I don’t think there’s a trade out there that can make this team contend

Way too much to give up for anyone let alone a second tier guy like Chychrun

Haaaaaaaaard pass by the Caps lol Eichel didn't even get that much. They don't need defensive help, they need a top end young offensemen.

It's a really good team, but they need to stay healthy and get some of their young guys playing.

I think they’re pretty bad. I don’t trust kuznetsov to be a 1C, a lot of other mainstays are slowing down, and there isn’t a number one d man on that roster. I don’t think they’re a playoff team.

They definitely are a playoff team. Really good and deep but agree they need to get some speed. That's why I'd love if they went out and get someone like Meier.

Oh they are, are they? Definitely a playoff team? The second wildcard from last year who lost their top center? I’ll say it, I think they’re brutal this year. The only teams that I think are definitively worse in the east are montreal and columbus.

Backstrom's play last year was that of a 3rd liner, calm down. The team is still above .500 without Wilson, Brown, and now Oshie and Carlson, saying only Montreal and Columbus are definitively worse seems... far-fetched. Goaltending has been quite good and the big flaw is injuries to the offense, which will fix it self over the year. Given the relative strength of the rest of the Metro, the Caps are definitely still a playoff team.

I think the devils, islanders, rangers, penguins, and canes are all better.

The Devils without a goaltender, the Isles without consistent anything would be hard to sell above Washington. An argument could be made for NYR, CAR, and PIT (Though Pittsburgh is hovering around the same record as WSH), but it's hard to see how the Devils or Isles stay ahead of Washington long term given both teams flaws without any injuries.

Ya i don’t really care what anyone’s record is through 8-10 games. I think all of NYR, CAR, and PIT are head and shoulders above Washington, and the devils and islanders should certainly push them, and in my opinion push by them. I just don’t see what the caps have going on that’s good.

The Caps are above water without 3 key pieces on offense, and they're near the top of the division. They are far and away stronger up front vs NYI with similar goaltending, Far better goaltending-wise than NJD with as good, if not better offense, and stronger up front vs Pittsburgh when healthy and with better goaltending. Given that they will be boosted in performance with the return of Wilson, Oshie, and Brown down the line, it would be hard to expect that this team misses the playoffs given they are near the top of the division without them.

Wildcard last season isn't looking at the whole picture. They had 100 points, they just happened to be in a stacked division. They're still really freakn good but health is definitely a concern. If they can go into the playoffs healthy they are deadly.

Well, they were in the lesser of the two eastern conference divisions, so lets not go crazy. Boston was a wildcard team and had 107 points. They’re not really freaking good. They’ve looked outright bad at times. Some of those injury concerns - like carlson - guess what? He’s looked bad this year. And last year. There’s an argument for treading water when there’s help on the way, but it looks like it’s just rough seas coming.

Near the top in the division? Well, they’re fifth in their division. It’s kind of hard not to be close to the top after a couple weeks. It’s also kind of hard to be touting the capitals start, when they have a worse record than the islanders, the devils, and heck, even the flyers. I don’t see any reason to think this team is good.

Their 11 points leaves them within 2 of the division lead, without Brown, Wilson, Oshie, and Carlson. They also have a better record than the Isles so I don’t know what you’re on about there. These teams aren’t having good starts without having 3-4 major pieces out of the lineup. To say you don’t see anything on a roster with Ovechkin still scoring well, Strome taking the next step, Kuzy still being a good 1C, Orlov and Jensen being lockdown as per usual, and solid goaltending from Kuemper and Lindgren seems to be willful ignorance.

Still really good when healthy. Now they're goaltending situation is solid. Just need to get healthy. Wilson completely changes this team when he's on the ice, such an important piece. If we can get him back and still be in the hunt we're set.

Islanders have a .556 point percentage. Caps are .550. The islanders have a better record, just fewer games.

