Confirmed with Link: Caps trade for Mantha for Vrana, Panik, 2021 1st, 22 2nd

[TheClap]

This is going to be one of those trades that benefits both teams pretty evenly.

Mantha exhibited zero effort in Detroit most nights since his contract extension. And it's hard to blame him with the sad state the team has been in since he started playing. Getting to play for a team with direction and with talent will rejuvenate him.

Likewise, Vrana will likely continue to excel in Detroit, where he will get more icetime and opportunity on a crappy team and should be a good piece for them to build around, or flip for a high pick later.

 

[um]

This is especially true n0w that 4 of Detroit's best forwards(Larkin, Ryan, Bertuzzi, Fabbri) have been sidelined by injury 3 for the rest of the season.

Vrana will get to show what he can really do now that he has been promoted to the first line beside his fellow Czech 2018 #6 draft pick Filip Zadina.

He averaged 14:22 this season with the Capitals; he is averaging 17:10 thus far with the Red Wings.

Vrana's 4 goals weren't garbage goals. Detroit was playing against a team (Dallas) that desperately needed to win this game in a playoff chase and yet they scored 7 goals against them thanks to Vrana. Dallas lost its first regulation game in nine games.

Thats kind of his thing though. If he's not getting breakaways or wide open chances he struggles to get anything.

 

[caps4cup]

I could not disagree more. He never averaged even more than 15 minutes a game for any season. He was given chances but he was also scoring 20+ goals and he earned them. And then he sees other players who make mistakes and don’t get benched and he thinks what the hell is going on. I totally understand his frustration.

His 5v5 TOI was 1min lower on average the past 2 seasons than Oshie and Wilson’s. It’s not like he was playing much less at 5v5 until this year, when his effort was horrific, his body language was terrible, and he stopped scoring. The difference is, he was on PP2, and rightly so as Kuznetsov looks much better with that unit.

Sure, he could have played 1 more minute at 5v5 per game, but he wasn’t playing 20 mins a night with 19 and 92 taking most of the PP time here.

I think the “he didn’t get a chance here” is a little over blown. He didn’t get much of a chance on the PP, but not many LH shots would with Backstrom and Kuznetsov on the team.

 

[cjeagle]

Thats kind of his thing though. If he's not getting breakaways or wide open chances he struggles to get anything.

That maybe but in last night's game he scored all 4 goals in different situations: one time wrister on a 2 on one, redirection from the point, a backhand rebound and a breakaway.

 

[Silky mitts]

That maybe but in last night's game he scored all 4 goals in different situations: one time wrister on a 2 on one, redirection from the point, a backhand rebound and a breakaway.

The 3 that weren’t the rebound were from floating

 

[twabby]

The 3 that weren’t the rebound were from floating

This doesn’t make a lick of sense!

 

[um]

The 3 that weren’t the rebound were from floating

I don't see how any of them were from floating... 2 of them were from awful defense from Dallas (the first 2), than it was a great shot/pass by the dman to Vrana, than a big rebound that found Vrana.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

I bet you wouldn’t understand the frustration if you were a teammate and had all the information Lavi has.

I mean I dunno seems like his teammates really love the kid. Neither one of us is in the locker room so it’s all speculation and I’m not going to act like I have the answer.

 

[g00n]

4 goals is 4 goals. They're still against an NHL team. Let's not make ourselves look petty by poo-pooing them.

This is a win-win trade most likely. It's fine.

 

[895]

Character assassination begins

 

[kicksavedave]

4 goals is 4 goals. They're still against an NHL team. Let's not make ourselves look petty by poo-pooing them.

This is a win-win trade most likely. It's fine.

Petty poo pooing is the HFBoards official mantra. Strike that, the entire Internet!

I think its fair to say 5 goals in 10 shots is unsustainable for Vrana, as is 4 goals in 5 games for Mothra. But by all means, lets evaluate the trade after 5 games, its what we do here.

Wings got a player that fits where they are at right now. Caps got a player that fits where they are at right now. Both players have oodles of skill, and both players have issues with work ethic. Neither of those issues will be solved in 5 games.

 

[TheClap]

The 3 that weren’t the rebound were from floating

The breakaway was from a heads up defensive play where he picked off a pass and took it to the house. How is that floating?

 

[marcel snapshot]

In Detroit, Vrana basically gets to be Ovie - the prime goal-scoring force who is afforded prime goal-scorer ice time, PP time, and indulgences for defensive shortcomings. He never got the defensive shortcoming indulgence in DC, nor should he have.

 

[Silky mitts]

The breakaway was from a heads up defensive play where he picked off a pass and took it to the house. How is that floating?

