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

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I don’t think teams 16-24 in the standings should have a chance at winning The Cup but other then that I’m fine

I could easily see a playoff vet team like the BlackHawks making a run

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don’t think teams 16-24 in the standings should have a chance at winning The Cup but other then that I’m fine

I could easily see a playoff vet team like the BlackHawks making a run

but realistically teams 17-24, what are their chances, slim and none?

Cinderella story possible but highly unlikely IMO.

 

[Raikkonen]

The longer this pause in the season lasts, the more I agree with Gudas. I miss the hockey, but I think the NHL is trying to bail out the Titanic with a coffee mug. Once someone or multiple people test positive after playing a game....yeah stick a cork in it. Also, any contrived playoff scenario will leave an asterisk on the cup. Not worth it.

This is where they have to agree they are going to the end even if some players get ill. The odds of at least 1 person around the rink getting positive are 99%.

NHLPA has to agree with risks, I guess. Would players do that? Is money enough of a factor? What if someone dies? That's a big bet.

Although this problem never goes away in November and December. They have to play at some point, maybe sooner is not that bad. In the Summer probability should be lower and if they have problems then they have some time until Winter to decide whats next.

As far as I understand there is a real possibility vaccine wont work and we can only limit the amount of cases for healthcare system to be able to treat ppl one by one on a daily basis. This way they have to cancel NHL or just play through it, right?

For Caps its not that bad. Ovi used to have his shot early and often these last seasons. Kovy had some jump in the beginning of this season too. He should have enough in the tank for 10-15 games, and it could be the difference. Goalies could be in trouble though. But what do I know.

PS: The crapshoot should make any comeback possible, so its another plus for confident and experienced teams. Like Pens

 

[hb12xchamps]

I don’t think teams 16-24 in the standings should have a chance at winning The Cup but other then that I’m fine

I could easily see a playoff vet team like the BlackHawks making a run

In reality though it isn't a 24 team playoff. They are calling it a "tournament" but it seems the whole idea surrounding the "tournament" is to get 16 teams seeded for the playoffs. The "tournament" allows for those teams in the hunt to be able to still battle for a 7th or 8th seed since the season will be shortened. It also allows all teams to get their feet wet and back into game shape before stepping directly into the playoffs

 

[Raikkonen]

In reality though it isn't a 24 team playoff. They are calling it a "tournament" but it seems the whole idea surrounding the "tournament" is to get 16 teams seeded for the playoffs. The "tournament" allows for those teams in the hunt to be able to still battle for a 7th or 8th seed since the season will be shortened. It also allows all teams to get their feet wet and back into game shape before stepping directly into the playoffs

The leaked scheme sounds good and fair, actually. I dont see anyone complaining much. There is potential for entertainment.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

I just don't buy this. Do you value Cups won during lockout years any less than ones won during a normal season? Are the 1994-95 New Jersey Devils or the 2012-13 Blackhawks thought of as less deserving champions because those regular seasons only lasted ~40 regular season games? This year, the teams played almost an entire season's worth of games so I don't think it's at all like a strike-shortened season and I think it makes more sense to crown a champion this year than to scrap it and hope we can play a full season next year.

The first two SB wins by the Skins happened during strike shortened seasons. Some have put asterisks on them but it doesn’t make any sense to me. The Skins played under the same rules as every other team in the NFL. Those titles count as much as any other.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I understand Gudas' sentiment, but I don't think it's an apples-to-apples comparison - is he okay with not getting paid to not play? (I don't know, not being snarky.)

And the NHLPA has to agree to play, no?

Yeah his circumstance doesn't apply to everyone. Like I said in the corona thread, he's an UFA who's role on the team has significantly diminished the past few months. He knows he isn't going to be re-signed by Washington and he's already looking forward to his next contract with another organization

 

[um]

I don't really get all of the people complaining about this format. It should be a ton of fun and we get hockey back. Who cares if it's not the normal format of 16 teams... nothing about 2020 is at all normal. Plus, more fans are invested since more teams are relevant. I'm also not familiar with the TV deal structure but could a few extra games bring in more revenue which could increase the cap next year?

As long as its the Rangers and Chicago making it instead of Buffalo and Anaheim I'd have no problems. There would be no team under .500.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The other interesting thing about a postseason after this type of delay is you assume every team is going to be at (or nearly at) full strength injuries wise, so it's going to be a best-on-best tournament instead of a war of attrition.

