2023-24 Washington Capitals Thread

[ixcuincle]

I'm at the Capitals game wtf is going on 

[skinsmarydu]

11 minutes ago, ixcuincle said:

I'm at the Capitals game wtf is going on 

What?  If you're there you should know! 

[zCommander]

That better be a goal.... but I am sure they will call it back. 

[ixcuincle]

Bad loss 

[purbeast]

Ovi's dad passed away today

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cor_SmSOGw5/?hl=en

 

Translation: "Today my father passed away... I thank everyone for their support, but I ask you to be understanding and not disturb my family at such a difficult time for us! Thank you"

[FootballZombie]

Thought it had to be something along those lines when he stepped away from the team.

 

Prayers for 8 and his fam

[purbeast]

Just heard on the 1067 that Ovi left this morning to Russia to be with his family, so he wasn't there to say good bye

[PleaseBlitz]

Go handle your family stuff Ovi. 

[capcrunch98]

5 hours ago, purbeast said:

Ovi's dad passed away today

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cor_SmSOGw5/?hl=en

 

Translation: "Today my father passed away... I thank everyone for their support, but I ask you to be understanding and not disturb my family at such a difficult time for us! Thank you"

 

Best of luck to Ovi and his family.

His dad was a fixture at Verizon Center during the first half of Ovi's career.  Could count on seeing him almost every game on the concourse or outside smoking (he smoked A LOT, I wonder if that's what did him in).  A ton of fans knew who he was, and he didn't seem to mind shaking hands and short conversations.  Always good for a smile.  RIP

[c slag]

Kuzzy just made this a 4-3 game 

[capcrunch98]

This team is in trouble. Yes, they can catch a nice run like they did in December. But I'm not betting on it.

[PokerPacker]

Caps have been struggling since Carlson left and Backstrom and Wilson returned.  I suspect we miss Carlson's minutes on D, and especially on the PP, and I think some of the line chemistry got messed up, as well as some of our younger players like Aliaksei Protas were removed from the lineup.

 

The trade deadline is two weeks away, I believe.  Might see a bit of a shakeup then.  Might see some veterans on expiring contracts get moved to make room for guys like Protas to have a consistent spot in the lineup.  May pick up somebody on defense so we aren't icing guys like Dylan McIlrath and Matt Irwin with too much regularity while Carlson is out and give us some playoff depth (though I'm surprised that McIlrath was given a callup/jersey over guys like Alexeyev, Johansen, and Iorio).

 

Guys who could be on the trading block:

• Lars Eller: He's a #3 center on a team loaded with centers.  Nic Dowd has #4C locked down (when he returns to the lineup), and Kuznetsov/Strome/Backstrom have the top 3 on lockdown.  Aliaksei Protas is more than capable at filling in at #3 and #4 in case of injury, and the top 3 are all capable of playing on the top two lines, so there's redundancy up and down the lineup at C without Eller.
• Connor Sheary: Cheap contract, but it is expiring after this season, and the additions of Milano and Aube-Kubel start to limit his role on the team.  No complaints about him, but just a possible odd man out.
• Marcus Johansson: Same story as Sheary, but a bit older.  He's found a niche on the PP, though, so I think he's a bit more likely to stick around, plus being older also makes him more likely to re-sign for cheap as there won't be as much competition for him on the Free Agency market if we still have room for him on the team next season.
• Anthony Mantha: Been streaky during his time here.  I liked how he played for much of this season, but he's been invisible or scratched through much of the current slump, and his salary is too high for his production.  I still think he's got some good hockey in him, but his salary may limit our ability to make key acquisitions at the deadline.  One year left on his contract.
•  Connor McMichael: If we're making a push to win the cup, it may cost us some young assets.  With the offseason acquisition of Dylan Strome, the timeline for need at Center has been pushed back, and the logjam has kept him out of the NHL when he's probably ready to play in a 3C role somewhere.  We still have Hendrix Lapierre as a blue-chip Center prospect in Hershey as our Center of the future when Backstrom retires.  A future of Strome, Lapierre, and Protas down the middle is pretty solid, so we can afford to move him without selling out our future.  However, I believe he will remain waiver exempt through the rest of Backstrom's contract, so we're not under any pressure to move him.

