Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) -- 2018-19 We Are The Champions Edition - Pt. 6

[895]

I would love for Copley to keep up his play and increase his value. Then in the off-season we can unload him for something good to a team in desperation for a goalie...... maybe st.louis???

He's a UFA. Will probably sign a 1b goalie contract somewhere like Philadelphia or Carolina.

 

[Sam Spade]

I like our team. In the past knowing doom lay ahead we would nit pick and rip the team to prove it was doomed. If we did that now, who would we rip?

Is Reirden just too together in every comment he makes to the media?

You could see why teams were after him the summer before last.

 

[txpd]

You could see why teams were after him the summer before last.

I am actually really impressed by the guy. His regular comments about the leadership group. Trotz used to mention them but Reirden gives you insight as to who they are and what they do.

 

[Sam Spade]

I am actually really impressed by the guy. His regular comments about the leadership group. Trotz used to mention them but Reirden gives you insight as to who they are and what they do.

And he seems to distribute ice time based on how you are playing in a particular game which has to motivate player 1 thru player 18 on most nights.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I'm ok paying backstrom that

Backstrom will not get $10 million. GMBM is not gonna make the same mistake as was done with Kopitar, Toews and Kane. He will probably get somewhere around $8-8.5 million.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Same exact place he was before the season started. Copley is only two years younger than Holtby.

Holtby/Copley get this season and next, barring injuries, then Samsonov gets a shot. Samsonov may also be Holtby's backup next season if they can't re-sign UFA Copley.

I think Vanecek has a better chance to back-up Holtby, then if it were Samsonov. Samsonov has to prove he can handle the AHL, as he has had bad year so far.

 

[Melkor]

Same exact place he was before the season started. Copley is only two years younger than Holtby.

Holtby/Copley get this season and next, barring injuries, then Samsonov gets a shot. Samsonov may also be Holtby's backup next season if they can't re-sign UFA Copley.

I like how everyone doesnt even mention Vanecek although he's a far better goalie at this moment than Samsonov and just a year older..

 

[Melkor]

Holtby has been much better, and Copley has been a great surprise.

I wonder where Samsonov fits in now.

I see him as a clear #4 right now. Not even close to 3 tbh

 

[Sam Spade]

I like how everyone doesnt even mention Vanecek although he's a far better goalie at this moment than Samsonov and just a year older..

I think Vanecek has a better chance to back-up Holtby, then if it were Samsonov. Samsonov has to prove he can handle the AHL, as he has had bad year so far.

Vanecek or Copley backing up Holtby, then Vanecek backing up Samsanov, it really doesn't matter, barring injury, the future is Samsanov and he will be given every chance to succeed with the organization.

To your point though it can never a bad thing to have a couple of potentially decent goalies in the system.

 

[Melkor]

Vanecek or Copley backing up Holtby, then Vanecek backing up Samsanov, it really doesn't matter, barring injury, the future is Samsanov and he will be given every chance to succeed with the organization.

There were many goalies taken in the first round who turned out as complete busts and were not even given a game at the NHL level because of how bad they looked out there. Draft number is not a thing anymore for goalies until they prove themselves in minor leagues. Barring a skyrocketing progress from Samsonov, it's Vanecek's net to lose.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

There were many goalies taken in the first round who turned out as complete busts and were not even given a game at the NHL level because of how bad they looked out there. Draft number is not a thing anymore for goalies until they prove themselves in minor leagues. Barring a skyrocketing progress from Samsonov, it's Vanecek's net to lose.

You're making huge assumptions based off a ~15 game sample size for a guy adjusting to a new country, a new language, and a new sheet of ice playing behind one of the worst defenses in the AHL. Maybe chill on the doom and bust hyperbole.

 

[Sam Spade]

There were many goalies taken in the first round who turned out as complete busts and were not even given a game at the NHL level because of how bad they looked out there. Draft number is not a thing anymore for goalies until they prove themselves in minor leagues. Barring a skyrocketing progress from Samsonov, it's Vanecek's net to lose.

I don't think the organization feels that way, time will tell. I also think Samsanov is the real deal and I hope he is wildly successfully for the Caps.

FYI, I don't think the goaltending position is as important as it used to be because season after season in the playoffs I see the "better" goalie lose the series.

 

[Raikkonen]

Understated and indispensable, Nicklas Backstrom could be...

Confirms my theory of them not caring anymore about winning or losing. It (SC) caught them by surprise. Thats how pressure was gone. They did not expect the win anymore.

 

[Melkor]

You're making huge assumptions based off a ~15 game sample size for a guy adjusting to a new country, a new language, and a new sheet of ice playing behind one of the worst defenses in the AHL. Maybe chill on the doom and bust hyperbole.

I'm not saying that he's a bust yet. I'm saying there're many organizations that don't give their goalies opportunities in the NHL if they don't play well at the level below regardless of draft position. He's adjusting for sure but there are goalies from Russia in the NHL right now who played way better in their first year in US at the same age so I don't think that adjusting to rink size is that big of a deal. It's more about getting used to new culture, lifestyle, food, language etc. Anyway I believe there's already a battle going on between him and Vanecek and he's losing it so far.

