Speculation: Caps Hockey General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) -- 2017-18 Regular Season Edition

[Ridley Simon]

I dont like Trotz and definitely think he is not that good when it comes to developing young talent. But more importantly and I'm sorry its a little off the topic but any of you guys think that maybe the organization overvalues its talent? Since 2006 how many players that left the Caps actually had good success elsewhere? Green is doing ok in Det but what about everybody else? It seems to me like once a player leaves the Caps they disappear into oblivion. Shultz, Erat, Semin, Bradley, Alzner, Brouwer, Johansson, Neuvy, Fehr, Flieschman........and many more. Can you name anybody other than Varlamov that left that Caps and made a big impact on another team? I honestly can't.

Errr...he who shall not be named.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I dont like Trotz and definitely think he is not that good when it comes to developing young talent. But more importantly and I'm sorry its a little off the topic but any of you guys think that maybe the organization overvalues its talent? Since 2006 how many players that left the Caps actually had good success elsewhere? Green is doing ok in Det but what about everybody else? It seems to me like once a player leaves the Caps they disappear into oblivion. Shultz, Erat, Semin, Bradley, Alzner, Brouwer, Johansson, Neuvy, Fehr, Flieschman........and many more. Can you name anybody other than Varlamov that left that Caps and made a big impact on another team? I honestly can't.

Schultz, Erat, Bradley, Brouwer and Fehr were scrubs. Nothing to see here.

Alzner, Johansson and Semin had their careers decimated by terrible injuries. For Alzner it's the hand injuries (dude can't close a jar anymore without the help of his wife). Semin had a wrist injury, a botched wrist surgery and two concussions in the span of a year and had to retire at the age of 33 because of that. Johansson's career is in danger because of Marchand's cheapshot elbow to the face. Fleischmann had a nasty disease for a while IIRC.

Semin was talented and a pseudo-star on any team. It's more an issue of his career declining by the time he left. I mean the guy smoked cigarettes. The Semin of his first few seasons would have been a top 6 guy on any team in the league. Alzner was another guy who declined...at his peak he was a legitimate/solid top 4 defenseman. Flieschman had 27 G 34 A for Florida in '11-12 after his time with the Caps. Maybe the Caps let go of guys and bring in new blood at the right time?

Semin would've been a first line winger on any team at his peak. The 40 goal scorer Semin was one of the best player I've seen in the past 10 years, he could do it all offensively when he was hot, and his defense was not too shabby either.

I don't think that players always get worse when they leave the Caps. Look at Nate Schmidt now.

 

[RandyHolt]

Until I see Ovi at 100% I am going to assume he has a groin after doing the splits into the boards at near full speed.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

They’ve managed for the most part to hold onto the young guys. The two they let go happened to be good. Only the Nameless One really hurt though. Let’s hope Sanford doesn’t explode next year lol.

 

[RandyHolt]

Anyone have a bio on Pinho? A right shot with decent size and scoring is all I can figure out. Why can't writers articulate on their game, more than stats.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I’d like to answer your other posts, but then I see garbage like this and know it’s a waste of time.

There's literally a series of posts on the top of the last page in which multiple posters are musing about how they'd only accept Canadian or North American prospects in a trade.

But yeah, my post pointing out that most European skaters face an inherent bias on HF Boards and battle the perception that they're soft and selfish is way off base...

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Looks like another potential playoff avatar theme that should be explored. Uncle Snoop on the Caps bandwagon. Why not?

I got some bad news for you guys... I'm also starting to suspect that strippers only like me for my money.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Anyone have a bio on Pinho? A right shot with decent size and scoring is all I can figure out. Why can't writers articulate on their game, more than stats.

Skrudlands Bio:
His name is Pinho and I refuse to pronounce it any other way than Pinot. I will be making wine puns and jokes for his entire tenure. 8/10 prospect.

 

[RandyHolt]

Skrudlands Bio:
His name is Pinho and I refuse to pronounce it any other way than Pinot. I will be making wine puns and jokes for his entire tenure. 8/10 prospect.

I figured he was in the famed Grigio class of prospects.

Seriously, why can't Isabelle just ask him to describe his game. Is he PP only, does he PK?? A solid 2 way guy projected as a B6. Strong on the boards, does he hit, is he a future Bynger. Bah, lets drink.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I figured he was in the famed Grigio class of prospects.

