2018 Off-Season Signings, Trades, etc.

[OldHat]

Deadline for Wilson to file for arbitration was 5:00 today.  Nothing reported so far.  Caps deadline to file is 5:00 tomorrow.


LOB did file.

[Devise]

Well The Hens fans have had multiple hate threads about me on their boards for bullying their trolls on the old site, and I was one of the ones that started this board and got everyone over here, so no, not a Hens fan . . .
 


While we should certainly enjoy the Cup, we or some us most remain pragmatic about the team, and how the Cup was won.


While Devise  summed up a main point, we must also keep in mind  that in this Cup High, it is easy to forget or bluff off the low points simply by winning the fourth round, then saying the team is that great because they won the fourth round.  Then to assume this is the team we will have going forward.  This is where most are going.


All while practically everyone, had this team written off.  While it makes for great drama, "over coming adversity", "no one believed in us" etc., there still comes the question:  Where did this come from?


While all Cup winners loose games in the playoffs, not many looked as god-awful and as frequently awful as The Caps did in some of their losses in the playoffs or in this regular season. . .you can go through the GDT threads on here and witness the people who saw theses terrible factors repeatedly and wrote the team off?


When it comes to these negative issues, the snapshot of the last 6-7 games and winning the fourth, simply cannot erase a series of consistent negatives over the long term.


So yes by all means enjoy the Cup.  But be weary not to let it dismiss, or use to use it to justify the long term issues of this team and franchise, and/or assume they are resolved.

Absolutely, I think there is not that many people in here looking at next season through rose colored glasses. I do think an argument can be made though that there are some players in particular who you haven't gotten off your shit list, who were good for more than just a fourth round, or the last 7 games. Who even with lower expectations heading into the season, a lot of us were arguing were playoff guys, were capable of producing for us when it mattered, and showed throughout tenure here to be some of our leaders.


Obviously you've shown Beagle and Willy love. But even as far as seasons ago plenty of us here were praising the likes of Oshie, Eller, Nisky, and Orpik. All players you've been critical of at times, and all who have shown nothing but heart for this organization since joining. Period. Like again I totally get the argument that as a team we played at a higher level than normal the last couple rounds. However these players in particular deserve to get lumped in with the Beagles, Willies and DSP's of the world because they often showed up every year in the playoffs, and every season. It was the rest of the team buying in that put us over the hump, but we still had a hard working, determined smaller group that started really trying to build something here.


That, and only that is a reason I have some hope heading into next season. We still have enough of those faces, and now we can see for real if their mentality finally did wear off on the rest of the group to the point that we continue to be a top playoff team for years to come. At least under the Ovie era. I think we have that potential for sure. Even if I don't have my expectations set high again, simply due to size/the rest of the league improving and us being strapped. Also losing Beags hurt greatly.


But off-season is still early yet, plenty of time for BMGM to try to make some more noise and impress us. 

[OldHat]

Corney signed with a team Swiss League HC Lugano.. Our chances for a repeat have been dashed...

[Biggest]

I saw the Pens being tired after trying to defend their Cup a 3rd time - and Murray mortal in net. And for once, we were simply better than Pittsburgh - unlike the prior 2 seasons where I felt they were clearly better, despite our 'President's Trophies.'

But we crushed the Bolts those last 2 games, fair and square.  No way were they overconfident / did they look past us.

I think what the Caps just accomplished is one of the most significant team sport accomplishments one will ever witness.  No team in North America in any sport was better known for being uber talented, uber chokers.  This Cup win is on a par with the Sox and Cubs ending their respective 'curses' in MLB.  Perhaps Philly in the NFL as well.

They so earned it, slaying dragons all along the way.

I was just teasing about Ovi snatching someone's gal, btw.  Just keeping it lively.

We respectfully disagree about how momentous and compelling / convincing their 4 series wins ended up being.  But not on how much we love the team.

And hey, no way is 'back-to-back' an expectation of mine.  It's the toughest team trophy to win in the world.  Period.  But the team will proudly defend the Cup in '18/'19, and we'll see what happens.

If you've not seen it / picked one up, I encourage you to snag a 'Worth the Wait' commemorative magazine from the Washington Post.  Tom Boswell's overview of what the Capitals finally accomplished in '17-'18 is perhaps the finest opinion piece I have ever read about our boys in red, white and blue.  If somehow it's stashed online somewhere, I'll find and post the link.

It's titled:  Goodbye Ghosts - The Past is History!

Later gang!!

To be fair to DC, he wasn't implying it was all a "lucky run." If you read his posts he is more implying that other teams took us lightly due to years of disappointment. He's not wrong. Both Pitt and Tampa in particular had a vibe of "of course the Caps will choke" to their play style. They weren't playing as hungry as they usually do because they under estimated their opponent. That isn't something we are going to be given the benefit of the doubt on this season.


