Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021 "Season" Pt. 4

[CapitalsCupReality]

Vrana, McMichael, Panik, 2nd for Tomas Hertl. That's what I want.

overpay with CMM....Hertl has had one great season?

is he a 70 point + guy or a high 50s or low 60s point guy from here on out at 27?

 

[traparatus]

overpay with CMM....Hertl has had one great season?

is he a 70 point + guy or a high 50s or low 60s point guy from here on out at 27?

As far as I'm concerned, if McMichael is not a major top-6 contributor next season, he is irrelevant.

Hertl is a legitimate top-6 center fill in that this team desperately needs and I have no concerns about him wilting away in the playoffs, as I do with Vrana.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

As far as I'm concerned, if McMichael is not a major top-6 contributor next season, he is irrelevant.

Hertl is a legitimate top-6 center fill in that this team desperately needs and I have no concerns about him wilting away in the playoffs, as I do with Vrana.

you expect him to be a “major top-6 contributor” next season at 20 or you’re done with him?

tough crowd.

what’s your top-9 look like with Hertl?

 

[traparatus]

you expect him to be a “major top-6 contributor” next season at 20 or you’re done with him?

tough crowd.

what’s your top-9 look like with Hertl?

You misunderstand me. I have nothing against McMichael and consider him a very valuable asset. However, his timeline simply does not align with Caps timeline. We'll have to wait for another ~3 seasons or more to see what this player really is and we simply don't have the time. On that note, there is not a single prospect or pick that I wouldn't trade away to make this team better for the next 3 years.

Hertl would take Vrana's spot in the top-6 and would be the insurance policy against injury to any of Backstrom/Kuznetsov/Eller. I'd re-sign him after next season long term with intention of him becoming one of the valuable trade blocks in the inevitable re-building process in 3-4 years.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Can’t wait for the trade deadline to pass and we can stop trading everyone until the off season

 

[HTFN]

You misunderstand me. I have nothing against McMichael and consider him a very valuable asset. However, his timeline simply does not align with Caps timeline. We'll have to wait for another ~3 seasons or more to see what this player really is and we simply don't have the time. On that note, there is not a single prospect or pick that I wouldn't trade away to make this team better for the next 3 years.

Hertl would take Vrana's spot in the top-6 and would be the insurance policy against injury to any of Backstrom/Kuznetsov/Eller. I'd re-sign him after next season long term with intention of him becoming one of the valuable trade blocks in the inevitable re-building process in 3-4 years.

Why don't we have the time? What gives you the impression that Ovechkin is retiring at the end of next season? Doesn't he have a goal record to chase? Isn't it going to be better to do that on a consistently good, updated team?

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Unlikely as it may be, have to throw this out there ... are they giving Carr a sweater tonight to showcase him as a component in a (minor) trade?

 

[The Instigator]

Unlikely as it may be, have to throw this out there ... are they giving Carr a sweater tonight to showcase him as a component in a (minor) trade?

I doubt it.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

The Sprong benching confuses me

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I think the Vrana trade talk is pretty nuts and we likely lose any trade where Vrana is shipped out.

 

[traparatus]

Why don't we have the time? What gives you the impression that Ovechkin is retiring at the end of next season? Doesn't he have a goal record to chase? Isn't it going to be better to do that on a consistently good, updated team?

Because we are the oldest team in the league? Seems pretty obvious. I'm literally advocating giving Ovechkin MORE support and assembling a better group around him for the next 3-4 years.

Take Vrana as an example. This is his 4th season in the NHL and we are STILL trying to figure out what this player really is. It's still un-clear whether this player can be a key cog in a deep playoff run. That's the most likely timeline for McMichael and we don't have the time to see it through.

Caps have a problem with center depth. We have none. I'd like to see that issue fixed and fixed now, not in 3 years. Adding a player like Hertl would do it.

 

[HTFN]

Because we are the oldest team in the league? Seems pretty obvious. I'm literally advocating giving Ovechkin MORE support and assembling a better group around him for the next 3-4 years.

Take Vrana as an example. This is his 4th season in the NHL and we are STILL trying to figure out what this player really is. It's still un-clear whether this player can be a key cog in a deep playoff run. That's the most likely timeline for McMichael and we don't have the time to see it through.

Caps have a problem with center depth. We have none. I'd like to see that issue fixed and fixed now, not in 3 years. Adding a player like Hertl would do it.

 

[traparatus]

Were you scratching your head the whole time Oshie was playing center with one of the regulars out of the lineup? If that doesn't demonstrate a complete lack of organizational center depth, I don't know what will.