Seriously, why can't Isabelle just ask him to describe his game. Is he PP only, does he PK?? A solid 2 way guy projected as a B6. Strong on the boards, does he hit, is he a future Bynger. Bah, lets drink.

"You know that guy Gretzky? Yeah I'm like him, except I have a scoring touch."

 

[Langway]

Pinho's developed into more of a defensive center so mostly PK, decent speed and positional play. He's more similar to Stephenson than, say, Boyd but I don't have a great read on his speed being quite on Stephenson's level or his strength/physical play.

 

[Raikkonen]

Until I see Ovi at 100% I am going to assume he has a groin after doing the splits into the boards at near full speed.

Nah, wasn't splits imho.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Until I see Ovi at 100% I am going to assume he has a groin after doing the splits into the boards at near full speed.

I'm more worried about the knee buckling there. It's the same leg Kadri blew out with his low hit last playoffs.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

There's literally a series of posts on the top of the last page in which multiple posters are musing about how they'd only accept Canadian or North American prospects in a trade.

But yeah, my post pointing out that most European skaters face an inherent bias on HF Boards and battle the perception that they're soft and selfish is way off base...

It’s a weak ass cop out argument in this discussion and you know it. Haven’t seen one regular Caps poster show Euro bias against Vrana like you’re suggesting. Lazy debating.

 

[HTFN]

Capitals who have departed from the organization to go on to varying degrees of success would include Mike Green, Joel Ward, Matthieu Perreault, Semyon Varlamov, maybe Michal Neuvirth depending on how you valued his trajectory, and Nate Schmidt (albeit via forced departure). I hesitate to include Filip Forsberg due to how early into his career he was traded. Arguably you could add, say, Tomas Fleischmann to this list, but that move is so long ago that it really doesn't matter. Besides that, I can't think of many more off the top of my head. It's very probable that this is mostly due to an organizational tendency to hold on to all pieces until they prove themselves to be unworthy of being labeled as core parts. Whether this is a flaw or not depends largely on your perspective, but outside of Forsberg I don't think the Capitals have made many/any trades in the last decade+ worth regretting on a larger scale. Some hindsight draft decisions, but which team doesn't have those?

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

It’s a weak ass cop out argument in this discussion and you know it. Haven’t seen one regular Caps poster show Euro bias against Vrana like you’re suggesting. Lazy debating.

If you're not picking up the "soft Euro who tries to dance around rather than the adjust to the North American strong mans game" undertones from a lot of the criticism surrounding Vrana then you're not paying attention.

Why this offends you is beyond me, you really don't need to go too far to find the Euro perception as it is applied to Vrana or make the leaps from "if posters are suggesting we need more North American players they're probably holding something against the existing Euros we have. "


It's cool though because I'm actually not at all interested in debating you since you hyperfocus on stuff like this as opposed to the points at hand. So win-win?

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I'm more worried about the knee buckling there. It's the same leg Kadri blew out with his low hit last playoffs.

Wasn't the Kadri hit a low thigh contusion and not actually related to the knee? Didn't wife Ovechkin tweet out a picture post playoffs?

 

[g00n]

Legit curious, how common are "soft canadians" and "gritty grinder euros"?

 

[txpd]

It's not Euro bias. Its rookie bias. Big difference.
Euro grinder. Sobotka?
Soft Canadian. Johnny Hockey.
Soft NA. Phil Kessel.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

It's not Euro bias. Its rookie bias. Big difference.
Euro grinder. Sobotka?
Soft Canadian. Johnny Hockey.
Soft NA. Phil Kessel.

Gaudrea is American

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Wasn't the Kadri hit a low thigh contusion and not actually related to the knee? Didn't wife Ovechkin tweet out a picture post playoffs?

Yeah his wife uploaded a picture of a contusion but maybe there was more damage up in the knee.

 

[txpd]

Gaudrea is American

Dang. Taylor Hall?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Dang. Taylor Hall?

Mitch Marner is the best example of a soft Canadian player.

 

[maacoshark]

Dang. Taylor Hall?

Are you saying Taylor Hall is soft?

 

[maacoshark]

Mitch Marner is the best example of a soft Canadian player.

Good choice. I was trying to think of a soft Canadian. The only guy I could think of was Eberle.