Post-Game Talk: Washington Capitals vs. Belleville Senators 2/26 7:00 PM ET

[txpd]

The biggest pos and a Caps hater on that tandem is Edzo. Pierre sures loves him some Crosby but when he talks about the Caps it's 90% something positive.

Yea, Edzo, who I generally like a lot is a Penguin thru and thru. Pierre just likes his Canadian players. Whether its Kristofer Letang or Tommy Wilson. Doc is just the best. My favorite Doc call is an Ovechkin goal in a Devils game.

You know...Chico is great on this too. Go to 1:41 and start there

 

[RandyHolt]

There was a time two seasons ago where the team had clearly given up, but Oshie hadn't, he was back checking and skating hard to catch up with breakaways.

His cap hit is heavy, but the guy only has one style of play and that's 100%. When Oshie isn't producing it's never from lack of effort.

Tis a rare thing in the modern era to see a guy of his high skill level bust his ass over what are the most basic of plays. Like every loose puck... you'd think his life depends on it.

He is awesome, great in the room and definitely captain material.

 

[895]

There was a time two seasons ago where the team had clearly given up, but Oshie hadn't, he was back checking and skating hard to catch up with breakaways.

His cap hit is heavy, but the guy only has one style of play and that's 100%. When Oshie isn't producing it's never from lack of effort.

His cap hit isn't even heavy. 5.75m for what Oshie brings is a real good deal.

The problem is the length. He's burning the candle at both ends and is already 32. He's signed until he's 38.

 

[txpd]

His cap hit isn't even heavy. 5.75m for what Oshie brings is a real good deal.

The problem is the length. He's burning the candle at both ends and is already 32. He's signed until he's 38.

Oshie very likely plays out the end of his career on LTIR with concussion issues. He's probably already past the safe point where his future is threatened. Well before the contract ends the docs are going to tell him to stop.

Oshie for his part will squeeze the last drop of juice from the lemon before the docs do that.

At some point the team is going to need a ring of honor so they have some legit way of showing Oshie proper appreciation.

For my part, I need to go buy something from WARROAD Hockey

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Yea, Edzo, who I generally like a lot is a Penguin thru and thru. Pierre just likes his Canadian players. Whether its Kristofer Letang or Tommy Wilson. Doc is just the best. My favorite Doc call is an Ovechkin goal in a Devils game.

You know...Chico is great on this too. Go to 1:41 and start there

I can't slight any of the guys for it. I mean I can talk trash but at the end of the day I get it. The Penguins gave Edzo his only opportunity as a head coach. (I actually was under the impression he played their longer than 2 seasons).

Pierre McGuire would still be a mediocre college coach if Bowman and Pens hadn't taken a chance on him.

Emrick has bounced around, but he got to be the play-by-play man for the Devils for 18 years and 3 Stanley Cups.


Even though these guys are supposed to be impartial, and I genuinely believe they try, you have to empathize with the idea that they have soft spots for the teams that really elevated them or gave them a chance.


I mean when you listen to guys like May and Laughlin it's clear that there is a level of reverance in their hearts for the teams they feel like allowed them to make names for themselves. Even play-by-play guys aren't immune, with Joe B it's clear he's a Caps fan through-and-through and got as much out of that Cup run as we all did. Someday I imagine he'll be tapped to strictly work national games and I think it would be hard for him to not have some level of bias.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Oshie is what they hoped Brouwer would be when they traded a 1st for him. He's all heart and soul with 30 goal talent and the ability to punch you in the face if you step out of line. His body will fall apart at the seams before he quits on the team because he loves his brothers more than himself. In another life TJ Oshie is a Navy SEAL or a Green Beret.

 

[Capathetic]

Lol Tyler Sloan throwback. I don’t like how Edzo is just always telling you how he would’ve done it better.

“You see the puck needs to be in this area here”

He can’t stop!

 

[Calicaps]

Oshie is a truly special player and that trade was an absolute coup.

As for the announcers, I love Doc. He is a true fan and student of the game. The passion is real. Pierre is annoying AF but he is also a damned hockey wiki and I appreciate all the info he brings. Edzo is a good color guy. He breaks down plays very well. For years I hated his bias but his analysis of the Caps during the run last year was spot on and really improved my.opinion of him.

 

[895]

Oshie very likely plays out the end of his career on LTIR with concussion issues. He's probably already past the safe point where his future is threatened. Well before the contract ends the docs are going to tell him to stop.

Oshie for his part will squeeze the last drop of juice from the lemon before the docs do that.

At some point the team is going to need a ring of honor so they have some legit way of showing Oshie proper appreciation.

For my part, I need to go buy something from WARROAD Hockey

Let's ignore Oshie the person and the effects on his quality of life for a second and only look at it from a cap/pure business aspect.

There's no guarantee we get out of the contract as 'clean' as that. What if the next injury doesn't LTIR him but just makes him less effective? Then he can't LTIRetire and we are stuck with an albatross contract.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Likely in a rebuild period when it won't matter in the least.

 

[txpd]

There's no guarantee we get out of the contract as 'clean' as that. What if the next injury doesn't LTIR him but just makes him less effective? Then he can't LTIRetire and we are stuck with an albatross contract.

True. There's no guarantee of anything. Life doesn't work like that. There's no guarantee that he doesn't playout the final years of his contract as a heart and soul 3rd liner whose salary by then is of equal value to his game. Right?