That isn't to say our boys didn't out work them, they did. It's more, us out working them as hard as we did in the playoffs and not letting the bounces affect us like we usually do began to stun them, those two teams in particular. We've always had good playoff hustle, but we let the momentum swings get to us. So teams would just let us dominate sections of games in the playoffs, wait for the momentum to swing and capitalize. But when this season, the Caps would just push and push and push, and if the momentum swung we'd push again. It stunned teams. They finally saw that we had our big boy jock straps on and were ready to take playoff hockey to another level.


But make no mistake, we can shit talk them all we want but the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning are right up there with us this season as top contenders from the Eastern Conference. Now that they realize we can get it done, it won't just be about pushing on and not letting momentum swings get to us. If we find ourselves in a series with either of those two teams next year, it's going to be some of the most competitive playoff hockey you've ever seen. Trust me. And in that regard, I think DC's ultimate point is that we can't take that for granted. We can't assume just because we did it before it'll come to us again. It's going to take another elevation, another finding of a gear.


However I absolutely think we have the personnel, coaching staff, and mental fortitude to push ourselves into that gear. But just because we have the capacity doesn't mean it'll happen. I agree with DC in regards to the argument that next season is going to be one of the toughest in the Ovie era. It absolutely will be. Forget just a target in the playoffs, it's going to be a hell of a battle just to get there in my estimation.

[Biggest]

DC - we saw what Cup winners must do.  The goalie standing on his head.  The stars playing up to their abilities.  Shaking off adversity time and again (I swear, the suits in Toronto and the refs on the ice did NOT want a Soviet Captain to hoist the Cup - Lol!), the secondary scoring was stout (see DSP, Eller, Willy, and Conno), and youngsters brought speed (Vrana) and no fear (Stephenson and Djoos and Walker especially). Of all those factors, Holtby was the difference maker for me.  Finally, we were the team with the postseason goalie that stood on his head in every series - all the way through.  Can we replicate that in '18-'19?  Hard as hell, as you point out.  But it will be grand pulling for them and knowing in my heart they finally did something I waited 44 years for - most of it feeling like death in postseason disappointments dating back to '83.  And that's now all gone.  Let's Go Caps!

Well The Hens fans have had multiple hate threads about me on their boards for bullying their trolls on the old site, and I was one of the ones that started this board and got everyone over here, so no, not a Hens fan . . .
 


While we should certainly enjoy the Cup, we or some us most remain pragmatic about the team, and how the Cup was won.


While Devise  summed up a main point, we must also keep in mind  that in this Cup High, it is easy to forget or bluff off the low points simply by winning the fourth round, then saying the team is that great because they won the fourth round.  Then to assume this is the team we will have going forward.  This is where most are going.


All while practically everyone, had this team written off.  While it makes for great drama, "over coming adversity", "no one believed in us" etc., there still comes the question:  Where did this come from?


While all Cup winners loose games in the playoffs, not many looked as god-awful and as frequently awful as The Caps did in some of their losses in the playoffs or in this regular season. . .you can go through the GDT threads on here and witness the people who saw theses terrible factors repeatedly and wrote the team off?


When it comes to these negative issues, the snapshot of the last 6-7 games and winning the fourth, simply cannot erase a series of consistent negatives over the long term.


So yes by all means enjoy the Cup.  But be weary not to let it dismiss, or use to use it to justify the long term issues of this team and franchise, and/or assume they are resolved.

[Maacoshark]

     With the rumors of Panarin not wanting to sign an extension with the Columbus and the possibility of him being traded. I am really surprised that no one has mentioned him. I guess because no one here wants him on the Caps. I know I wouldn't want him.

[OldHat]

LOB signed a 1 year 2 way deal for the league min...  Likely be buried in Hershey all year. 

[DC_1908]

DC - we saw what Cup winners must do.  The goalie standing on his head.  The stars playing up to their abilities.  Shaking off adversity time and again (I swear, the suits in Toronto and the refs on the ice did NOT want a Soviet Captain to hoist the Cup - Lol!), the secondary scoring was stout (see DSP, Eller, Willy, and Conno), and youngsters brought speed (Vrana) and no fear (Stephenson and Djoos and Walker especially). Of all those factors, Holtby was the difference maker for me.  Finally, we were the team with the postseason goalie that stood on his head in every series - all the way through.  Can we replicate that in '18-'19?  Hard as hell, as you point out.  But it will be grand pulling for them and knowing in my heart they finally did something I waited 44 years for - most of it feeling like death in postseason disappointments dating back to '83.  And that's now all gone.  Let's Go Caps!

