Confirmed with Link: Washington Caps Trade Perreault to Anaheim...

[EroCaps]

its pretty obvious that the caps were projecting Wilson to play this year. no way Forsberg and Wilson are both playing. Its also clear that given the choice, McPhee preferred what Wilson brought. Its a debacle only because you wont give it a chance.

Will you follow McPhee to his next team once he's fired and defend his every move?

 

[PuckBuddy]

The Forsberg/Erat trade is the Caps forum's version of Godwin's law.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Sure that would free up cap space but that would have left the Caps with 6 right wingers. Assume Fehr gets tried as a centerman again for depth purposes in the middle and they still have 5 and no lefties for depth at left wing unless the idea is that Perreault could move over there if needed. One of the right wingers still gets moved most likely and it is likely still probably Forsberg IMO.

its pretty obvious that the caps were projecting Wilson to play this year. no way Forsberg and Wilson are both playing. Its also clear that given the choice, McPhee preferred what Wilson brought. Its a debacle only because you wont give it a chance.

Both of these responses are wrong because there's no reason the Caps had to give Foppa a roster spot this year. They could have sent him back to Europe, which probably would have been good for his development anyway. So keeping Foppa had nothing to do with the NHL team's supply of RWs in the short term.

This is the team that kept Alzner in the AHL at least a year longer than they needed to because he was waiver exempt.

 

[Ajax1995]

Both of these responses are wrong because there's no reason the Caps had to give Foppa a roster spot this year. They could have sent him back to Europe, which probably would have been good for his development anyway. So keeping Foppa had nothing to do with the NHL team's supply of RWs in the short term.

This is the team that kept Alzner in the AHL at least a year longer than they needed to because he was waiver exempt.

Just because this organization has made certain decisions about prospects in the past doesn't mean those were good decisions, see Eminger, or that they should do it again. All reports from Nashville are Forsberg is ready for the NHL. If he was still a Cap they'd have absolutely no room for him, which is likely a large reason he was dealt to begin with.

I'm fine with Cali's idea that maybe they'd have gotten more for him this offseason than during the last one and maybe they use him to help fill that gaping hole on the 2nd pairing but the idea that you send him back to Europe so they can keep the likes or Perreault around is silly, and I like Perreault.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Just because this organization has made certain decisions about prospects in the past doesn't mean those were good decisions, see Eminger, or that they should do it again. All reports from Nashville are Forsberg is ready for the NHL. If he was still a Cap they'd have absolutely no room for him, which is likely a large reason he was dealt to begin with.

Yeah, you're right, I would hate to have a 19 year old prospect on the roster who is so awesome that he literally forces he way onto the NHL roster. That sure would suck! Good thing they avoided that scenario, and as a handy bonus they simultaneously avoided that nightmare scenario of having plenty of cap space. Thank goodness!

 

[Ajax1995]

Yeah, you're right, I would hate to have a 19 year old prospect on the roster who is so awesome that he literally forces he way onto the NHL roster. That sure would suck! Good thing they avoided that scenario, and as a handy bonus they simultaneously avoided that nightmare scenario of having plenty of cap space. Thank goodness!

Guy's I know this is a little unorthodox but we are going with 6 lines tonight. Each centerman and left winger combo will be playing with 2 different right wingers on a rotating basis. Yes it might get a little confusing but when it gets a little fuzzy just think of all the cap space and everything will be alright....

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

The Forsberg/Erat trade is the Caps forum's version of Godwin's law.

Well, Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Nazis and Sweden wasn't.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Guy's I know this is a little unorthodox but we are going with 6 lines tonight. Each centerman and left winger combo will be playing with 2 different right wingers on a rotating basis. Yes it might get a little confusing but when it gets a little fuzzy just think of all the cap space and everything will be alright....

That's like saying 2 wrongs make a right. We had a problem, so we fixed it any old way we could. It created another problem you say? So what?? We fixed the original problem! It's like a 5 yr olds solution to things. Not well thought out by George.

And for those of you that are sure Grabovski will resign next year.....ok. We will see. I don't mind being the unpopular dissenting opinion. I hope I'm wrong, but I've seen this episode before.

Playoffs or bust!!!

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I'm not sure why it's so difficult for people to realize that the issue isn't just that Forsberg was dealt away. It's that he was dealt away for crap value -- a player the Caps didn't particularly need whose inflated cap number prevented the resigning of Ribeiro (who filled a long-standing organizational need), made it much more difficult to address another long-standing organizational need (top-4 shutdown defenseman), and forced trading away a player for pennies on the dollar due to the ensuing cap crunch.

If Forsberg had been traded for someone like Giordano or a long-term 2C, there wouldn't be nearly the same criticism.

 

[Carlzner]

Erat is going to be starting on our 3rd line tomorrow... just let that sink in.

 

[Calicaps]

I'm not sure why it's so difficult for people to realize that the issue isn't just that Forsberg was dealt away. It's that he was dealt away for crap value -- a player the Caps didn't particularly need whose inflated cap number prevented the resigning of Ribeiro (who filled a long-standing organizational need), made it much more difficult to address another long-standing organizational need (top-4 shutdown defenseman), and forced trading away a player for pennies on the dollar due to the ensuing cap crunch.

