So you don’t think caps bring in an experienced backup for Samsanov next year and just run a Samsanov/Vanecek duo?

A RHW for the bottom 6 could go a long way

Nope. I think they run those two like Murray and Jarry. They are best friends and both are wildly talented. Save the cap space. Imo

What would be the price for Eller? I think he would be a great stop gap for Cozens/Mittlestadt.

If I’m being honest I love how Panik finishes the year and his defensive metrics are fab. I think In a good year he can have Brett Connelly numbers.

Realistically I would trade Eller for Montour or 2nd (high) or mid 2nd and 3rd. Caps probably won’t trade him bc he’s a fan favorite (scored cup winning goal) and is a great 3c. That being said he will eventually need to be moved if Mc Michael excels.

This.
He had a terrible start but has been very good recently. If Eller and Hags could give him the puck more, he would have more points. I have seen a good handful of times where he's wide open for a shot and the others don't/can't get it too him.

last 20 games he scored 13 points (50 point pace) and 6 points in his last 5 games. he was catching fire towards the end of the year. unfortunately he will be plaiyng on the 4th line bc capitals go Kovi but next year he should start at 3rw

It's not a stretch to say Panik is back at 3RW where he was signed to play for 4 years at 2.75 mill for 2020-2021. However, McMichael might have something to say about what Hagelin and Panik do next season. He seems like he'd be ready come the start of the 2020-2021 season to be in the NHL, especially since by the time regular season games start, he'll be about a month from his 20th birthday anyway.

no doubt in my mind Caps use McMichael in the NHL next year

How 'bout our boy Panik last night?

wonderful. hes going to be the 3rw next year. hopefully

That seems like a really low valuation to me. Guys who can PK for more than 2 minutes a night and chip in the way he does offensively are rare, and ones who do it for 3.5M are even rarer. The Caps are now locked into having Kuznetsov and a slowing Backstrom as their top two centers for the next five years, so they're going to need their 3rd line and their 3C in particular to shoulder a lot of the burden defensively. I doubt we see them put McMichael in that role any time soon, so I don't think he factors into whether or not Eller's available. If he excels he more likely bumps Oshie out of the top 6, and they only convert him back to center if/when Eller walks.

I'll just say that Eller is key and very important to the Caps. I can't see them moving him because of the reasons stated here. He will be the 7th forward protected I bet in expansion, easily...if they have the luxury, I think, 3LW could be upgraded with more of a finishing/scoring touch so Hags (who I like), can be pushed down to the 4th line. I don't know if they see a need to do something there but I always have AGM's that have that particular move to improve the top 9.

mcmichael is a top 20 prospect in the NHL i imagine they play him at 3LW next year. capitals also have Protas coming up who is very very talented. if mcmichael is impressive i would move him to a 3c and hope in 2 years he could swap places with backy as a 2c. Eller has value and could easily be the odd man out. no reason to hold onto diminishing players that have solid values atm.Oshie might be the guy selected by Seattle since he would be the face of the franchise and its his hometown. if that happens Eller obviously wouldnt be traded.

next year should be

OVI KUzy Wilson
Vrana Backy Oshie
MCM eller Panik
Hag Pinho/dowd Hath

extra Boyd and Sprong

Seig Carlson
Orlov Jensen
Kemp Fehv

I know how good McMichael is (I expect him to be the 3LW as well), and I like Protas a lot, but very few players can anchor a shutdown 3rd line like Eller does within their first few years in the league. Neither of those guys should be expected to fill his role before his contract is up. Trading Eller before those guys even make it to the NHL on the basis that one of them might have a good enough two-way game to fill his role two or three years down the road doesn't make any sense, especially since he's on a great contract. I really don't get why you seem so set on dumping him, especially for second-day picks that can't realistically help the team until Ovie's in his late 30s.



I agree on the forward lines. I'm not as high on Sieg though, he's great on the PK but doesn't contribute much else and gets pushed around way too much for a guy his size. A good example is the Lightning's second goal yesterday. Siegs gets outmuscled on a dump in by a guy he has 4 inches and 20 pounds on, and then fails to clear that same guy out of the crease or at least tie him up to keep him from deflecting the shot past Holtby. Anyway, I see the D pairings as

Kempny-Carlson
Dillon-Orlov (I've liked those two together since the restart)
Fehervary-Jensen/Sieg

i didnt trade him at all? i was responding to a guy who asked what i thought his value would be. i think the capitals only trade him if they have to. there are a handful or reasons that would lead to that

do you think Orlov is more effective on the Right side?

To my mind there's a difference between saying "player X's value is Y" and "I'd trade player X for Y." The former is discussing it in a vacuum, while the latter implies you're ready to trade the player if Y is offered, factoring in stuff like a player's role on team and possible replacements on the roster. It's semantics, but that's how I interpreted it. I also thought I saw you trading Eller in few other recent posts as well, but checking again I might've been conflating someone else's post with yours. Sorry about that.

Orlov played on the right side his whole life prior to the Caps switching him over to the left when he crossed the pond, so I think it could work. Early returns have seemed positive. If he can at the very least be as effective on the right side as he's been on the left it'd totally solve the left/right imbalance the Caps have, so I really hope it works out.

oh yeah i do tradehim in other threads but thats more or less to fill the empty void without hockey in my life. i also traded kuzy a lot bc he upsets me. hes top 10 center when he actually tries but thats only 50% of the time. realistically i wouldnt change a single thing besides bump hags down and use mcmichael. sign dillion and play him with orlov like you suggested. no need to be sorry its nice to have another capitals fan on this site