Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021 "Season" Pt. 5

[kicksavedave]

Does the Kuzy on the Covid list seem like bunk to anyone besides me? It just seems too convenient an option for coaches to not utilize, while providing a sliver of truth. My point if a player is missing team events, I can see a coach willing to assume he is a risk taking dumbass and was probably out getting covidically exposed when he should have been with the team.

Kuzy must have felt like a dumbass missing out on being with Oshie/#DatHat

Covid protocol/purgatory is for players who break the NHL Covid rules. He could have broken the rules as part of his being late, and therefore landing on the list is both justified and above board legal.

Feels both legit and related to "being late for a team function".

 

[kicksavedave]

Here's my guess how this all went down. Lavi calls a meeting to discuss something, maybe Oshies dad. The whole team comes down the elevator from their hotel rooms, except Kuz an Sammy, who pour out of a taxi 5-10 mins late with booze on their breath, indicating they were out having a sip. Being late to a team function does not land one on the Covid list, but being out in town against NHL Covid protocol does.

The "team function" could have been anything, but if it is related to Oshie, I don't think THAT is what may alienate his teammates - they got there, albeit late. What would alienate their teammates more is breaking the covid rules and landing on the protocol, leaving the team out to dry. Both players got covid already so they may have felt the rules didn't apply to them, maybe thought they were immune so its not a real risk. This is all pure speculation but something like this scenario is very plausible.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Krejci gets hurt a lot.

 

[ovikovy817]

The covid list helps the Caps with the cap space. Do not forget about that.

 

[HecticGlow]

The covid list helps the Caps with the cap space. Do not forget about that.

In the sense that it allows us to have Daniel Carr in the lineup. So it doesn’t help the Caps that much.

 

[txpd]

Krejci gets hurt a lot.

A definate con

 

[Calicaps]

Covid protocol/purgatory is for players who break the NHL Covid rules. He could have broken the rules as part of his being late, and therefore landing on the list is both justified and above board legal.

Feels both legit and related to "being late for a team function".

Not only that, but if the team is pissed at him, it could easily be for both missing the function and putting himself in the position to 1. miss more time in protocol, 2. potentially get sick again, and 3. put his teammates/coaches/families/etc at risk for the virus.

Doesn't seem at all incompatible to me.

 

[txpd]

Ive shared my theory and admit there are some potential holes there. What I am clearly feeling now, though, is that the shit is pretty deep. This is not being 5 mins late for team breakfast. This is 3 games and unless the COVID protocols were called by an uninterested party with the league or PA or something, it looks a lot like the team put them in the ditch.

One of my questions is that they were scratched from the 1st game and forced the team essentially to play without a full roster. Why was COVID protocol not used then? Why did that show up before the 2nd game? That a reason why this seems like the Caps using the system

 

[kicksavedave]

In the sense that it allows us to have Daniel Carr in the lineup. So it doesn’t help the Caps that much.

They only dressed 17 skaters (11 F) on Monday, so the question is, is Daniel Carr better than no one? I'll let others answer that one

 

[bur and 666 others]

Depressing. There is no anyone who we can sing or trade to replace Kuznetsov now , let a long 2018 god-mod Kuzy. We need him to get his shit together or we will be much worse team no matter what outcome we pick (trade or not trade him)

 

[txpd]

Kuzy is 10th on the team in goals. He has 1 ppg this season. Dowd, Sprong and Sheary have scored more goals this season. They have been playing without 1c level Kuzy all season.

 

[ovikovy817]

In the sense that it allows us to have Daniel Carr in the lineup. So it doesn’t help the Caps that much.

Yeah. It's better to play with 9F for 2 weeks just before the playoffs.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

I’ve lost patience with Kuzy. Time to move on.

 

[txpd]

I havent seen it mentioned. Kempny to Hershey for rehab

 

[Hivemind]

Kuzy is 10th on the team in goals. He has 1 ppg this season. Dowd, Sprong and Sheary have scored more goals this season. They have been playing without 1c level Kuzy all season.

You mean the PP2 QB doesn't score a ton of PP goals? Color me SHOCKED.

Kuzy's 5v5 goals/60 (0.88) is more than twice that of Anthony Mantha (0.4) since Mantha joined Washington. It's also ahead of Wilson (0.64) and Oshie (0.61). By your logic, I guess Ovechkin is their only 1st line winger? Kuzy's 5v5 points/60 is a very healthy 2.09, almost identical to Backstrom's 2.1 per 60 and definitely in 1st line territory when compared around the league.