 

[Raikkonen]

For Caps even losing first round could be good. Good position to be in. There is no team in Metro they should fear. Just get in shape and score more goals than the opponent.

 

[twabby]

IMO there’s no asterisk in terms of the on the ice accomplishment but it will feel weird with no fans in the stands. I’d prefer they wait until next year to resume the season when things should hopefully be safer for everyone involved but I guess I understand wanting to get the show on the road.

I just wonder what happens when a player or coach tests positive.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Yeah his circumstance doesn't apply to everyone. Like I said in the corona thread, he's an UFA who's role on the team has significantly diminished the past few months. He knows he isn't going to be re-signed by Washington and he's already looking forward to his next contract with another organization

yep....his comments are more in line with someone who is ready to send movers for his stuff, never to return.

I think he’s likely to still get some playing time at some point.

 

[kicksavedave]

The first two SB wins by the Skins happened during strike shortened seasons. Some have put asterisks on them but it doesn’t make any sense to me. The Skins played under the same rules as every other team in the NFL. Those titles count as much as any other.

If I'm not mistaken, the 82/83 Skins SB team had to win four playoff games (despite being division champs) that year due to the format.

 

[txpd]

The other interesting thing about a postseason after this type of delay is you assume every team is going to be at (or nearly at) full strength injuries wise, so it's going to be a best-on-best tournament instead of a war of attrition.

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. Some players wont return in end of season form and lacking conditioning. It might also be that there is more attrition going from zero to playoffs than in the normal situation. Which Ov are we getting? A fully rested older player that can bring his best game or an unfocused and out of shape daddy on skates? Who partied? Who was committed to their diet? Who knows

 

[tenken00]

I just don't buy this. Do you value Cups won during lockout years any less than ones won during a normal season? Are the 1994-95 New Jersey Devils or the 2012-13 Blackhawks thought of as less deserving champions because those regular seasons only lasted ~40 regular season games? This year, the teams played almost an entire season's worth of games so I don't think it's at all like a strike-shortened season and I think it makes more sense to crown a champion this year than to scrap it and hope we can play a full season next year.

I don't get this argument.

Those lockouts didn't happen at the end of the season. They happened at the beginning, before a single game was even played. And then they shortened up the rest of the regular season as a result. The exact opposite of now. No season in American professional sports has had a 2-3 month hiatus in the middle of it and started back up. Ever.

It was still a fluid transition from the end of the regular season to the beginning of the playoffs during NJ and Chicago's Cup wins. This is anything but. The quality of the play was still at NHL level peak because of the months of playing in real NHL games, something that hasn't happened now for quite a long while.

 

[hb12xchamps]

yep....his comments are more in line with someone who is ready to send movers for his stuff, never to return.

I think he’s likely to still get some playing time at some point.

Definitely. You're always going to need extra depth and his style of play is unique to the Caps blue line besides the newbie Dillon.

 

[Langway]

I'd be surprised if anyone shows up to camps severely out of shape. These are professionals and particularly now they'd be outliers if not adhering to organizational standards. Just as during the off-season, there are plans put in place for players to follow from training staffs and they get all sorts of dietary input. Some could blow that off but probably only those younger and already pretty dominant regardless.

There could be some access issues when it comes to strength training perhaps depending on home setups but bodyweight exercises and some cardio are always options. If established vets didn't already have pretty complete home gyms they probably do now. I remain much more concerned about the quality of the games earlier on but have little doubt they'll eventually improve, perhaps considerably, given the time off not just allowing for pretty healthy rosters but fresher legs and for any more minor knicks to have healed. It will be more of a sprint than a marathon after a long regular season and it makes me wonder if this isn't the perfect setup for someone like McDavid to finally take a post-season over.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don't get this argument.

Those lockouts didn't happen at the end of the season. They happened at the beginning, before a single game was even played. And then they shortened up the rest of the regular season as a result. The exact opposite of now. No season in American professional sports has had a 2-3 month hiatus in the middle of it and started back up. Ever.

It was still a fluid transition from the end of the regular season to the beginning of the playoffs during NJ and Chicago's Cup wins. This is anything but. The quality of the play was still at NHL level peak because of the months of playing in real NHL games, something that hasn't happened now for quite a long while.

so that’s your argument, that the quality of play will be so bad and the in-season break somehow taints it?

If they can play with relative safety, I for one cannot understand the resistance to restarting based on some complaint around quality of play, fairness of schedule or whatever less important issues. There are still many many non-millionaire Regular people jobs around sports to be lost or further delay recovering if sports leagues delay longer.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I don't get this argument.

