I see a lot of Caps fans getting rid of half the Caps' top three defensemen to try to get about five years younger on the back end, so they can contend in two or three years. I don't think this is necessary. Does anyone else think the Caps have some guys who are pretty good right now?
I love working through different permutations and possibilities, but if the Caps want to have a chance to repeat their championship, and if the players are okay taking big but not insane contracts.... this is what I'd go with.
Would I consider offers on some of the pricier guys who were underutilized, and could be replaced cheaply this summer? Sure, make great offers on Burakovsky, Orpik, or Connolly, and the Caps can sign Grabner, or JVR, or Cole, and still be pretty solid. Most teams I build for fun will have some novel variation on some kind of move like these, and might also sign or trade for more sandpapery guys like Matt Calvert, Leo Komarov, Robert Hagg, or Zadorov.... because I think the Caps won through a combination of skill, toughness, and luck, and of the two you can actually buy, toughness should still be a lot cheaper than skill.
But the team they have was good enough this year to get lucky against the two best teams in the league, and the best expansion club in the history of professional sports. So if they can mostly keep it together, I think they have some chance again, next year, and should at least make the playoffs. Yes, I let Kempny and Chiasson walk. I think they will get 3M and 1.5M elsewhere, and I don't see either contributing as much offense, defense, or toughness next year as Bowey and DSP in the same spots, at similar or lower costs.
Not totally sure on the value of the trade. Really just targeting Saarela as a replacement #1C for Hershey since Boyd is past waiver exemption age, but adding Fleury to equal the value of Grubauer. Could also trade Grubauer elsewhere for a 1st or 2 seconds.
Personally I don’t think that gets you fleury. It may though because there goaltending is terrible lol
Thanks so much.
Out of goalies who played 30+ games last year, Grubauer was 8th in GAA, 5th in spct. Are you sure he isn't worth Haydn Fleury, who got zero goals and 8 assists, playing 1125 minutes last year, with 60% offensive zone starts (good for one point every 140 minutes (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3114735/haydn-fleury)). (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/f/fleurha01.html) Carolina has three better guys at left defense, and does need a goalie. Fleury looked like a great prospect and may still develop, but Grubauer pushed Bobrovski to overtime in back to back starts, because he entered the playoffs as Washington's starting goalie after a really strong Spring. I'd ask for picks, but I think Carolina would rather give up Fleury.
Boyd and Barber each have graduated from the AHL and might or might not be enough, together, to trade for Saarela, who hasn't. Boyd's name on the Cup should help with that, or the Caps can shop elsehwere for an AHL center. Saarela got 43 games there last year, a career high. Boyd had 47, but has had as many as 63, when he was in the AHL full time.
Out of goalies who played 30+ games last year, Grubauer was 8th in GAA, 5th in spct. Are you sure he isn't worth Haydn Fleury, who got zero goals and 8 assists, playing 1125 minutes last year, with 60% offensive zone starts (good for one point every 140 minutes (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3114735/haydn-fleury)). (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/f/fleurha01.html) Carolina has three better guys at left defense, and does need a goalie. Fleury looked like a great prospect and may still develop, but Grubauer pushed Bobrovski to overtime in back to back starts, because he entered the playoffs as Washington's starting goalie after a really strong Spring. I'd ask for picks, but I think Carolina would rather give up Fleury.
Boyd and Barber each have graduated from the AHL and might or might not be enough, together, to trade for Saarela, who hasn't. Boyd's name on the Cup should help with that, or the Caps can shop elsehwere for an AHL center. Saarela got 43 games there last year, a career high. Boyd had 47, but has had as many as 63, when he was in the AHL full time.
Maybe. He only got like, two or three even strength goals all playoffs on the top line. Guys who hit as much or as hard as he does don't tend to last ten years in the NHL, so I think stability and certainty of retiring wealthy might be reasons to accept a moderate cap hit. He's good at digging pucks out of corners, but I'd be open to trading him if someone who can do that and also score goals is available. I think you could trade Wilson for a king's ransom in picks and prospect, and sign Komarov at a 2M cap hit. Two years ago Komarov had more even strength goals than Wilson got this year, and the whole top line could speak Russian together, which should improve their ability to draw up set plays and coordinate their offense. And it's not like Ovechkin can't score goals on a top line with Backstrom and Oshie, which was their top line last year, when both wings broke 30 goals, and the team won the President's Trophy. Moving Backstrom and Oshie to the second line by this Spring was probably a bigger factor in the Caps' playoff success than who replaced Oshie on the top line. Vrana can play there and do okay. Burakovsky probably could, too. I don't think Connolly has quite earned a chance, but if he's back next year, he might get a couple games there as a reward for a few strong performances. Smith-Pelly earned a look during these playoffs, after scoring some big goals at even strength. Didn't score goals there, but was not bad. Just happens to click better with Beagle or Eller, so far, than Kuznetsov.
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