Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021 Regular Season Part 3

[Calicaps]

There’s a difference between actual COVID hockey talk and posting borderline political bullshit that constantly goes no where. Rehash and repeat.

So long as it's relevant, it's acceptable. If it gets too political we'll rein it in. But who is responsible for closing arenas/cancelling games/etc. and why
is on topic.

 

[DWGie26]

Really intrigued by the likely return of Kempny. If he plays well, and Mantha stays on LTIR for the rest of the RS, I could easily see them keeping Kempny as a good #7 and waiving/losing Cholo. I really don’t mind Irwin at all, but if a guy went down for any length of time you don’t want Irwin seeing gameplay with any regularity.

Cholo hasn’t been unforgivably bad, but he hasn’t impressed me either.

I thought the pickup of Cholowski was a good flyer. But he needs a lot of work. Would be best if we can get him down to Hershey and start to develop (by playing) in the Caps system. Will get good minutes.

On Kempny, will be interesting to see how he plays and holds up. He still needs minutes as well coming back from injury. So I’d rather not see him eat popcorn as a perpetual 7th. Erwin as a perpetual 7th (with no 8th except on Taxi squad) is fine by me. But this we know… will be a very fluid situation through January.

 

[DWGie26]

Personally, i think the NHL has handled the situation pretty well all things considered. This isn’t the NFL with rich TV contracts. They need to play games. They need superstars to play. They need to protect their stars and the league. Kinda like being a parent. Sure these are rich “kids” who are adults but what they want doesn’t mean it is good for the global optimum.I’d rather see the NHL optimize revenues, stay relevant, and play a full season.

 

[txpd]

On Kempny, will be interesting to see how he plays and holds up. He still needs minutes as well coming back from injury. So I’d rather not see him eat popcorn as a perpetual 7th. Erwin as a perpetual 7th (with no 8th except on Taxi squad) is fine by me. But this we know… will be a very fluid situation through January.

I dont think it will turn out to be that interesting. I hope for better but the Caps grabbed Cholo knowing he had to stay on the roster. They kept Erwin and then AA was ahead of him.

If he is terrible, we will all give him the benefit of the doubt. We will see. Fingers crossed

 

[g00n]

So long as it's relevant, it's acceptable. If it gets too political we'll rein it in. But who is responsible for closing arenas/cancelling games/etc. and why
is on topic.

Plus...I know Cali and other mods remember but for everyone who isn't aware... see that puffer fish with the cancer ribbon on the HF logo at the top of the page? That's for Fugu, one of the site's founders. She was involved in all things HF but her strongest and most enduring passion was her Business of Hockey forum.

Fugu's Business of Hockey Forum

Fugu hated the HF Politics forum because it was a cesspool of garbage that was too difficult to moderate. It was even hidden from the main directories, and was only allowed to exist as a dumping ground for political talk whenever it clogged up hockey threads: "Take it to the politics board!"

The old politics board is gone and these days politics/business/hockey frequently overlap so it's hard to confine all discussion to the on-ice product.

Politics is a suspicious houseguest in any thread. But business talk is part of the DNA of this site.

FYI

RIP Fugu

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

doesnt look good for Oshie

 

[twabby]

The NHL is going with the new CDC guidance. Guidance which certainly was not a political decision made with the interests of the wealthy and large businesses in mind, but instead was made by medical experts whose only concern is public health!

 

[zappa4ever]

Considering he hasn't been skating and now is,
I'd say it's starting to look good for Oshie

doesnt look good for Oshie

 

[Peeri]

I have a controversial suggestion, maybe try PP(2) without OV, or at least move him around. They would be forced to try something else for a change. Just forcing pass to OV for one timer every single time is not working right now. Need to get more creative.

 

[PlushMinus]

Couple of questions about Kempny: would cap space allow him to stay as a 7th or 8th D?

He has to be better than Cholowski and likely better than Irwin as well, right?

If he got a few more games would he be a threat to take a top 6 spot from TvR or Schultz? I personally think TvR is (currently but maybe not historically) a better player. And Schultz is supposed to provide some offence but you wouldn't know it this season.

 

[HecticGlow]

Couple of questions about Kempny: would cap space allow him to stay as a 7th or 8th D?

He has to be better than Cholowski and likely better than Irwin as well, right?

If he got a few more games would he be a threat to take a top 6 spot from TvR or Schultz? I personally think TvR is (currently but maybe not historically) a better player. And Schultz is supposed to provide some offence but you wouldn't know it this season.

Cap space isn’t an issue while Mantha is on LTIR, which is expected to be for months to come. Whether he’s back before the playoffs remains to be seen.

I thought Kempny looked really good in a top-4 role, given he hasn’t been in an NHL game since the June 2020 playoffs, but I also like our regular top-6 and TVR shouldn’t be sitting.