There are always LOTS of reasons NOT to do something. You don't win without taking chances. Would you rather that they didn't sign him and didn't win the Cup? I doubt it.

Risk. The easy thing salary cap wise is not to resign Backstrom. You may not be able to replace him at all but that's the risk you take. He may go to a team and take you out of the playoffs the next season. That's the risk you take. Your fan base may hate you for it. Those are all risks to doing nothing.

 

[RandyHolt]

If Oshie stopped being Oshie and playing without regard for his body, dare I think he can play longer than some here may think he can. You know, float and detest any physical contact, like countless others do.

 

[895]

True. There's no guarantee of anything. Life doesn't work like that. There's no guarantee that he doesn't playout the final years of his contract as a heart and soul 3rd liner whose salary by then is of equal value to his game. Right?

There are always LOTS of reasons NOT to do something. You don't win without taking chances. Would you rather that they didn't sign him and didn't win the Cup? I doubt it.

That's really not the argument here. No one has ever said Oshie shouldn't have been signed to the contract.

He signed the contract and we won. We wouldn't have won without him. What we do now with the contract doesn't remove the cup win, though.

 

[txpd]

That's really not the argument here. No one has ever said Oshie shouldn't have been signed to the contract.

He signed the contract and we won. We wouldn't have won without him. What we do now with the contract doesn't remove the cup win, though.

Ah...I get it. Ditch him now while you can regardless of what damage it does to the team, because salary cap?

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I don't see any reason why Oshie can't be Justin Williams-productive into his late 30s. Williams still throws his body into any mix.

 

[EYEuhFRAYtee]

The only thing that scares me about Oshie is the concussion issue. Every time there's a big hit involving him I cringe.

 

[um]

His cap hit isn't even heavy. 5.75m for what Oshie brings is a real good deal.

The problem is the length. He's burning the candle at both ends and is already 32. He's signed until he's 38.

If the Cap keeps going up it won't be to bad... We made Orpik work at 5.5 and I'd think Oshie could play a similar role.

Also If we're a rebuilding team in 5 or so years Oshie is a guy I'd want around the young players.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The only thing that scares me about Oshie is the concussion issue. Every time there's a big hit involving him I cringe.

Same for us all I’d wager.

It’s the only unknown. Some knock his skating, but like JDub, I think Oshie will stay effective assuming healthy. I know that’s a large assumption....

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Every Stanley Cup team in the last decade or so has found themselves in salary cap hell shortly thereafter. You cannot win a Stanley Cup without taking on a few "bad" contracts, you just can't. To get some of the best players you need to incentivize them and sometimes that means an overpayment or a brutal term.


Look at Los Angeles, Chicago, and Pitt. 7 Stanley Cups between the 3 of them in 10 years and they're all in salary cap hell. The league is intentionally structure for parity, it's the most competitive major sport in the world. The reason that happens is that you pay a significant premium for being elite. You can be a "good" team for a very long time (Caps, Sharks, etc.) but I think the contracts that are anchors are often the ones that put you over the edge to elite.


We joke but in a lot of ways the Jackets have the right idea. Playing half in and half out doesn't typically yield results, also this league is so good at recuperating bad teams that unless you have intentionally destructive management you can go from cellar dweller to playoff team in the span of 3 years.

 

[tenken00]

Even if hes still effective, I dont think the Grunge will take Oshie at 34 years old if unprotected, no matter if its his hometown or not...

 

[um]

Even if hes still effective, I dont think the Grunge will take him at 34 years old if unprotected, no matter if its his hometown or not...

Pens had to pay to get MAF taken, it would probably be the same for Oshie... but Oshie isn't as popular MAF.

 

[John Price]

 

[Melkor]

Yea, Edzo, who I generally like a lot is a Penguin thru and thru. Pierre just likes his Canadian players. Whether its Kristofer Letang or Tommy Wilson. Doc is just the best. My favorite Doc call is an Ovechkin goal in a Devils game.

You know...Chico is great on this too. Go to 1:41 and start there

Yeah, I like both Pierre and Doc a lot. There are a lot of Caps fans that think Walton's calls on the most important goals in the playoffs last year were the best but imo it's Doc and it's not even close. His call on Eller's cup winning goal blows everyone else out of the water.

 

[tenken00]

Pens had to pay to get MAF taken, it would probably be the same for Oshie... but Oshie isn't as popular MAF.

True. Looking at it now they gave up a 2020 2nd rounder.

But MAF was 32 then, had 3 rings, and just helped them win their 2nd of back to back championships by eliminating us and Columbus. Plus 30+ year old goalies are seen a little different. We would have to pay more for them to take 34 year old Oshie, but why would we as long as hes somewhat still effective? If not, it would cost an arm and a leg and by then its just cost prohibitive.

 

[txpd]

Yeah, I like both Pierre and Doc a lot. There are a lot of Caps fans that think Walton's calls on the most important goals in the playoffs last year were the best but imo it's Doc and it's not even close. His call on Eller's cup winning goal blows everyone else out of the water.

Honestly, I am not a fan of Walton on the radio. When I am away from home on the road I listen to the games on the radio. His description of the play is awful. He regularly is talking his show prep while the play is on and doesn't describe the game. Conversely on television with NBC now, where he is not his own boss, he is quite effective.