Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021 Off-Season Pt. 3

[CapitalsCupReality]

It’s quite possible Chara isn’t looking to sign with “anybody”.

 

[Langway]

Several reporters at least believe Chara will play again. Last we heard I think he was still mulling that over and that likely explains the delay. The teams associated with him have been Washington, Florida and St. Louis. If he wants more money it'll probably be with Florida, though once they get Reinhart signed they won't have much more to work with either. It'll be for fairly cheap again if it's just those three teams.

I don't know that he fits the bill since they need someone more capable of playing second pair minutes with Schultz if need be. That ship has sailed in free agency otherwise, though, and he's probably still the best bet as far as the PK goes. At least in the regular season. If they want a solution at 2LD it needs to be via trade or being patient with the young options.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

First part of that isn't exactly a prediction but a truth.

I think Lavi seems him as a #6 or #7.

That is bad news because Irwin is an AHL d-man and not a particularly good one at that. Mike Weber 2.0

 

[tenken00]

Yea I just meant that dealing with Kempny first doesn't really matter if they want Chara. Worst comes to worst, they can send Kempny to Hershey and use the cap savings from burying the contract to help offset Chara's contract (as long as Chara isn't looking for a lot more than his last).

 

[crazy8888]

Yea I just meant that dealing with Kempny first doesn't really matter if they want Chara. Worst comes to worst, they can send Kempny to Hershey and use the cap savings from burying the contract to help offset Chara's contract (as long as Chara isn't looking for a lot more than his last).

Im fine with Chara coming back but it has to be in a very limited role. Maybe as 7th d who plays every other game. It was pretty obvious this year that Chara was overplayed for his age

 

[g00n]

I think Chara is the kind of guy who wants to play because he loves to play. If he can do it with a contender then that's ideal. It will take a season of injuries and slogging through a losing season to get him to consider hanging em up, imo.

My guess is he passes on DC if they tell him a roster spot every night is not guaranteed, which is where they're probably going if they haven't signed him yet. Same issue he had with BOS. But someone else may take a chance. Not sure who yet.

 

[itsjustsurvival]

I don't trust this coaching staff to play veterans in "limited" roles.

 

[txpd]

They could sign Chara right now if they wanted to. Moving Kempny first isn't a necessity to signing Chara.

Anybody can sign Chara now. Not a single team has done so.

Of course anyone can sign him. If that is not what he wants, to sign anywhere but the Capitals and the Capitals asked him to wait. How do we know past moving Kempny what else needs to be done?

But, ok. If they go with Kempny instead, I would say they have real problems

 

[tenken00]

Of course anyone can sign him. If that is not what he wants, to sign anywhere but the Capitals and the Capitals asked him to wait. How do we know past moving Kempny what else needs to be done?

But, ok. If they go with Kempny instead, I would say they have real problems

Well, dealing with Kempny first is not a necessity. They could trade him later on. LTIR him. Or the worst case scenario, bury his contract in Hershey. Not ideal... but if the worst case scenario still works with Chara in the mix, nothing we do will matter if we want really want Chara.

We could sign Chara right now without consequence.

 

[twabby]

I am confident that Chara's influence on Jensen was in the even strenth play. Jensen was good on the pk when he was struggling with everything else.

I don't think either of these statements are accurate. Jensen has been a very good defensive defensemen at even strength in the NHL since he came into the league. From 2016-20 (before he played with Chara) Jensen ranked 18th out of 178 qualified defensemen in terms of expected even strength defense GAR per 60. I think it's behind a paywall, but the numbers are here:

Evolving-Hockey.com | xGAR Skater Stats

He's in the same neighborhood as players like Mark Giordano, Mattias Ekholm, Adam Pelech, Brenden Dillon, and Hampus Lindholm in terms of even strength D xGAR. Saying he's a product of Chara downplays how good Jensen has been on his own merits. In fact, the numbers seem to suggest that Jensen perhaps did more to make Chara look good than vice versa. This of course does not mean that Chara was bad, because I don't think that's true either. But of the two, Jensen was probably doing a little more than Chara.

Jensen had a slow transition from Detroit to Washington and I really think this colors people's perception of him. I doubt anyone really watched him in Detroit and got a good idea of how good he was. But once acclimated to Washington about halfway through the 19-20 season Jensen has been arguably the team's strongest defensive defenseman. Just like he was in Detroit. We don't need to buy the narrative that Chara made Jensen good when Jensen was good before Chara was even a Capital.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Chara’s impact on the locker room is pretty immeasurable. I’d like him back just after listening to the overall leadership he demonstrated

 

[g00n]

Chara’s impact on the locker room is pretty immeasurable. I’d like him back just after listening to the overall leadership he demonstrated

If they do that then they have to get rid of any guys who don't follow the example, right? You can't bring guys in just for leadership and then tolerate bad apples in the locker room.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Why is Chara w BOS? Now you’ve thrown this entire list into uproar.