 

[Calicaps]

Based on the hysteria here while Caps are a top-5 team, I am officially declaring right now that when this team is actually bad again, post-Ovie era, I am retiring as an hf mod.

 

[g00n]

Based on the hysteria here while Caps are a top-5 team, I am officially declaring right now that when this team is actually bad again, post-Ovie era, I am retiring as an hf mod.

There won't be mods. Just feral posters spamming Chair Lady gifs and stats.

 

[max21]

Wouldn’t McMicheal be a big part of the rebuilding process though? I understand getting the most out of this core because it might be the only chance for a while. LaPierre and McMicheal seem like ones you have to protect

 

[kicksavedave]

Based on the hysteria here while Caps are a top-5 team, I am officially declaring right now that when this team is actually bad again, post-Ovie era, I am retiring as an hf mod.

There won't be mods. Just feral posters spamming Chair Lady gifs and stats.

 

[Calicaps]

Wouldn’t McMicheal be a big part of the rebuilding process though? I understand getting the most out of this core because it might be the only chance for a while. LaPierre and McMicheal seem like ones you have to protect

You are correct. CMM, LaPierre, Fever, Alexeyev... these are the next Caps wave and we should not mortgage that future entirely. That said, if you have an opportunity to add a can't-fail piece to put the current roster over the top, you take it. Hertl is not that piece.

 

[tenken00]

There won't be mods. Just feral posters spamming Chair Lady gifs and stats.

You make it sound like that's a bad thing *hides gif of Chair Lady throwing out stats*

 

[HTFN]

You are correct. CMM, LaPierre, Fever, Alexeyev... these are the next Caps wave and we should not mortgage that future entirely. That said, if you have an opportunity to add a can't-fail piece to put the current roster over the top, you take it. Hertl is not that piece.

Since we're talking about the Sharks anyway, this is exactly how they made their last big playoff push. Thornton and Marleau in their mid 30's (Ovechkin and Backstrom, obviously), then the Couture/Pavelski wave (Kuznetsov and Vrana), and then a sudden boom of 20-22 year olds (Hertl, DeMelo, Donskoi, Tierney), all built around a core of 28-32 year old defensemen (Braun, Burns, Vlasic).

If you have to gamble anyway (and the nature of adding assets is always a gamble), gamble on your own young guys taking steps. If the window does close early, you always have the option of selling their primes for additional assets and jump starting your next window. If you're right, you already have the pieces for your next window instead of a bunch of guys ready to fall off a cliff or go find bigger contracts.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Since we're talking about the Sharks anyway, this is exactly how they made their last big playoff push. Thornton and Marleau in their mid 30's (Ovechkin and Backstrom, obviously), then the Couture/Pavelski wave (Kuznetsov and Vrana), and then a sudden boom of 20-22 year olds (Hertl, DeMelo, Donskoi, Tierney), all built around a core of 28-32 year old defensemen (Braun, Burns, Vlasic).

If you have to gamble anyway (and the nature of adding assets is always a gamble), gamble on your own young guys taking steps. If the window does close early, you always have the option of selling their primes for additional assets and jump starting your next window. If you're right, you already have the pieces for your next window instead of a bunch of guys ready to fall off a cliff or go find bigger contracts.

One could say the Sharks going all in for EK doomed the franchise. The Sens ended up with some high draft picks and prospects for damaged goods in EK

 

[Corby78]

Based on the hysteria here while Caps are a top-5 team, I am officially declaring right now that when this team is actually bad again, post-Ovie era, I am retiring as an hf mod.

I was actually thinking this during the loss to the Rangers. When this window is really closed, I will probably not be hanging out here because it will be unbearable.

 

[HTFN]

One could say the Sharks going all in for EK doomed the franchise. The Sens ended up with some high draft picks and prospects for damaged goods in EK

Yep. Swing and miss on your guys and before you know it the originals are wearing Maple Leafs jerseys.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I think the Vrana trade talk is pretty nuts and we likely lose any trade where Vrana is shipped out.

curious what contract you would be happy signing Vrana to for next year and beyond...

4-6 years, 5-5.5 per is what I imagine he’ll be seeking.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I was actually thinking this during the loss to the Rangers. When this window is really closed, I will probably not be hanging out here because it will be unbearable.

expectations will be waaaaay down. I was here for the McPhee sell off.....I don’t have any scars.

If you can live through top pair Kiwi-Doig, you can live through anything!