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by PokerPacker

[capcrunch98]

4 hours ago, PokerPacker said:

Caps have been struggling since Carlson left and Backstrom and Wilson returned.  I suspect we miss Carlson's minutes on D, and especially on the PP, and I think some of the line chemistry got messed up, as well as some of our younger players like Aliaksei Protas were removed from the lineup.

 

The trade deadline is two weeks away, I believe.  Might see a bit of a shakeup then.  Might see some veterans on expiring contracts get moved to make room for guys like Protas to have a consistent spot in the lineup.  May pick up somebody on defense so we aren't icing guys like Dylan McIlrath and Matt Irwin with too much regularity while Carlson is out and give us some playoff depth (though I'm surprised that McIlrath was given a callup/jersey over guys like Alexeyev, Johansen, and Iorio).

 

Guys who could be on the trading block:

• Lars Eller: He's a #3 center on a team loaded with centers.  Nic Dowd has #4C locked down (when he returns to the lineup), and Kuznetsov/Strome/Backstrom have the top 3 on lockdown.  Aliaksei Protas is more than capable at filling in at #3 and #4 in case of injury, and the top 3 are all capable of playing on the top two lines, so there's redundancy up and down the lineup at C without Eller.
• Connor Sheary: Cheap contract, but it is expiring after this season, and the additions of Milano and Aube-Kubel start to limit his role on the team.  No complaints about him, but just a possible odd man out.
• Marcus Johansson: Same story as Sheary, but a bit older.  He's found a niche on the PP, though, so I think he's a bit more likely to stick around, plus being older also makes him more likely to re-sign for cheap as there won't be as much competition for him on the Free Agency market if we still have room for him on the team next season.
• Anthony Mantha: Been streaky during his time here.  I liked how he played for much of this season, but he's been invisible or scratched through much of the current slump, and his salary is too high for his production.  I still think he's got some good hockey in him, but his salary may limit our ability to make key acquisitions at the deadline.  One year left on his contract.
•  Connor McMichael: If we're making a push to win the cup, it may cost us some young assets.  With the offseason acquisition of Dylan Strome, the timeline for need at Center has been pushed back, and the logjam has kept him out of the NHL when he's probably ready to play in a 3C role somewhere.  We still have Hendrix Lapierre as a blue-chip Center prospect in Hershey as our Center of the future when Backstrom retires.  A future of Strome, Lapierre, and Protas down the middle is pretty solid, so we can afford to move him without selling out our future.  However, I believe he will remain waiver exempt through the rest of Backstrom's contract, so we're not under any pressure to move him.

 

 

Good points.  I don't see us getting anything notable in return for any of these guys, and in the case of Mantha, we would likely either need to eat salary or basically give him away for free.  At this point, I think the most we could get for McMichael straight up is a 2nd round pick, or maybe a swap for another team's prospect whose development has stalled (much like McMichael), with each team hoping to buy low on a guy who could benefit from a change of scenery with a new team.

Considering how flat this team looks, I am fine with a trade for the sake of making a trade.  Something needs to be done to light a fire under this groups ass.   

[TradeTheBeal!]

Bring out your dead…

[Hersh]

On 2/17/2023 at 4:43 AM, PokerPacker said:

 

•  Connor McMichael: If we're making a push to win the cup, it may cost us some young assets.  With the offseason acquisition of Dylan Strome, the timeline for need at Center has been pushed back, and the logjam has kept him out of the NHL when he's probably ready to play in a 3C role somewhere.  We still have Hendrix Lapierre as a blue-chip Center prospect in Hershey as our Center of the future when Backstrom retires.  A future of Strome, Lapierre, and Protas down the middle is pretty solid, so we can afford to move him without selling out our future.  However, I believe he will remain waiver exempt through the rest of Backstrom's contract, so we're not under any pressure to move him.

