Confirmed with Link: Vanecek back to the Capitals (2023 2nd round pick)

[MindRiot]

FWIW Ron said that at least 6 teams contacted them about Vanacek. I'm assuming if a better deal than a 2nd was there, he would have taken it.

It's not about what the market is right now though. Teams are under no pressure to figure out their goaltending on July 27th when the season starts in October.

 

[Gniwder]

I'm not sure why the pick being in 2023 would "make it worse".
By then that aging Capitals team will be two years older instead of just one and both drafts(2022 + 2023) are seen as pretty strong.

Overall I think @Loki Dog 74 has done a good overview of critisicm of Francis and what might have been possible.

Now I'm curious to see what Francis does about the roster until training camp.
Would've liked another solid C, but both Ryan and Glendenning have already been signed.

Earlier draft picks always have more value, but you're probably right that Caps will probably finish worse in 23, I didn't think of that angle. To me, the 22 draft is pretty strong, and the Kraken need prospects for the AHL team sooner than later.

$1.5M for Glendenning is good value, but it looks like he wanted to go to a playoff team, and at the time LGD signed his contract, Seattle looked like a bubble team.

 

[theimmortal1]

This is my biggest gripe. I have no problem with Vanecek being the expansion pick. Winnipeg overpaid for Dillon. Tough to anticipate a team doing that, especially in the offseason when there is no immediate pressure to cement your lineup. Dillon went for less (2nd + conditional 3rd) at the 2020 trade deadline and that's when he was playing better than he was this past season.

The problem I have is moving Vanacek now. Odds are you could create a bidding war with teams that missed out on a goalie upgrade or couldn't afford one.

It is his literal job to get a read on the market for players. If he didn't know Winnipeg would have given them 2 2nds then he didn't do his job.

That being said he didn't know if he'd be the top bidder for Gru, and if he had a high opinion of Vanacek then I guess it is palatable. The problem is the list of 'errors' is beginning to get long.

Even if he was flying solo (he isn't), how hard is it to send a list to all the teams and ask them what they'd give for certain players? Ask them what they give if Seattle retained 50%?

Some team would have given SOMETHING for 50% retained on Domi. That is way better than getting absolutely zero. And the Kraken can clearly stomach a couple mil of retained dollars for 1 year. It is just bad asset management.

 

[The Marquis]

I can't believe a single 2nd round pick in 2 years is such a point of contention. We must be on HF!

 

[Gniwder]

I can't believe a single 2nd round pick in 2 years is such a point of contention. We must be on HF!

It's not just a 2nd round pick, the team got nothing off CBJ and Chi as well, and Zadorov returned a 3rd. If the team makes the playoffs it becomes a moot point, if they miss then it gets blown out of proportion.

Welcome to HF Boards

 

[8999]

The problem I have is moving Vanacek now. Odds are you could create a bidding war with teams that missed out on a goalie upgrade or couldn't afford one.

I wondered the same.

But FWIW (which may be very little), this exact question came up on the Steve Dangle podcast and Steve Dangle believes GMRF thought it wasn't worth being a jerk over this and did WSH a bit of a favor by just letting them have VV back for the pick.

I'm a bit skeptical of this explanation myself but thought it was interesting that they mentioned that SEA and GMRF may want to differentiate themselves from VGK, who are not viewed very favorably by the management of other teams. It's a cutthroat business but in the long-run you occasionally need favors from others, too.

 

[LokiDog]

None of it is a big deal. They're all really small.

The issue is that Zadorov could have been taken and flipped for that 3rd. With the Washington scenario, doing some due diligence with what other GMs might have been willing to give up could have netted an extra 2nd. There's the possibility someone would have given up a 2nd or 3rd for Domi with a little retention, or at least to have another NHL upside young player in Stenlund in the system. It's all small potatoes. We're excited for our team and want it to be the best it can be. Leaving potentially two extra 2nds and a 3rd on the table is gonna irritate some of us, mostly because we're antsy to see this team succeed and some extra draft/trade capital could expedite that process.

I think overall we're in good shape. I like the free agent signings and I feel pretty good about Gru in net, behind the D we drafted. Obviously, we're wanting for some top end offensive talent. I wonder if you could package Dunn/Soucy and a guy like Geekie with a pick to get a more impactful forward to solidify our top-six, but we're not in bad shape going into the season now. Schwartz, Eberle and Gourde are solid. McCann and Wennberg have some breakout potential left. Appleton and Geekie could be actual breakout kids. Jarnkrok, Tanev, Donskoi, etc. set up the bottom six to be pretty good.

 

[BeniersIsKraken]

None of it is a big deal. They're all really small.

