GDT: NHL free agency 2018

[7even]

I mean, if the Leafs manage the next few years correctly, they could be a 100 point teams for a good stretch. I am not a Tavares fan, but he'll be much more impactful as the 2C.

They need to find somebody to pay to take the Horton contract and trade Kadri for a defenseman in something similar to the Johansen-Jones deal. Trouba might make sense if he's not seriously looking for $8M AAV

Horton's contact is LTIR'd and doesn't count towards the cap, Kadri is underpaid by about 1.5M. They'll move a winger for a D or re-roll Gardiner into a similar player who can play the right side. They don't need nor can they afford a superstar defenseman.

 

[895]

Not claiming they invented it (or that it's even a system). But this is a copycat league and every year there's teams who attempt to steal whatever "secret ingredient" was behind the success of the previous years' winner. Heck, even the Capitals did that for a few years (trying to go skill/possession after Chicago wins, "heavy" after LA wins, and speed/youth after Pittsburgh wins). This year the copycat effect seems to be in play with big splashes at the center position.

Granted, some of that was definitely John Tavares being on the market at all, but simply looking at Toronto's roster with Matthews and Kadri wouldn't lend someone to the belief they needed another Top 6 center (especially an $11M AAV center). Yet they went anyway. And St. Louis invested heavily on not one but two centers with a history of production in the top 6. I definitely think the 1A + 1B + 2/3C depth is vogue this off-season after Washington's win.

I don't think the Capitals have any sort of identity like the Ducks/Bruins/Kings had.

Caps are just good at every position. Bigger than average. More skilled than average. Faster than average. Nothing really stands out in my opinion.

 

[Marshall]

n/m wrong thread.

 

[Hivemind]

I don't think the Capitals have any sort of identity like the Ducks/Bruins/Kings had.

Caps are just good at every position. Bigger than average. More skilled than average. Faster than average. Nothing really stands out in my opinion.

The center depth definitely stands out. Pretty much only Pittsburgh had a better 1/2/3 punch down the middle last season, and Eller repeatedly came up huge when Backstrom or Kuznetsov was hurt. So that's what other teams are attempting to mimic.

 

[kmart]

i am enjoying this off season so far... first the hockey wifes twitter fight (which for some reason i lost interest as soon as the fa signings begun), now jt to the leafs... once i hit refresh and the site went down... i knew it happened, i patiently waited without looking it up elsewhere... and when i finally got on hf again i saw a 1000+ thread with leafs fans in complete overreaction mode

on the mainboards there is a thread... they see themselves as villains now because it seems they getting the hate. i cant see that, at least i dont hate them, they just dont do enough damage for me to invest a emotion like hate. i rather enjoy threads where they overrate their team and fall flat on the face and this seems to happen again now. i know its not the majority that does this but the leafs fans on this site are something special... so many threads popping up... hyping each other up even more, thats special.

last time i checked they got bounced in the first round by boston who were irrelevant after that. their young player are going to progress but is 1 player going to change the holes in the defense and goalie ?

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Horton's contact is LTIR'd and doesn't count towards the cap, Kadri is underpaid by about 1.5M. They'll move a winger for a D or re-roll Gardiner into a similar player who can play the right side. They don't need nor can they afford a superstar defenseman.

Is Horton definitely done? A recovery by him would screw the Leafs over horribly.

Kari may be underpaid, but he's the most valuable moveable asset they've got, as Marner and Matthew's should go nowhere. They shouldn't have over 30% of their cap spent on centers. I also dont think Kadri has it upstairs. Too much of a hothead who can't keep his emotions under control. They need a 20 minute defender, IMO, as I'm not sold on Zaitsev as that guy., and the system is deeper on the wing.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

My childhood rooting for Chicago is officially over after the Kunitz signing....

 

[Portable Mink]

I hope Karlsson stays a Sen or goes to NYI.
He cant do any damage there and its just too sad now over there.

I wont argue the point about Matthews. Hes a great young player. Backstrom he is most definitely not. Yet.

I dont really care about the Leafs. Why would I? What damage have they ever done?
If and when they get successful, then I might dislike them because of their fans. To me they are just crazy leaf fans.

It will be interesting to see how their young GM handles this next 12 months.

 

[BallardEra]

 

[7even]

Is Horton definitely done? A recovery by him would screw the Leafs over horribly.

Yeah I believe so. I read an article about him back in like February that his back is so f***ed he can't even play with his kids. Pretty heartbreaking.

 

[Portable Mink]

Those 4-8 million offer payment for a top team is pretty low.... Id do that every day of the week. But yada yada bad form etc.
Islanders arent able to offer sheet anyone between 1.3-10 right now.

 

[RandyHolt]

There are plenty of ways to see how a a player is utilized by his coach when evaluating “advanced stats.” Zone starts, quality of competition, relative stats, etc etc etc.
Many of the “adjusted” metrics will account for these factors.

