Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2019-20 Season Pt. 5: 2020

[Blitzkrieg365]

Can Alzner still play?

People inquiring about Mike Green, Karl Alzner, Bruce Budreau, what year is it again?

 

[AussieCapsFan]

A couple of lines will do.

This. It's not line changes that are required. It's actually lines....

 

[usiel]

The apostrophe in the subject line 'IT BURNS!!'

 

[SherVaughn30]

Do any of you think GM BMac has total autonomy to fire Reirden and his assistants? I wonder if Ted/Dick Patrick would even allow BMac to do such a thing if it was deemed necessary to improve the team with hiring Laviolette or Gallant?

 

[AussieCapsFan]

Do any of you think GM BMac has total autonomy to fire Reirden and his assistants? I wonder if Ted/Dick Patrick would even allow BMac to do such a thing if it was deemed necessary to improve the team with hiring Laviolette or Gallant?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...logspot.com/&usg=AOvVaw1VAGdFKSDJ9VaM7MA7J071

I am just going by what - to me - seems logical but I would presume that GMBM would make a phone call to Ted Leonsis and say "I think we need to replace TR. Do you have a problem with that?" To which Ted would likely say "We won a Cup with you as GM, if that's what you think needs to happen to give us the best chance of winning another, then by all means go ahead."

I mean, how else do you think it would go??

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

I am just going by what - to me - seems logical but I would presume that GMBM would make a phone call to Ted Leonsis and say "I think we need to replace TR. Do you have a problem with that?" To which Ted would likely say "We won a Cup with you as GM, if that's what you think needs to happen to give us the best chance of winning another, then by all means go ahead."

I mean, how else do you think it would go??

I see it like this:

- Hey, Ted! On HFboards they say we should fire TR.
- Nice joke! Continue to work.
- Yep, stupid they are...

 

[AussieCapsFan]

We all laugh and joke about HF Boards but there are a lot of die hard hockey fans on here and many of us on the Caps board watch every game (and lots of other games not involving the Caps).
Of course we aren't in the business of hockey and we are outsiders but I think there is (at least some) merit in our opinions.

Also I believe this is now equal record with most head coaches fired in a season? Which tells me teams are prepared to pull the trigger if the results aren't there.
Some of those firings were to be expected: San Jose, Leafs, Devils. But I don't think anybody expected Gallant to go and maybe Boudreau was a surprise as well?
So would we REALLY be surprised if Reirden is next?
I watched the post game interview with him and he sounded very stressed and nervous in the first half (probably to be expected), then a bit calmer after that, but he talks like he understands HOW the team needs to be playing,
but the team is NOT responding to that and aren't playing that way. I think he's lost the room.

Anyway all just my two cent's worth, probably full of crap, wouldn't be the first time!

 

[Melkor]

We all laugh and joke about HF Boards but there are a lot of die hard hockey fans on here and many of us on the Caps board watch every game (and lots of other games not involving the Caps).
Of course we aren't in the business of hockey and we are outsiders but I think there is (at least some) merit in our opinions.

Also I believe this is now equal record with most head coaches fired in a season? Which tells me teams are prepared to pull the trigger if the results aren't there.
Some of those firings were to be expected: San Jose, Leafs, Devils. But I don't think anybody expected Gallant to go and maybe Boudreau was a surprise as well?
So would we REALLY be surprised if Reirden is next?
I watched the post game interview with him and he sounded very stressed and nervous in the first half (probably to be expected), then a bit calmer after that, but he talks like he understands HOW the team needs to be playing,
but the team is NOT responding to that and aren't playing that way. I think he's lost the room.

Anyway all just my two cent's worth, probably full of crap, wouldn't be the first time!

I agree with all of this. Really hate when the discussion eventually comes to some lame ass "oh look, this guy thinks he knows better than a long-time hockey executive/stanley cup winning genius GM/highly respected coach" response. Bro, that gm/coach won't pay you for this, pull your tongue out of his ass.

As for Reirden, I feel like he's pretty knowledgeable hockey man but really lack character to be a great head coach. You can't be consistent for the whole season by focusing only on tactics. You gotta have some balls for this job. And those balls better be big when the team gets in a funk like this and not executing the right way.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

As you can see, the 55th game is the point of the season then the Caps are playing the worst hockey over last six regular seasons. Generally, at this time we start to notice some seasonal activity of the fire-the-coach hfboards supermind.

If you subtract the 0.8 Goal per Game penalty then Holtby is in the net, this season curve is similar to the 2015/16 one.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The apostrophe in the subject line 'IT BURNS!!'

Gave me hives when I saw it, it is fixed.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Boudreau wasn’t respected by this team. Did people just black out for that stretch? Multiple guys have basically said he lost the locker room.


Also he’s been fired 4 bajillion times since he was here and players on those teams have said the same. BB is not a well respected head coach, he probably is better suited as an assistant offensive special

 

[txpd]

Do any of you think GM BMac has total autonomy to fire Reirden and his assistants?

No. Ted signs off on coach level moves. He has exercised varying amounts of control over the years. Ted hired Oates and wanted Trotz. Ted controlled how Trotz was treated. Ted would have to approve firing coaches. I doubt Ted would initiate it

 

[Langway]

No. Ted signs off on coach level moves. He has exercised varying amounts of control over the years. Ted hired Oates and wanted Trotz. Ted controlled how Trotz was treated. Ted would have to approve firing coaches. I doubt Ted would initiate it

At the very least he sets the parameters when it comes to contracts and is involved in the process/interview. Some of the options have term left elsewhere which could help for a bit but they'd also be on the hook for Reirden. They haven't made an in-season move since way back with Hunter and that was an interim hire. The likelihood of doing so this season seems rather slim barring a prolonged losing streak putting them in jeopardy of missing out on playoff revenue.

