The Washington Capitals Thread

[queridiculo]

DC Sports, this is seriously the perfect setup.

[Rafael122]

Just looking towards the future b/c usually when teams win a Cup they try to get the band back together. They've got roughly $63 million in committed salaries for next season and the cap is set to be around $78 to $82 million. Let's go with the $82 million figure. Their major free agents are: John Carlson, Michael Kempny, Jay Beagle.

Beagle - he's 32 years old, 33 when the season starts. I doubt he'll cost much to bring back (making like $1.7 mil per year) so I'd probably offer a 2 or 3 year deal for like $6 mil.

Carlson - unless he wants to give the Caps a discount, he's gone. I read something about if the Caps buy Orpik out, it would save them about $3 mil and then it might be possible to bring him back but it's going to be difficult.

Kempny - he's 27, they gave up a 3rd round pick for him, I think they'll bring him back.

[Ruzious]

Just looking towards the future b/c usually when teams win a Cup they try to get the band back together. They've got roughly $63 million in committed salaries for next season and the cap is set to be around $78 to $82 million. Let's go with the $82 million figure. Their major free agents are: John Carlson, Michael Kempny, Jay Beagle.

Beagle - he's 32 years old, 33 when the season starts. I doubt he'll cost much to bring back (making like $1.7 mil per year) so I'd probably offer a 2 or 3 year deal for like $6 mil.

Carlson - unless he wants to give the Caps a discount, he's gone. I read something about if the Caps buy Orpik out, it would save them about $3 mil and then it might be possible to bring him back but it's going to be difficult.

Kempny - he's 27, they gave up a 3rd round pick for him, I think they'll bring him back.

I'm no hawkey expert, but it seems like Carlson is so important to the team that it would be a huge loss to... lose - almost too huge. Gotta figure some way to keep him - even if you lose both Orpik AND Beagle. Just my uneducated opinion. And maybe at the trade deadline (assuming there is a trade deadline in the NHL) next season, trade to get Beagle back for the playoffs.

[gravytrain24]

Just looking towards the future b/c usually when teams win a Cup they try to get the band back together. They've got roughly $63 million in committed salaries for next season and the cap is set to be around $78 to $82 million. Let's go with the $82 million figure. Their major free agents are: John Carlson, Michael Kempny, Jay Beagle.

Beagle - he's 32 years old, 33 when the season starts. I doubt he'll cost much to bring back (making like $1.7 mil per year) so I'd probably offer a 2 or 3 year deal for like $6 mil.

Carlson - unless he wants to give the Caps a discount, he's gone. I read something about if the Caps buy Orpik out, it would save them about $3 mil and then it might be possible to bring him back but it's going to be difficult.

Kempny - he's 27, they gave up a 3rd round pick for him, I think they'll bring him back.

I'm no hawkey expert, but it seems like Carlson is so important to the team that it would be a huge loss to... lose - almost too huge. Gotta figure some way to keep him - even if you lose both Orpik AND Beagle. Just my uneducated opinion. And maybe at the trade deadline (assuming there is a trade deadline in the NHL) next season, trade to get Beagle back for the playoffs.

I don't know if there are deal restructuring in the NHL but if so, this is the offseason to do it. The only guy you could potentially replace is Orpik and that's only due to his age. He's looked like he did when he played with pitt, aggressive and physical on the back end. Carlson is a must keep. His defense is solid and he's a great offensive weapon in the 5 on 5 and powerplay. You hope Beagle gives us a franchise loyalty discount. His energy, grittiness and faceoff ability is something that's hard to replicate.

[Scott Hall]

I remember as a kid one of my best friends brother was a die hard Caps fan you wouldn't expect a black guy from
Toronto to be a hardcore Caps fan but maybe it's a Canada thing. Anyways every time I used to go to their house I'd
see Capitals hockey cards all over the place including under the glass counter of the kitchen table. I'm talking the
days of Michael Pivonka, Calle Johanssen, Kevin and Kip Miller, the Hatcher Brothers, Don Beaupre, rookie Bondra etc.
The funny thing is these cards rermained splattered all over the house till like the mid to late 2000's lol

One thing about the Capitals we all knew about you guys was you always had some of the coolest jerseys in the
league, some of the best if not the best snipers in Mike Gartner, Peter Bondra, Jaromir Jagr, Ovechkin, Backstrom,
Kuznetsov etc and I always thought you guys had the coolest goal horn with the police siren.

Watching both Capitals and Wizards games it looked like completely different atmospheres. The Capitals games seemed
to always be sold out and have a pretty good festive atmosphere where Wizards games seemed dark, depressing,
quiet like a morgue and lots of empty seats. When you guys got the Expos it seemed like Nationals games had
one of the best atmospheres in all of baseball.

I always felt if the Caps ever won or broke through that market would explode and be one of the best hockey markets
in the league you could just see it bubbling for years. I follow Dan Steinberg on twitter to get a feel what's going on
in your market and he always talked about the DC curse. As a Toronto fan I could always relate and even though the
Wizards and Capitals beat us in recent years I could never hate you guys as you know what it's like to suffer.

I lost faith in this current incarnation of the Caps. I always loved Ovie but questioned everything else around him.
I thought the team was to "Euro" as Don Cherry used to say and that equated to the Caps being to soft mentally
and physically. You guys even went out and got Justin Williams one of the most clutch playoff performers of this
generation and it still didn't work.

