Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2019-20 Season Pt. 6: 2020

[txpd]

He would have won a Cup if it wasn't for us, kind of seems unfair to literally be the reason it didn't happen and then go, "So you've never been able to win the big one."

Except that isnt what i said. I said that him not winning a cup is in his favor. At least with me. Coaches in the NHL not named Scotty Bowman dont win cups with more than one team. They can win more than one with one team but two different teams never happens.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Except that isnt what i said. I said that him not winning a cup is in his favor. At least with me. Coaches in the NHL not named Scotty Bowman dont win cups with more than one team. They can win more than one with one team but two different teams never happens.

Probably has more to do with the fact that in the modern NHL you'd have to be certifiably insane to let your Cup winning coach go to another team...

PS. I was on team fire Trotz

 

[txpd]

This is BS. Kuznetsov is second to Ovechkin with 11 points in the last two playoff series. He gets $10.0M easy on the UFA market today.

Shall we go back to MacLellan calling out Kuzy after last year's playoffs? After this playoffs JJ Regan posted this referring to MacLellan's call for better compete level. Note the first name mentioned.

"Some of the players MacLellan is referring to seem obvious. Evgeny Kuznetsov cycles between being among one of the best players in the world to being non-existent on the ice on any given night. Jakub Vrana has now gone 15 straight postseason games without recording a single point. The entire bottom-six was a non-factor in the playoffs. Dmitry Orlov and Nick Jensen look like top-four defensemen at their best and bottom-pair defensemen at their worst. "

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

The 3rd line needs a finisher. They have Eller who is hard to take the puck away from. They have Hagelin to stretch the ice and win loose pucks. They need a Connolly. That was suppose to be Kovalchuk. All the excitement there turned out to be a total bust. I saw a couple of flashes and then nothing. Like he was offended on the 3rd line and playing behind Wilson and Oshie.

They need a shooter. I dont think the problem is Hagelin and Eller. MacLellan seems to like Hagelin and Eller.

3rd line needs a playmaker. Lars Eller is a dead ZERO in making a pass move. He doesn't know how to pass. He would be an outstanding athlete, if hockey was an individual sport. He is like garbage in a team action. His best strength? Penalty killing, then you don't need to pass the puck!

 

[txpd]

Probably has more to do with the fact that in the modern NHL you'd have to be certifiably insane to let your Cup winning coach go to another team...

Ive said this before and its worth repeating. Coaches are insulted by having to coach out the last year of their contract as a lame duck. Its why you almost never see it. Trotz was not coming back, period. He was insulted. He told Torts after the CBJ series that he was out after the playoffs. He was not staying.

Unless you supported extending him before the season started, then the option to keep him was not there.

 

[txpd]

3rd line needs a playmaker. Lars Eller is a dead ZERO in making a pass move. He doesn't know how to pass. He would be an outstanding athlete, if hockey was an individual sport. He is like garbage in a team action. His best strength? Penalty killing, then you don't need to pass the puck!

Ok...well. I can see Eller isnt your kind of player. MacLellan loves him. Maybe the Caps need a new gm

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Shall we go back to MacLellan calling out Kuzy after last year's playoffs? After this playoffs JJ Regan posted this referring to MacLellan's call for better compete level. Note the first name mentioned.

"Some of the players MacLellan is referring to seem obvious. Evgeny Kuznetsov cycles between being among one of the best players in the world to being non-existent on the ice on any given night. Jakub Vrana has now gone 15 straight postseason games without recording a single point. The entire bottom-six was a non-factor in the playoffs. Dmitry Orlov and Nick Jensen look like top-four defensemen at their best and bottom-pair defensemen at their worst. "

Don't need to read after that.

 

[marcel snapshot]

There is no Kuzy enigma. He is a young top10 NHL center forward on a long underpaid contract.

Kuzy is 28. He’s a lot of things. Young is not one of them. Also Kuzy made more starting in his 4th year of the league than Nicky was making after 10 years

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Kuzy is 28. He’s a lot of things. Young is not one of them. Also Kuzy made more starting in his 4th year of the league than Nicky was making after 10 years

Different time, different cap, different money.

 

[txpd]

I think every team in the NHL would take the problem of having Kuzy as 2C

Kuzy over Brendan Morrison and Mike Ribeiro? Everytime. Instead of Malkin? No. Thats the thing. Kuzy on his A game is the Caps Malkin.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Ok...well. I can see Eller isnt your kind of player. MacLellan loves him. Maybe the Caps need a new gm

MacLellan made some errors. The problem are not the errors, but making them again and again.

 

[txpd]

Don't need to read after that.

1. Well, Boss. You know better. He is a professional in the sport and he knows the people involved and often is told things on background. But sure.

 

[txpd]

MacLellan made some errors. The problem are not the errors, but making them again and again.

Well, Boss. You know better. He is a professional in the sport and stuff. But sure.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Kuzy over Brendan Morrison and Mike Ribeiro? Everytime. Instead of Malkin? No. Thats the thing. Kuzy on his A game is the Caps Malkin.

Malkin and Crosby, what an ordinary pair of center forwards on an NHL team. Seriously, today I take Kuznetsov over Crysby any day. 87 is only good against week opponents and low lines. He is not even close to a big game Ovi or Kuzy. They destroy best players in the World in important games consistently.

