Speculation: Tank or no Tank!

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

If we get swept in regulation in Winnipeg, we'll be 14 points our of the division and at least 8 points out of 8th with 17 games to go.

 

[Stewie G]

You know GMGM is using his imagination. They will not throw in the towel unless its BLATENTLY obvious or on the very verge of mathematical elimination.

We went on a nice run and then our D had one injury after another so its not in the cards this year and most will agree. But Ted and GMGM have their own agenda and desperately want to make the playoffs.

I believe it was in of the recent "30 Thoughts" that stated that the Sharks lost 3,000 season tickets the year after they missed the playoffs. That has to be a consideration for Ted, but I don't think they can ignore the reality that this year is very likely a lost cause.

 

[PhilJets]

Can we get backstrom for our 2013 1st, burmistrov and postma?

 

[Stewie G]

Can we get backstrom for our 2013 1st, burmistrov and postma?

I bet Minnesota would jump all over that.

 

[BobRouse]

I believe it was in of the recent "30 Thoughts" that stated that the Sharks lost 3,000 season tickets the year after they missed the playoffs. That has to be a consideration for Ted, but I don't think they can ignore the reality that this year is very likely a lost cause.

I don't think so either but if they grab a few wins or tread water up until the deadline I would be very nervous about the direction GMGM/Ted would want to take vs the one most of us think would be obvious...

 

[Stewie G]

I don't think so either but if they grab a few wins or tread water up until the deadline I would be very nervous about the direction GMGM/Ted would want to take vs the one most of us think would be obvious...

I know his blog posts can be over-the-top positive, but he didn't get to where he's at by throwing good money after bad. Better to miss the playoffs for one year than risk missing them more frequently in the future by trading away good young players/picks.

Nothing at this point would surprise me though. The Huet/Fedorov/Cooke deals all seemed to come out of left field, but that team was trending up and they didn't give up all that much. Maybe a bit of a shakeup/hockey trade is in the cards. Who knows....

 

[BobRouse]

I know his blog posts can be over-the-top positive, but he didn't get to where he's at by throwing good money after bad. Better to miss the playoffs for one year than risk missing them more frequently in the future by trading away good young players/picks.

Nothing at this point would surprise me though. The Huet/Fedorov/Cooke deals all seemed to come out of left field, but that team was trending up and they didn't give up all that much. Maybe a bit of a shakeup/hockey trade is in the cards. Who knows....

I agree with all you say especially the bolded. You would THINK Ted and GMGM would have some common sense about the reality of the situation but they have an agenda all their own (season ticket holder appeasment at the expense of the future).

If we do well over the next few games I'd be nervous we'd make the wrong turn.

 

[RandyHolt]

If we go .500 until the trade deadline, I think George does absolutely nothing.

 

[ChibiPooky]

If we go .500 until the trade deadline, I think George does absolutely nothing.

I hope not. The Canes and Jets are .552 and .567 point % respectively, so they'd actually have GAINED ground on the Caps in that situation (assuming they continue at their season pace).

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Less than two weeks or 7 games until the trade dead line. 6 of the 7 games are on the road:
- two against Winnipeg
- one at MSG against the Rangers
- one against the Flyers
- one against the Sabres
- one against the Hurricanes

and the one at home against the Islanders

The best case scenario I see in all of this is possible wins against the Sabres/Hurricanes and Islanders, but the other 4 I'm not confident about. So that means earning 6 points out of the next 7 games.

We're tanking!

 

[Atlas]

I agree with all you say especially the bolded. You would THINK Ted and GMGM would have some common sense about the reality of the situation but they have an agenda all their own (season ticket holder appeasment at the expense of the future).

No, sir. There is every reason to think the opposite.

 

[Liberati0n*]

If we get swept in regulation in Winnipeg, we'll be 14 points our of the division and at least 8 points out of 8th with 17 games to go.

That's beautiful.

 

[g00n]

Less than two weeks or 7 games until the trade dead line. 6 of the 7 games are on the road:
- two against Winnipeg
- one at MSG against the Rangers
- one against the Flyers
- one against the Sabres
- one against the Hurricanes

and the one at home against the Islanders

The best case scenario I see in all of this is possible wins against the Sabres/Hurricanes and Islanders, but the other 4 I'm not confident about. So that means earning 6 points out of the next 7 games.

We're tanking!

