GDT: PP Specialist visiting Shrek and his GF, 8PM

[strungout]

It's gotta be a showcase right?! What else could it be?

A showcase of what?

****?!

You can't polish a turd.

 

[NeilYoung]

It's gotta be a showcase right?! What else could it be?

Showcase what? How pathetic Mcphee is at building a team?

If the idea is to showcase Carrick maybe showing him looking like a deer in headlights isn't the best plan

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Showcase what? How pathetic Mcphee is at building a team?

If the idea is to showcase Carrick maybe showing him looking like a deer in headlights isn't the best plan

He's made some nice plays for a guy so young and considering who he's playing with, if you're paying close attention. The point isn't to show he's a top pair defender today, it's to show he's an NHL player long-term with decent upside (if he's indeed being showcased).

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

A showcase of what?

****?!

You can't polish a turd.

I don't see Carrick as a turd, sorry I don't. Makes more sense than "We're trying on purpose to assemble a crap 3rd pairing".

 

[NeilYoung]

He's made some nice plays for a guy so young and considering who he's playing with, if you're paying close attention. The point isn't to show he's a top pair defender today, it's to show he's an NHL player long-term with decent upside (if he's indeed being showcased).

Showcase that potential in the AHL then, showing him making one decent play a game isn't helping anything.

The speed of the NHL is way to fast for him at this point

 

[HunterSThompson]

Could be showcasing Erskine? Or putting Erskine next to Carrick is camouflaging his deficiencies. Or putting Carrick next to Erskine is helping with his deficiencies.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I'm actually a fan of Carrick's skill set.

I just think he's a perfect example of a 3-year AHL guy. He needs to seriously bulk up and polish his game without the puck.

 

[Hivemind]

Carrick clearly isn't ready, but he certainly doesn't suck. "20 years from now" there's a significant chance that nobody remembers how bad Carrick was his rookie year. He's an excellent prospect with significant upside, he just doesn't have the size or strength to be in the NHL yet and needs to polish his positioning in his own zone. He should be in the AHL right now.

 

[strungout]

The only reason he's here right now is he's right handed.

And that's ****ing stupid.

I'm so sick of this handedness ********.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

The only reason he's here right now is he's right handed.

And that's ****ing stupid.

I'm so sick of this handedness ********.

Yup. I'd rather see Schmidt-Strachan, if you're gonna be a handedness freak.

Meanwhile, the Ducks have won 18 of their last 19, and completely slaughtered Vancouver last night.

 

[strungout]

Meanwhile, the Ducks have won 18 of their last 19, and completely slaughtered Vancouver last night.

Sigh.

Its such a shame he was let go.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Yup. I'd rather see Schmidt-Strachan, if you're gonna be a handedness freak.

Meanwhile, the Ducks have won 18 of their last 19, and completely slaughtered Vancouver last night.

Bruce was done here whether we like it or not. Ovechkin was barely on speaking terms with him when he left and that's neither tenable nor repairable.

McPhee AND Boudreau should have been relieved of their duties together.

 

[Langway]

Schmidt-Oleksy would be fine. Oleksy is better than Carrick. Carrick can showcase his skillset just fine in the AHL. The main thing he's showcasing in the NHL is how far away he is from a physical standpoint in becoming a thriving NHLer.

Erskine-Carrick seems like a combination of dumb loyalty to Erskine--this org. falls in love with players to everyone's detriment--and a desire for more of a pure PMD in Carrick. Carrick is also faster than Oleksy but Oleksy provides enough of a puck moving presence to not make Carrick a necessity.

This franchise is never about production determining placement in the lineup, pushing players to get the most out of them or having an actual vision that views parts as secondary to what they want to become. It's always some off-the-wall makeshift ********. What vision they do seem to have between Oates & McPhee seems to be, frankly, terrible.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Bruce was done here whether we like it or not. Ovechkin was barely on speaking terms with him when he left and that's neither tenable nor repairable.

