Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021 "Season" Pt. 1

[txpd]

Thought Oshie is a Knuble like player

 

[tenken00]

Doesnt explain why he couldnt handle the puck.

Also, Ovechkin is fat for pro athlete, for years now. Still wins Richards every year. I dont buy that.

Well Ovie famously did change his offseason workout a few years ago during the Cup year to get back into shape. Maybe Backstrom did too this offseason after what happened last year? If that is what happened, good on Nicky. A lot of players would just be fat and happy after signing a big contract.

 

[SherVaughn30]

No way do I see BMac letting Oshie go. Oshie i believe is a big part of the team culture and a glue guy. They don’t grow on trees.

Here's how I see it. If the Caps expose Oshie in the ED, with the Kraken taking him, it would have a negative effect to the team just like the Pens and how they traded away Hornqvist. With the impact Schultz is having, I would rather expose Orlov than Oshie. Orlov has not been the same since winning the Cup. The only reason you might keep Orlov is because the Caps have very little depth for RD.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I am firmly in the "wait and see" camp when it comes the expansion draft. Want to see how the season goes, how far they get, who plays better or worse as the season goes on under Lavi, etc.

 

[searle]

Be interesting to do some kind of vote now vs end of season to see how views change on who we want to be selected by Seattle/think will go

 

[kicksavedave]

Be interesting to do some kind of vote now vs end of season to see how views change on who we want to be selected by Seattle/think will go

Will be interesting for sure, but I suspect it will take a lot more chatter on here than the one middle of the pack player is worth. Bottom line is, we will likely lose someone who we would like to have kept, but not lose someone who we can't be successful without. See; Schmidt, Nate.

And I think Tenken and I have already done the detailed calculations on the goalie situation. Either they both suck and therefore who cares, or one sucks and one is solid, in which case the decision is easy and we are protected, or both are solid in which case, who cares again. Mathematically there are no other possibilities .

 

[crab]

If you assume that Ovechkin doesn’t have to be protected as he signs with the Capitals as a UFA it really comes down to whether you prefer losing one of Schultz/Dillon over Oshie or Eller.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Will be interesting for sure, but I suspect it will take a lot more chatter on here than the one middle of the pack player is worth. Bottom line is, we will likely lose someone who we would like to have kept, but not lose someone who we can't be successful without. See; Schmidt, Nate.

And I think Tenken and I have already done the detailed calculations on the goalie situation. Either they both suck and therefore who cares, or one sucks and one is solid, in which case the decision is easy and we are protected, or both are solid in which case, who cares again. Mathematically there are no other possibilities .

Re: Goalies — there is still the injury situation. I think specifically Sammy. He gets hurt and misses the season (say after returning and playing well for a handful of games), and VV has a great regular season but flops in the playoffs (say loses in rd 1 ...or squeaks by a lesser appointment and gets blasted in rd 2).

Then we have an issue.

alternatively VV gets hurt for the rest of the season in a couple of weeks. Sammy plays ok but had his ups and downs and team makes loffs but loses early.

again, then what.

 

[Ridley Simon]

If you assume that Ovechkin doesn’t have to be protected as he signs with the Capitals as a UFA it really comes down to whether you prefer losing one of Schultz/Dillon over Oshie or Eller.

You expose Schultz. He’s injury prone and only has 1yr left on his deal. He’s not a “building block” as a controlled asset. He could bolt after 1 (COVID?) filled year. Unless hes an all-star type, I don’t see Seattle taking him (unless they know they can extend him)

 

[crab]

You expose Schultz. He’s injury prone and only has 1yr left on his deal. He’s not a “building block” as a controlled asset. He could bolt after 1 (COVID?) filled year. Unless hes an all-star type, I don’t see Seattle taking him (unless they know they can extend him)

Yep I would agree unless Oshie really falls off during the year.

Seattle could be interested in Schultz if he continues his strong play to help their team immediately and it gives them the opportunity to flip him at the trade deadline for an asset as he’s an expiring contract

 

[kicksavedave]

Re: Goalies — there is still the injury situation. I think specifically Sammy. He gets hurt and misses the season (say after returning and playing well for a handful of games), and VV has a great regular season but flops in the playoffs (say loses in rd 1 ...or squeaks by a lesser appointment and gets blasted in rd 2).

