Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2020 Offseason Pt. 3

[um]

Boston is missing Marchand and Pastrnak for a few months aren't they? they could easily miss the playoffs.

 

[um]

Buffalo brought in Taylor Hall and Eric Staal this offseason. The Rangers drafted Lafreniere. New Jersey seems improved, especially with Blackwood taking over the net full time. It's going to be tough sledding.

Id be shocked if Crawford wasn't the guy in New Jersey. At the start of the season at least.

 

[Corby78]

The Southeast /Central div looks much easier then the Death row of the east.

Yeah I thought the same thing. TB should walk through easily unless Carolina takes another step

My goodness is that central division pathetic outside of TB and CAR.

East Coast Division is going to be a bloodbath

 

[OV Rocks]

Caps vs Penguins - Caps are a better team, but this is always going to be a 50/50 split
Caps vs Bruins- Caps (Holtby mostly) have had their number in the past and I think that the Bruins got worse, Advantage Caps
Caps vs Rangers- Rangers are on the rise but this is still Advantage Caps
Caps vs Flyers- This one is tough, on paper the Flyers of 2020 played a far superior game to the Caps. Baring a major shift from Lavi I see the Flyers with the advantage early in the season, then once the Caps get a hold of Lavi's system/coaching I see the Caps having the advantage. 50/50 split. Playoff series would go 7 I think
Caps vs Islanders- Caps just got embarrassed, how can we expect things to change without seeing it. Caps should be better, but we know that story. Advantage Islanders

Obvious Advantage Caps over Sabres and Devils

It is going to be a weird season, but the Caps are still the best or atleast second best team in this division.

 

[Hivemind]

Division standings are rarely about who matches up well against other teams, it's about who can bring it most consistently across the span of a season (and that includes avoiding injuries and goalie slumps). Even with a shortened season, it will still be the same this year.

This season is going to be most dependent on the play of Samsonov and Lundqvist. How will the Caps fare in the post-Holtby era.

 

[OV Rocks]

Division standings are rarely about who matches up well against other teams, it's about who can bring it most consistently across the span of a season (and that includes avoiding injuries and goalie slumps). Even with a shortened season, it will still be the same this year.

This season is going to be most dependent on the play of Samsonov and Lundqvist. How will the Caps fare in the post-Holtby era.

I get what you are trying to say, but my point in that is more along the lines of the "Advantage" of who is the superior team, and who should win, was that the Caps are still better than most teams in the division.

To say that matchups play don't matter isn't really true for this season. If the schedule is going to be back to backs and three in four nights, that style lends certain matchup advantages to teams. Say the Caps travel to the Islanders for 3 in 4, how do you think that will turn out? I am not confident that the Caps win more that 1 game. 2 out of 6 points, and 3 games off of a shortened season calendar. This season matchups are going to be a huge advantage for teams.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Boston is missing Marchand and Pastrnak for a few months aren't they? they could easily miss the playoffs.

Eh, it's possible, but they're still a pretty deep well-coached team.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Eh, it's possible, but they're still a pretty deep well-coached team.

They lost Krug as well but agreed, they should be fine.

 

[txpd]

They lost Krug as well but agreed, they should be fine.

Thats true but Holtby is now in Calgary. In the overall scheme of things I would think that adds up in Boston's favor. Not the rest of the division

 

[Carlzner]

Thats true but Holtby is now in Calgary.

Sure about that?

 

[AtNightWeFly]

You know, the reverse retro sweater has really grown on me.

Turns out that jersey was never crappy just had crappy colors. People are buying up the red ones like hotcakes.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Thats true but Holtby is now in Calgary. In the overall scheme of things I would think that adds up in Boston's favor. Not the rest of the division

Right country... wrong province. He's in Vancouver. Still, I get your point.

 

[txpd]

Right country... wrong province. He's in Vancouver. Still, I get your point.

