The ‘25-‘26 boredom thread..

[Mickstix]

So one mock draft I saw had the Caps taking Nickita Klepov at 16 - a 6'1" forward. Says he is US and will be playing for Michigan State.  His highlights look great. Good speed, passing, quick shot. Another mock draft didn't have him in the first round!

Then at 18 they had the Caps taking Oliver Suvanto - a 6'3" 209 lbs center from Finland. His highlights look pretty good - not a speed skater but hangs around the net and gets some rebounds. He looks a bit slow but another mock draft had him going at 10.


Then there is Oscar Hemming - who is a forward from Boston College and was projected from 14th to 17th. With our BC/BU players already, it wouldn't surprise me if they took him.


I just hope they keep both picks.  The quality of young players has really gone up and I think any first rounder could be a really good NHL player fairly quickly.

1st paragraph was shrunk Beags..


Im not sure what Im wishing for in the offseason.. I don't "think" we're gonna be bad at all with what we got, though they'd all need to stay healthy. Still no "superstar" forward/center, that's not on his last legs.. Wouldn't mind them finding another TJ Oshie, but as I've said before, I think we may of cashed in that wish on Chychrun. Be nice to have a legit, youngish, superstar on the team though. Doubt it'll happen, not even sure any are available. The assets Florida gave up for Brady Tkachuk are nuts. And he's not even all that, imo.

[Beaglefan2]

Ye[ - the Tkatuch deal was nuts, but there have been a couple trades where more draft picks are being thrown in than I would have expected. I think they are valuing an 1st round pick that is expected to be 25 to 30 way lower than a mid round or lower round.  That might be right, but if you have good scouting those later picks can really strike gold. I just think the young kids are developing so much faster now - so I am a proponent of stockpiling picks - which is why that Caps will probably the 16th and 18th for the 12th pick!

[Mickstix]

Right. lol I'd hope if they trade both picks for an earlier pick, it'd be for more than moving up 4 spots.. Though I don't have any idea what the talent pool is in the draft. I'll just cross my fingers as usual and hope they don't do anything crazy/stupid. 1 more week and we'll know! Still haven't heard anything official from Ovi??

[alta]

https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-acquire-jordan-kyrou-from-the-st-louis-blues


McMichael didn’t quite blossom the way we hoped here, which means he will in St Louis. Don’t know anything about Gastrin, but I know I don’t like losing a first round pick for this. It better work out.

[Mickstix]

Yup! Wish McMike well.. Hopefully he didn't just have a sophomore slump and is what he is.    Have no clue about the guy we got, other than he was hovering around a point per year, then fell off some last season.. Hope it works out!! Seems like a little arm bending could of been done to use the 18th instead of the 16th.. 
Hopefully it's not another PLD.. Bro is on the books for 8.125m x 5 


https://twitter.com/Tarik_ElBashir/status/2069541975489966382

[Beaglefan2]

Rats! I knew they would trade one of the picks.  Seems like a very steep price as the 16th pick plus McMike should have been enough. Gastrin was supposedly our only good Center prospect in our system and Centers are valued. He was an early second round pick last year.


The only way I can look at this and like it is if you figure that we got Kyrou for McMike and Gastrin and for trading Carlson for a first that we used. Then it seems pretty good.

[Beaglefan2]

Also - seems like we only trade with Vegas or STL.


I predict they draft Oscar Hemming with the 18th pick. He is a big boy from BC and I bet they think he can be another Tom Wilson.  They must not love anybody though at 18 since they traded 16 which would have helped them get the guy they wanted. They probably think there are 5 or 6 guys at 18 that they would be happy with.

[richkrt99]

Wow. Didn’t expect that. I feel Kyrou is definitely a legit top 6 guy and McMike was a question mark there . I like McMike and he as speed to burn but he just has not performed up to our hopes. He is still fairly young but he has had his chances here. Fairly costly. It I don’t think it’s a bad deal. You know you were going to have to give up substantial assets to get a deal done this year especially ( with the increasing cap).
McMike will probably blossom in St Louis but good in him.

[Beaglefan2]

Ya - I liked McMike and he had that one stretch when he went nuts and everything was going in and we got excited that he could be a consistent 25 goal scorer - but then he regressed. I think he is just undersized and not quite fast enough to be a top 6 guy. Wish him well.


At least Kyrou has some term left and I think they were after him at the trade deadline so they got their guy.  He could be another Chychrun type addition, so that would be good.  I'm not happy about what we gave, but I just rationalize it by thinking that we got a free 1st rounder for Carlson which was a great deal and we just used that.

[Beaglefan2]

So the latest rumor is the Caps are going after Alex Tuch from Buffalo.  He is 30 years old and wants an 8 year deal for big money and it would be a sign and trade.  Tuch is fine for the next 2 or 3 years, but he stunk in the playoffs this year and I hate to get older guys.  If they want this guy they better not give up much - definitely not their last 1st round pick!