McPhee AND Boudreau should have been relieved of their duties together.

Relationships can be repaired and winning heals a lot of wounds.

Maybe if McPhee would have made a bold, smart personnel move, things would have turned around. Cammalleri, Quincy, Vermette, Turris, Carter, Zidlicky, Gaustad, Zanon, Hodgson, and Stuart were all traded later that season and could have potentially helped the Caps.

I'd still like to know the onus behind the transition to a defensive system. Was it a Boudreau decision, or did it come down from above?

 

[swimmer77]

I still can't believe Orlov was buried in Hershey until his agent spoke up. The kid has made mistakes but he's made some very good plays too. His positives outweigh his negatives for me right now.

I propose we have two threads for each topic - one for the lefthanders and one for the righthanders.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Showcase that potential in the AHL then, showing him making one decent play a game isn't helping anything.

The speed of the NHL is way to fast for him at this point

I disagree, showcasing him against NHL players is a must. The game isn't too fast for him now, he's simply undersized and green.

 

[RandyHolt]

Maybe we are seeing a change in direction from a development standpoint. Maybe its random, but the only injury was Erskine for a few weeks.

I am stunned to have seen so much of Carrick Schmidt Urbom and Orlov this year. I didn't expect to see any of that at all.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Yup. I'd rather see Schmidt-Strachan, if you're gonna be a handedness freak.

Meanwhile, the Ducks have won 18 of their last 19, and completely slaughtered Vancouver last night.

Boudreau still sucks though from what I'm told.

If he wins a Cup, the piles of crow will be large.

 

[Roughing]

George doesn't know what he's doing, Oates may be no better, and the owner doesn't give a ****. There's nothing else to say.

It's not that hard to fix this but the moron doesn't know how and isn't being help responsible.

Good times.

 

[marcel snapshot]

They played very well last night with the exception of the overmatched, not-NHL calibre 3rd pairing (Schmidt-Oleksy is far superior to last night's 3rd pair) and some half-arsed defense from Backstrom.

That was a committed, cohesive 60-minute effort. What's frustrating is how rare you actually see that from this team? How many losses this season to scrubeenies could have been avoided if this team could commit itself to playing like that every night?

Somewhat surprising how much of a difference an effective Brooks Laich makes.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

They played very well last night with the exception of the overmatched, not-NHL calibre 3rd pairing (Schmidt-Oleksy is far superior to last night's 3rd pair) and some half-arsed defense from Backstrom.

That was a committed, cohesive 60-minute effort. What's frustrating is how rare you actually see that from this team? How many losses this season to scrubeenies could have been avoided if this team could commit itself to playing like that every night?

Somewhat surprising how much of a difference an effective Brooks Laich makes.

Should only be surprising to those that hate him due to his salary and soundbites.

When healthy, he's been a very good supporting player for a while now.

 

[Brian23]

Boudreau still sucks though from what I'm told.

If he wins a Cup, the piles of crow will be large.

I disagree. Just because he can win a cup in Anaheim doesn't mean he could do it here. Way to many other variables and at the end, the well had been poisoned no matter how good BB is.

 

[g00n]

I guess I'm the only one who thinks the pattern here is GMGM putting guys in the #6 defenseman spot until he's pretty sure of what he's got in the guy, then he tries someone else (unless forced to act, as with Orlov's agent)?

The idea being they're pretty much taking for granted they'll make the playoffs and that the #6 d-man spot isn't going to be the difference maker there. So you rotate guys in for experience purposes, and maybe to give other GMs some NHL level game film to look at.

Then you know better where you are and what you can deal by the deadline.

 

[strungout]

I disagree. Just because he can win a cup in Anaheim doesn't mean he could do it here. Way to many other variables and at the end, the well had been poisoned no matter how good BB is.

Well it sure as **** wasn't poisoned because of Bruce.

 

[Carlzner]

Urbom-Oleksy is easily the best possible third pairing.

What a bonehead move to waive Urbom.