Oops. Well....he will have to wait a year to get his video tribute and standing ovation with no visit to DC on the schedule

 

[OV Rocks]

Oops. Well....he will have to wait a year to get his video tribute and standing ovation with no visit to DC on the schedule

Stanley Cup Final???

Which ironically enough I haven't heard a thing about. What happens when a Canadian team gets into the final and has to travel to play? Maybe they are banking on things changing/exemptions for special purposes, please no bubble again.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Thats true but Holtby is now in Calgary. In the overall scheme of things I would think that adds up in Boston's favor. Not the rest of the division

Vancouver. But who’s paying attention

edit — aaaaaannndd, I am late to the party.

 

[txpd]

Friedman says there will be "taxi squads". Your AHL callups will not be in the AHL.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Friedman says there will be "taxi squads". Your AHL callups will not be in the AHL.

If there’s an AHL season, I’d suspect that most prospects would be in Hershey. Taxi squad probably applies to the beginning of the NHL season which starts roughly a month before the anticipated AHL start date. Gives them a chance to get their legs back

 

[txpd]

If there’s an AHL season, I’d suspect that most prospects would be in Hershey. Taxi squad probably applies to the beginning of the NHL season which starts roughly a month before the anticipated AHL start date. Gives them a chance to get their legs back

They are talking a 26 man roster plus 4 on a taxi squad. They are talking about COVID reserve lists. My read is that they dont want players bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL rosters. The conversations and articles Ive seen/heard made no mention of temperary. The questions are how the salary cap works with an expanded roster and how movement to the taxi squad would deal with waivers. They are also talking about requiring the teams to carry 3 goalies.

 

[hb12xchamps]

They are talking a 26 man roster plus 4 on a taxi squad. They are talking about COVID reserve lists. My read is that they dont want players bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL rosters. The conversations and articles Ive seen/heard made no mention of temperary. The questions are how the salary cap works with an expanded roster and how movement to the taxi squad would deal with waivers. They are also talking about requiring the teams to carry 3 goalies.

I’m looking at it purely from a developmental standpoint. Having guys only practice versus having guys practice and play games. I get the COVID concerns, but I’d suspect that the AHL is going to have similarities in their COVID procedures. If there is a taxi squad, my guess is it’s more along the likes of the older guys like a LaDue, Carr, Sgarbossa, etc. with one or two bubble guys like Fehervary, Pinho, AJF sprinkled in.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

LaDue, Sgar, Fever, Pinho are probably among their first emergency call ups anyway...at least short list...

 

[txpd]

That is 7 extra players. Usually NHL teams dont go that deep unless those players are injured themselves. The Caps first defense call is Fehervary. There's no point in putting non call ups on the extended roster or taxi squad. Either Fever stays in Washington or goes to the AHL for the season.

 

[OV Rocks]

Do "Taxi Squad" players travel with the NHL team or will it strictly be a call up situation so that they can play in the AHL too? Would be terrible for development if guys had to travel with the NHL team and miss out on playing a big role in the AHL.

 

[filinski77]

I was listening to 31 Thoughts Podcast, and from what I was hearing, the point of the taxi squads is to use as a reserve incase a handful of players on a team get COVID. That way instead of stopping and delaying/forfeiting the games, a team could replace a chunk of players on the fly.

Could be wrong though.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I was listening to 31 Thoughts Podcast, and from what I was hearing, the point of the taxi squads is to use as a reserve incase a handful of players on a team get COVID. That way instead of stopping and delaying/forfeiting the games, a team could replace a chunk of players on the fly.

Could be wrong though.

which means they’re traveling with the team....practicing, same film study regimen, etc.....to be ready at the drop of a hat.

 

[txpd]

which means they’re traveling with the team....practicing, same film study regimen, etc.....to be ready at the drop of a hat.

Correct. It would also indicate that these players will be the best options to put into games. These are all divisional games. You want your next up rather than 2 or 3 tomato cans to fill a jersey and sit on the end of the bench.

This might explain why they chose to sign TVR and LaDue as opposed to carrying just 6 defensemen and keeping their 7 in Hershey