Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) -- 2018-19 We Are The Champions Edition - Pt. 7

[pbgoalie]

So who will the first main board whining thread be about...
Perry or Wilson?

 

[hb12xchamps]

Apparently the Flames and Caps have been scouting one another for about a month now.

Also interesting that St. Louis had scouts at both Hershey games and now their VP of hockey ops is scouting the Caps tonight. Could be a coincidence but both teams have been trading partners in the past

 

[peterthegreat12]

Stone or Dzingel makes way more sense to me. Duchene as a LW on the third line seems like serious overkill. Don’t get me wrong, he is a great player, I just don’t see him as filling a great need.

 

[Ridley Simon]

GMBM sees this window. Cup champs and all. So going big wouldn’t shock me.

Everyone is saying “better be a serious upgrade if we trade Bura!”

Well — Duchene is a SERIOUS upgrade from Bura. It’s a Kessel like add to the team.

Not saying I want to pay the price, but he’s a very strong player.

 

[Portable Mink]

Well something needs to happen. This team needs a wake up call if results alone aren’t going to provide one.

Just passive and weak soft play. Kills me.

 

[Melkor]

Has Duchene ever played the wing? It would be ridiculous to add him to our already stacked center depth. Would rather talk Stone or Dzingel

He has. I think he would look great both as a center or a winger . The thing that scares about him isthat every team he's played on had failed and looked absolutely miserable (not that he's had a direct impact on that - Avs won the central with him as a #1C in 2014). I think he's a pretty good fit and brings what the Caps need - pretty good FO%, speed, skill, left shot which allows to bump Vrana down to Eller and add even more speed and skill to slow guys in Oshie and Backy. Also Duchene has a tremendous edge work which would help a lot when playing cycles to gain leverage on big and slow defencemen. If PP doesnt work the way it should, he can bump the most lazy and out of sorts guy out of Kuzy/Backy and try to make things work. With his speed, he can fill the role of Mojo as a quick puck distributor in the o-zone without any bullshit in the neutral zone.

 

[searle]

He has. I think he would look great both as a center or a winger . The thing that scares about him isthat every team he's played on had failed and looked absolutely miserable (not that he's had a direct impact on that - Avs won the central with him as a #1C in 2014). I think he's a pretty good fit and brings what the Caps need - pretty good FO%, speed, skill, left shot which allows to bump Vrana down to Eller and add even more speed and skill to slow guys in Oshie and Backy. Also Duchene has a tremendous edge work which would help a lot when playing cycles to gain leverage on big and slow defencemen. If PP doesnt work the way it should, he can bump the most lazy and out of sorts guy out of Kuzy/Backy and try to make things work. With his speed, he can fill the role of Mojo as a quick puck distributor in the o-zone without any bull**** in the neutral zone.

I love in on paper/as an NHL 19 kind of move, but I think GMBM is going to be super cautious after the Shattenkirk/Carlson situation.

I agree with you however, I think he'd come in as some SERIOUS competition for everyone in the top 6 - might help a few people pull their heads out their asses, especially on PP1.

The human element of a move like that is just so tough to predict

 

[txpd]

Stone or Dzingel makes way more sense to me. Duchene as a LW on the third line seems like serious overkill. Don’t get me wrong, he is a great player, I just don’t see him as filling a great need.

Duchene is listed as a center. He has taken the most faceoffs on the team. I would expect that he has been playing center. So far as overkill is concerned, they all qualify as that unless you are talking about changing the top 6

 

[Melkor]

I love in on paper/as an NHL 19 kind of move, but I think GMBM is going to be super cautious after the Shattenkirk/Carlson situation.

I agree with you however, I think he'd come in as some SERIOUS competition for everyone in the top 6 - might help a few people pull their heads out their asses, especially on PP1.

The human element of a move like that is just so tough to predict

I think it was a forgone conclusion for them that they were acquiring Shattenkirk as a rental and were going all in in that exact year. If with Duchene it is the same case I'd pass. It makes sense ONLY if he's going to be re-signed.

 

[EroCaps]

Stone is the kind of player you overpay for, without question.

Nyqvist would also look great in the Caps top 6.

Duchene seems like an odd fit.

 

[Corby78]

I’m not seeing a quick fix upgrade out there. I’ve calmed down from the GDT but I still don’t think this team is right. Something is broken and it needs to be fixed before we start selling futures. I’m also worried about Oshie, he has struggled to stay healthy and that would be another wing to replace besides bura. If GMBM goes for it I hope I’m wrong and we get last years team back.

 

[searle]

I think it was a forgone conclusion for them that they were acquiring Shattenkirk as a rental and were going all in in that exact year. If with Duchene it is the same case I'd pass. It makes sense ONLY if he's going to be re-signed.

Wouldn't be against some conditional picks based on him resigning, but looking at the cap situation next year do you honestly think we have space to fit someone like Duchene in?

Rumour is that Ottawa offered 8x8... I'm sure there are a fair few teams that would match/beat that offer

 

[Melkor]

Wouldn't be against some conditional picks based on him resigning, but looking at the cap situation next year do you honestly think we have space to fit someone like Duchene in?

Rumour is that Ottawa offered 8x8... I'm sure there are a fair few teams that would match/beat that offer

There's no question one of 2-9/Oshie somehow should be offloaded in the offseason if they go for a Duchene's caliber player. With how that team plays defensively I have zero problem with offloading one of the 2-9 pairing. Leaning towards 9. Oshie...the only concern is his health, when he's healthy he's a legit top-6 player. The things that happening with him last couple years are worrisome to say the least.