You’re right I’m hating, the tip in was aboveboard close to the hash marks but I’m pushing it

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I mean I dunno seems like his teammates really love the kid. Neither one of us is in the locker room so it’s all speculation and I’m not going to act like I have the answer.

It’s not about liking or disliking, it’s about doing your job and being reliable each night.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

4 goals is 4 goals. They're still against an NHL team. Let's not make ourselves look petty by poo-pooing them.

This is a win-win trade most likely. It's fine.

yep this.

 

[Langway]

In Detroit, Vrana basically gets to be Ovie - the prime goal-scoring force who is afforded prime goal-scorer ice time, PP time, and indulgences for defensive shortcomings. He never got the defensive shortcoming indulgence in DC, nor should he have.

As a rebuilding team they'll also be more content generally playing a more wide open game. With Vrana it wasn't just defense but at times general engagement. There's little explanation for how invisible he became in utilizing his speed on the forecheck. Arguably all of Vrana, Burakovsky and Stephenson ran into confidence issues when things weren't going their way. Maybe the Caps should have been more patient and worked the process more but the salary cap makes it very difficult. All three were put into situations that fit them well. I don't think that's a mistake in MacLellan doing right by the player.

I think Vrana will be more honest and detailed all-around as his confidence grows to new levels and he matures. We'll see. Had he just cashed in on some of his past playoff chances the past couple seasons maybe the leash would have been longer. But then a lot of things could be very different had that happened.

 

[Bananas]

Mantha and the Caps season hasn’t even started yet. If he’s a playoff stud and we make a run for this thing I’m happy to add in a 3rd rounder on top just for shits and giggles. If we lay a first or second round turd, it’s an oh so Shakespearean “sound and fury signifying nothing” type of dealy for those of us in Capsland.

 

[Melkor]

2 of the goals were a total fluke (redirection and backhand). Execution was not excellent to say the least but it was one of those days when the puck would just bounce off his stick in the net even if he had no idea where he was when the puck found him. 2 other goals were typical Vrana goals. Run for your life and just shoot it hoping goalie isn't quick enough to react to his release and another is a 2 on 1 counter attack. Nothing new. Not a single goal scored off of a possession with a decent passing and zone time where he touches the puck the respectable amount of times. I don't care if this sounds petty or anything, this game hasn't shown anything from Vrana we haven't seen in DC. The same player with all kinds of luck on that particular day.

 

[Jags]

I'm not all that concerned about anyone's performance in a single game unless it's a playoff game.

When I look at this trade, I much prefer the guy that misses games due to injury from competing over the guy that got healthy-scratched by every coach he's ever had for NOT competing.

Everything else is trivia.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Would think Vrana wants to get Mantha's money in Detroit and perhaps a bit more for ego purposes. Is 6 mil a possibility?

Vrana at 6 and Panik's 2.75 on top of that would be 3 more than what Mantha is getting.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Would think Vrana wants to get Mantha's money in Detroit and perhaps a bit more for ego purposes. Is 6 mil a possibility?

Vrana at 6 and Panik's 2.75 on top of that would be 3 more than what Mantha is getting.

couldn't be a better position for Vrana.....Stevie Y beware. Who wants to pay him $6+ is the big question....

 

[DWGie26]

Petty poo pooing is the HFBoards official mantra. Strike that, the entire Internet!

I think its fair to say 5 goals in 10 shots is unsustainable for Vrana, as is 4 goals in 5 games for Mothra. But by all means, lets evaluate the trade after 5 games, its what we do here.

Wings got a player that fits where they are at right now. Caps got a player that fits where they are at right now. Both players have oodles of skill, and both players have issues with work ethic. Neither of those issues will be solved in 5 games.

I think it does get fixed the first 5 or 10 games. New scenery. New energy. Question is can it be sustainable.

 

[Silky mitts]

Would think Vrana wants to get Mantha's money in Detroit and perhaps a bit more for ego purposes. Is 6 mil a possibility?

Vrana at 6 and Panik's 2.75 on top of that would be 3 more than what Mantha is getting.

I’m thinking 3 years at $5.7M (which would make grading the trade in 3 years super easy), 2 years for a lower rate, 4+ years at a higher rate

 

[DWGie26]

This may be a ballsy trade by GMBM. But really, it was well calculated. I’ve seen great leaders do similar. they come in to install a new system (and/or culture) and give everyone a chance. Some will buy-in and flourish (Jensen, Sheary) and some will go the other direction. Then the leader makes a statement with something like firing (or in this case trading) someone that others may feel is untouchable. That shockwave Brings deeper accountability and buy-in across the organization using propelling the result.

To me this kind of explains Lavi’s short tenures. He is a turnaround guy.