The issue is that Zadorov could have been taken and flipped for that 3rd. With the Washington scenario, doing some due diligence with what other GMs might have been willing to give up could have netted an extra 2nd. There's the possibility someone would have given up a 2nd or 3rd for Domi with a little retention, or at least to have another NHL upside young player in Stenlund in the system. It's all small potatoes. We're excited for our team and want it to be the best it can be. Leaving potentially two extra 2nds and a 3rd on the table is gonna irritate some of us, mostly because we're antsy to see this team succeed and some extra draft/trade capital could expedite that process.

I think overall we're in good shape. I like the free agent signings and I feel pretty good about Gru in net, behind the D we drafted. Obviously, we're wanting for some top end offensive talent. I wonder if you could package Dunn/Soucy and a guy like Geekie with a pick to get a more impactful forward to solidify our top-six, but we're not in bad shape going into the season now. Schwartz, Eberle and Gourde are solid. McCann and Wennberg have some breakout potential left. Appleton and Geekie could be actual breakout kids. Jarnkrok, Tanev, Donskoi, etc. set up the bottom six to be pretty good.

Hopefully one or more of Soucy, Dunn, Lauzon, Borgen and Fleury x2 breakout too.

 

[Gniwder]

I wondered the same.

But FWIW (which may be very little), this exact question came up on the Steve Dangle podcast and Steve Dangle believes GMRF thought it wasn't worth being a jerk over this and did WSH a bit of a favor by just letting them have VV back for the pick.

I'm a bit skeptical of this explanation myself but thought it was interesting that they mentioned that SEA and GMRF may want to differentiate themselves from VGK, who are not viewed very favorably by the management of other teams. It's a cutthroat business but in the long-run you occasionally need favors from others, too.

The rumor in DC was that other GMs hated dealing with McPhee because he's a dick. The rumor may have originated from just his general demeanor during press conferences, but he was not known to be a friendly personality even in his playing days. He often got fleeced in deadline trades (Erat for Forsberg), and he basically flipped that script on the entire league when he became GM of LVGK. He's been promoted out of the spot, but that management is still a bit squirrely based on what they did with MAF.

So it wouldn't surprise me if other GMs still look down on them, but teams still trade with them because like you said, business is business.

 

[HecticGlow]

Caps fan saying hi and good luck for your inaugural season!

I'm not sure why the pick being in 2023 would "make it worse".
By then that aging Capitals team will be two years older instead of just one and both drafts(2022 + 2023) are seen as pretty strong.

It isn’t the Caps’ own 2023 second rounder, but rather Winnipeg’s. It was one of the two 2nd rounders we’d just secured in return for trading them Dillon. From the Caps’ perspective, this draft couldn’t have gone any better - we desperately needed to create cap space and hoped Seattle would take Dillon or Schultz, and needed to keep Vanecek. We’ve ended up losing Dillon, keeping Vanecek, and gaining a second in the process.

Definitely a missed opportunity there. If I’d been GMRF I’d have taken Kahkonen, because he not only has similar stats and upside to Vanecek but could’ve been sent to the AHL without needing waivers. That way, upon unexpectedly signing Grubauer, RF could’ve taken his time to find a buyer rather than needing to rush, and have gained a couple of picks for flipping Dillon.

Still, I think you’re going to love Grubauer - another of our former goaltenders. A lot of skill and a great professional - I can’t understand why Colorado let him go.

 

[Gniwder]

Caps fan saying hi and good luck for your inaugural season!



It isn’t the Caps’ own 2023 second rounder, but rather Winnipeg’s. It was one of the two 2nd rounders we’d just secured in return for trading them Dillon. From the Caps’ perspective, this draft couldn’t have gone any better - we desperately needed to create cap space and hoped Seattle would take Dillon or Schultz, and needed to keep Vanecek. We’ve ended up losing Dillon, keeping Vanecek, and gaining a second in the process.

Definitely a missed opportunity there. If I’d been GMRF I’d have taken Kahkonen, because he not only has similar stats and upside to Vanecek but could’ve been sent to the AHL without needing waivers. That way, upon unexpectedly signing Grubauer, RF could’ve taken his time to find a buyer rather than needing to rush, and have gained a couple of picks for flipping Dillon.

Still, I think you’re going to love Grubauer - another of our former goaltenders. A lot of skill and a great professional - I can’t understand why Colorado let him go.

You don't have to point out that Francis made mistakes in the expansion draft, we're doing that on our own, lol.

But hey, you got Vanecek back and the expansion draft only cost the team a 2nd rounder. I don't think Dillon was worth 2 second rounders, so it's a wash. That's pretty much best case scenario for the Caps.

I grew up in that area, still follow the Caps. Would have been more preferable to get rid of Schultz but there probably wasn't a market. He's inconsistent and has some really bad games.