The optimist thread - the Koolaid is refreshing!

[txpd]

give it up BR. All negative all the time. Remember when they called me DOOM AND GLOOM?

 

[strungout]

My positives of this season....

1. Wilson
2. Orlov signed a contract
3. Kuznetsov
4. Chimera - Fehr - Ward
5. Latta

That's all I got.

 

[BobRouse]

My positives of this season....

1. Wilson
2. Orlov signed a contract
3. Kuznetsov
4. Chimera - Fehr - Ward
5. Latta

That's all I got.

Ovechkin I'd add.

Also note that the PDO of Green and Ovechkin were terrible this year. Some guys on the ice (MJ, Backstrom) had horrendous puck luck and poor shooting pctgs. Green was snakebit from the get go. That will turn around.

Grabovski was solid and he's closing in on a deal to stick around.

Carlzner was good as can be expected.

Brown looks like a solid player along with Latta.

Burakovsky tearing up the OHL. We signed Bowey who took an upswing in his game.

 

[fedfed]

The positive:

This team doesn't need full re-build to be competitive.

We know it. With horrible coaching they're not Buffalo bad or Calgary bad. They're just mediocre, at the tail end of the list of average NHL teams.

We've seen how quickly things can change from the past.

During the four seasons before this one, teams that had finished in 18-22 range (easy to calculate there were 5*4=20 of them) 7 were top-16 in points next year or are on path to do so this year (not necessarily made the playoffs due to conference disparity).

That's a small saple size, but pretty telling: While it always bodes better for your immediate future to make the playoffs, the league is so wide open and so different every year that past record isn't a very strong predictor of success.

Should they make a change? Of course, and probably on all levels, but they've got enough good players to compete.

 

[PRicci09]

Burakovsky has been a positive... he is shaping up to be a steal at #23.

 

[strungout]

Ovechkin I'd add.

Ehhh....I can't add him.

I loved the goal total. But I can't overlook the +/-. Yeah yeah yeah, flawed stat...blah blah blah. Its still ridiculous to be that bad 5 on 5. Its mostly the coaching staff...but I cant fully put his season as a positive. (but at the same time its not his fault)

I agree on Grabovski. Hopefully Mafki can get that deal done.

 

[BobRouse]

Ehhh....I can't add him.

I loved the goal total. But I can't overlook the +/-. Yeah yeah yeah, flawed stat...blah blah blah. Its still ridiculous to be that bad 5 on 5. Its mostly the coaching staff...but I cant fully put his season as a positive. (but at the same time its not his fault)

I agree on Grabovski. Hopefully Mafki can get that deal done.

We'll have to agree to disagree on Ovie. Advanced metrics suggest he is about average (or mostly was and even above) at puck possession.

His PDO is the lowest on the team (bad luck) and thus his linemates were epically bad shooting the puck.

He is leading the NHL in goals and is the only guy than can get 50. Terrible support from the rest of the top 6 tho.

 

[strungout]

Forgot one.

6. Grubauer

Proved he can be an NHL goalie.

 

[g00n]

 

[BobRouse]

Also I feel good for Troy Brouwer for turning things around after a horrible first half.

We can say what we want about the guy (he's not a top 6, possession black hole, muffs chances etc) but he does play hard all 100% regardless of the score.

Ward too. Both have had strong seasons for themselves.

MJ has been awfully snake bit too. If he's not traded I think its reasonable to expect a bounce back scoring wise from him.

Carrick may have struggled but we should expect that from and undersized 19 year old dman. He does have very good skill and will be an NHL player soon.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

give it up BR. All negative all the time. Remember when they called me DOOM AND GLOOM?

Stop taking yourself so seriously, I was just messing around.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

My positive list:

Brouwer for coming on strong and infuriating many Caps fans by scoring.

Carlson stepping into the #1 role

Alzner remaining steady Eddie.

Wilson for bringing as much heart as this team has seen in years from a new/young guy.

Ward for shooting lights out and having a career year.

