McPhee and Leonsis incorrectly predicted a good amount of talented players hitting the open market after the last CBA. It was positioned to Caps fans as if the Caps were going to scarf up good players at good prices with all of their available cap room. That strategy fell flat on its face and will do so again. Owners aren't signing off on a system that will strip their teams of good talent. They WILL find a way to work around it and keep the core guys.
But hey, keep on believing it's part of GMGM's 30 year master plan...
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George McPhee....The Teflon GM. 15 years of failure and counting....
6 - Number of playoff series the Capitals have won since George McPhee took over as General Manager in 1997 (which makes him the third-longest-tenured GM in the League), three of which came in McPhee's first season on the job.
He's never shown anything close to that. Even during his 50+ years, he was getting an awful lot of goals by leaving the defensive zone early in order to create a stretch pass opportunity. Unless we magically start drawing three times as many penalties and start converting at a 20%+ rate again, I don't see him being a 3-zone player with 65 goals.
Looking at our personnel, we should be converting on the PP at 25%+.
I certainly think he's capable of Hossa level play with 60+ goals.
I just spat out whatever heated beverage I was drinking after reading this/these post(s) since I have zero control over bodily reflexes conjured up in response to amusement and now all my coworkers/fellow Starbucks patrons/inlaws/sexual partners and their whoremongerers are staring at me.
I love "play like Hossa" with 60 goals(something Hossa only came 3/4ths close to once...while being an insane cherry picker).
So essentially, we can combine two players and think Ovie gets there.
I want Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky. If that's taken, Mike Peca and Pavel Bure.
Is the prevailing opinion of Ovechkin that low? He's capable of being the best player in the world. And 60 goals happened just last season, so it's realistic in the NHL right now. What do you think would be a good season from him?
Is the prevailing opinion of Ovechkin that low? He's capable of being the best player in the world. And 60 goals happened just last season, so it's realistic in the NHL right now. What do you think would be a good season from him?
He's currently losing a "who scores more points next season" poll to Daniel Sedin, so yeah, prevailing opinion on Ovechkin is pretty low right now.
That said, you just can't score 60 with two-way play in today's NHL. There were only two players last year who scored more than 41, and neither of them had any sort of impact in their own zone. 60 with two-way play isn't just best in the world, that's best of all time territory.
Is the prevailing opinion of Ovechkin that low? He's capable of being the best player in the world. And 60 goals happened just last season, so it's realistic in the NHL right now.
Stamkos was on for 86 non PP goals against last season. Cheating defensively 65 goal Ovechkin was on for 66 non PP goals against.
Nobody is going to pot 60 goals while being excellent defensively. Nobody...
I'd give Stamkos a bit of a handicap for that goaltending, but the point remains. Best you can do is combine the goal scoring (and hence, probably high shot volume) with strong forechecking to maintain possession as long as possible. Honestly I think that's where Ovi could see the largest improvements in terms of goal prevention.
Is the prevailing opinion of Ovechkin that low? He's capable of being the best player in the world. And 60 goals happened just last season, so it's realistic in the NHL right now. What do you think would be a good season from him?
He is capable of being the best player in the world, yes. But in order to be a 65 goal scorer, you sort of need to...concentrate on scoring goals. This idea he's going to be a world beater everywhere and lead the league in scoring is basically a figment of imagination.
SEL isn't giving out clauses in the event of a lock out.
The Allsvenskan league that Forsberg however is. So possibility of Backstrom playing with Forsberg is nice. Also a possibility of him playing with Ovechkin.
SEL isn't giving out clauses in the event of a lock out.
The Allsvenskan league that Forsberg however is. So possibility of Backstrom playing with Forsberg is nice. Also a possibility of him playing with Ovechkin.
In the event of a lockout if Backstrom decides to play in the Swedish version of the AHL instead of the best league in the world, the KHL, that will not in any way be a good thing.
--Edit--
And by best league in the world I mean because the NHL is on hiatus...
Well, depending on how many NHLers joined him, you'd see a pretty big uptick in play quality there. It's a relegation league so comparing it to the AHL might not be fair.
Well, depending on how many NHLers joined him, you'd see a pretty big uptick in play quality there. It's a relegation league so comparing it to the AHL might not be fair.
My Reston C league is a relegation league any problems with any NHLers slumming there...?
My Reston C league is a relegation league any problems with any NHLers slumming there...?
Well, Forsberg's team could make it to the SEL next season (good luck doing that in Reston, will be pulling for you! ). Allsvenskan with a reasonable number of NHLers vs. SEL with a reasonable number of NHLers, why should it make much difference?
Do KHL's "import" rules apply to Swedes? Curious if his hand would be forced by something like that. Of course he may just wait as long as he can until the season is knocked, as IINM he's said "Brynas or bust" in the past.