway, this D looks deep as hell

A year ago we had only 3 players from those 6, mind you!

I think Chara will need a more mobile dman to play with. I'd prefer him with Jensen.
 
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Alexander the Gr8

Registered User
May 2, 2013
31,603
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Toronto
After reading a lot of their posts, the majority of them feel that their D is better than what the Caps are icing.

They couldn’t be further from the truth lol. Their most reliable D is Dumoulin. Letang puts up big numbers but he has bigger and more frequent blunders than Carlson in his own end.

Except most of them think their d is better than the Caps d. Right? Lets just look at what some of us say.
Carlson sucks defensively and is coasting. That his offensive production is overrated. Dillon is a 4 that skates with 1's but doesnt drive play. Orlov is the best defenseman on the team( and no Caps fans take that as a slam of the rest rather than a compliment to Orlov), most of us wanted nothing to do with Schultz, most of us wanted to ditch Jensen last season, Siegenthaler is irrelevant and getting rid of him to make room for Fehervary might be the way to go.

There is a pretty consistant narrative there. I see Dillon Carlson as a top notch shutdown pair. Orlov is a dynamic player. I admit that I dont know what to make of Schultz. I like Chara and Jensen a lot. I think that could describe many here now, but as last season went by all of that above was consistent.

We’re very critical of our own players, but I’d be OK with laying most of the blame on Reirden. Our defense was horrendous in the Toronto bubble, way worse than what they are capable of.
 

HTFN

Registered User
Feb 8, 2009
12,186
10,715
They couldn’t be further from the truth lol. Their most reliable D is Dumoulin. Letang puts up big numbers but he has bigger and more frequent blunders than Carlson in his own end.



We’re very critical of our own players, but I’d be OK with laying most of the blame on Reirden. Our defense was horrendous in the Toronto bubble, way worse than what they are capable of.
I don't think the "insider reporting" about the Caps treating the bubble like a vacation was true, but one thing I did conclude silently (and before that report) was that the coaching (or players themselves) failed to keep them where they needed to be during the pause.

I felt like when the season paused the Caps treated it like the offseason had started, not like the season was on hold. A hungrier, more motivated (possibly better coached) team might have been able to treat that window like an opportunity to work and blow the doors off the bubble, and I'd speculate that teams like Tampa probably did. I don't think the Capitals entered the bubble to lose, but I don't think they treated the time before that bubble very professionally. Whether that's a failing of Rierden or a byproduct of the split in the locker room (if it's true at all), it was my overall impression.

That's not based on much besides the observable amount of rust on the Capitals relative to some other teams, and how much they were able to shake off. All of them looking that bad as a unit is either coaching, conditioning, or both.
 
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Firsov99

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
4,595
3,282
Feels weird that they did but yeah guess so. Peter Bondra just seems from a very different age than Chara.
It absolutely does feel weird. Chara's career has been unusually long, that's why it's so hard to believe that these two players from completely different eras played together.

In fact, I thought that Chara was 39-40 when I heard about his signing, and I couldn't believe that he is 43. Chris Chelios comes to mind.
 
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txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
14,131
New Bern, NC
It absolutely does feel weird. Chara's career has been unusually long, that's why it's so hard to believe that these two players from completely different eras played together.

In fact, I thought that Chara was 39-40 when I heard about his signing, and I couldn't believe that he is 43. Chris Chelios comes to mind.

Bondra is 52. He is a different generation
 

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