I'd be pretty surprised if DSP and Stephenson were healthy scratches. We'd probably have to make a move to offload some forwards or drop them through waivers.

The way the current 4th line has been playing it's tough to scratch one of them. But Reirden could always just be mixing up the bottom 6 game in game out until he found the combo he likes for the playoffs. But if the Caps are gonna trade anyone i'd suggest DSP

I'd play Stephenson over Dowd.

You can have 23 up, so waivers is not on the table. However, Dowd probably passes through waivers, if needed. 28 years old and really doesn't add anything that every teams #11-#14 forward already does. There is a good chance that at $1M DSP passes too. I know that the Red Rocket crowd likes him, but in reality he is a dime-a-dozen 4th liner.

Yep. Jaskin and Dowd are really good players, but I'd go by organizational seniority, here.

Smith-Pelly was 28th in the playoffs last spring in g/60, 87th in p/60, and 7th in even strength goals, with 7. That's more than anyone on Vegas or Tampa had. He doesn't skate very fast, but neither does Chiasson, who's 24th this year in g/60, playing with some good linemates in Edmonton. Jaskin is fast and good at getting the puck up ice but he has whiffed on a lot of scoring chances, finally getting his first goal as a Cap on something of a lucky bounce. I think he's got to work through some nerves before I'd play him over Smith-Pelly, who is more comfortable with the puck in the offensive zone, even though Jaskin is faster and better at carrying it there.

Stephenson was also pretty decent in the playoffs last year, playing everything from 4C to 2L, and adding a few points. He finished 116th among playoff forwards in p/60. With sixteen teams, and three forwards per line, anything between 97 and 144 is playoff 3rd liner territory. Dowd has just as much skill and up-side, and is useful for right-handed faceoffs, but if the goal is to repeat, and there aren't any fantastic trades on the table, there is a lot to be said for playing the guys that got there last time.

I kind of look at the playoffs as a separate activity from the regular season, because the refs call the game differently and it gets to be much slower, full of uncalled interference and holding fouls. That means that bigger and stronger guys do better, while faster, smaller guys can underperform a bit. Smith-Pelly and Burakovsky each have 16 points in 48 and 49 playoff games, respectively, playing a lot of it as bottom six wings. Vrana has 8 points in 23 playoff games, but got a bunch of them playing Backstrom and Oshie. All three are up for contracts this summer, so the team has no incentive to favor any one over the others... but I still don't see Vrana's skill or speed making him a lock for a top six spot, where I think Burakovsky or Smith-Pelly might do just as well.

Vrana or Burakovsky on a third or fourth line adds a ton of playmaking and scoring to spread out the attack, just like Oshie does, but it slows down either of their personal point totals. The difference is that Oshie is already under contract for several more years, so I'd offer to extend Smith-Pelly for two more years at 1.5M, and then once he's signed, play him on line two with Oshie and either of Backstrom/Kuznetsov. Let Burakovsky and Vrana try to earn contracts by dominating in bottom six roles, and you hopefully get fantastic secondary scoring out of both, so that you can roll four lines and wear teams down. Then if you can't afford one of them, at least they have great trade value, as an RFA. But more likely, you can contend, plus you can afford both of them next summer.

@biglite351 @staytru20
There is a zero percent chance that Devante Smith-Pelly clears waivers. See above.

For example... The Penguins have 2 of Garrett Wilson (Who? right?), Derek Grant and JS Dea on the 4th line right now. They would not pick Pelly off waivers. Goals per 60 that he got 8 months ago isn't relative to his waiver value tomorrow.

You brought up Chiasson, you you also praised in the off season using these kinds of numbers as support and his having a ring, has taken a pay cut in each of his last 3 contracts. That's because he is simply not "that" good, even with these numbers, even with the ring. You put undo value in these deep dive numbers.

Sure, but if LA claimed Leipsic and Scherbak, they'll find room for Smith-Pelly.

If they don't, Edmonton watched the playoffs and they know he's better than Chiasson. Pittsburgh might try to build each line around an elite center and two speedy wings, but Edmonton goes for a playmaker, a skater, and a shooter. They would definitely take DSP as an accurate shooter who can clear space and get open in front of the net. He could even play top line there, and score 30 goals a year.

Toronto's coach, Mike Babcock, said Washington won because of big wings who can go into the corners and get the puck back for the skill players. He might have just meant Wilson, but I think Smith-Pelly also fits the description. So there's another team that wants to win right away and would see immediate value in DSP at $1M.

If the Caps could extend DSP cheaper than 1.5M, then by all means, they should get that done. Two more years at 1M would be great.

But I'm not the only person who values playoff g/60. Joe Sakic overpaid for a Columbus 3rd line grinder who showed up in the top 30 in that stat, last year, giving the 'Lanche five guys in last year's top 50 at playoff g/60. Call it a coincidence if you want, but Sakic was known as a clutch scorer himself, especially in the playoffs, and I'd bet he's aware that he's adding players with a similar skillset, so that's a fourth team that likely claims DSP if you waive him this year, at 1M. They have cap room, and they have guys on ELCs. If they don't have a spot, they'll make one.

Chiasson was a healthy scratch for the Caps last Spring in the playoffs because DSP took his spot. Chiasson is top 60 among NHL forwards right now in points. DSP is not getting waived. That's ridiculous. If he works on his skating and gets faster next season, he could be a 2nd line player on any team in the NHL. As is, yes, he's a niche commodity, but there are teams that value the skill and focus he brings. Do you think Chiasson is taking a pay cut next summer? I think he's making whatever it is Maroon is making this year. Not a lot, but not minimum wage. He's that fourth-line type of skater with top line finishing skills who can be a complimentary 2nd line scorer. DSP is in the same boat, but with a much better playoff resume: 16 points in 48 games, compared to 4 in 30.

If you say I defended Chiasson last summer I'll believe it, but I also spoke up on comment threads for DSP to first take his spot in the first round last Spring, and then to try out on the top line when Wilson was suspended. He didn't score a goal in two periods, but he played just fine, and I would happily do that again in the playoffs, when the game is slower, and strength counts as much as skill. Smith-Pelly is two inches taller than Vrana, and 20 pounds heavier. If you need a perfect pass, you want Vrana. If you need to win a shoving match over a frozen puck in the corner, and don't have Wilson available, Smith-Pelly's a good option.

Dude, 200 words, seriously. I stopped reading after about the 8th sentence (like everyone else did) when I realized that there were still multiple paragraphs to go. Condense your thoughts for quality and skip the quantity. You are not getting paid by the word. You have good thoughts, that's all that you need.

Edmonton, LA, and Colorado would claim him. Reasons above.

Eli, you overrate DSP and underrate Vrana. Vrana's skill set is leaps and bounds above DSP's. The league is getting faster and more skilled and that is not good for guys like DSP. Your comment about if DSP works on his skating and speed he would... Do you really think he hasn't? At this point in his career what you see is what you get. Don't get me wrong I love the guy but in know world is he a second line player