Various ppl in Russia were for the record that Kuznetsov is the next Datsyuk. Possibly.
Another reason to get him here? There are no players in his home team (Traktor) who could lead Kuz by example. That isn't old Detroit with Hull, Yzerman and so on.
He will learn as much in KHL as in AHL.
One good hit away from retirement as usual.
If Kuz can't help we can always callup Beagle or somebody.
Nikolishin is not so bad. He wasn't on the team at the beginning of the season but returned. As close of a player-coach that Kuznetsov is going to get there.
remeber when varly came in and saved our ***** from getting embarrassed by the rangers and then he went on and almost beat the pens in 7, do you remember? do you remember when neuvirth won back to back calder cup trophy with the bears, do you remember?.
i really think experience is overrated look at theodore, his "experience" got himself pulled in the playoffs. what we need is a second line center like (bergeron or connolly) and maybe a trade like schultz + perrault for some solid defenseman like phillips. if this gets done and ovie and his boys can get there game back were the best team in the league
almost...except he wasnt that good vs the penguins. he was down right bad in game 7. game 7 experience is valuable. he didnt have much. he has more now.
how many rookies did the hawks have last season? how many on the flyers? how many on the pens the season before and the red wings? how many 2nd year players on those 4 teams? how many players over the age of 30 on those teams?
how many defensemen on those four teams were 25 years of age and under? right now the caps have 4. green schultz alzner and carlson. i bet that combined those 4 teams didnt have more than 4 combined.
Things keep up like this and I don't see how there can't be significant alterations up front (at the very least).
Trading Knuble?
Trading Semin?
Not extending Laich?
Trading Fehr?
I don't see it.
What I would like to see is BB trying all the things we are suggesting here. 24/7 webcam from the Kettler please.
I thought I saw MJ with OV last game. For about several shifts only. That's not right. BB refuses to give new lines any significant time. Changing lines then changing lines again then... OV and Backstrom are together again in 5 shifts.
He doesn't know what to do or have no plan B which is implemented in practice.
Nikolishin is not so bad. He wasn't on the team at the beginning of the season but returned. As close of a player-coach that Kuznetsov is going to get there.
Holy crap, Niko is still playing?!?! And he's still .5ppg in the KHL. Amazing.
thought I saw MJ with OV last game. For about several shifts only. That's not right. BB refuses to give new lines any significant time. Changing lines then changing lines again then... OV and Backstrom are together again in 5 shifts..
when they are losing 2-0 half way thru a game and the lines are showing no chemistry and no production at all, you would stick with it?
my experience watching boudreau is when the ov-backstrom pair is stinking it up in that situation, boudreau moves them. so it works either way.
Trading Knuble?
Trading Semin?
Not extending Laich?
Trading Fehr?
I don't see it.
It would go against their general MO of continuity and patience but another disappointing season and something would have to give. I think you're right that Kuznetsov's development would be accelerated because I'm not sure they would be prepared to go hog wild in the UFA market.
Eventually they need to get to the point where they're not stuck in between.
I'm sure someone will tell me that I'm off base, but I really believe that this is a team in limbo, much in the way the Calgary Flames are in limbo, but to a lesser extent. What you have in Calgary is a team not good enough to contend, too good to scrap, and management has to make a decision about which direction to head in.
The Capitals, on the other hand, are also in a state of flux, but both routes lead to contention. I think if they wanted to, they could change back into the 300 goal scoring team of yesteryear, perhaps a bit less successful, as all systems will deteriorate over time. The other side of the spectrum is a brand new identity undefined, but certainly possible, and one that they've taken strides towards already. Hendricks, Hannan, these are additions that were much needed.
The thing is, Calgary needs to decide promptly what they're going to do with the future of their team, and begin a long term plan. I think that the Capitals need to do the same. I don't think that cobbling together a rental package for a pending UFA is the way to victory for this team anymore, like I did last year (not that that worked out anyway). To me, this team would benefit from a core change. I'm obviously not advocating trading Ovechkin or Backstrom, and I don't think they should trade Green either. Semin? Coin toss.
Point is, if I'm GMGM, I don't just test the UFA market, I want to bring someone in for 2 years in a key position to change the makeup of the team. I understand, of course, how difficult that can be, but it's what I'd gun for.
I've been tossing around, in my head, what would happen in a straight Semin-Iginla swap. I don't think it's balanced, but I think it's still a relatively good illustration of what I mean. You lose Semin and, with that, part of the Young Guns tag, but gain another wily veteran with skill and leadership and, while I haven't seen a lot of Calgary this year, someone who used to have grit to spare. Just for laughs, stick him on line 2, and
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Laich-Johansson-Iginla
looks just fine to me.
I'm not saying that it's the right step, it's only the best player I could think of off the top of my head that fits some of the criteria that I think this team needs (Age, experience, talent, multi-year contract), changing the top 6 and, by extension, the identity of this team for the next few years.
EDIT: And if you want to go from there and pick up someone like what Matt Cullen was to last year's Senators for line 2, then by all means, find a UFA that fits, demote Johansson, bench Perreault. Turn that 2nd line into a glorified 3rd with a nose for the net.
I guess I just don't really understand why forcing the team to change play style means you're required to force Ovechkin-Backstrom to change their style too. Let them do what they do, maybe lay off a bit instead, see if the freedom to create comes back, but there seems to be this implication that what line 3 does is what line 1 is required to do as well, and I don't understand it.
I get what you are saying, but I am not seeing the 'change of style' as impacting 8 and 19. I mean the whiffs and passes to the skates; the AO predictable curl and drag move to the center - it is not working, and I cannot pin that on the "system".
Whether it is injury or lack of off-season preparation or deflation from last spring - whatever it is, it has to either snap or something will have to change.
I guess I just don't really understand why forcing the team to change play style means you're required to force Ovechkin-Backstrom to change their style too. Let them do what they do, maybe lay off a bit instead, see if the freedom to create comes back, but there seems to be this implication that what line 3 does is what line 1 is required to do as well, and I don't understand it.
its the chicken and egg question. the answer is that because ovechkin and backstrom have been lost from the score sheet for most of the season, management and coaching staff decided that they need to use a system that would allow them to survive on secondary scoring only. that meant going defense first.
if Ovechkin and Backstrom can not create and score on the power play, it wont be happening at even strenth. their pp ice time is only just now starting to suffer as when the team is desperate to score and cant wait on those guys anymore.
Various ppl in Russia were for the record that Kuznetsov is the next Datsyuk. Possibly.
Another reason to get him here? There are no players in his home team (Traktor) who could lead Kuz by example. That isn't old Detroit with Hull, Yzerman and so on.
He will learn as much in KHL as in AHL.
One good hit away from retirement as usual.
If Kuz can't help we can always callup Beagle or somebody.
Worth the gamble IMHO. Semin will like him.
Would be nice to get Kuz here. Although with him, that skill level, I feel like he's almost bulletproof NHL top 6, so not too worried about which route he takes. Most importantly, gotta get him healthy.
But I also feel like his first 1-2 seasons in North America will be a major battle with consistency. Even afterwards.. it's not clear whether he's ultimately gonna become a streaky scorer a la Semin, or if he has the ingredients needed to put up steady numbers. But from his games at WJC, it doesn't appear that he has the personality to be "on" all the time. Combine that with a crazy NHL schedule, and you get some consistency questions. So I don't think getting him here would help the Caps significantly for the first couple of seasons. Still might be worth it to speed up development, and/or if the Caps lose some of Knuble/Semin/Laich.