 

[Silky mitts]

MacLellan made some errors. The problem are not the errors, but making them again and again.

In 6 years the only move he’s made that at no point has looked great was extending Hagelin and that isn’t that bad a deal (I feel there were points when Shat and Glencross looked great, and when they had to cut that one guy during the pandemic they had Kovalchuk so that looked fine then, and maybe Hagelin will deliver at some point)

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Well, Boss. You know better. He is a professional in the sport and stuff. But sure.

Oh, you forgot Todd Reirden. He is a professional in the sport and stuff.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Malkin and Crosby, what an ordinary pair of center forwards on an NHL team. Seriously, today I take Kuznetsov over Crysby any day. 87 is only good against week opponents and low lines. He is not even close to a big game Ovi or Kuzy. They destroy best players in the World in important games consistently.

... I mean.... I just don't even know what hockey you've been watching.


You know we're the team in red, right?

 

[895]

Well, Boss. You know better. He is a professional in the sport and stuff. But sure.

Terrible argument.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Teams Kuzy would not be a de facto 2C on

Definitely not the 2C
Tampa
Pitt
St. Louis
Edmonton

Arguably
Boston
VGK
Philly



Push
Toronto
Vancouver




Probably not a coincidence most of these teams are playoff teams.


So basically the conclusion is, all of the shitty teams would gladly take Kuzy as their 2C. All of the good teams actually have 2Cs that are more consistent or prolific.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

In 6 years the only move he’s made that at no point has looked great was extending Hagelin and that isn’t that bad a deal (I feel there were points when Shat and Glencross looked great, and when they had to cut that one guy during the pandemic they had Kovalchuk so that looked fine then, and maybe Hagelin will deliver at some point)

I do agree. Not so many errors. But not as if he was flawless.

Curtis Glencross for the 2nd and 3rd
Mike Weber for a 3rd
Lars Eller for two 2nd
Kevin Shattenkirk for a 1st and Zachary Sanford
Brenden Dillon for a 2nd
protecting Niskanen over Schmidt
drafting LuJo
Backstroms contract
Hagelin contract
not trading Holtby
not trading Eller

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Teams Kuzy would not be a de facto 2C on

Definitely not the 2C
Tampa
Pitt
St. Louis
Edmonton

Arguably
Boston
VGK
Philly



Push
Toronto
Vancouver




Probably not a coincidence most of these teams are playoff teams.


So basically the conclusion is, all of the shitty teams would gladly take Kuzy as their 2C. All of the good teams actually have 2Cs that are more consistent or prolific.

Tampa and Edmonton probably. The rest is false.

The playoff teams have two good centers? We have only one: Kuzy. Sure, let's trade him to have zero.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

... I mean.... I just don't even know what hockey you've been watching.


You know we're the team in red, right?

You are definitly trolling here. Point.

 

[Corby78]

Teams Kuzy would not be a de facto 2C on

Definitely not the 2C
Tampa
Pitt
St. Louis
Edmonton

Arguably
Boston
VGK
Philly



Push
Toronto
Vancouver




Probably not a coincidence most of these teams are playoff teams.


So basically the conclusion is, all of the shitty teams would gladly take Kuzy as their 2C. All of the good teams actually have 2Cs that are more consistent or prolific.

you can drop stlouis off that list, he would be 2c there.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I do agree. Not so many errors. But not if he was flawless.

Curtis Glencross for the 2nd and 3rd
Mike Weber for a 3rd
Lars Eller for two 2nd Brought us a Stanley Cup
Kevin Shattenkirk for a 1st and Zachary Sanford
Brenden Dillon for a 2nd
protecting Niskanen over Schmidt Brought us a Stanley Cup
drafting LuJo Jury still out on
Backstroms contract You wanted him to let our HoF center walk?
Hagelin contract

Feels like you're missing some important context.

Like sure, in 2020, Nate Schmidt is a better player than Matt Niskanen. But in 2018 one of these guys brought us a Stanley Cup.

And yeah, in 2020 Eller isn't what he once was. But in 2018 he was arguably the best player not named Ovechkin in that regular season. He also played huge role in winning us a Cup.

The rest of those moves are negligible loses. Every GM has his share of them, the only glaring big give up there is the first for Shattenkirk and in that moment the move seemed wise. It prevented Pitt from getting him and he also was the biggest TDL piece as regarded by the entire league. I would say the biggest fail in the Shat deuces trade is that apparently Trotz had never watched any film on him and thought he was a way different player than he was.


I'm curious as to who you think is a better GM in the league? Your list is missing a lot of dumpster dives that were huge for us.

• Got Kempny for a third
• Signed DSP for league minimum
• Signed Connolly for 850k and then resigned him for $1.5
• Traded Troy Brouwer and Copley to STL for Oshie (arguably the best trade in our history)

I mean I could go on and on and on...

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

you can drop stlouis off that list, he would be 2c there.

Brayden Schenn had a better year than Kuznetsov. He's more consistent and he plays a 200 ft game. All things being equal, I'd probably take Schenn by a hair over Kuz in 2020.