What are we expecting the lineup to be once Patches returns?
Im thinking:
Ovi-Strome-Wilson
Patches-Kuzy-Mantha
Milano-Backstrom-Oshie
Malenstyn-Dowd-Protas
Scratches: McMichael(sprinkled into the lineup for injuries and rest, starts next year), Snively (NAK waived due to contract)

Fehervary-Carlson
Sandin-Jensen
Edmundson-TvR
Scratched: Alexeyev

That’s pretty spot on. And what i expect the lines to be.

Only change I would want is in the bottom 6:

McMike Backy Osh
Milano Dowd Protas

I think that would be a sick bottom 6

Sounds like GMBM is going to make a top 6 deal. Here are his comments:

""I feel we have some pretty good offers out there, and the guys [we're pursuing] haven't moved yet," MacLellan told Vogel, adding, "I don't know if they move them now or when they move them... I'm not sure what happens. Some guys need to be signed. So we'll stay involved in all of that stuff."

Curious who he could be referring to. Only thought I have is Nylander but no idea how the cap works

Nylander and Lindholm come to mind

Need him to not give af and get the deal done

Anyone think it could be Laf?

If there's a Lafreniere deal to be made, go full steam ahead and do it. He's the exact type of player to add. Young with a very high ceiling that can be acquired at a discount (relative to the ceiling).

Ok so Kuzy wants out.

Let’s gets Novak outta him. Good 2c replacement.
Then for top six winger I think we target Brock Bosser, Laf, or Travis K.

This is with Mantha getting traded

Thoughts?

Pretty sure Kuz to Nashville is dead, and you’re asking a hell of a lot from Novak who has little NHL experience. There’s a huge risk you take there that he just becomes the next Jeannot.

For winger, I think Konecny is probably your best bet. Still not a huge fan of taking a risk on someone like Laf and hoping he performs if you expect to contend, and instead would rather go for someone proven like Konecny.

I just want us to make a big move in the top 6. Would love the see Kuzy and Mantha moved and a star winger brought in. Give me Nylander or Konecny

Agreed. I wonder if Nylander is in the works. Apparently, contract talks with Leafs/Nylander remain far apart/at a standstill.

Thoughts on this random trade idea (saw something similar in a bruins post):

Debrusk and Shattenkirk for TVR, 2nd, 3rd

Orginially, it was TVR and a 1st, but I changed to 2nd and 3rd.

Thought process:
Debrusk gives the Caps that youth and scoring production they desperately need (and do not have now).
Shattenkirk is a cheaper replacement for TVR, who would most certainly be difficult to lose. But that sets up Iorio stepping in next season into that 3rd d-pair

Then buy-out Mantha

Maybe I am off here, but doesn't sound bad to me...

That’s a very big maybe

I liked DeBrusk as a target before they moved on from Hall, and I still do in general. The problem is I just don't really see the appeal for either team. TVR and Shattenkirk were just signed or resigned, neither team is going to move them so soon. Boston also just lost Hall and Bertuzzi and possibly Bergeron and Krejci as well, they can't really risk moving another top 6 forward. The "value" I think is fine if not skewed a bit towards Boston, but doesn't really make sense for either team

What do we think of Scheifele? I would be open to a swap with kuzy (we add).

Allegedly he’s not great in the room but that almost feels like a non factor when you step into a strong room like ours

What do we think of Wilsons contract? Definitely more term and a bit more AAV than expected

I’m not in love with it. He is 30 years old bro. Imagine orlov took the 4 year deal. And then we do this

We are so old now

wilson deal is too long and too much money but i don't really care, he'll hopefully retire a cap and be the next captain once ovi is gone

Longer thoughts on the Wilson deal.

Is Wilson a good player? Yes. Even going on just his boxcars and not accounting for his physical presence he is a good complimentary top 6 forward. Is 6.5m fair in the near term? Probably, its a slight overpay for a good winger that isn't necessarily a driver themselves but certainly not egregious. Will it be an overpay in the long term (years 4-7)? Almost certainly. Will the Caps be good enough then to the point that one slightly bad contract would cripple them? Also almost certainly not. Is Wilson a fan favorite and leader in the locker room, destined to be the next captain? Absolutely.

A lot of national writers and stats guys have put this contract instantly in the Lucic/Clarkson category as one of the worst in the entire league. If the Caps were trying to maximize value (whatever that means) then yes, it is a bad deal they shouldn't have given out. This deal absolutely fits with their timeline though, and as a fan I'd much rather watch a bad team with Wilson on it than a bad team without Wilson on it. I think of this one as really similar to the Oshie deal. The front end was more fruitful and held its value for a lot longer than people expected and while the back end (last year to the end of his deal) is definitely not great, it's not the kind of contract that kills your ability to ice a competitive team going forward.

At the end of the day, I'm going to enjoy watching Ovi, Backy, Carlson, and Wilson play together and that is what sports is all about.

Pens get EK65 and create cap space. Feels like every other team in the division has gotten better and we have done very little.

We haven’t don’t sh*t.

We aren’t making the playoffs this year due to lack of getting better.

And Pens get rid of bad contracts (Petry, Granlund)

This is the first time I have really questions BMGM. He has done absolutely nothing to get better and has taken no chances

I felt this way early in the off-season as well but it feels like he’s almost bunting until next offseason when the cap goes up, manthas deal is done and potentially backy and Osh hang them up.

Yes, I'd agree with that. From a fans perspective, very disappointing imo.

But you are right. Cap goes up ~4m, Mantha off books, potentially backy and/or oshie LTIR, Kuzy might be sold at TDL, and have a much much better FA class next offseason.

I do think the Caps compete in 2024-2025. But it is a shame that this season will be a wash (imo)

If somehow everyone stays healthy, kuzy, Mantha, and backy bounce back, and patches comes back close to 100% we can compete.

But that’s wayyyy too much needing to go right

Something will definitely happen. He is talking to teams still apparently but like how long will it go on for.