Ovechkin is awesome. I don’t think a single winger makes a hockey club.
I don’t think Kuznetsov is a legit 1C. I don’t trust him in that role.
I don’t think Carlson, Backstrom, and Oshie are playing at a high enough level to comprise the core of a good playoff team.
I don’t think Kuemper is anything special. I think he’s a middling goaltender, and the aves won in spite of him, rather than because of him.
I think if a pairing of Orlov and Jensen is what a team is hanging they’re hat on, they’re not good.

I don’t have any confidence that the caps will be more than a bubble playoff team, and I don’t see them getting in.

Set for contending for the bubble? Sure. Set for making it? Absolutely not.

Kuzy was nearly a point per game last year. If that's not 1C worthy, I don't know what you expect.
Carlson, despite piss poor defense at times, still drives plays and puts up points like crazy. Oshie works well especially in working the Power Play. He and Wilson returning have been big boosts in the past and likely will be a big boost in the future.
Kuemper currently has a .922 save percentage, and has had a .921 or higher in 4 of his last 5 seasons. His only year under that was a .907 year with Arizona, which could be chalked up to defense. The only reason he struggled in the playoffs was due to an eye injury.
Orlov and Jensen were statistically one of the best defensive pairs in the league for much of the year until they were split up near the end of the year to help other lines. They are both shutdown defensively and have also proven the can contribute to the offense and easily be top 4 defensemen.
Strome has 7 points in his first ten games despite spending almost the entire buildup to the season working with Brown and McMichael and is slotting in nicely as a perfect 2C for Washington. They've been able to move Kuzy down in the lineup and let him help with other lines.
Depth like Dowd, Hathaway, Johansson, Van RIemsdyk, and Sheary have all stepped up and played above expectations consistently for over a year now, and it hasn't stopped this year. Johnasson especially has done incredibly well to slot in on the power play while Wilson and Oshie are out.

This team with Wilson back is a lock for at least a wild card (i say wildcard to be safe, with the strength of other teams in the East like Carolina, but I see them as a 2/3 seed depending on if the Rangers wake up or not). People are either performing at or above expectations, (or Lars Eller) and given their play last year, it's hard to think it is a fluke at this point. It's easily a playoff team now that goaltending has been strengthened.

There is more to being a number one center than racking up powerplay points.
Carlson - ya, basically same as above. He’s a nightmare at 5 on 5. I still think he was the only reason Boston turned that last series they had around. Gifts.
Oshie - powerplay. Ya. What about the rest of the game? The guys slowing down.
Again, I really don’t care what a goalies save percentage is through the first week of the season for crying out loud. If you watched that guy last year, shaky at best.
Strome - yay! 7 points in 10 games! Ya, don’t care. I’ve seen him for a career, I know what he is.

A lock for at least the wildcard - just remember that statement.

Part of being a good 1C sis being effective on a power play. 51 points at 5 v 5 while being strong defensively and elite on the Power play is 1C material. Him being good on the power play doesn't discredit his ability.
Oshie was a goal per game in the playoffs, facilitates play on a line with an offensive black hole (Eller), and puts in strong games regardless of speed.
Read the rest of the statement instead of cherry-picking what I said buddy. 4 of his last 5 seasons had those numbers. If you watched him at all, you'd know he was strong in net, even on those defensively poor Coyotes teams.
"I know what he is" isn't a way to discredit that Strome is off the the best start of his career and from every available stat and from the eye test, it is clear that he's taken a huge step forward in play despite not working with the linemates he's had for long periods of time. The fact that he's produced immediately despite not playing with any other forward in DC and only being teammates with one player ever on the roster (Gustafsson, who is also new to the system and playing well), should show that he's progressed. The fact that he's struggled before is hard to justify as an argument when you take into account that he's 25 and many players don't enter their prime until at least 25.

Using outdated takes on players when the stats and eye test don't line up is a hell of a take.

You really seem to be struggling with this concept: if you’re telling me about a 6 game sample size, i really just don’t care.

Just remember this in a few months.

Thank you for ignoring every other point to harp on a single part about Strome. Really great buddy

It was actually to harp about a point regarding Oshie. I absolutely skipped the rest of the post because you’re just going around in circles. I thought the best place to leave this is that we can re-visit in a couple months and see if the caps look like a playoff lock.