Then we have an issue.

alternatively VV gets hurt for the rest of the season in a couple of weeks. Sammy plays ok but had his ups and downs and team makes loffs but loses early.

again, then what.

I would file both those scenarios under "they both suck", as in losing one or the other should not be considered franchise altering. We've had goalies who had great RS the flopped in the playoffs for, oh I dunno, forever? So I would venture to say, if either one of them performs very well in the playoffs, we protect them. If not, then I'm back to the "who cares" mode.

Ultimately GMBM will have to make a long term prediction based on a small sample size. Good thing GMBM is GMBM, and not Francypants, or frankly any other of us. We're just all hoping to get enough evidence to make the call easy. We may or may not get that evidence. Could be a crapshoot. But we will have plenty of opinions to laugh at either way.

 

[kicksavedave]

I'm thinking back to Grubby. He got two four playoff games, flopped in them, and was basically gone. Since then he's shown he can be a solid playoff goalie. Sometimes you just have to make a call.

 

[Melkor]

I'd expose everyone except Kuznetsov just to trade him to Winnipeg for how much of a disappointment he has become.

 

[HTFN]

He looked fat. Fat for a pro athlete, not regular fat.

If he wasn't injured, I think it was just the season that he became "old".

I don't think he got fat or lazier or anything, I think it was just the first season that what he had been doing wasn't good enough anymore. Had the ghost of Brooks Orpik whispering in his ear all offseason by the look of it.

Again, if it was conditioning at all, I don't think it was from an unprofessional standpoint.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

If you assume that Ovechkin doesn’t have to be protected as he signs with the Capitals as a UFA it really comes down to whether you prefer losing one of Schultz/Dillon over Oshie or Eller.

Given what Ovie and BMac have said, I’d be more worried at that point why Ovie hasn’t been signed yet. Symbolically, that would look bad.

 

[Calicaps]

Given what Ovie and BMac have said, I’d be more worried at that point why Ovie hasn’t been signed yet. Symbolically, that would look bad.

Disagree. I totally see them holding off so that Ovie doesn't have to be protected and they can use his spot to hold someone else out the ED. It would be a strategic move done jointly and with a verbal agreement for his next deal already in place.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Disagree. I totally see them holding off so that Ovie doesn't have to be protected and they can use his spot to hold someone else out the ED. It would be a strategic move done jointly and with a verbal agreement for his next deal already in place.

I would hope that is the case should they go that route.

 

[Calicaps]

I would hope that is the case should they go that route.

I just don't see this being a tough negotiation. Ovie's not going anywhere. The only details are how to structure it so they can ice a competitive team around him and be cap compliant at the same time.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

I just don't see this being a tough negotiation. Ovie's not going anywhere. The only details are how to structure it so they can ice a competitive team around him and be cap compliant at the same time.

I hope you’re right. The longer they don’t have a deal in place the more I begin to wonder what the sticking point is. I have to believe though should BMac not come to a deal in the near future, Ted would step in.

 

[txpd]

If you assume that Ovechkin doesn’t have to be protected as he signs with the Capitals as a UFA it really comes down to whether you prefer losing one of Schultz/Dillon over Oshie or Eller.

I would not assume that, though.

 

[Calicaps]

I would not assume that, though.

I bet they've already discussed it. Why wouldn't they? It gives them a free spot to protect another player.

 

[txpd]

I bet they've already discussed it. Why wouldn't they? It gives them a free spot to protect another player.

I just think they want to avoid the runaway rumors. It will be a real distraction come playoffs.

 

[Rayquaza64]

I just think they want to avoid the runaway rumors. It will be a real distraction come playoffs.

what you mean you arent looking forward to the millions of articles on why ovi should cup chase and leave the capitals if we have struggles in the early rounds again?

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

what you mean you arent looking forward to the millions of articles on why ovi should cup chase and leave the capitals if we have struggles in the early rounds again?

That is a fear I have

 

[4thTierSport]

What’s the deal with Eller? Kind of annoyed Filia gets 3 games for Boarding but Komarov doesn’t even get a hearing to my knowledge.