They've had a 1C Kuzy this year, for basically the entire time he hasn't been on COVID lists. And this isn't even touching the underlying numbers and predictive metrics that you loathe so much.

If you want to bash Kuzy's maturity or his ability to get to team meetings on time, go for it. But don't try and hide behind shoddy analysis of his on-ice play.

 

[txpd]

Gotcha a ton=2

 

[um]

You mean the PP2 QB doesn't score a ton of PP goals? Color me SHOCKED.

Kuzy's 5v5 goals/60 (0.88) is more than twice that of Anthony Mantha (0.4) since Mantha joined Washington. It's also ahead of Wilson (0.64) and Oshie (0.61). By your logic, I guess Ovechkin is their only 1st line winger? Kuzy's 5v5 points/60 is a very healthy 2.09, almost identical to Backstrom's 2.1 per 60 and definitely in 1st line territory when compared around the league.

They've had a 1C Kuzy this year, for basically the entire time he hasn't been on COVID lists. And this isn't even touching the underlying numbers and predictive metrics that you loathe so much.

If you want to bash Kuzy's maturity or his ability to get to team meetings on time, go for it. But don't try and hide behind shoddy analysis of his on-ice play.

if you don’t think Kuznetsov has had a poor season on ice, than you have low expectations for him.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Kuz has been fine on the ice.

It’s the off ice stuff with the coronocrappiness that is the problem.

 

[txpd]

Kuz has been fine on the ice.

It’s the off ice stuff with the coronocrappiness that is the problem.

He isnt getting his ice time cut and dropped down the lineup over COVID

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

He isnt getting his ice time cut and dropped down the lineup over COVID

You have no better idea of what is going on behind the scenes than any of us do.

 

[twabby]

Kuznetsov is 5th in 5v5 ice time per game amongst forwards on the team (ahead of Tom Wilson, FWIW), and 6th in all-situations ice time. Sounds like a top 6 center to me.

@Hivemind already pointed out the point production which has been quite good of late after a slow start. But he's also been really good defensively! In fact he's allowed the fewest 5v5 goals against/60 of anyone on the team! And aside from Sprong and the recently departed Vrana, Kuznetsov has the best on-ice goals for/60 at 5v5.

So to recap:

1. He's playing top 6 minutes
2. He's individually producing like a top line player
3. As a team the Capitals do not allow a lot of goals while he's on the ice
4. As a team the Capitals score a lot of goals while he's on the ice

The problem is off the ice. The criticisms there are valid, and might not even go far enough, or they might be going too far. We don't know!

But we do know his on-ice performance has been very good.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Yeah it’s totally unfair now to say Kuznetsov hasn’t been good. He had a shitty month or two to start the season but he really turned a corner and seemed to buy in *on the ice.*

 

[kicksavedave]

Yeah it’s totally unfair now to say Kuznetsov hasn’t been good. He had a shitty month or two to start the season but he really turned a corner and seemed to buy in *on the ice.*

This is what makes his recent transgression so disappointing.... he had appeared to be fully bought in and turned the corner, then this shit.

SMDH!!!

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

My issue isn’t with Kuzy on the ice. It’s his decisions off the ice. I’ve seen enough to send him packing. Will be interesting to see if BMac feels the same.

 

[Random schmoe]

Kuznetsov is 5th in 5v5 ice time per game amongst forwards on the team (ahead of Tom Wilson, FWIW), and 6th in all-situations ice time. Sounds like a top 6 center to me.

@Hivemind already pointed out the point production which has been quite good of late after a slow start. But he's also been really good defensively! In fact he's allowed the fewest 5v5 goals against/60 of anyone on the team! And aside from Sprong and the recently departed Vrana, Kuznetsov has the best on-ice goals for/60 at 5v5.

So to recap:

1. He's playing top 6 minutes
2. He's individually producing like a top line player
3. As a team the Capitals do not allow a lot of goals while he's on the ice
4. As a team the Capitals score a lot of goals while he's on the ice

The problem is off the ice. The criticisms there are valid, and might not even go far enough, or they might be going too far. We don't know!

But we do know his on-ice performance has been very good.

He also has the highest offensive zone start percentage of anyone who has played this year not named McMichael or Sgarbossa. (87.78%). He averages 2.42 D-zone starts/60, vs 17.4 offensive and 13 neutral. The only player that starts in the defensive zone LESS than Kuznetsov is Ovechkin. Don't think it's fair to attribute 'not allowing a lot of goals against' to him.