 

[traparatus]

I don't even know if I like Duchene as a player, period. Everywhere he goes some BS drama seems to follow. I didn't like that uber thing either. Players ragging on a coach, I understand but this is a vet and one of your supposed leaders bad mouthing a coach while in the company of rockies and youngerlings. That's no good.

Also, he is having a nice season this year when Ottawa has abandoned all defensive structure and is playing pond hockey but last year, while his team was trying to grind out games and make the playoffs, he was not exactly all world. Don't want to pay the price for Duchene, don't want to see Vrana bumped down to make room for him, don't want this guy around the locker room.

 

[traparatus]

How about we fix the putrid PK instead of blowing huge resources on an unnecessary top-6 winger? One of the worst PK in league second year in a row, it might be time to do something about it.

 

[peterthegreat12]

I’m not seeing a quick fix upgrade out there. I’ve calmed down from the GDT but I still don’t think this team is right. Something is broken and it needs to be fixed before we start selling futures. I’m also worried about Oshie, he has struggled to stay healthy and that would be another wing to replace besides bura. If GMBM goes for it I hope I’m wrong and we get last years team back.

Bura is not a top six forward so I dont see how he would be able to replace Oshie.

 

[Corby78]

How about we fix the putrid PK instead of blowing huge resources on an unnecessary top-6 winger? One of the worst PK in league second year in a row, it might be time to do something about it.

We might want to fix the pp while we’re at it

 

[Corby78]

Bura is not a top six forward so I dont see how he would be able to replace Oshie.

You miss understood. If we’re going all in and trying to upgrade bura, we may also need to replace Oshie with his injuries. So we may be looking at two incoming top 6 level guys not just one.

 

[peterthegreat12]

You miss understood. If we’re going all in and trying to upgrade bura, we may also need to replace Oshie with his injuries. So we may be looking at two incoming top 6 level guys not just one.

Right. I think that is the whole reason to add depth in the middle 6.

 

[traparatus]

We might want to fix the pp while we’re at it

PP is all about zone entry, zone entry is all about Kuznetsov. If someone knows how to fix Kuznetsov, I'm all ears.

Nobody on this roster will be bumped out of PP1 and so there is nothing to fix. All improvements have to come from players already on the roster doing their job better.

 

[kicksavedave]

I don't even know if I like Duchene as a player, period. Everywhere he goes some BS drama seems to follow. I didn't like that uber thing either. Players ragging on a coach, I understand but this is a vet and one of your supposed leaders bad mouthing a coach while in the company of rockies and youngerlings. That's no good.

Also, he is having a nice season this year when Ottawa has abandoned all defensive structure and is playing pond hockey but last year, while his team was trying to grind out games and make the playoffs, he was not exactly all world. Don't want to pay the price for Duchene, don't want to see Vrana bumped down to make room for him, don't want this guy around the locker room.

This is the correct take, 1000%.

No one in that Uber should ever be thought of as a guy you WANT to bring into your team, but especially not the vet. And Duchene has worn out his welcome at two stops now?

The guys you want to add are the guys who give 100% no matter the situation around them. Guys like a Beagle, who what he lacked in talent he made up for by never taking a shift off ever. Guys who play above their talent level, not below it.

 

[Silky mitts]

How about we fix the putrid PK instead of blowing huge resources on an unnecessary top-6 winger? One of the worst PK in league second year in a row, it might be time to do something about it.

I thought it looked great for the last 2-3 weeks before last night, and I was still more concerned with how the Caps were dominated last night in terms of possession than the PK.

 

[traparatus]

I thought it looked great for the last 2-3 weeks before last night, and I was still more concerned with how the Caps were dominated last night in terms of possession than the PK.

I disagree. I think the results were better but we are giving up chances and cross ice passes at the same alarming rate.

Reality is that a D man needs to come in and take over Orpik's penalty killing minutes. Orpik/Djoos is a fine 3rd pair at even strengths as the two of them compliment each other well. However, when Orpik is on the PK we are bleeding goals/chances, just about to the tune of worst in the league.

Seen how nobody in the organization is ready for this task yet, we should bring somebody from the outside. It will bump Niskanen/Orlov down in the PK rotation, make everybody look better.

 

[kicksavedave]

I disagree. I think the results were better but we are giving up chances and cross ice passes at the same alarming rate.

Reality is that a D man needs to come in and take over Orpik's penalty killing minutes. Orpik/Djoos is a fine 3rd pair at even strengths as the two of them compliment each other well. However, when Orpik is on the PK we are bleeding goals/chances, just about to the tune of worst in the league.

Seen how nobody in the organization is ready for this task yet, we should bring somebody from the outside. It will bump Niskanen/Orlov down in the PK rotation, make everybody look better.

So who do you sit, Batya? I think the evidence shows, thats not gonna happen this year.

 

[Calicaps]

So who do you sit, Batya? I think the evidence shows, thats not gonna happen this year.

Honestly, it's amazing to me how much this season mirrors last year. Trotz/Reirden should be fired. Orpik is done. Team sucks and needs a shake-up trade. Meanwhile they're at/near the top of the division the whole time playing an inconsistent frustrating brand of hockey.