If Forsberg had been traded for someone like Giordano or a long-term 2C, there wouldn't be nearly the same criticism.

Erat is going to be starting on our 3rd line tomorrow... just let that sink in.

Yep. We traded a bluechip for a third liner. Stanley Cup-caliber management.

 

[Halpysback*]

Or we could just have Oates take some Adderal to get over his OCD tendencies and put someone on their off wing like say Gaborik, Nash, Kane, St. Louis, Brown, Dupuis, Neal, Cole, Sharp, Hossa, Lupul, Kulemin, Jagr, Skinner, Burrows, Tarasenko, Zubrus, Yakupov, Vanek or Cogliano, but that would be logical and not a Pejorative Slured way to cripple your team, since we all know having Fehr or Erat play center is much saner than moving Brouwer from right to left where he played before.

 

[usiel]

I'm not sure why it's so difficult for people to realize that the issue isn't just that Forsberg was dealt away. It's that he was dealt away for crap value -- a player the Caps didn't particularly need whose inflated cap number prevented the resigning of Ribeiro (who filled a long-standing organizational need), made it much more difficult to address another long-standing organizational need (top-4 shutdown defenseman), and forced trading away a player for pennies on the dollar due to the ensuing cap crunch.

If Forsberg had been traded for someone like Giordano or a long-term 2C, there wouldn't be nearly the same criticism.

Even being a card carrying draftnik since the early 90s I was ok with the Forsberg trade. Feels sort of useless to try and speculate if a better trade option was out there. That trade was a obviously a short term trade in having a pro LWer for last season and this one. Considering the core players age I am fine with this.

 

[MW6]

For staters, I definitely think the Caps need an upgrade on 2LD, but simply having Erat on the 3rd line can't be a bad thing? Isn't one of the keys to success having players being able to play up a line on the roster? Shouldn't we be thrilled where the Caps currently sit with the roster that it's really deep up front?

What puzzles me though is that Laich was supposed to be 2C, but isn't even considered as 3C. Is he that much better as LW than Erat? Chimera-Laich-Ward as a 3rd line worked before, right?

 

[RandyHolt]

George going after Erat was a desperate move to win a cup before his contract ran out. Laich was on the shelf all year, MJ was the only LW (since Oates refused to move a RW over) and that is not the way to roll into the playoffs with another prime year of the league Hart winner wasted in the fold. MJ is a center to me, so that made LW even more bleak last year. George knew MJ was still green.

Had we won a cup it was the greatest move ever. Erat got boarded and then trucked proper by Ovi, we choked at home in a game 7 and the rest is history.

I guess George got a new 15 year contract anyways. I can understand a GM taking a risk thinking its his last chance at a cup. It can be a factor in grading the trade.

Ironically, Oates ended up having to move a RW to LW after Erat broke his wrist. We are jack stacked at RW. The list of guys that can play both sides seems ignored by him, but Fehr Brouwer Ward and Erat I bet would all do just fine pinch hitting on their offside in our top 6. Why not move Ovi over since he didn't do much anyways. Vets that have done it before. I hope Oates is not so short sighted this year and be so stubborn about it, but then turn to it in the playoffs, of all times. His own players were probably led to believe it would fail based on all he said or they saw before that. Didn't think it would work. He had planted a negative seed unknowingly.

When he saw Erat get injured in his first game, he should have realized I cant count on him to stay healthy in a long playoff run. Hmm look at all those RWs. Bah, I will move up Hendricks.

It is also ironic that George got a RW to play LW. Not that Erat couldn't do it. But in the end someone that played RW was moving over anyways. Maybe Erat is more obsessed than Oates about where he should play. Who knows. But I do know they are superstitious mofos

 

[Raikkonen]

I think the older OV is the less odds Caps have.

Why bother about Forsberg?

I understand the minuses of the trade.

 

[BobRouse]

Erat is going to be starting on our 3rd line tomorrow... just let that sink in.

To me that signifies how deep of a team we have put together....not a knock on Erat.

He is interchangable on the top 3 lines and will probably see time on all of them.

We roll 4 lines anyhow so I'm not sure what you are implying with this.

Do you really think Erat will get significantly less ice time than Laich or MJ? I don't at all.

What puzzles me though is that Laich was supposed to be 2C, but isn't even considered as 3C. Is he that much better as LW than Erat? Chimera-Laich-Ward as a 3rd line worked before, right?

What puzzles me is that you believed GMGM!

Fact is that he HAD to say that publically or else he'd lose a ton of leverage in trade talks and UFA negotiations to get that 2C.

Behind closed doors I am sure it was a calculated propoganda statement.

It was credible since other teams saw that the Caps used Laich as a 2C for much of the 2011-12 year.

In retrospect it was an excellent ploy.

 

[Ridley Simon]

To me that signifies how deep of a team we have put together....not a knock on Erat.

