Like the Philly trade as a Philly fan.

Gusev is still under contract with St. Petersburg and even if he wasn't Vegas has his rights so we'd have to trade something to get him.

Thanks. I'm trying to study more of a Chicago model of what to do with a winning team under a salary cap. The Pittsburgh model, where you just sign everybody you have to ridiculously cheap contracts, and then some kid from your minor league team turns into an all star? That's cool, too, if it happens, but it goes beyond the scope of pretending to be a GM, and into the realm of prayer.

Matt Calvert? For 7 years? Just why?

This post is cool. I just added some footnotes to help.



1. but he can buy out the remainder of his contract for cash: https://www.rawcharge.com/2017/6/21/15846406/translation-are-nikita-gusevs-rights-getting-traded-to-vegas-from-sovsport-ru Until there's a player transfer agreement or anything that acknowledges the KHL really exists in the NHL's CBA, I assume the Caps could also buy out that contract without incurring any salary cap penalty.

2. Until July 1st.

3. Or wait a long, arduous, heartbreaking two weeks and two days. But who's counting.

The real question is whether he can unseat WIlson for a top line role right away, so he doesn't face a language barrier on the ice. Hopefully, but I feel like Backstrom has helped at least one other Russian speaking winger overcome a similar language barrier, and remained pretty good friends.

To outbid the Columbus fans offering him one or two years at 4M, without ending up with Matt Calvert at 4M? Maybe it's just hair of the dog...

But in 16 career playoff games he's got 10 points, 47 hits and 9 shot blocks, incluing a shortie and an OTGWG this Spring. I think he replaces Orpik's clutch playoff scoring.

Nobody will realistically pay that amount for a fourthliner. He's also very injury prone and Orpik wasn't that good before the finals, he made pretty awful plays and is 100% bought out this summer.

He eliminated Columbus with a two point night. Feel free to read through my recent comments for his other achievements. You're wrong, but I have a life.

??? ffs, you take 2 good games from him in the playoffs and that makes him a hero? This is just no logical absurd signings with no thought behind them. Truth hurts.

Botterill tells MacLellan, let's make a deal!!

I'm a big Gusev guy as well and I would love to see him with the Caps. But I Just don't see him playing outside of the KHL this year and obviously there's the acquiring his rights issue as well. And he's never played a game in the NHL I think it would be pretty wishful thinking to project him as a first liner, even with his production in the KHL. Although I think he'd be a welcomed addition on a line with guys like Vrana/Burakvosky and Eller.

I'd love to be wrong on all of this, but I just feel there's too many obstacles to overcome there.

Well, he was second in scoring in the KHL, and speaks Russian. If Ovechkin and Kuznetsov could win a Cup playing with recent third-liner Tom Wilson, I think they can get a little bit of offense going with a really talented prospect. And if you aren't going to read something, why bother quoting it?

You used a fan run SB nation post from a year ago as reference. Vegas owns Gusev's rights. The Capitals would have to give up something in order to acquire him. He is under contract in the KHL. These are facts.

I like the guy too, and I'd love to see him in D.C. but you can't just walk around the facts and pretend the Caps can just sign him right now. it would be difficult.

Yes. Vegas control his NHL rights..... as I agreed with you above....

One year of Brett Connolly isn't worth pick #32 to me, Sabres have cheaper ways to address their wing problems.

Makes sense. But he's eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1st.

His six year streak of first round wins was extended when his primary assist to Ovechkin gave the Caps the lead. It started off his own stick, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8I7qIkugQ

I think he was the hero of two games in the Cup finals this year. His keep=in/primary assist to DSP tied up game five, Eller scored 2 minutes later and the next twelve minutes consisted of Caps forwards icing the puck, winning faceoffs, and icing the puck again so Orpik and Niskanen could rest. He averaged only 16 minutes in the playoffs but got up to 20 in game five. Find me the shift chart if I'm wrong, but I think half of that was in the third period.

That was not a good game. It was a dominant performance for the ages.

Also, while you're finding me links, find me any list of the worst trades in Chicago history that doesn't mention trading a 37 year old Chris Chelios, with only one Cup ring, not even in the last decade, for picks and a prospect. Trading Orpik would be questionable. Buying him out would be ridiculous.


But as I said above, in the title and the description, this is a trade from an Islanders fan: https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/731339

I'm just building a team to ask if it works if these trades, posted by fans of other teams, collectively work for the Caps. If you think this team is as good as this past year, please just say "yes."

Or if you hate the Caps and hate Orpik, and want them to be stuck with him, by all means, go tell the Islanders you think he'd be worse than the older, more injured, less talented, less tough defense they had this year, when they almost made the playoffs. He'd be a great fit there, and a great mentor to Pulock, and he'd stop Mr. Futility from being their only left handed stay at home option, and you're trolling. So stop trolling.

and of course there's "the shift:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpBXdefDulU

Quote from Elliotte Friedman

"Nikita Gusev’s KHL contract ends, and he’s Vegas property. The tricky thing is Gusev will be one week shy of his 27th birthday on July 1, 2019. So, if he waits an extra year, he can pick his own spot as an unrestricted free agent."

According to this information, Gusev will still be Vegas property through this upcoming season which means the Caps would have to trade to obtain his rights, and he wouldn't be a UFA until next year July 8th on his 27th birthday.