MacLellan bears some responsibility when it comes to the stability lost from trading Niskanen. He never replaced the leadership Niskanen and Orpik brought and their DNA has changed. Dillon helps but they're in such a state that it's not enough and could end up causing a lot of turmoil.

 

[discobob]

Noticed Dillon got caught up ice a lot and left forwards to defend. Kind of wonder what he could be flipped for. I'm not saying deal him asap but I wonder what he could return.

Just spitballin here... but I'm thinking a #2 and a #3

 

[HecticGlow]

It seems to me the Caps’ current problem is in certain areas they’re getting weaker compared to 2017-2018 because of cap issues, but without an ageing core being able to take on additional responsibilities and workload to cover. The scoring ability of a guy like Connolly hasn’t been replaced, Burakovsky was inconsistent but talented in a way no one aside from Eller reflects in the bottom-six, the leadership of Niskanen and Orpik has mostly gone (though Gudas has brought some degree of leadership in the room apparently) while the guys who have replaced them are weaker/less capable versions of the players who won the Cup.

That’s not to say it’s GMBM’s fault — the team has an expensive and ageing core, and another GM may not have managed to keep it together while creating a better roster under the current cap. But not being able to replace ageing and slowing guys like Niskanen from within, after years of trading away assets to stay competitive, has resulted in us having to pay salaries that are enough to remove cap flexibility for guys who aren’t as good as the ones they’re replacing, instead of having rookies and young players on ELCs who can fill in the gaps in a way teams like Tampa and Pittsburg have so successfully managed.

 

[tenken00]

They really should fire one of Cashman or Forsythe.

It won't probably do much from an X's and O's standpoint right now at this point of the season, but hopefully it's a wakeup call that shit is getting real, and people can lose their jobs. Can't really bench any of the top guys so close to the playoffs even though they deserve it. But maybe if they go "oh damn, Forsythe got fired!?", they'll feel some urgency.

They don't even work at the basic fundamentals right now.

 

[Rayquaza64]

They really should fire one of Cashman or Forsythe.

It won't probably do much from an X's and O's standpoint right now at this point of the season, but hopefully it's a wakeup call that shit is getting real, and people can lose their jobs. Can't really bench any of the top guys so close to the playoffs even though they deserve it. But maybe if they go "oh damn, Forsythe got fired!?", they'll feel some urgency.

They don't even work at the basic fundamentals right now.

both deserve to go but good points here

 

[discobob]

The problem as I see it is the number of chances we cede in and near the crease. We are not doing the work necessary to keep the puck to the outside.

While this may be overly simplistic... keeping teams to the outside is highly dependent on work rate and effort, which I don't see much of in recent games...

 

[hb12xchamps]

Buffalo going to terminate Bogosian's contract. Depending on what happens, maybe take a flyer on him at league minimum as a #7 if there's anything left in the tank. Buffalo fans do nothing but trash him but it could be that a change of scenery does him well

 

[caps4cup]

Lines and pairings today. Kempny-Gudas was the best pair yesterday and Gudas is arguably our best net front defender, not sure why he isn’t in the lineup. Also good to see Leipsic back in. Boyd seems to fill in well for a game or two but looks less and less like an NHL player the longer he stays in. He didn’t fit on that 4th line at all.

 

[txpd]

The team has not been exposed. They have lost their way. If they play their game, they are a cup contender. They just need to get it done.

For whatever reason fans want teams to bring the pain. Bag skate the team. Bench guys. Scratch guys. Send guys to the AHL. Trade guys. Fire guys. Make them hurt. It has worked in the past but usually it doesn't.

There are better ways to work off your fear and frustration

 

[max21]

Gudas not in there? Wtf

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Lines and pairings today. Kempny-Gudas was the best pair yesterday and Gudas is arguably our best net front defender, not sure why he isn’t in the lineup. Also good to see Leipsic back in. Boyd seems to fill in well for a game or two but looks less and less like an NHL player the longer he stays in. He didn’t fit on that 4th line at all.

Kuzy and Backstrom flip flopping, interesting. The team's overall play of late has been concerning, but the centers make the team go and the only centerman that has played well of late has been Eller who is consistent. Consistency is one of the knocks that I have on Kuznetsov, as you never know how he's going to play. Backstrom is playing more like a 52 year old rather than a 32 year old, that contract extension is not looking great at this moment.

 

[txpd]

Lines and pairings today. Kempny-Gudas was the best pair yesterday and Gudas is arguably our best net front defender, not sure why he isn’t in the lineup. Also good to see Leipsic back in. Boyd seems to fill in well for a game or two but looks less and less like an NHL player the longer he stays in. He didn’t fit on that 4th line at all.

You missed the two breakaways and that he only played 11 mins last night? He was benched for sucking. That's why he is out. I didn't get the feeling that Siegenthaler was a long term scratch. Just the one game. Gudas stubbed his toe and gets nachos. Kempny meanwhile got a boost after that game and played 19 mins. So, I would suppose that the coaches thought the trouble that pair had was Gudas. Its for sure that the coaches didn't see Kempny/Gudas as the best pair last night.

 

[caps4cup]

Kuzy and Backstrom flip flopping, interesting. The team's overall play of late has been concerning, but the centers make the team go and the only centerman that has played well of late has been Eller who is consistent. Consistency is one of the knocks that I have on Kuznetsov, as you never know how he's going to play. Backstrom is playing more like a 52 year old rather than a 32 year old, that contract extension is not looking great at this moment.

Oshie and Vrana will be boosted by having Backstrom instead of Kuznetsov. As long as 92 floats around at least 1 line is gonna be dysfunctional. Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie has always performed pretty well.