We saw what WE needed to do to win a Cup, . . . and even for Cups winners it was A LOT.  It sure made for great drama and a "monumental", pun intended, event. . .but remember, this was a" throw away", rebuilding year.


This was not the result of a precise,deliberate and systematic strategy to build a long term dominating dynasty like Chicago, LA, and Detroit did in recent history, as the zealots who worship the ground GMBetaMale walks on wants you to believe. 


The coaches and players won this IN SPITE of Monumentals half-assed "have a chance in the playoffs" bullshit marketing scheme, not as the result of the "brilliance of the greatest front office in the history of sports" that will be sold 'door-to-door' by Patricks Witnesses from The Church of Ted Christ and Latter Day Saints.


Which brings me to the point of, should we now just say "Holtby and Ovie will take us through each playoffs, and doesn't matter who else is there, we 'have faith in the front office' ", or say 'we finally did it, we can die happy, its worth waiting another 10 years to do it again", "or this team is SO GOOD, every team in the league fears them and always have so they will just roll over us now the we won a Cup".


The mission is not over, it's just started, "a" Cup isnt good enough.   Betting on what got us here to keep us in the Conf finals at minimum for years to come, is only an emotional leap of faith for entertainment, not a logical or analytical conclusion.

[DC_1908]

LOB signed a 1 year 2 way deal for the league min...  Likely be buried in Hershey all year.

Id like to say he has a better shot with a new coach, but well see

[Maacoshark]

Id like to say he has a better shot with a new coach, but well see

    He would have a better shot if he was a better player. He brings a physical presence but absolutely nothing else.

[DC_1908]

    He would have a better shot if he was a better player. He brings a physical presence but absolutely nothing else.

your being a bit cliche. This organization doesn’t like or value physical players, period.  Willy’s an RFA while they over play for Eller, Bura, Connelly, and Carlson how is that not proof of this organizations priorities despite winning a Cup?


 This “today’s game” crap,  is a just marketing scam.

[Maacoshark]

your being a bit cliche. This organization doesn’t like or value physical players, period.  Willy’s an RFA while they over play for Eller, Bura, Connelly, and Carlson how is that not proof of this organizations priorities despite winning a Cup?


 This “today’s game” crap,  is a just marketing scam.

    I agree the organization doesnt favor physical players but that doesnt change the fact that LOB isn't much of a hockey player.

[DC_1908]

Hens sign Olesniak for 3 for2mil . . . gggrrreeeaaatttt 😡[size=78%].  Not bad for “goons can’t play hockey” huh?[/size]


Won’t be long til he royally fucks one of our players up. . . But hey, Mr Lenosis and Mr Patrick say “it’s ok, well just hide from meanies”

[Maacoshark]

Hens sign Olesniak for 3 for2mil . . . gggrrreeeaaatttt 😡[size=78%].  Not bad for “goons can’t play hockey” huh?[/size]


Won’t be long til he royally fucks one of our players up. . . But hey, Mr Lenosis and Mr Patrick say “it’s ok, well just hide from meanies”

    Actually Olesniak isn't a bad player. He isn't just a goon.
Sometimes you are so close minded about your goons that you dont take into account what else that player brings. A lot of those types of players are liabilities and end up hurting the team more than helping. A player isn't helping your team if he takes dumbs penalties and can't help you in other ways.
    I like tough physical players but if they can't contribute in other ways then they shouldn't be in the NHL.
   BTW Olesniak would have fit in Orpiks spot nicely.

[Devise]

your being a bit cliche. This organization doesn’t like or value physical players, period.  Willy’s an RFA while they over play for Eller, Bura, Connelly, and Carlson how is that not proof of this organizations priorities despite winning a Cup?


 This “today’s game” crap,  is a just marketing scam.

Think your sort of off base here, and a bit in general in regards to this organizations management. I don't disagree that yes the organization does favor marketing over the essentials required to building a winner. But I don't think that necessarily means they completely ignore those essentials, as you lay out here and in every argument.


Look to your Wilson example as a perfect point. Wilson isn't still an RFA because the organization doesn't value him. In fact if you read the reports, it's the opposite. He didn't file for arbitration, (loyalty) and traditionally when a franchise wants to undervalue a young RFA like that they lowball extension contract him to wait and see if they have to pay them the big bucks after they become a UFA. Instead all the reports are the reason it's taking so long is because both the Caps and Wilson want to sign a long term 4+ year deal, with rumors of him making 4.5+ a season. We are if anything OVER valuing Wilson.


Which, considering that I do agree with you that we do struggle in the toughness department especially after the loss of Oprik who was a physical stud in the playoffs, and I think has easily proven to be a playoff type player. His age was the issue obviously. But them over valuing Wilson as they are I think implies they see his value. We have always been a "big" hockey team, but struggled to effectively use that size to our advantage when it mattered. The tone of Wilsons playstyle and how mean he can be, I think really drives home a point for some of our lets say "softer" guys.

