Don't want to further muck up a game thread with an off-topic discussion.
A lot of the problem in terms of getting younger and adding to the Top 6 are the contracts in the Top 6. Backstrom, Kuznetsov, and Oshie all have modified no-trade clauses which makes moving them out and getting younger really, really difficult. All three were given them for sentimental reasons even though they are now well past their prime which is why it is going to be a very long rebuild once it gets fully underway. FWIW, we have three 2nd rounders in next year's draft but Boston and Colorado's are very likely to be in the back-end of that round. GMBM, like GMGM, is only doing the best he can with what he's told to accomplish.
At least we got one Cup out of this run which is a whole lot more than we can say about the 80's Caps.
And speaking of the 80's, this would be a team that would make the playoffs and might pull off an upset or two in that era. Now, they're likely on the outside looking in and with the owners looking to make yet another expansion cash grab; it will be harder to make the playoffs and what rebuilding is done will take a step back in the process.
They were fixated on Carbery (just like they were fixated on Todd Reirden) long before Nelson and the Bears came out of nowhere to win the Calder Cup last June. I schlepped up to Hershey for Game 5 of that series and it was painfully obvious who the better team was but Coachella Valley has Dan Bylsma behind their bench. Now that the Bears are lapping the AHL field, curious to see if he can repeat the magic of last season.Yep. Long road back to relevance. Another head-scratcher for me was the Carbery hire. It seems he was the "shiny object" that offseason in the NHL and the Caps hired him without even talking to Todd Nelson, who was in the midst of a Calder run nobody predicted.
Todd appears to be doing it again this season. I'm not saying Carbery is a bad coach... I'm just saying his resume didn't warrant all the NHL attention he was getting during the offseason.
Now we have BMac. He said his goals during the offseason was to get younger and add to the top 6.
He did neither... and in fact we got a bit older, though things have changed with Backstrom now gone... which is another story altogether. Pacioretty was a cheap gamble, and he's not top 6 material. Oh, and when June rolls around, we won't have a second round pick because we gave it to Ottawa for Connor Brown... who played a whopping 4 games for the Caps.
Sorry... I could go on all night.
A lot of the problem in terms of getting younger and adding to the Top 6 are the contracts in the Top 6. Backstrom, Kuznetsov, and Oshie all have modified no-trade clauses which makes moving them out and getting younger really, really difficult. All three were given them for sentimental reasons even though they are now well past their prime which is why it is going to be a very long rebuild once it gets fully underway. FWIW, we have three 2nd rounders in next year's draft but Boston and Colorado's are very likely to be in the back-end of that round. GMBM, like GMGM, is only doing the best he can with what he's told to accomplish.
At least we got one Cup out of this run which is a whole lot more than we can say about the 80's Caps.
And speaking of the 80's, this would be a team that would make the playoffs and might pull off an upset or two in that era. Now, they're likely on the outside looking in and with the owners looking to make yet another expansion cash grab; it will be harder to make the playoffs and what rebuilding is done will take a step back in the process.