How did we win the cup, since we barely shot the puck this year. It seems like the more prominent advanced stats pointed to us.... be suck.

I remember reading here that Orpik was the worst player in the NHL a few times. I didn't see it. And sure enough Ovi and Nick basically bowed down to him in both presenting him the cup. He did great after all the advanced stats said he was horrible. Pretty much the entire year.

Guys crank it up in the loffs, but if we use those stats, we likely face push back that it was a tiny sample size. Look at the big body of work.

I have always preferred playoff stats, and ES stats, above most. Its one reason I used to like plus minus. It eliminates power play points. I want to see an ES points leader board all year long. The best part was seeing power play point padding guys getting a big fat minus on shorties.

 

[Hivemind]

How did we win the cup, since we barely shot the puck this year. It seems like the more prominent advanced stats pointed to us.... be suck.

The team was better after the trade deadline and a hell of a lot better than that during the playoffs. Getting Kempny helped a lot. Rumors of systems adjustments from the coaching staff also seem to have increasing credibility. Unlike so many Capitals teams before them, this Caps team "flipped the switch" in the playoffs, and got better in the post-season rather than worse.

And, of course, the Caps finally had the mercy of the hockey gods for once. 43 years of accumulated bad luck reversed all at once. So many plays that would have gone against them in previous post-seasons went in their favor this year. The double OT bounce in game 3 against CBus. Pittsburgh ringing the post in Game 6 OT leading immediately to Kuzy's breakaway. Kucherov's goal being called back for Too Many Mean leading to an Ovie PP ripper just seconds later. Gourde not being able to bury a puck sitting in front of an open net in Game 7 against Tampa. The Save in game 2 against Vegas. Historically, those types of breaks have gone against the Caps, rather than in their favor.

 

[Blitzkrieg365]

Please don't give this idiot attention. Larry Brooks is the hack who wrote the insane article about how winning the cup doesn't erase Ovechkin's "past failures". I would wait for an actual credible source before speculating.

Side note, has anyone been paying attention to the drama between Toronto and NYI? Friedman saying he spoke to a GM who 100% believes the Isles will offer sheet someone from the Leafs. This off season is great.

 

[Portable Mink]

yeah he is dogshit

 

[BallardEra]

 

[BallardEra]

GMGM and Yzerman are going to go hard after EK.

 

[hockeykicker]

GMGM and Yzerman are going to go hard after EK.

dont know how. they barely have any cap space unless yzerman is gonna trade callahan (can block 16 teams), palat who can block 20 teams, girardi who can block any trade, coburn who can block 16 teams, stralman can block 16 teams etc point is, they have wayy too many ntc for guys they need to trade to fit EK

 

[Hivemind]

dont know how. they barely have any cap space unless yzerman is gonna trade callahan (can block 16 teams), palat who can block 20 teams, girardi who can block any trade, coburn who can block 16 teams, stralman can block 16 teams etc point is, they have wayy too many ntc for guys they need to trade to fit EK

Trading Tyler Johnson, most likely. Worry about next seeason's cap hit next season (Stralman, Coburn, Girardi all UFAs after this season).

 

[hockeykicker]

Trading Tyler Johnson, most likely. Worry about next seeason's cap hit next season (Stralman, Coburn, Girardi all UFAs after this season).

tyler johnson has a full no trade clause though. im sure yzerman can do it but all those ntc will be hard

 

[Portable Mink]

NTC are so idiotic.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Trading EK is idiotic. Poor Sens fans. Nothing more hopeless or frustrating than having a shithead owner and incompetent management running your favorite team.

 

[Corby78]

Trading EK is idiotic. Poor Sens fans. Nothing more hopeless or frustrating than having a ****head owner and incompetent management running your favorite team.

Speaking of the redskins.....

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Trading EK is idiotic. Poor Sens fans. Nothing more hopeless or frustrating than having a ****head owner and incompetent management running your favorite team.

I dunno man, I think they've gotta blow it up. That whole place is toxic from top to bottom. New management, new players, everything. Really, Dorion and his staff should be canned for the whole Karlsson-Hoffman fiasco (not to mention the Randy Lee thing). How they let the locker room get that unstable, I have no clue. But you hit the nail on the head with Melynk. A responsible, engaged owner would make the right moves. Melnyk? Well, it may very well be hopeless.

But from a pure asset management standpoint, they've got an elite player that is without a doubt leaving in a year anyway, so might as well get a good return for him for him. I've said before they need to target their first back from Colorado. Something like Jost, Ottawa's 1st in 2019, Zadorov, and a mid-level prospect or pick would be very good return.

 

[Marshall]

Ottawa seems a prime example of the fish rotting head-first.