Talk about Capitals hockey & more! > Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion
Caps trade for Nick Jensen
zerofox:
--- Quote from: 4 Caps on Friday February 22, 2019, 08:51:54 PM Eastern ---Zerofox, you do realize that after 61 games this season we have the identical number of points and record as we did last year. I respectfully disagree with your assessment of Rierden, IMO he has done a good job so far this season. That is not to say I agree with all his decisions, sometimes his line matchups have me scratching my head but I am not convinced that our record would be any better if Trotz was the coach.
--- End quote ---
I get what you're saying, but I can't help but have higher expectations for this group. We went back to back with seasons in the 120-point range, winning the Presidents Trophy both times. Yes I know I know, they amounted to nothing because last season when our record was down we ended up winning the Cup, and playoffs > season. But...
1) I felt we underperformed last year during the season. There were times I felt like Trotz had finally "lost the team." There were probably times where I felt like Trotz wasn't the right coach for us anymore, and probably other times where I gave him benefit of the doubt because of his prior successful seasons (not playoffs) with the Caps. After setting the bar so high the prior couple of seasons, it was frustrating to see the team struggle. I wouldn't consider staying at that relatively low bar to be TR "doing a good job." And TR doesn't have the benefit of a couple of good seasons for me to cut the guy some slack.
2) I still have to bring up this year's Islanders team and last year's Golden Knights team. I believe we have a better roster than both of those teams, and yet both of those teams had slightly better records than us. As such, I do believe that a good coach can get a team to perform better than advertised. Our team, I think, is doing worse than we should be doing.
Perhaps I've been too harsh on TR, probably because there's still that sting of the shitty stretch of hockey we played before the All Star break. Maybe's it is seeing players make the same mistakes over and over again and TR seeming to not address them. But then again, I'm just a stupid armchair coach. On the plus side, things seem to be turning around, and we're still in playoff position with a winning record. I personally think we should only be 2nd to Tampa Bay, but that's just me. I guess at the end of the day, I wanted a coach who could squeeze a bit more juice from this team, with a winning track record to boot. I didn't really want a newbie coach who gave off the impression that he was in over his head, whether that impression was fair or not.
PUCKNRUSH:
--- Quote from: BlackIce on Friday February 22, 2019, 09:30:22 PM Eastern ---
I suspect that a major reason for acquiring Jensen specifically is to take some of the burden off Carlson. It gives the Caps a third legitimate NHL RHD (which apparently they didn't feel they had with Bowey at this point), and apparently a good PK defenseman to boot, so it would seem that his minutes are specifically designed to eat into some of Carlson's minutes.
For all the talk about sitting Burakovsky out and him being in the doghouse, Bowey was given the really dismissive treatment. I don't know why it was that he was benched never to return (yeah he made mistakes; so have a lot of guys), but he got salted away and they didn't even attempt to showcase him in recent weeks.
The thing we still haven't tried to address is the face-off situation.
--- End quote ---
I agree Black, about Jensen relieving TOI for Carly!
I’ll add that with Orpiks age, and Nisky, certainly not a spring chicken, the surprise of the longer term, “non rental”, contact for Jensen, says a lot, and makes more sense, now!
I haven’t seen much of him, only what I’ve been able to search around with, today.
However, one of the PLAGUES, this team has, is their famous inability to bring the puck up, out of our D zone.
My guess, if this guy is a puck handling, defensive type, defenseman, as his pedigree suggests, then GMBM, is possibly addressing this issue, head on!.....GREAT!!
I like it, on its surface, to be sure.
I will disagree, though, with some in this thread, about Djoos, being replaced! I really doubt it.
Djoos has been solid, since returning, bringing some BADLY needed SMARTS, and fairly reliable puck handling, that has looked even BETTER, when backdropped against the general, sub par, defensive play prior to his return!!
I think, if Jensen pans out, AND, considering GMBM, mentioning some big TOI, for the guy, that Orpiks minutes will get reduced, and maybe Orlov and Niskys minutes as well, at least on PK, as Jensen will have to be paired with someone, in a small time window, to get ready for the playoffs!
Good post, Black!
Rush
ArJunaZ:
It will be interesting to see how they juggle the D to fit Jensen in.
