not bad although I do feel like we got robbed a little in the trade with AZ. We also could probably do without winnik

There isn't nearly enough scoring on this team to contend. If we're trading that much young talent, our team better be as lethal as it was on paper last year.

This team couldn't win series in postseason against teams like Bolts, Pens or even Bruins.

Last season Capitals had a better team than this one and they still lose to Pens. So, you'll have to make better than this to have a chance to win against my team or Bolts and Bruins.

the caps d was terrible last year and this team is better from the goalie out then the caps last year.....

Their D wasn't terrible. They had some bad games, but they had Nate Schmidt. A player who was very important to their team. Ask for the Caps fans and I'm sure almost all of them misses him.

Holtby was the best goalie of the league last season. He's having a good season this year, but not so good than last season.

As for Grubauer, he's probably the best or at least one of the best backups last season. This season he's not even close of his last season level.

So, your arguments were not even close to prove that I'm wrong in my statement.

Without a doubt, the best players in these deals by next March:
Burakovsky
Grubauer
Winnik

It's hard to predict playoff scoring because there are so few games, but with Connolly on a 20 goal pace, Vrana looking like a solid offensive player, and Ovechkin playing more like Ovechkin again, anything is possible. Tom Wilson is on fire. Oshie isn't having nearly the contract hangover that I would if I signed that kind of a deal... Yeah, they had a lot of good players last year, but they still have some pretty good players, and John Carlson is having a career year, so why not?

You must not pay attention to this team. Wilson had that one hot stretch about 6ish weeks ago, and Oshie hasn't been anything more than a decent second liner since coming back from injury.

the caps d was extremely slow and schmidt wasnt even playing till mid pens series......so that point was pointless............ill breeak it down for you

orlov and nisk are the same
djoo> alzner
carlson is plying at a norris level soo hes playing better
orpik is the same
bowey < schmidt or shatt

to recap

the bottom pairing got worse thats alll but hey great points about schimdt who only played 9min< a game.....




i disagree tom wilson isnt showing up on the scoresheet but hes on the ice when the caps score......hes great



idk what your point is bc you didnt make it but winnik and beagle played extrmemly good together that makes the 4th line great for cheap

bura looks lost

and grub is a back up and holtby isnt going anywhere

Well said!

Grubauer is certainly stuck in a backup role with a contender on the Caps, but he's every bit as good as Raanta: http://moneypuck.com/goalies.htm

i only traded for raanta bc hes an ufa and grub is an rfa and caps dont need to resign him after this year hes just incase holtby gets hurt

Grubauer is constently playing better than some starting goalies in the NHL. He and Samsonov can certainly battle at training camp, but unless Samsonov is head and shoulders better, the younger guy is going to benefit from time in the minor leagues. That means the trade candidates, then, will be Vanecek or Copley, not the top guys.

Build from the net out means have three decent goalies if you can, and then start reinforcing the defense. The Caps could afford to trade Grubauer starting this summer, that doesn't mean they have to give him up for nothing, right away.

Capitalfail, I've seen many comments here about Caps fans missing Schimidt. That's a fact. Alzner, at least defensively, was a very good d-man. If this statement was wrong, there wasn't have some good teams trying to signing him in last FA.

And if we're consider the fact that Holtby is playing not so good than last season and Grubauer is playing below his last season standards, then we'll conclude that in worst case Capitals is playing in the same level than last season. That's a fact.

If he was that good why wasn’t he playing in The playoffs? I’ll wait

Wow. It's almost as if you're suggesting that Nate Schmidt could have improved between his first and second full seasons in the NHL? Possibly by building his skills, or working out, or studying strategy?

It's almost as if human beings are dynamic, ever-changing, unpredictable animals, rather than just constant numbers to add together to see which team turns out better.

Schmidt actually was already quicker than most of the Caps' D, and more confident stickhandling, but since he still made plenty of rookie mistakes, the coaches didn't share that confidence, and probably had heart attacks when he tried to lead the rush singlehandedly through the neutral zone. Vegas had nothing to lose and figured at least he'd give fans a good show. But they also had a team concept that features a whole team of quick skating, puck moving guys, and while Schmidt is their #1 defenseman, he still plays fewer minutes than Carlson or Orlov this year, who are still, on paper, the Caps #3 and #2, with Niskanen just taking it easy as he recovers from an early season injury.