 

a push to win the Cup? This team will be lucky to make the playoffs. A theme for Leonsis teams is continuing to rely on oft injured players to be healthy instead of rebuilding/retooling to get younger across the board.

[Hersh]

Caps look done as a team this season. One great month keeping them in the hunt for the WC but otherwise they've been bad. Just dominated all game tonight. 

[capcrunch98]

This team sucks. Their window closed in Game 7 in 2019 (loss to an up-and-coming but still green Hurricanes team at home). Since then, their skill has earned them a playoff spot, but each time they've benn exposed as old, slow, and dickless. 

[capcrunch98]

Another self-inflicted loss. The wheels have pretty much fallen off for this team. I'd say they should be sellers at next week's deadline, but I can't think of more than a couple players who would bring back more than a Coke and a ham sandwich.

[Hersh]

12 hours ago, capcrunch98 said:

Another self-inflicted loss. The wheels have pretty much fallen off for this team. I'd say they should be sellers at next week's deadline, but I can't think of more than a couple players who would bring back more than a Coke and a ham sandwich.

 

I'd try to move Oshie, Kuzy and Mantha for expiring contracts if possible. Not even looking for picks or young players, just have to create space and move of from some players. I would think Kuzy and TJ might have some value to do that. Also, given Mantha is on a shorter deal, he might be appealing to some team. Definitely would not send out draft capital with it beyond a 4th round pick or later. Caps have been making decisions based on their appreciation of players rather than on how it impacts winning. I'd also look to lock up Wilson long term after those deals. 

 

Probably a couple defensemen that could be moved and get picks back. No matter what, they need to be sellers. 

[PokerPacker]

Things have not been looking good since my last little tread-deadline post, so here's a new one assuming we are sellers (though open to buying guys that are long-term plays like Kempny an Jensen were).

 

Start with who will be UFAs at the end of the season.  I already covered Eller, Sheary, and Johansson in my first post.

 

• Dmitry Orlov: Reports are that we're having difficulty working out a new contract.  We need to get that done.  He probably wants a lot of years.  But you know what?  That's fine.  In a lot of years, his cap hit will mean less both because the cap goes up over time, and because we'll be out of the Ovechkin window.  And defense is a position where older players tend to be solid contributors as experience counts for more than youth compared to forward.  Get it done.  If we can't come to an agreement, he should cost a TON at the trade deadline.  Great two-way defender who can open-ice hit with the best of 'em.
• Garnet Hathaway: I want to keep him.  If we can lock him up, we should.  Otherwise, he's the type of grit teams would love to add at the trade deadline.  He'd bring back a pretty solid haul.  Could even go for one of those "Go compete for the cup and then we'll happily re-sign you in the offseason" deals.
• Nicolas Aube-Kubel: I doubt much is offered for him.  We got him off waivers and he's been decent.  I guess maybe a team desperate for 4th line help?  I'm guessing there's nothing to be done here
• Nick Jensen: Probably in line for a pay raise next year.  We'll have some decisions to make at D this offseason.  Depending on our plans for him in the future, he should be available for the right price.
• Trevor van Riemsdyk: Same situation as Jensen, though he currently costs less and is a year younger.
• Erik Gustafsson: Bet on himself with that cheap 1-year contract and I think he won that bet.  He may have priced himself out of Washington.  A team looking for some offense from the blue-line at the deadline might give up some decent assets for him.
• Matt Irwin: Nobody will inquire
• Dylan McIlrath: See above

 

 

Other players being thrown into discussions:

• T.J. Oshie: No.  He is gets to retire here at the end of his contract.
• Anthony Mantha: I mentioned him in my first post, but I think he bears covering again.  I see people talking about paying someone to take him off our hands.  Absolutely not.  He hasn't been what we needed the past month or so, and his numbers don't look great this season, but if he's getting moved, it's because we're getting assets for it.  He was one of the few guys on the team that showed up last playoffs, and if somebody wants to add him for their playoff run, pay up.  He's also got only one year left on his contract after this.  If he's still on the team at the end of the season and we're having cap issues, only then can we discuss such things, but definitely not at the deadline.
• Evgeny Kuznetsov: Tough call.  He's been so up-and-down.  We should listen to offers made.  If he leaves, that opens up room at C for the youngsters
• Connor McMichael: He's off the table now, unless it's part of a deal for another young player that will be with us for the foreseeable future.  We're not making a serious cup run, and the only reason to have him available is as buyers.
• Tom Wilson: Not for sale.  Future captain when Ovechkin retires.

It doesn't hurt to be involved as buyers on younger guys that would make up the future of the team.  I wouldn't be against making some offers for a guy like Chychrun,  especially if we aren't able to come to terms with Orlov.

[capcrunch98]

Completely agree with you guys about being sellers, and anyone on the active roster except Ovi, Wilson, and Backstrom should be available (I'd be okay with Backstrom being moved, but we've already committed to him being a Cap for life - both verbally and financially). I'd also keep Dowd and Hathaway, because what they bring to this team far exceeds anything we could realistically get back for them in a trade.

Oshie could be very attractive to a contender, but we won't trade him. There's teams like Boston who aren't afraid to let go of franchise legends when it's clearly time to do so (see Chara) and there's teams like us who hold onto guys well past their expiration dates and hand out loyalty/'thanks for the memories' contracts and then wake up a few years later to a team that's old and slow. 

It's time to move on from Kuzy, but his contract, and the ownership mandate that there will be no rebuild while Ovi is a Capital, makes moving him unlikely. 

Carlson is injured and on a hefty contract, so he's not going anywhere.

Everyone else should be available, but I wouldn't expect to receive much in return.

Just a crappy situation for this club which could've been avoided with better long-term planning, better asset management, and a more realistic assessment of where this team is and what it is capable (and incapable) of doing.

Edited February 22, 2023 by capcrunch98

[PokerPacker]

Honestly, we probably have the personnel to be more competitive, but Laviolette is another coach that refuses to play youth unless he is forced to by circumstance.  Our huge winning streak this season came at a time when injuries forced an infusion of youth into the lineup.  As soon as injured vets return, we and lose a ton of games.  I mean, seriously, we recall Dylan McIlrath rather than just play Alexeyev who's been sitting in the press box?  Send Protas back to Hershey as if he hasn't been consistently been driving possession?

[Hersh]

5 minutes ago, PokerPacker said:

Honestly, we probably have the personnel to be more competitive, but Laviolette is another coach that refuses to play youth unless he is forced to by circumstance.  Our huge winning streak this season came at a time when injuries forced an infusion of youth into the lineup.  As soon as injured vets return, we and lose a ton of games.  I mean, seriously, we recall Dylan McIlrath rather than just play Alexeyev who's been sitting in the press box?  Send Protas back to Hershey as if he hasn't been consistently been driving possession?

 

100% correct on the winning streak. I'm skeptical that it's simply Lavi not playing younger players. Seems to be an organizational approach from the GM down if not from Ted. GMBM could've created more opportunities for younger players based on the moves he made but he went with older players. 

[skinsmarydu]

[capcrunch98]

We wanted it, and we got it.  The Caps are sellers this year, and I give them credit for finally realizing what most of us have known for a few seasons - we're just not a contending team, and we're only going to get worse if we continue to rely on our aging core.  A 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick is a good haul in today's NHL.  Sad to see Orlov and Hathaway go, but something needed to be done.  Still a week till the trade deadline and I have a feeling they're not done yet.