On the topic of the Caps record at this point in the season I have been following along comparing their record compared to the past two years every time I post a GDT. We have been strangely following last years record very closely. That said, last year I was not worried and I had great confidence in the team and was strangely optimistic about our chances to go all the way. This year not so much.
I have reservations about Hagelin fitting in well, but I do like this last deal for Jensen.
I guess the Capitals have thrown affirmative action out the window with these two moves this week. :wackysmile:
BlackIce:
--- Quote from: ArJunaZ on Saturday February 23, 2019, 03:12:28 AM Eastern ---It will be interesting to see how they juggle the D to fit Jensen in.
On the topic of the Caps record at this point in the season I have been following along comparing their record compared to the past two years every time I post a GDT. We have been strangely following last years record very closely. That said, last year I was not worried and I had great confidence in the team and was strangely optimistic about our chances to go all the way. This year not so much.
I have reservations about Hagelin fitting in well, but I do like this last deal for Jensen.
I guess the Capitals have thrown affirmative action out the window with these two moves this week. :wackysmile:
--- End quote ---
I think
(1) There will be no "juggling" to get Jensen into the lineup. He will be in there every game as the 3rd RHD. I think the juggling will occur on the left side to see who plays with who. Jensen will take a few minutes from Carlson and maybe a few from Niskanen as well (remember, the right side defenseman on the 3rd pair has been getting about 12 minutes per game. Jensen is likely to get 18-20 minutes per game.)
(2) The acquisitions of Hagelin and Jensen are IMO for one overriding purpose (besides general defensive stability), and that is to upgrade the PK, especially for the playoffs. If you look at NHL team stats, if the Caps finish in the top 4 in the Metro, their road to the Stanley Cup would likely have to go through either Tampa or Boston, and the top 3 teams in the West are Winnipeg, Calgary, and San Jose. The Caps are reasonably likely to have to face one of those teams if they can make it back to the Stanley Cup finals. ALL of these teams are in the top 8 in PP efficiency. And as a side note, another team in the top 8 is Pittsburgh. The Caps absolutely HAD to upgrade the PK if they are going to have any reasonable shot at a repeat.
(3) For those who would say that this organization operates to put people in the seats and money in the till rather than to chase championship glory, these acquisitions fly in the face of that. Hagelin and Jensen together won't put one extra fanny in the seats, but the organization sees them as absolutely critical to its Stanley Cup chances. Watch the amount of PK time these two get once they get acclimated to the team.
(4) The face-off issue is still a huge deal, especially during the PK, when face-off wins can translate to clears, or if not, ability to fight for possession along the boards with a decent chance of winning the battle, all the while killing off time. There are too many times when, even if the goalie gets stops on the PK, the Caps lose face-off after face-off and never get a chance to relieve the pressure. That won't cut it consistently against the top PP teams.
DC_1908:
--- Quote from: BlackIce on Friday February 22, 2019, 09:30:22 PM Eastern ---
I suspect that a major reason for acquiring Jensen specifically is to take some of the burden off Carlson. It gives the Caps a third legitimate NHL RHD (which apparently they didn't feel they had with Bowey at this point), and apparently a good PK defenseman to boot, so it would seem that his minutes are specifically designed to eat into some of Carlson's minutes.
Forget use this yuyykutttyx all the talk about sitting Burakovsky out and him being in the doghouse, Bowey was given the really dismissive treatment. I don't know why it was that he was benched never to return (yeah he made mistakes; so have a lot of guys), but he got salted away and they didn't even attempt to showcase him in recent weeks.
The thing we still haven't tried to address is the face-off situation.
--- End quote ---
Agreed. . . almost any D we would require would have needed to contribute by reducing wear and tear to Carlson. We’d been lucky that he hasn’t been injured yet, because if he did, we be screwed.
It’s qlso interesting as to why Bowery had been scratched, yet was part of the reason we got Jensen, as what looks to us as cheap (a bottom 16 second round and a healthy scratch). With some of the Bad asses they’ve picked in the past two or 3 drafts, sports on D are gonna get pretty slim for the Wings, they could very well just needed a cheap place holder right handed Dmen develop.
I doing faceoffs will be addressed unfortunately, but I sure as hell the faceoffs being a main factor in us a losing a series to a team that does address them.
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