Speculation: Caps Roster General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2022-23 Season Part 3: Drop the puck!

[CapitalsCupReality]

If Sheary is gone, he should've been traded at the deadline.

Did anyone really want an ice cold Sheary at the deadline?

 

[Ridley Simon]

Two more years at $7.8M for an aging player with a checkered history isn't going to be easy to move. They may need to take someone else's problem, which defensively at least may be worthwhile. I doubt Mantha is overly easy to move either. Maybe later in the off-season when options dwindle and teams become desperate due to lacking internal options...but that requires some impatience to not wait and see what else becomes available. Even then there may be other expendable players more appealing. Older lazier players in general are tough to pawn off (unless they're injured and become accounting loopholes). It's hard to see any GM coveting either player to the point of being a prime target with positive value. Mantha may actually have more value between the two, in part due to less term remaining at a lower AAV but also because it's a lot easier to hide an unreliable winger compared to a center.

Maybe they can pawn 92 off on CHI or SJS but I don't doubt they'll need to add some modest futures as enticement. And 92 does have a 10-team NTC so he'd need to oblige. Even in an off-season lacking UFA center options it's hard to imagine legit competitive teams having interest. The variance in what to expect out of him is so vast that, with disappointment more likely than not, that opting for lesser but more reliable talents is more desirable. He's just not worth the headache and who knows to what degree a staff would be able to change that. In the absolute right scenario it could work. In Carolina maybe they'd be able to insulate him enough. But Carolina ought to be targeting different talents, more goal-scorers, if they want to break through

You are becoming renowned for telling us what they won’t be able to do.

Negative Nancy and all that. I’m not saying things will get fixed, but I am also not saying “it won’t happen!!!” in every single post.

I am sure come September there will be a LOT to discuss/criticize/debrief — that said, GMBM is many things. A bull-shitter, he is not. He’s going to do what he said he will do, that’s what I count on.

Will it work? Dunno. But he’s got the reigns and for that I am happy.

 

[trick9]

View attachment 685878

Last night was anti-tank kryptonite, though I'm pretty sure we've locked up at least a 3% shot at Bedard.

Note Caps are the only team with a chance at #1OA that has a win in the streak column. *Dalehunterbad.gif*

STL: Play Dallas twice to finish the season. Dallas have something to play for. Blues could lose both games.
DET: @car and @TB. Both strong playoff teams though TB may not have anything to play for.
VAN: @Ana and @Ari. Both dogs that could beat Vancouver, especially if the Ducks try to out-tank CHI and Cbus which they certainly should given their 11 game losing streak. So there's hope there.

WAS: @BOS tonight and the Bruins have nothing at all to play for. Could be an awful win for the Caps. Then NJ at home on Thursday to finish the season, and NJ could be playing for the division title.

If regulations wins are still the standings tiebreaker then things could get complicated with tiebreakers, as STL and DET are close to us in regulation wins.



Pretty sure they stated there wasn't enough value or interest to trade anyone else.

Do you really think we could beat a rested Bruins team in their final home game?

I think we will lose both of our remaining games. I'll say 5-1 Bruins who are taking it easy on us for giving them Orlov and Hathaway and 7-2 loss against the Devils, Hughes will want to hit 100 points.

 

[Ridley Simon]

He'll be 31 next month and who knows what sort of motivation he'd have. It would need to be a competitive team around him. Or at least one that has some skilled players he'd play with where showing up every night would be enjoyable. Ditto the coach. With his limited NTC he'd have some pull. The amount of teams with a need that check off all those boxes is likely pretty small. CBJ? MTL? SJS? Not so much competitive really but maybe as good as it gets.

They could move him for an even worse contract, something with lots more term remaining, but that's likely counterproductive. It's hard to say just how easy it would be to dump him. Even with a weaker UFA group I doubt it would be really easy. I'd sooner add Kevin Hayes with retention if I was a GM. I'd not want to bank on being the one that solves the puzzle because what's the upside? A productive but very likely defensively limited one-way player that probably won't drive play? He should be able to play in the league another five years at his age, pace and skill level. But the compete is so bad and he's so unreliable that it also wouldn't be surprising if he's in the KHL after his current deal expires. Maybe a fresh start improves his habits to some degree but I wouldn't count on it. The epitome of a joker with trends not in his favor.

Edit: I think just dumping him would be considered a win given the cap space it would open up to use elsewhere. That space could just be wasted again but it would at least provide the flexibility to offer a different look. When it comes to Mantha I think a buyout needs to be on the table as a fallback should assets be required to move him.

31 ain’t old. 2yrs at 7.8m is cost controlled. He was a point/game player just last year.

He’s not this massive negative. Lots of great C’s have had off years. Someone will want him and think he’s their #1C and he will be motivated.

Plus he’s got a new agent to sell him to the new teams.

He’s gonna get a nice return, so let’s wait and see.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Peter Laviolette's status, offseason changes: What I'm hearing about the Capitals

Big decisions loom everywhere in Washington. Here's what I'm hearing about them as the season winds down.

theathletic.com

Key points:

-Laviolette returning is "50/50" according to TEB
-Ovechkin's injury not serious
-Oshie's current injury is the same back injury that has affected him this season. Surgery is currently not on the table, but rather rest and rehab
-Sheary, Smith, and Irwin are goners

- I think that’s bunk, and he’s gone
- this makes sense. Ovy is Ovy
- LTIR incoming
- good. That should make a lot of HF happy?!?!