I don't think the organization feels that way, time will tell. I also think Samsanov is the real deal and I hope he is wildly successfully for the Caps.

FYI, I don't think the goaltending position is as important as it used to be because season after season in the playoffs I see the "better" goalie lose the series.

Yep, that pick better pan out for them. That was a fantastic draft class.

 

[Sam Spade]

Confirms my theory of them not caring anymore about winning or losing. It (SC) caught them by surprise. Thats how pressure was gone. They did not expect the win anymore.

I know I don't.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I'm not saying that he's a bust yet. I'm saying there're many organizations that don't give their goalies opportunities in the NHL if they don't play well at the level below regardless of draft position. He's adjusting for sure but there are goalies from Russia in the NHL right now who played way better in their first year in US at the same age so I don't think that adjusting to rink size is that big of a deal. It's more about getting used to new culture, lifestyle, food, language etc. Anyway I believe there's already a battle going on between him and Vanecek and he's losing it so far

I think this organization has earned the benefit of the doubt with how they draft and develop goaltenders. Going back to the 2006 draft they've drafted 10 goalies. Holtby, Neuvirth, Varly, and Grubauer are bonafide NHL goaltenders. Vanecek and Samsonov are too early to tell but have solid potential. It's way too early to tell on Mitchell Gibson (2018 4th rounder) and the only goalies who really did nothing were Dan Dunn (2007 6th rounder), Steffen Soberg (2011 4th rounder), and Sergey Kostensko (2012 7th rounder). Also, Copley went undrafted and he's looking like he's a solid #2 in the NHL as well. It'd be nice to see Samsonov lighting up the AHL but I'm not worried.

 

[maacoshark]

Understated and indispensable, Nicklas Backstrom could be...

Thanks Sam.

 

[442]

I follow the Bears from a distance but I don't believe they're a particularly strong team, not sure how much that impacts goalie stats directly but a variable to consider nonetheless.

 

[Corby78]

He's a UFA. Will probably sign a 1b goalie contract somewhere like Philadelphia or Carolina.

Why do you have to spoil it for me.....

 

[Sam Spade]

 

[Hivemind]

AHL numbers have very little bearing on a goalies NHL potential. Look at Carter Hart’s AHL numbers this year. Look at Martin Brodeurs AHL numbers historically. Tons of other examples that I’m too lazy to look up while on my phone.

 

[Melkor]

AHL numbers have very little bearing on a goalies NHL potential. Look at Carter Hart’s AHL numbers this year. Look at Martin Brodeurs AHL numbers historically. Tons of other examples that I’m too lazy to look up while on my phone.

To be fair to Hart and Brodeur, while Hart's numbers are nowhere near being anything special, they are way better than Samsonovs. And Brodeur's AHL experience is from 26 years ago, that's just different hockey with different standards for goalie's numbers.

 

[maacoshark]

To be fair to Hart and Brodeur, while Hart's numbers are nowhere near being anything special, they are way better than Samsonovs. And Brodeur's AHL experience is from 26 years ago, that's just different hockey with different standards for goalie's numbers.

I think hype on Carter Hart is based on his junior numbers. Most ridiculous numbers Ive ever seen from a junior goaltender.

 

[StrikingDistance]

Was bored out here in the middle nowheresville this morning so I decided to peruse the SC Game5 thread and found this post (Do not recall making it for some reason....but I'm dying haha)

Post-Game Talk: - Stanley Cup Final G5: Caps Win! - Stanley Cup Champions

 

[Hivemind]

To be fair to Hart and Brodeur, while Hart's numbers are nowhere near being anything special, they are way better than Samsonovs. And Brodeur's AHL experience is from 26 years ago, that's just different hockey with different standards for goalie's numbers.

Hart's early numbers were just as brutal as Samsonov's. He had a stretch of 4 good games before his call-up to bring his overall numbers up.

Now that I'm back at a computer, @francaisvolantsparis threw together a good list of goalies with crappy AHL stats
Capitals Prospects and Minor League Affiliates (Hershey Bears, SC Stingrays) - 2018-TBD

Ben Bishop was .897 in his first AHL season
Corey Crawford was .898 in his first AHL season
Marc-André Fleury was .901 in his first AHL season
Brian Elliott was .886 in his first AHL season
Tomas Vokoun was .902 in his first AHL season
Yevgeni Nabokov was .872 in his first AHL season
Devan Dubnyk was .855 in his first AHL season
Craig Anderson was .886 in his first AHL season
Olaf Kölzig was .889 in his first AHL season

Ilya Samsonov is .866 after 9 games

Shall we trade trade him for pucks already ?

Andre Vasilevskiy posted a 3.25GAA and .890sv% in his first 6 AHL appearances. He rebounded nicely afterwards. Thatcher Demko had some pretty brutal pre-Christmas stats his first year, but rebounded nicely in the second half of the season. Mackenzie Blackwood actually got demoted to the ECHL in his second pro season (after playing in the AHL his entire first pro season), but has certainly impressed in his first three NHL starts. I wouldn't be tempering expectations of Samsonov yet just because he has poor numbers in only his first three months of North American hockey. Give him time.