Kuuuuuuz

 

[Devil Dancer]

I like what I've seen from Chris Brown. If he can get his FO% up he might make a pretty good 4C, and he appears to have offensive upside over Beagle.

 

[txpd]

Alright then. my turn.

1. Wilson
2. Chimera Fehr Ward
3. Schmidt. I think when we get a real coach with a system for the d that makes some sense we are going to find out that he is a real player.
4. Kuznetsov. He's the best player of all of this. We know actually can know that rather than just suspect it to be true.
5. Grubauer
6. Winter Classic announceced. No one talks about this, but I think its very very unlikely that Leonsis is going to allow a wallowing team to host the classic. He is going to want a team to be proud of. I expect action this off season if only for that reason.

 

[BobRouse]

I like what I've seen from Chris Brown. If he can get his FO% up he might make a pretty good 4C, and he appears to have offensive upside over Beagle.

Or Latta as 4C with Brown on the wing.

Wilson really is far too promising to play on the 4th next year.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Biggest positive to this season:

It's almost over.

 

[fedfed]

I like what I've seen from Chris Brown. If he can get his FO% up he might make a pretty good 4C, and he appears to have offensive upside over Beagle.

Put him at RW and get Latta to take draws.
X - Backstrom - Ovechkin
Kuznetsov - Grabovski - Wilson
Chimera - Fehr - Ward
X - Latta - Brown

Spare parts: Brouwer, Johansson.

 

[txpd]

BR, I think the positive has gone off the rails again.

 

[ryan519*]

i geuss all thats left to do now is wait, and root hard against the pens flyers and rangers

 

[BobRouse]

BR, I think the positive has gone off the rails again.

When the Caps are hoisting the cup next year that hators will remember this thread!

But thats provided the Caps don't suck...

I do wonder what the plans are for a bunch of our younger players like Carrick, Bowey, Grubauer, Burakovsky, Barber etc

I'm thinking Wilson and Kuznetsov should be in the top 6.

But new GM could change everything. Those guys won't be "his" draft picks so who knows if they'll even be here.

 

[searle]

When the Caps are hoisting the cup next year that hators will remember this thread!

But thats provided the Caps don't suck...

I do wonder what the plans are for a bunch of our younger players like Carrick, Bowey, Grubauer, Burakovsky, Barber etc

I'm thinking Wilson and Kuznetsov should be in the top 6.

But new GM could change everything. Those guys won't be "his" draft picks so who knows if they'll even be here.

This really IS the optimist thread if you think we're winning the cup next year!

 

[RandyHolt]

This REALLY is the optimist thread if you think we're winning the cup THIS year!

 

[Liberati0n*]

Positives?

-Latta
-Brown
-Schmidt
-Orlov showing (frequent) flashes of Green-esque offensive ability
-Ward/Chimera
-Grabovski showing he's a viable 2C
-Kuznetsov showing he's capable of succeeding in the NHL
-the PP
-Wilson being the ****ing man (although his development being hindered by not going back to juniors sucks)
-Backstrom and Ovechkin being really good PP players
-Beagle proving he's finally arrived as a legitimate 1C

 

[Ridley Simon]

Ok ok ok....

Fine. I can do this too.

Positives? Here is my top 10

-Ovechkins goals scored total is greater than his +/- minus.
-Oates didn't demand a new contract coming into camp
-Caps uncovered 3 new centers (Fehr, Brown, Erat) and 2 new wings (Grabovski, Johansson)
-Green got a new Vespa
-Forsberg played in the AHL, thusly validating "the trade"
-Calle Johannson proved there's more to team defense than a good GA
-Chuck Gormley got more screen time
-Wilbon showed interest in the Caps
-George bought out Jos A Banks scarf collection, causing them to BK

AND....

-Ted finally put an end to all the damn main board "fat" jokes!

Thanks a lot, I will show myself out.

 

[Capathetic]

I don't get the love for Schmidt. How's he better than Dima? I see 3rd pair but with what's in Washington Schmidt is not a fit for any spot ATM.