 

[Ridley Simon]

Forgot Trotz will be GM. Can’t see him doing the Caps or BMac a solid by taking Kuzy but stranger things have happened and Kuzy was at his best under Trotz so who knows.

Nashville is an interesting team. They sold off but they have the best goalie in the world is Saros which is not what you want if you’re going to rebuild. Maybe Trotz thinks he can turn them around quickly in a weak Western conference. They also have Johansen, Duchene, Forsberg, Josi, McDonagh, and Saros locked up for at least two more seasons each so a rebuild seems unlikely.

Hockey Trade!!

Johansen is the type of player I could see us getting back. Same contracts. His brother is here!!! (J/k, but still)

Shrug. I dunno.

 

[Ridley Simon]

If Sheary is gone, he should've been traded at the deadline.

Perhaps this is a new development?

 

[g00n]

Do you really think we could beat a rested Bruins team in their final home game?

I think we will lose both of our remaining games. I'll say 5-1 Bruins who are taking it easy on us for giving them Orlov and Hathaway and 7-2 loss against the Devils, Hughes will want to hit 100 points.

A full strength Bruins team playing for the wins record as they were for the last few weeks? Hell no.

This Bruins team that has nothing left to play for and may dog it? Maybe by accident.

 

[Langway]

You are becoming renowned for telling us what they won’t be able to do.

Negative Nancy and all that. I’m not saying things will get fixed, but I am also not saying “it won’t happen!!!” in every single post.

I'm not saying it's not going to happen. There are worse contracts out there that teams are saddled with. At worst it's another two years of overpaid fluff. That's not never-ending, as much as it may seem like it. MacLellan will surely not sit on his hands but it is made harder by GMs knowing he needs to shake things up and being under pressure to maintain competitiveness. He's not exactly selling high on some of these assets and their basic impatience seems likely to result in sub-optimal decisions and outcomes.

We'll see. Maybe they're able to thread the needle with the right scenarios aligning but I'm not sure it can be forced. My hat's off to him if they're able to execute a coaching change, a couple top six swaps and maybe some other secondary adds and get it back on track again. But even with a favorable off-season I'm not sure it elevates them beyond the bubble range unless they win the Bedard/Fantilli sweepstakes. Do that and they're back, baby.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

you've heard of bosses protecting employees by not giving out too much info right?

Maybe he was just tinkering, and that's acceptable to me as a fan. However, Twabby is a dog with a bone....he can't let go. Who cares about that decision today? Only the people who want to shit on Lavi....(cue Brian23, one of the Lavi mob).

Lavi’s decision making has been suspect. Why is that such a bad narrative to state? It’s true.

Lavi coming back is 50/50? I call BS. That’s just the org trying to be nice and not embarrass a hall of fame coach.

 

[Calicaps]

Perhaps this is a new development?

Pretty sure they couldn't get enough to make it worth their while. They did still need to ice a team for the rest of this season. But maybe they trade his rights before UFA starts in July.

 

[pman25]

Carolina does seem to fit for Kuz pretty well actually, they’re a “fun” team and they have two defensive centers that can make up for his shortfalls (Staal / Kotkaniemi). Plus Aho takes some of the tougher offensive minutes. Fellow Russians in town if that makes a difference. Nice area to live for the fam. Plenty of cap space and Carolina held on to their 1st rounder and have a deep prospect pool. Sounds like a match to me

 

[Cappy76]

Send kuzy to Calgary for backlund apprently he asked for a trade last off season

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Dude is ass.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Dude is making $7.8M to try less than the guys drinking beers on the bench in Upper C at The St James. He should be embarrassed.

 

[Langway]

Addition. By. Subtraction.

 

[pman25]

Delete those tweets. I’m trying to get a 1st for Kuz

 

[twabby]

Devils have a shot at winning the division on Thursday so you have to figure they’ll be icing a full lineup and giving it their all.

Go Canucks!

 

[SherVaughn30]

- I think that’s bunk, and he’s gone
- this makes sense. Ovy is Ovy
- LTIR incoming
- good. That should make a lot of HF happy?!?!

Ted would be really stupid if he kept a $5 million per coach that doesn't develop young players and at this point is not liked by a good deal of the roster. On top of that didn't coach this team into the playoffs. It would be a chaotic situation if Lavi got a contract renewal.

 

[Ovi895]

If only Kuzy was trying in this crunch time like the rest of the team is

 

[Silky mitts]

It’s wild BM got Strome at $5M for nothing and Hextall traded a 2nd to pay Granlund $5M

 

[WanderingCapsFan]

With one game left, to paraphrase Al Davis, "just lose, baby".

 

[Silky mitts]

Caps would lose draft tiebreaker to Canucks (reverse RW, ROW, W in that order), up in the air for Detroit or St Louis.
As long as Caps don’t win vs NJ they'll be slotted 8th, even with 1 pt.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I dont think Ted will pay Lavi top dollar $5 mill for coaching a bad team. We could prolly get Halpern for 1/5 of that.

 

[Pigskin]

Lucky number 8. The gift that keeps on giving ... now give us Bedard.

It just took me 8 spins to win the lottery. Who'd have thunk it.