[Biggest]

They put it all together, starting with that outdoor game in Annapolis and once Kempny got his game right.  Then, of course, Holtby had to live up to his potential in the postseason.  And he finally did.

I don't know that we're disagreeing so much at all.  And for the record, I don't want the Cup win to be a 'one and done,' if you will.  As talented as the Leafs are, they still need help on the back end, IMHO.

And the Bolts? Tremendous on paper, and a formidable foe.  But we can hang with them and I don't see them being more talented than our squad.  I think we're pretty damn even with them and the Pens both.  And frankly, I like the Eastern Conference contenders a lot more than those in the West.  Way more firepower, IMHO, with the Caps, Bolts, Pens, and Leafs.

So we'll see what happens.  I'm hoping they're hungry still, that Reirden is as good as advertised, and that Oshie and company make good on the 'back-to-back' chant!  Let's Go Caps!!

We saw what WE needed to do to win a Cup, . . . and even for Cups winners it was A LOT.  It sure made for great drama and a "monumental", pun intended, event. . .but remember, this was a" throw away", rebuilding year.


This was not the result of a precise,deliberate and systematic strategy to build a long term dominating dynasty like Chicago, LA, and Detroit did in recent history, as the zealots who worship the ground GMBetaMale walks on wants you to believe. 

The coaches and players won this IN SPITE of Monumentals half-assed "have a chance in the playoffs" bullshit marketing scheme, not as the result of the "brilliance of the greatest front office in the history of sports" that will be sold 'door-to-door' by Patricks Witnesses from The Church of Ted Christ and Latter Day Saints.


Which brings me to the point of, should we now just say "Holtby and Ovie will take us through each playoffs, and doesn't matter who else is there, we 'have faith in the front office' ", or say 'we finally did it, we can die happy, its worth waiting another 10 years to do it again", "or this team is SO GOOD, every team in the league fears them and always have so they will just roll over us now the we won a Cup".


The mission is not over, it's just started, "a" Cup isnt good enough.   Betting on what got us here to keep us in the Conf finals at minimum for years to come, is only an emotional leap of faith for entertainment, not a logical or analytical conclusion.

[DC_1908]

    Actually Olesniak isn't a bad player. He isn't just a goon.
Sometimes you are so close minded about your goons that you dont take into account what else that player brings. A lot of those types of players are liabilities and end up hurting the team more than helping. A player isn't helping your team if he takes dumbs penalties and can't help you in other ways.
    I like tough physical players but if they can't contribute in other ways then they shouldn't be in the NHL.
   BTW Olesniak would have fit in Orpiks spot nicely.

again that was sarcasm.  I’ve been saying we should get him for years.  He has great iq, can use his size to cover massive areas, can skate with the NHL game, and has a heavy shot . . .


He’s just not the type Monumental wants market.  They prefer Djoos barley able to lift a god gatorade bottle and Hooks getting carted off on a stretcher after getting knocked out  for not fighting.


While I do see where your interoperation of my view "goons" come from, it is not as redneck-meat head as it seems on the surface.  I just call out that players with that skillset get unjustly and illogically shunned and degraded simply because they can and do fight, with all other value of the individual player, or new tactics/strategies that can be used with that player in the line up.


Olesniak is a prime example. . .everyone dubbed him as just a goon.  Then when used in a way to benefit his skillset, he becomes a very good player that can change the tone of games without even being on the ice.

[Maacoshark]

again that was sarcasm.  I’ve been saying we should get him for years.  He has great iq, can use his size to cover massive areas, can skate with the NHL game, and has a heavy shot . . .


He’s just not the type Monumental wants market.  They prefer Djoos barley able to lift a god gatorade bottle and Hooks getting carted off on a stretcher after getting knocked out  for not fighting.


While I do see where your interoperation of my view "goons" come from, it is not as redneck-meat head as it seems on the surface.  I just call out that players with that skillset get unjustly and illogically shunned and degraded simply because they can and do fight, with all other value of the individual player, or new tactics/strategies that can be used with that player in the line up.


Olesniak is a prime example. . .everyone dubbed him as just a goon.  Then when used in a way to benefit his skillset, he becomes a very good player that can change the tone of games without even being on the ice.

   I would take Olesniak over Djoo any day of the week. A 160 lb dman doesnt belong in the NHL.

[DC_1908]

Well, this rather sucks. . . .  Hanks career may be over

[Maacoshark]

Well, this rather sucks. . . .  Hanks career may be over

   I heard rumors of him possibly retiring. I didnt know he had issues with his back.