If this road trip is a total disaster, I hope the building is EMPTY for that Isles game, and the first move the Caps make is firing McPhee.

 

[PuckBuddy]

If this road trip is a total disaster, I hope the building is EMPTY for that Isles game, and the first move the Caps make is firing McPhee.

I'm not sure the typical casual ticket-buyer has the interest or acumen to boycott home games in disgust at a middle-of-the-division showing. I think this pair of games is basically it though, yeah.

Go Caps?

 

[ChibiPooky]

I'm not sure the typical casual ticket-buyer has the interest or acumen to boycott home games in disgust at a middle-of-the-division showing. I think this pair of games is basically it though, yeah.

Go Caps?

Nice gif

They're not middle of the division. Only Florida is worse, and if they drop the two to Winnipeg, Florida could easily pass them. They are solidly in suckville.

 

[PuckBuddy]

Oops. Thought this was the GDT. Bad aim; I'm just channeling my John Carlson, I guess.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Nice gif

Oh how I miss Trigger Happy TV.

 

[malyk]

If this road trip is a total disaster, I hope the building is EMPTY for that Isles game, and the first move the Caps make is firing McPhee.

The problem is that it's too close to the trade deadline to fire/hire a new GM. They need some amount of time to evaluate the team and plot a course of action, then they need to work the phones for awhile, and who knows what else.

You /might/ have time to do that if you are hired, say, today. A couple of days before the TDL? No way.

GMGM is going to be making the deals in two weeks.

 

[ChibiPooky]

The problem is that it's too close to the trade deadline to fire/hire a new GM. They need some amount of time to evaluate the team and plot a course of action, then they need to work the phones for awhile, and who knows what else.

You /might/ have time to do that if you are hired, say, today. A couple of days before the TDL? No way.

GMGM is going to be making the deals in two weeks.

I agree with the bolded, but the team has plenty of people already in the organization (Fishman, Patrick) who could serve as interim GM. I personally wouldn't go GM hunting until the offseason anyway (and, similarly, wouldn't fire my GM until the offseason, and I'd make whoever came in keep the scouting staff until the draft).

 

[Liberati0n*]

Fishman is an accountant/lawyer. He's not a hockey guy.

 

[malyk]

I agree with the bolded, but the team has plenty of people already in the organization (Fishman, Patrick) who could serve as interim GM. I personally wouldn't go GM hunting until the offseason anyway (and, similarly, wouldn't fire my GM until the offseason, and I'd make whoever came in keep the scouting staff until the draft).

That's true, but do you really think the philosophy is a whole lot different? It might be, but I don't really see having an assistant GM who is involved in building the team with a wildly different POV very likely.

 

[ChibiPooky]

Fishman is an accountant/lawyer. He's not a hockey guy.

That's true, but do you really think the philosophy is a whole lot different? It might be, but I don't really see having an assistant GM who is involved in building the team with a wildly different POV very likely.

Who knows. Like I said, I personally wouldn't make changes until the offseason. Realistically, we're only looking at acquiring futures at the deadline anyway, so I'm not too worried about it. The biggest concern for me is that he sends the wrong guys out - not that there's anyone who'd be a huge loss at this point. Fehr could be kept, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if he walked. Ribeiro is the only one up for debate, and I think most would probably be happy either way, despite all the bickering that's been going on.

 

[RandyHolt]

The monumentalchangeneeded.com group should want Dick and Ted to have a clear vision of how to move forward, and George to waltz in and propose the exact opposite. It doesn't matter if it's buy or sell. Always bet opposite.

If we sell hope we do well and miss the playoffs. If we buy hope the fat lady cries. Its not about tanking anymore, its about George.

 

[BobRouse]

This decision is getting more and more murky now.

Sweep the Jets + Every other team in the EC immediately in our scopes sucking + Getting all our players back and healthy = Standing pat at the deadline and getting a middling pick playoffs or not

Say what we want about GMGM but this doesn't look like an easy decision at all at this point in terms of the direction to take.

 

[sycamore]

If this road trip is a total disaster, I hope the building is EMPTY for that Isles game, and the first move the Caps make is firing McPhee.

I'm probably going to get savaged for this, but I actually think McPhee is a GOOD GM when the team is in need of rebuilding/retooling. He drafts superbly, and he makes good, bargain basement trades and free agent pick ups.
He should be fired when this team is on the verge of contention again -- THAT is when he's useless.