And regardless of all this, I would be shocked if he plays outside of the KHL this year. He has played his whole career in Russia and hasn't expressed a ton of interest in coming to the NHL. I think he plays out his contract.

Thank you for digging that up. I will try to stop signing him, cool as it would be. I doubt McPhee is trying to trade his rights to the Caps right now, and I don't have much else I'd part with.... maybe rights to Boyd and Barber, and a 4th? I think McPhee screwed up his chances at Gusev by sending Shipachyov to the minors. That's a totally normal and reasonable thing for a GM to do with a rookie, but Ship didnt' see himself as a rookie, and it let Gusev see how he'll be treated in Vegas too. So Vegas should totally shop Gusev's rights and move on.

His value is really tough to figure out from his last trade. "His rights were traded to Vegas with a 2nd and a 4th round pick in exchange for selecting Jason Garrison (and his contract) instead of players like Slater Koekkoek, Jake Dotchin, Cedric Paquette, or J.T. Brown." (https://sinbin.vegas/when-if-ever-will-nikita-gusev-become-a-golden-knight/) . Garrison earned 4M for playing unremarkably in the AHL, so maybe the 2nd was for taking Garrison, the 4th for not taking Paquette, and Gusev was a throw-in because TBL were having no luck with him either, but he seemed to provide good value, on paper? Whatever, I'd go to Boyd, Barber, and a 3rd.

Do you think that gets close, or it basically just never happens?

For his rights I don't even think the Caps would have to give up much because there's no guarantee he'd even sign with the Caps. I think a 4th or 5th round pick and a guy like Boyd, Barber, Ikonen, or Siegenthaler could do it. You see guys rights get traded all the time for next to nothing because it's really a toss up if they'll sign with the team they've been traded to anyway.

But I'd like to hear what Gusev has to say. Because if he does have interest in the NHL I would like to think with all the Russians on the team this would be a good landing spot for him (also playing on a line with Kuznetsov in world juniors). But if he just wants to test the waters as a UFA next year that could work in the Caps favor as well.

And I completely agree with your statement of Shipachyov. After seeing that happen to a teammate and top KHL talent that could make Gusev a little wary of coming over to play with Vegas.

I would love to see the Caps work out a deal to get his rights, if they really think they have a legitimate shot signing him after this year. I've been a huge fan of his for a while, and I really think hit fit in well in D.C.

Edited. Thanks! Sounds like a great deal if he signs, and not a huge problem if he doesn't. I know you said or, not and, but after facing each other in the Finals, I think the Caps have to pay extra for rights to a Vegas RFA. Or they can just sign him and pay picks as compensation, no?

First of all, I love the Caps. Second, you really comparing hall of famer Chris Chelios to BROOKS ORPIK???? U are dellusional lmao. I can't believe you don't see the times when Orpik was just plain bad and slow. Comparing him to Chelios is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

Lol. If Orpik is a pylon, Chelios was a fencepost, by the end. At 37, Chelios, who actually had elite offensive skills in his youth, had zero goals and four assists in 273 playoff minutes. At forty he got one goal and 14 assists to win a Cup. In the 07 and 08 seasons, for which I can find hit totals, the legendary tough guy and chili restauranteur got 19 hits in 20 playoff games. https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/c/chelich01.html

Orpik's 102 and 112 hits in those two years are still among the top ten numbers posted, since anyone's been counting. His 88 this year, as a 37 year old, are 15th all time. His one goal and four assists are about even with 37 year old Chris Chelios (yes, he played almost 400 minutes, so even would be six points. So what), but they are both tied with personal bests. Guys who practiced every day of their youth, came in knowing every offensive trick in the book, and are limited only by their bodies? They get worse after 30. Orpik always kinda sucked except at hitting guys, so he's improving with age, practice, and experience, to where he can contribute some offense, and that surprises people who remember him when he was just a goon. Orpik said last summer he wants to play until he's as old as Jagr. With Washington he spent a year each mentoring Carlson and Schmidt. Forget what Orpik did in the finals. What did you think of the defensemen who led Washington and Las Vegas in ice time all year?

I think Orpik and Djoos are the kind of third pair you win a Stanley Cup with in 2018. Djoos is 23 and improving quicky. Orpik is 37 and.... somehow... also.... improving? The day before he signed with Washington, I commented on the Post's article suggesting they sign him and Niskanen. I said Niskanen would get way overpaid as the best offensive defenseman in a weak market, but Orpik could be a stay at home partner for Green. The next day I was shocked and dismayed that they paid Orpik as if he actually WAS Mike Green. After watching him in the playoffs, I'm okay with it. They got a good deal. It didn't look like it would be, but it worked out great. There's one year left, and I just linked you to a team willing to trade two seconds and a recent 5th overall draft bust to get Orpik and Grubauer.

Take the deal? Or keep Orpik? Buying him out and missing out on both Orpik's continued improvement and the chance of an MDC career? No way.

I think the relationship McPhee and McClellan have is pretty good so they should be fair. Trade for rights are tough to evaluate, especially for a case as tough to judge as this one. Great player, but how badly does he want to be here? I would love to find out by seeing it happen in real life though.