2018 NHL Draft

[DC_1908]

[Devise]

Gruby and Orpik to Colorado for a 2nd.


Making cap room maybe for something? DC noted it there with the handshakes with Ottawa, could we be in on the EK trade rumors? Upgrading to the better Karlsson isn't an awful idea since he'd be cheaper this season but he'd cost WAY to much down the road. Who knows what this management is doing, BMGM may take us on a roller coaster now.

[DC_1908]

We got the live hook up!

[DC_1908]

Full house for the draft,   God damn right a The Big D is a hockey-town

[KitFisto]

Gruby and Orpik to Colorado for a 2nd.


Making cap room maybe for something? DC noted it there with the handshakes with Ottawa, could we be in on the EK trade rumors? Upgrading to the better Karlsson isn't an awful idea since he'd be cheaper this season but he'd cost WAY to much down the road. Who knows what this management is doing, BMGM may take us on a roller coaster now.

It's to re-sign Carlson. Nothing else.

[zerofox]

I'm happy with the trade.

We dumped a huge salary that was weighing us down for a while now. Sure, Orpik is a veteran who is respected in the locker room, and yeah sure he was a part of our SC winning team. But the price we paid for him was only maybe acceptable in the first year or so of the contract (even then it was too high but at least somewhat justifiable, the term sucked ass though).

Gruby I would have loved to keep, but he does deserve a chance at being a starter.

Good news is we've freed up a ton of cap space. We can definitely keep Beagle and Wilson while also keeping Carlson and Kempny. Issue now is getting a 6th defenseman. I'm excited to see what we can do here.

[Devise]

Not an awful pick at 31. Lots of teams going off the board to take younger defenders, for us to head back to the WHL to grab a tall Russian D is probably a smart play. He can pass/play good but also capable of playing a heavier game. 6'4 as a D too is nice, especially when all the other teams were drafting D at 5'10. Still a few years out but who knows could impress at training camp.

[BlackIce]

Looks like a try to draft a replacement for Orpik!!

[BlackIce]

Looks like a try to draft a replacement for Orpik!!

I wonder if, with Orpik gone, the Caps might let Siegenthaler gain back some of the weight they pushed him to lose for last season, thinking they could use a heavier defenseman.

[DC_1908]

I wonder if, with Orpik gone, the Caps might let Siegenthaler gain back some of the weight they pushed him to lose for last season, thinking they could use a heavier defenseman.

I would think it should be Lewingtons spot to loose.  He has been the shutdown Dman at Hershey and is a physical beast.


Siegenthalers 6 goals and minus 20 doesn’t quiet sound like a physical shutdown Dman, even on a large place AHL team.  As of now he appears  to be  more of an Orlov style

[Beaglefan2]

Can’t believe I am saying this, but I am sorry to see Orpik go. He was our last D that would punish guys every once in a while. The game has changed but you still need somebody to make guys think about coming across the middle.


I really hope they do something creative with the cap space and not just resign Dylan.

[BlackIce]

I would think it should be Lewingtons spot to loose.  He has been the shutdown Dman at Hershey and is a physical beast.


Siegenthalers 6 goals and minus 20 doesn’t quiet sound like a physical shutdown Dman, even on a large place AHL team.  As of now he appears  to be  more of an Orlov style

Lewington is a RH shot.  I think Bowey gets the first whack at the 3rd RHD position (getting ahead of myself for a moment and assuming that the Caps resign Carlson.)  Siegenthaler and Johansson are the primary LHD prospects, and I agree that neither is ready yet.  Perhaps someone who sees Hershey games can comment on that further.  Siegenthaler's +/- path in Hershey was interesting:  He was close to even in +/- much of the season and then accumulated most of his negatives late in the year, when Hershey as a whole pretty much collapsed.  The question is, was Siegenthaler a significant contributor to the collapse, did the team collapse drag him down with them, did he get discouraged, was he perhaps injured and still playing, but not as effectively?  Who knows?


I would not be at all surprised if the Caps went to the FA market to pick up a more experienced but low-cost defenseman, a la Chorney a few years ago, to fill the 7th spot.  These kinds of players are always around.  Notably, MacLellan at his first draft press meeting suggested that the Avalanche might buy out Orpik, and if they do, the Caps could bring Orpik back at a lower salary, and they would be amenable to doing that IF THE PRICE WAS RIGHT.


I think it is no coincidence that the Caps selected Alexeyev with their first pick.  He was legitimately ranked about where he was picked, so it was no stretch to take him there, but with all the small, quick D that were selected in Round 1, Alexeyev was probably one of the best big defenders available to be chosen.  According to draft reports, he still needs to grow into his body, he's a good skater, but he needs to build up more strength despite his size.  I bet the first thing that the Caps are going to do with him is set up a weight training and nutrition regimen for him.  He's going to learn a LOT about personal discipline in the next month, you can bet on that.

[BlackIce]

With their two picks in the 2nd round the Caps select LHD Martin Fehervary and RW Kody Clark.  Both about 6'1", Fehervary supposedly around 190, Clark around 180.  Clark would seem to be a grinder/agitator type, probably a lower-6 player.


These are guys I'm not familiar with, and it seems that Clark in particular is a stretch.  It will be interesting to see how the Caps brain trust explains these.  It may be that the Caps think they have the top-end forwards they need and are looking to develop bottom-6 forwards, because Clark is described as a straight-ahead player with lots of forechecking acumen and plays in the paint.  He's the son of former NHL'er Wendel Clark.