Suspect
Suspect
Suspect!

THAT'S IT! You're on my ignore list now.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Honest question, who do you guys see filling that X? The full list of remaining UFA defensemen's been posted, but I can save you some time by narrowing it down. Here's the UFA LHD who played A) 20 or more games last season, B) more than 14 minutes a night, and C) more than a minute a night on the PK: Zdeno Chara, Ben Hutton, and Jordie Benn. Chara's been discussed plenty already, Hutton and Benn were both 6th defensemen on last place teams who got traded to contenders at the deadline and ended up primarily on nacho duty. Hutton could only get a PTO with Anaheim last offseason, so his time in the NHL's probably nearing an end, and I think Benn primarily plays his off side too. Do you see any of those three as the answer, or do you think MacLellan's gonna make a trade?

I think it’s either Chara or a trade. Just IMO

 

[Ridley Simon]

They could sign Chara right now if they wanted to. Moving Kempny first isn't a necessity to signing Chara.

Anybody can sign Chara now. Not a single team has done so.

your assumption here is that Chara has offered his services to all 32 teams, and that no one has bitten. Knowing what happened last offseason (he *chose* where he wanted to go, not the other way around)….is that a hill you want to die on?

I’d guess that if he wants to play, he will contact the very few teams he will play for, and go from there. The list won’t be large. Prob half a dozen teams tops.

if no mutual interest, then he retires. He may just retire anyway.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

I enjoy reading this discussion regarding our defensive pairings etc., but the biggest factor/concern for the upcoming season to me is Kuznetsov and Mantha. Both of these players will need to have career like years for the Capitals, otherwise this team will be on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

 

[tenken00]

your assumption here is that Chara has offered his services to all 32 teams, and that no one has bitten. Knowing what happened last offseason (he *chose* where he wanted to go, not the other way around)….is that a hill you want to die on?

I’d guess that if he wants to play, he will contact the very few teams he will play for, and go from there. The list won’t be large. Prob half a dozen teams tops.

if no mutual interest, then he retires. He may just retire anyway.

My assumption is that even the teams that he does want to play for view him as a last resort and not an answer. And if the teams that he wants to play for don't give him significant playing time, he will retire.

If he was willing to just take a 7th dman, mentor type role, he would already have been signed with a team.

 

[Hivemind]

I didn't say he was more than #6 or #7 for Lavi. But he has no place being even that #6 or #7.

It’s not like he was beating out better candidates for that 6/7 gig in Nashville. He was rotating with guys like Yannick Weber. It’s not like Lavi was playing him over superior options.

 

[tenken00]

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[Hivemind]

Mike Vecchione is already 28? Time flies. Feels like only a couple years ago he was one of the hotter NCAA free agents. Never panned out for the NHL, but he’s a solid scorer at the AHL level. Should help bolster Hershey, particularly if McMichael spends significant time (hopefully) in the NHL.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

My assumption is that even the teams that he does want to play for view him as a last resort and not an answer. And if the teams that he wants to play for don't give him significant playing time, he will retire.

If he was willing to just take a 7th dman, mentor type role, he would already have been signed with a team.

I disagree….I’d wager he’s had offers, and he’s told everyone he’s waiting for now. He’s likely looking at a low $/right situation choice but needs to probably wait for the places he wants until some additional off-season business gets addressed.

 

[tenken00]

I disagree….I’d wager he’s had offers, and he’s told everyone he’s waiting for now. He’s likely looking at a low $/right situation choice but needs to probably wait for the pls e he wants until some additional off-season business gets addressed.

If someone wanted him as an answer and not a last resort, he would have gotten better offers in both money and in role on the ice.

It's because teams don't see him as an answer and not just a last resort that they don't give him better offers in either money and role on the ice.

 

[Todd Lazarchick]

Mike Vecchione is already 28? Time flies. Feels like only a couple years ago he was one of the hotter NCAA free agents. Never panned out for the NHL, but he’s a solid scorer at the AHL level. Should help bolster Hershey, particularly if McMichael spends significant time (hopefully) in the NHL.

I'm not sure why this is even being discussed. GMBM already said don't expect to see CMM up this year except for a spot game here and there. Which I think is the complete wrong move IMO.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If someone wanted him as an answer and not a last resort, he would have gotten better offers in both money and in role on the ice.

It's because teams don't see him as an answer and not a last resort that they don't give him better offers in either money and role on the ice.

I guess you’re hung up on this last resort thing. Will be funny-sad (not funny haha) if a lower journeyman in Irwin takes the same role.