Those lockouts didn't happen at the end of the season. They happened at the beginning, before a single game was even played. And then they shortened up the rest of the regular season as a result. The exact opposite of now. No season in American professional sports has had a 2-3 month hiatus in the middle of it and started back up. Ever.

It was still a fluid transition from the end of the regular season to the beginning of the playoffs during NJ and Chicago's Cup wins. This is anything but. The quality of the play was still at NHL level peak because of the months of playing in real NHL games, something that hasn't happened now for quite a long while.

come on man. How can you start a discussion about something COVID related being taboo because “it’s never happened” in the world of pro sports — when a pandemic of this extreme has also “never happened” in the modern world of pro sports?

everything is uncharted territory. Literally everything. So how can a “first time ever” solution, be abjectly condemned DURING a “first time ever” phenomenon? That’s completely illogical.

you can rail against the fairness of various scenarios..... I get that. But don’t fall back on “well, we couldn’t possibly do this because it’s just never happened before”.

Look around you. Everywhere. ALL of this hasn’t happened before (and please don’t point to the 1919 Cup and the Spanish Flu)

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I don't get this argument.

Those lockouts didn't happen at the end of the season. They happened at the beginning, before a single game was even played. And then they shortened up the rest of the regular season as a result. The exact opposite of now. No season in American professional sports has had a 2-3 month hiatus in the middle of it and started back up. Ever.

It was still a fluid transition from the end of the regular season to the beginning of the playoffs during NJ and Chicago's Cup wins. This is anything but. The quality of the play was still at NHL level peak because of the months of playing in real NHL games, something that hasn't happened now for quite a long while.

I mean, sure, it's never been done before because it's never had to be done before. Before the first lockout or war or whatever caused the first season to lose games they'd never played a shortened season either but they figured that out.

I also personally don't agree with your last sentence. Some teams were playing well and the quality of play was solid for some parts of the NHL, sure, but plenty of others were slumping or decimated by injuries, and there were teams that had simply mailed it in and were playing out the string waiting to reserve their tee times. Think any game against Ottawa or LA or Detroit was peak NHL play at this point in the season, or do you think the Caps were playing at peak level in February compared to in November?

So there's a gap between the regular and post seasons... not concerning to me. Of course I wouldn't want that to happen every year but this is not every year and I think people need to lighten up a bit. The Schalke-Dortmund Bundesliga game on FS1 last weekend with no fans, no announcers, no pre or post game shows, and no work done by Fox to promote it (because they lost the rights to ESPN starting next year) scored the highest ratings for a Bundesliga game ever in the United States. People who don't even know what country the Bundesliga is played in tuned in to watch, and that was for a regular season and largely meaningless game between two teams that 99% of the country have never heard of. Maybe this could be big for growing the audience and getting more people to tune into the NHL and become fans. And this format would make ALL of the remaining games super meaningful , and you cut out the teams that don't want or need to be there.

The only thing that sucks about this format is that Ovi won't hit 50 . This is the third season he'll have 50 taken from him between the lockout in 2012-13, the goals he had taken away from offsides reviews in his 49-goal campaign, and this year. If there's anything that should have an asterisk it's the number of seasons that Ovi scored 50.

 

[Devil Dancer]

For the Caps, it doesn't matter if it's an asterisk Cup it not. 2018 was indisputably legit, especially going through Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.

If their first Cup win was in a wonky format that might be a little annoying, but now? Who cares! Drop the puck!

 

[Hivemind]

They're going to restart. A few players will test positive, then a few more on another team. Then it will come to a halt again before the Cup is awarded.

 

[Langway]

Seemingly they'll just keep playing and testing if/when that happens. It's the behind the scenes staff I'd be more concerned about. Also, what happens if a coach gets it? What if a whole coaching staff gets wiped out?

There are so many vulnerabilities that any league resuming for more than a couple dozen games just to cap off a regular season seems very difficult. A true bubble isn't really feasible.

 

[Hivemind]

If they do force the season to play it out regardless of how many players get sick, I can't wait for the controversy when a Crosby/Panarin/MacKinnon/McDavid-level player is held out of a series due to testing positive, and their team loses. Or a starting goalie. Fingers crossed it's not Ovechkin.

Any resumption of the season is going to be a farce, one way or another.

 

[Raikkonen]

They should not continue but they have to.

Gudas is kind of right.. but money talks.