[BlackIce]

Next two picks:  To finish off round 3 the Caps went with pedigree to select Riley Sutter, RW, and yes, yet another Sutter from the famous family (Ron Sutter's son).  6'3", 205, so already NHL size.  Some rough edges in his game, and will probably end up somewhere in the bottom 6, but apparently plays with the typical Sutter competitiveness and discipline.


DC should like this pick!!!


Ending round 4 the Caps stick to their historical MO and select goalie Mitchell Gibson from the NAHL.  I know nothing about him.  Great stats (1.59 GAA, .935 save pct.) but who knows what it means.


I think it is interesting that all of the Caps' picks thus far are players born in 1999.  They seem to be leaning toward more mature players in this year's draft.  Maybe they hope, whichever of these players develop OK, they should be NHL-ready a little sooner???


Also, the two forwards, Sutter and Kody Clark, look more like safer picks for the bottom 6 rather than take-a-flyer-and-hope-for-a-home-run type picks of guys with raw tools but other flaws, who might make a top 6 someday but have a high probability of flaming out.  These two guys look to be disciplined players that will make the most of their skills, even though they may not be the highest-end players.  Lower ceiling, but high floor type players.  This smacks of a draft where the Caps see salary cap issues down the line and are trying to take players that, while not flashy, will have the best chance of actually making it to the NHL and providing low-cost help for awhile.

[Maacoshark]

It's to re-sign Carlson. Nothing else.

   That would be my guess as well.

[Maacoshark]

I would think it should be Lewingtons spot to loose.  He has been the shutdown Dman at Hershey and is a physical beast.


Siegenthalers 6 goals and minus 20 doesn’t quiet sound like a physical shutdown Dman, even on a large place AHL team.  As of now he appears  to be  more of an Orlov style

    I doubt Lewington is next in line. He does bring a physical presence but he really isn't a very good dman. He brings nothing else. He isn't even great defensively. I like him but I dont think he is An NHL calibre dman.

[Maacoshark]

Can’t believe I am saying this, but I am sorry to see Orpik go. He was our last D that would punish guys every once in a while. The game has changed but you still need somebody to make guys think about coming across the middle.


I really hope they do something creative with the cap space and not just resign Dylan.

    Im a bit sad to see Orpik go too. Love his style but unfortunately his salary was too high.

[Maacoshark]

I'm happy with the trade.

We dumped a huge salary that was weighing us down for a while now. Sure, Orpik is a veteran who is respected in the locker room, and yeah sure he was a part of our SC winning team. But the price we paid for him was only maybe acceptable in the first year or so of the contract (even then it was too high but at least somewhat justifiable, the term sucked ass though).

Gruby I would have loved to keep, but he does deserve a chance at being a starter.

Good news is we've freed up a ton of cap space. We can definitely keep Beagle and Wilson while also keeping Carlson and Kempny. Issue now is getting a 6th defenseman. I'm excited to see what we can do here.

     You think Grubauer will start? I'm not sure about that.

[Maacoshark]

Gruby and Orpik to Colorado for a 2nd.


Making cap room maybe for something? DC noted it there with the handshakes with Ottawa, could we be in on the EK trade rumors? Upgrading to the better Karlsson isn't an awful idea since he'd be cheaper this season but he'd cost WAY to much down the road. Who knows what this management is doing, BMGM may take us on a roller coaster now.

    Just wondering how high you guys are on Karlsson. Ive watched him play alot and he is very good at carrying the puck and he has great vision. But the rest if his game can be very questionable. He isn't great defensively and he is pretty soft. Any if you guys that get frustrated with Carlson would probably get frustrated with Karlsson as well. Carlson is better defensively and is more physical. I have no problem with Karlsson but I wouldn't deal for him unless they can keep him longer than the year he has left. It would also depend on the price tag.

[BlackIce]

Last two picks of the draft for the Caps:


In round 6 the Caps moved up to the early stages via a trade with Vancouver to take Alex Kannok-Leipert, a 5'11", 193 lb. RHD.  The Caps still have their 7th round pick, so the only thing I can figure is that they included a 2019 pick or some minor prospect to move up.  Why they wanted this guy is unclear -- I guess we'll have to wait for the post-draft scuttlebutt.  He appears to be more of an offensive defenseman than the other two D they selected.


In round 7 the Caps made the last selection of the draft to pick Eric Florchuk, a wing/center.  A jack of all trades type who apparently grew late -- was stated to be 5'4" "not that long ago", but now 6'1", 175.  This looks like the closest thing to a flyer that the Caps took in this draft, hoping that he will continue to grow into his body, because he's obviously very lanky right now.  The overall assessment on him is that he has no outstanding tools in his game, but no glaring weaknesses either. Like the other forwards they took in this draft, Florchuk was noted as someone who will forecheck.  The Caps seemed to select forwards who notably weren't afraid to get their noses dirty.  This guy's ceiling, like the other forwards, is probably bottom 6 somewhere.


Frankly, I was scrambling all the time to try to keep up with the Caps' selections.  I think draft coverage wasn't very good, and I was getting no help at all from the Caps site.  This was a pretty disappointing real-time experience for me.  I guess we'll get more information down the line.