[Beaglefan2]

Well - Alex Tuch on an 8 year deal at $10.5 AAV.  Caps gave up a third round pick. Don't love this one, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I just have the long term deals to the old guys.


I have heard speculation that this is a sign that Ovi is retiring and speculation that now that they upgrade with Kyrou and Tuch, that Ovi will want to come back - so who knows!

[alta]

yea, 8 years is a bit much for me..


https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2026/06/24/alex-tuch-contract-washington-capitals-sign-trade-buffalo-sabres/

[Mickstix]

Good grief.. We're just getting out of these obese long term contracts and now we've signed another one..    What are Wilson and Leonard gonna do, play the 3rd and 4th line? Leonard's gonna be 1st line caliber before the season ends, if he's not already.. He'll be looking for a deal out of here before long. 

[Rey Capalpatine]

Never heard of this Tuch guy until now; what caliber player is he? Is he above average or just another guy?

[BlackIce]

Never heard of this Tuch guy until now; what caliber player is he? Is he above average or just another guy?

Top of the line.  Established 30+ goal scorer; solid defensively; big (6'4", 220) and good skater.


I mentioned a few weeks back that with the escalating salary cap, we were going to be startled at some of the free agent contracts this summer.  His contract is essentially a free agent contract.  Tuch was leaving Buffalo as a UFA, and this allowed them to get at least a little something (3rd round pick) for him.  He signed with Buffalo BEFORE being traded - that was how he got the 8 year contract - you can go 8 years only on your own players that you are resigning.  But $10.5 million AAV is still a BIG number. 

[BlackIce]

Good grief.. We're just getting out of these obese long term contracts and now we've signed another one..    What are Wilson and Leonard gonna do, play the 3rd and 4th line? Leonard's gonna be 1st line caliber before the season ends, if he's not already.. He'll be looking for a deal out of here before long. 

The Kyrou and Tuch trades are all about longer-term stability.  Both are responsible defensively as well as being competent goal-scorers.  And McMichael was expendable for one reason:  Ilya Protas.  There is a reason why LaPierre is still listed as a prospect on the Caps' site, and Ilya Protas isn't.  The Caps want to field 3 dangerous lines this coming season.  Strome/IlyaP/Dubois will be the top 3 canters.  Kyrou/Wilson/Leonard will be the top 3 RW.  Tuch/AProtas/Ovie?? will be the top 3 LW.  Sourdif will be the 4C; LaPierre, Frank, and Bauvillier will be in the mix, along with possibly Cristall and Miroshnichenko.  Or the Caps could easily sign another 4th liner - those guys are pretty fungible. 


Now the Caps need to figure out how to get another RH defenseman, and that'll be about it.  Chychryn, Hutson, and Fehervary are set on the left side; Roy and Liljegren on the right side. 


The Caps tipped their hand when they brought in Hutson and IProtas last year and stuck them right in the playing rotation.  They aren't going to be anywhere but in Washington next season. 

[Rey Capalpatine]

Top of the line.  Established 30+ goal scorer; solid defensively; big (6'4", 220) and good skater.


I mentioned a few weeks back that with the escalating salary cap, we were going to be startled at some of the free agent contracts this summer.  His contract is essentially a free agent contract.  Tuch was leaving Buffalo as a UFA, and this allowed them to get at least a little something (3rd round pick) for him.  He signed with Buffalo BEFORE being traded - that was how he got the 8 year contract - you can go 8 years only on your own players that you are resigning.  But $10.5 million AAV is still a BIG number.

Thanks for the 411.

[richkrt99]

Wow...again.  Alex Tuch is serious top cheese.  Although the length is crazy for a 30 year old.  Not everyone is Ovi.  I am sure the Caps know this is too long, but not that they have any control over it.  Time will tell if this works for the Caps or not, but at least management is willing to take some shots.  I remember YEARS of standing pat with the status quo and that brought us nothing but disappointment.


And yeah, i cant figure out if this is a sign that Ovi is retiring, or if this is a reason for him to stay one more year.  I guess we will know soon enough.  I just assumed he would be back.  It will be a huge bummer when he does retire, even if it is time.  Ovi has meant so much to hockey but more so to the Washington Capitals.  It will be strange to not have him out there. He truly has been the heart and soul of this franchise for 2 decades.

[Mickstix]

Oh well, guess we'll "find out". lol

My hope is ego and salary do not hobble us, like years past, where you were basically guaranteed minutes and line assignments based off your contract amount. Cause neither Tuch nor Kyrou are "super star" caliber players and based off their age/stats are never gonna be. Ryan Leonard is. Time will tell how long he's satisfied playing on the 3rd line and PP2.

[waynerivers]

Kyrou is an upgrade on McMichael but I don't like giving away our draft pick on a 27 year old guy who was a -38 a few years back.  We need guys who are 2 way players.  As for Tuch, the deal was OK but not the 8 year deal for a 29 year old guy.  This team thinks it's a few tweaks from contention.  It isn't.  They should be looking for a big, mobile, physical young D-man and a better backup than Lindgren.  And stop giving away draft picks.