I picked you guys to lose to Columbus in the first round and was feeling good about that prediction with them up
2-0. Then that video of the little girl went viral and became so huge you could almost feel the aura change a bit.
Then the Caps won 2 games on the road and it was like damn Caps are always crazy.

Then came Pittsburgh I knew they weren't as good as Pens teams from the past as they lost quite a bit of depth
last year but we all know the history between you guys. Couldn't believe you guys slayed the dragon and conquered
your demons it was impressive to watch from afar.

Then the Caps went into Tampa and absolutely dominated them especially in that Game 2 I honestly never seen
a team boss another team like that before especially in a playoff game in the ECF on the Road. Once again you
get sucked in believing in the Caps and feel like a fool and they're down 3-2.

Then there was that Game 6 and Game 7... And as a long time sports fan and hockey fan that was some of the
most impressive $h*t i've ever seen. I've never seen a team (NFL, NBA, MLB,NHL) literally bust their ass and fight
tooth and nail like that to get the W's. Dudes literally put there bodies on the line and do whatever it takes. Smith-Pelley
blocking shots with his face then coming back in shorty, Ovie playing on a motor at a 100 balls to the wall every shift,
Wilson beating up Coburn, Caps just hitting everything in sight.

If you know someone who's still a hockey hater or just not into it and you show them that Caps game 6 and 7 against
Tampa and if they aren't hooked on playoff hockey they never will...

It's like the Caps were sick of the **** curse, they were sick of all the disappointment over the years, they
were sick of being called soft being chokers etc etc they finally started playing the formula that wins playoffs
games they changed their identity...

And the beautiful thing watching as a sports fan they did it in the middle of the playoffs and not gutting the roster.
Then the cherry on top was Holtby getting hot again and playing like the goalie who's the first goalie taken in the first
round in every fantasy hockey draft every year....

The Capital karma had completely changed and was up against the biggest karma team of all time in Vegas. This
Stanley Cup is getting such high ratings because it's the miracle Knights vs. The cardiac Caps something has gotta give.

I thought Vegas atmosphere and fans were untouchable after those first 2 games at T-Mobile arena....

Me and my cousin were watching game 3 at a Sports Bar and couldn't believe Capital One Arena especially all those
thunder sticks and how loud the arena was and the thousands of fans on the streets. Not only were you guys louder
you seemed to rattle Fleury and the Knights....

Las Vegas has gotten all the attention all year but fans all across North America have been watching and
are just as impressed. Ovechkin is universally loved across the league and everyone wants to see him win a cup
(except for maybe Pens fans)

You guys are a remarkable story and are great for the league...

If you finish it off I hope you guys go to the parade or have a legendary party you tell the grandkids about...

DC rising!

Do it for the District!

(Sorry for the novel it's worth the read )

[Ruzious]

Definitely worth the read. Thanks for your perspective.

[gravytrain24]

DC Sports, this is seriously the perfect setup.

I'm confident or optimistically confident only b/c Vegas is still really good and we are a D.C. sports franchise but they way they've been playing along with the puck luck and hockey gods shining, makes it hard to not feel like collapse is coming.

[TheKingOfVa360]

So proud to be a Caps fan, 1 win from the Championship! Now if only this magic could rub off on the Wizards.

[NatP4]

never listen to anything Don Cherry/hockey canada says. The caps top players are a collection of Swedish, Russian, and American players.

[gravytrain24]

I need a ruzious prediction for the game tonight....

[Ruzious]

I need a ruzious prediction for the game tonight....

Be carefull what you ask for - you just might get it.

Spoiler:

Triple overtime. Lots of near heart-stopping moments. Las Vegas fans give a standing ovation at the end. You will be too exhausted/hungover to go to work tomorrow. Might as well set your work auto e-mail message now.

[gravytrain24]

I need a ruzious prediction for the game tonight....

Be carefull what you ask for - you just might get it.

Spoiler:

Triple overtime. Lots of near heart-stopping moments. Las Vegas fans give a standing ovation at the end. You will be too exhausted/hungover to go to work tomorrow. Might as well set your work auto e-mail message now.

Who's the winner tho?

[gravytrain24]

Karlsson didn't practice yesterday, so he might be a little hobbled. They're also thinking about healthy scratching reaves and putting in someone how hasn't played in awhile. All yesterday, they talked about being loose and no pressure but then come out today with we're going to switch up some lines.

[Ruzious]

I need a ruzious prediction for the game tonight....

Be carefull what you ask for - you just might get it.

Spoiler:

Triple overtime. Lots of near heart-stopping moments. Las Vegas fans give a standing ovation at the end. You will be too exhausted/hungover to go to work tomorrow. Might as well set your work auto e-mail message now.

Who's the winner tho?

Indeed. This game is so historic, I... can't. It would blow up some space continuum if I said.

Another way of saying that is - I'm chickening out.

[Scott Hall]

You guys nervous? anxious? ready to set things on fire?

[zero2hero]

Damn, the one DC sports team I'm not a fan of....

Good luck Caps fans

[AFM]

Terd going to jizz in his pants 2nite?

[verbal8]

Go Caps! It is great to see a DC team so close to a championship.

[verbal8]

I hope they can keep Carlson next year.

[Scott Hall]

Watching the pre game on Sportsnet/Hockey Night In Canada holy $hit there's a ton of Caps fans in Las Vegas