I get why everyone wanted a replacement on the third line for Panik at the beginning of the season, but he's been playing well as of late and has shown himself to be a good fit in our system. I'm still a believer that he can contribute for us this year throughout his contract. I'm also not sure how much of an upgrade Granlund will be. He's struggled a lot in Nashville, and who knows if that changes in DC? And then we have to find a replacement for him in the offseason, because if he's a nice fit, we most likely can't afford to pay him long term. It's not a move that I'm completely against, but as of right now I lean towards having someone whose a) controllable at a solid price tag, and b) already shown that he can produce in our system. Not sure why he's being called a bust for us.

Solid analysis...not denying that "lately" Panik has been driving play better. But you will notice the Caps had their best run of the season and absolutely dominated play with Boyd replacing Panik when he was out on injury. The speed of Hagelin making forecheck plays, the steadiness of Eller, and Boyd's tenacity to go to the net were great together. I don't even think the Caps need Granlund if they can get something for the bit parts that are not working....maybe just run with Boyd at 3RW for 2 years. He certainly skates hard and has a nose for timely plays. Plus he's versatile and cheap.

But I see your point...however the D has been a bust lately. How 'bout we fix that?

Fixing the defense should absolutely be priority one. Getting someone who isn't turnover prone like Jensen will go a long way for this team to beat whatever heavy forechecking team we face in the first round.