He is interchangable on the top 3 lines and will probably see time on all of them.

We roll 4 lines anyhow so I'm not sure what you are implying with this.

Do you really think Erat will get significantly less ice time than Laich or MJ? I don't at all.



What puzzles me is that you believed GMGM!

Fact is that he HAD to say that publically or else he'd lose a ton of leverage in trade talks and UFA negotiations to get that 2C.

Behind closed doors I am sure it was a calculated propoganda statement.

It was credible since other teams saw that the Caps used Laich as a 2C for much of the 2011-12 year.

In retrospect it was an excellent ploy.

Lol. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

Grabovski got dumped in his lap. Literally. If you think George did some sort of shrewd maneuvering to land him, then you are more gullible than I thought. George caught a break, and he didn't screw it up (kinda like Clinton and Silicon Valley).....so for that I applaud him.

But it's a golf clap, not a standing ovation. He made a 5 foot putt, he didn't hole out from 75 yards.

 

[txpd]

McPhee said pre trade that Forsberg would likely start the season and well could play a full season at Hershey in 13/14. Wilson was already sending up a rep as a beast. They play the same position. Do you really think McPhee was going to go with two rookies at rw when his two top goal scorers(captain and alt capt) along with the team's most consistant playoff performer are also rw?

factually, I've seen nothing that proves the trade to be a failure by any measure, much less a downright debacle. honestly, it makes anyone calling it such or defending calling it a such someone who would blindy oppose any move McPhee might make.

 

[brs03]

Lol. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

Grabovski got dumped in his lap. Literally. If you think George did some sort of shrewd maneuvering to land him, then you are more gullible than I thought. George caught a break, and he didn't screw it up (kinda like Clinton and Silicon Valley).....so for that I applaud him.

But it's a golf clap, not a standing ovation. He made a 5 foot putt, he didn't hole out from 75 yards.

To be fair, betting on the Leafs front office to do something incredibly stupid is not going out on too great a limb.

 

[brs03]

Yep. We traded a bluechip for a third liner. Stanley Cup-caliber management.

Do you think Erat is one of the Caps' top 4-6 forwards? If so, why do you care what line he plays on? I mean if you hate the trade you hate the trade, there are plenty of totally reasonable reasons to be against it. What line Erat plays on seems one of the sillier ones.

 

[BobRouse]

Lol. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

Grabovski got dumped in his lap. Literally. If you think George did some sort of shrewd maneuvering to land him, then you are more gullible than I thought. George caught a break, and he didn't screw it up (kinda like Clinton and Silicon Valley).....so for that I applaud him.

But it's a golf clap, not a standing ovation. He made a 5 foot putt, he didn't hole out from 75 yards.

Do you think Grabovski's ONLY choice was the Caps? I thought there were like 5 or 10 teams in the mix? If so do you think he had no role in making that happen?

And you are so certain that he wasn't putting out feelers around the league or had contingency plans if Grabovski didn't pan out?

GMGM has put as tough and talented a roster together this year than we've had in a long while. 09-10 team was great but very soft and mushy.

This years team is the closest we've had to the 89-90 team in terms of a mix of grit and skill. 97-98 had grit but lacked in skill up and down the lineup.

Wilson and Carrick both look like they should have went higher in the draft than they did. We are starting to hit on later picks like Holtby, Grubauer, Carrick and others waiting in the wings.

Latta looks like an NHLer. Give credit where its due instead of just trying to adhere to your initial viewpoint which I think is what you are doing.

Its laughable that you think we are only "possiby" better than Florida/Buffalo and on par with Carolina/Tampa/Columbus. There is a point where you reach when you've gone too far....that point was easily crossed with your preview of this season.

 

[txpd]

What puzzles me though is that Laich was supposed to be 2C, but isn't even considered as 3C. Is he that much better as LW than Erat? Chimera-Laich-Ward as a 3rd line worked before, right?

laich does somethings very well at a top 6 level which is why he has been very good on pp1 over the years. as an offensive player his is not well rounded enough to be a quality 2c. as a center he would be better as a 3c because he isn't a good playmaker on the rush. he is purely a dump and chase player at center. as a winger doing the chasing he is highly effective.

so...yea, its easy to see that oates might see laich as more valuable at 2LW than 3C.

 

[RandyHolt]

I wonder what the red hot Fehr would have fetched on the open market 2 days ago.

George dealt from a position of perennial weakness. Although admittedly, the patchwork he does there limps us through to the next season.

 

[BobRouse]

I wonder what the red hot Fehr would have fetched on the open market 2 days ago.

George dealt from a position of perennial weakness. Although admittedly, the patchwork he does there limps us through to the next season.

Fehr>>>>Perrault especially in the eyes of Oates who seems to love the guy and has turned him around. Fehr is bigger, grittier, better defensively and a better scorer...all around he is a superior player.

WHY would we trade him and keep MP???? For value? That value would be futures most likely and that would not help us win while the window is still open.

I mean...why not trade Alzner??? His value is at an all time high! Holtby too. I bet we can get a ton for those guys.