I don’t think losing Cholowski on waivers would be the end of the world if it got us a roster spot back. With that in mind, I’d be happy to keep Irwin as the #7 but recall Kempny from Hershey to actually play when a guy went down. I think the reality is, though, Kempny would be more likely to end up on the taxi squad than in Hershey at this point, in which case he’d be better served sticking with the NHL squad.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The NHL is going with the new CDC guidance. Guidance which certainly was not a political decision made with the interests of the wealthy and large businesses in mind, but instead was made by medical experts whose only concern is public health!

Why are you claiming only the wealthy and large businesses would want and benefit from a shortened quarantine period? It’s the small businesses and the working class that gets f***ed if and when the economy slows down. The wealthy get richer during downturns since they can buy stuff up at a discount and ride the wave back up. Small businesses cannot afford another prolonged lockdown and people who live paycheck to paycheck cannot afford to be out of work for 10 days.

The guidance was changed because we have to learn to live with Covid as part of our new normal and because vaccines by and large prevent people from getting so sick that they require hospitalization.

 

[g00n]

Talking viiiiiruuusss

antigens and t-cells

viiiiruussss

canceled games and schedules



Some good news for those who care. If this plays out like it seems then our T-cell response following either infection or vaccination might hold up against mutations, making future infection more coldy-fluey and less pneumonia-deathy. In that case I'd see boosters finally becoming more seasonal like the flu shots (as expected) maybe as soon as 2022, and even then only to make sure your infection is more coldy than fluey.

As that applies to NHL and other sports, it means "game on" despite COVID infections could be in the plans next season.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

I hope so, having omicron sucks.

 

[twabby]

I posted my response in the new coronavirus thread, because I think earlier posters were right that it shouldn't be here.

 

[StrikingDistance]

The NHL is going with the new CDC guidance. Guidance which certainly was not a political decision made with the interests of the wealthy and large businesses in mind, but instead was made by medical experts whose only concern is public health!

Beyond what A-Bro said, it is most probable the scientists are learning more about this virus and it's 'true' contagious period (which appears to ~5 days) and therefore this is dictating the policy changes. I'm as cynical as most, but from the research abstracts I've read, this appears to be the case.

Now if the Center of Disease Contraction were to publish an article like this, I believe most people should and would comply.

Centers For Disease Contraction Urges Americans To Suck Doorknob

 

[Ridley Simon]

What the NHL does affects people who don't care about the NHL. It's not enough for the players and fans to want to play, it's a matter of what's best for society as a whole. And for some reason, I don't think having upwards of 20,000 people crammed in arenas spreading Omicron is what's best for society at this point in time. Not when pediatric hospitalizations are on the rise and infection rates are through the roof.

It's less of an NHL problem and more of a problem with capitalism (excuse the slur) as a whole, but seeing as this is an NHL forum I think it's fair to focus on the greed and evil of the NHL owners as a stand-in for the greed and evil of the mega-wealthy in general.

All wealthy are greedy and evil? You’ve got some very jaded glasses on, my man.

people don’t have to go to games. Just as people don’t have to get Vaxxed. I find the issue is far more central to the ones who refuse to get Vaxxed, then it is on people who want to attend large events (where you need to prove you ARE Vaxxed).

barking up the wrong tree, sir.

 

[pman25]

I think the 5 day period is fine for no symptoms. Like come on we already restarted hockey during a pandemic, we don’t need to pretend anymore that we care about covid spread. Players want to play. If you’re symptomatic, stay away. Otherwise, play on. Get everyone vaccinated and boosted.

 

[txpd]

Give itt a few years and the Chinese system will be able to dictate how economies are run. Some will be happy to see that. As for greed and evil among owners, dont the bartenders and waitresses and other businesses rely on game crowds for their living? Are they evil also? And Ov is evil for wanting to play, yes?

 

[SpinningEdge]

Give itt a few years and the Chinese system will be able to dictate how economies are run. Some will be happy to see that. As for greed and evil among owners, dont the bartenders and waitresses and other businesses rely on game crowds for their living? Are they evil also? And Ov is evil for wanting to play, yes?

No. It’s called freedom and people making their own decisions.

If people want to go to a bar right now / they can. They should. Preventing people to do that and causing restaurants/bars to close - a lot of times permanently is insane.

 

[txpd]

No. It’s called freedom and people making their own decisions.

If people want to go to a bar right now / they can. They should. Preventing people to do that and causing restaurants/bars to close - a lot of times permanently is insane.

Well, yea.....but capitalism is evil

 

[HTFN]

No. It’s called freedom and people making their own decisions.

If people want to go to a bar right now / they can. They should. Preventing people to do that and causing restaurants/bars to close - a lot of times permanently is insane.

It’s not that simple, and in fact in the United States there’s already Supreme Court precedent. You aren’t allowed to wield your personal freedoms in such a way that they become dangerous to others. If we reach a point where the lockdown is deemed necessary once more you literally don’t have the right to act otherwise strictly on the grounds that your personal freedom is to decide for yourself

 

[traparatus]

This 'Caps' discussion has gone straight to shit.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Covid board is everywhere.

 

[Random schmoe]

So, top trade deadline targets, if any? Factoring in the trade cost.