Post by ALL CAPS on Mar 26, 2023 14:16:13 GMT -5
DC Leaks:
State of the Union Address in Washington
(Pictured Below: New Capitals prospect Jagger Firkus)
State of the Union Address in Washington
(Pictured Below: New Capitals prospect Jagger Firkus)
Washington, DC --
As dawn broke over the Nation’s capital on Sunday morning, it was a scene reminiscent of the war of 1812 – Given the performance of their team in Season 20, Capitals fans of all walks of life were dusting off their AM-cobwebs with the hopes that their proverbial flag would still be there.
This time however, the night sky that preceded was not lit up by the glare of red rockets – instead, the glare was beaming from the ginger-mane of Jagger Firkus, one of the newly acquired Caps prospects from trade deadline day.
Okay, none of that makes any sense, but we need a Sunday lead – and that’s the one you get. Wake up, Washington – it’s the State of the Union Address!
The dust has now settled on the trade deadline, and in typical Season 20 fashion, things did not go as originally planned for the Capitals. A team that entered the season with the hopes of building on the success of recent years, enters the dusk of Season 20 with a losing record, a completely new perspective – and lots of new faces/names in the aftermath of the trade deadline.
In total, the Capitals completed 9 trades leading up to the deadline, including 8 on deadline day. So, what is the verdict? Are the Caps in full blown rebuild? Does management have a plan to keep the team relevant in the years ahead? And, is it still socially acceptable to point at gingers? We tackle these questions, and more, in the Capitals State of the Union Address – Trade Deadline Edition.
First things first, the casualties – these are the young men who had their days in DC ended prematurely by the spoils of Season 20 (in no particular order):
- Alex Galchenyuk (All-Star & Fan favourite)
- Anthony Beauvillier (never suited up in a game for Caps)
- Zach Bogosain (Bogo no-mo)
- Carter Verhaeghe (You’ll soon recognize the name...)
- Mike Smith (Yep, still plays)
- Jon Merrill (never suited up in a game for Caps)
- Henrik Borgstrom (Has a very bright simulated future)
- Matt Martin (one of the baddest dudes in the league)
- Nico Sturm (Premiere bottom six forward in the making)
- Rasmus Kupari (Future Top Six Forward / never suited up in a game for Caps)
Washington also said goodbye to a handful of draft picks, including: WSH 2 (2024), COL 4 (2024), BUF 4 (2024), WSH 5 (2026), TOR 6 (2023) and ANH 7 (2023).
A moment of silence for fallen...
Now then, onto the future.
Introducing, the reinforcements!
Logan Couture: A savvy veteran who plays the game right, this last-minute deadline acquisition will help to fill the void left in the wake of the Alex Galchenyuk’s abrupt departure. However, those expecting the worst will be disappointed – Logan is a pure center that makes the team the stronger up the middle than it has perhaps ever been.
Denis Gurianov: At 6’3” and nearly 200 lbs, Gurianov is a big and talented player that is still searching for consistency. While he is a year older than the player that he was traded for (Beauvilier), Gurianov could develop into a quality, hard-checking, two-way presence for the Caps. There remains some upside here that Gurianov could tap into as an impact power forward, but in the meantime, look for him as a staple in the Caps bottom six forward group. The silver lining here is the Caps adding a new top prospect (Jagger Firkus – Yes, the ginger), and two quality future draft picks.
Luke Glendening: At the price of veteran Matt Martin, and a future 4th round pick, the Capitals added a very good, veteran bottom six forward in Glendening. While he will never dazzle or amaze anyone with his skill, Glendening plays the game the right way, is known for being a strong penalty killer, and is good in the face-off circle. If only they added him sooner?
Jack Johnson: The Caps move Bogosian for Merrill, then move Merrill for Johnson – but the bottom line here is that the Capitals are opening a spot for emerging defenseman Alexander Romanov, with the protection of Johnson as the 7th defenseman. Washington also picks up another top prospect from the 2022 Entry Draft in Artyom (Artem) Duda – see below for more details on this new prospect! We also believe that this deal signifies the Capitals will look to extend veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin this off-season.
Oscar Lindblom: At the price of a 4th round pick (2024), the Capitals add a quality, veteran two-way forward in Lindblom. Perhaps more astonishing is that Lindblom beat the odds by surviving cancer on his journey to becoming a professional hockey player. Lindblom is a quality upgrade in Washington’s bottom six, and he is currently putting together a strong (sim) season with 28 points (10 G, 18 A) in 65 games – which includes a goal that he scored in his Capitals debut last night. Fan favourite in the making.
Jordan Spence: Although this player could easily be considered a prospect, Jordan is a former mid-round draft pick (selected 91st overall by San Jose in 2019 NsHL Entry Draft) that is beginning to look like a steal. At 22 years old, he already possesses smart puck-moving abilities, and projects as a talented offensive defenseman long term. On his journey, he has already shown tremendous ability in the AHL – next stop: your television.
Jagger Firkus (prospect): Selected by the New York Rangers 30th overall (with Washington’s pick) in the 2022 NsHL Entry Draft, this kids beak blinks like a blinking beacon! Oh no wait, that’s just the goal lamp that seems to light up whenever Firkus touches the ice for his WHL Moosejaw Warriors (Okay, no more ginger jokes). Firkus has a very high hockey IQ, which he will need due to his diminutive stature. Still, what the kid lacks in size, he more than makes up for potential, and he is projecting to make his AHL debut soon. While we expect that he will need time to adjust to the pro game, Firkus has top six ability if he can realize his full potential. In the meantime, look for him to join the top 10 of Washington’s next Prospect Rankings.
Maveric Lamoureux (prospect): The Buffalo Sabres selecting Lamoureux 16th overall in the 2022 NsHL Entry Draft isn’t the only reach you’ll notice with this kid – standing 6’7”, this young giant has scary size and reach that you can’t miss. Perhaps the most important thing about his size is that he isn’t afraid to use it. Lamoureux has said that he tries to model his game after Colton Parayko and Victor Hedman – and we sure hope so on the latter. It will take some time for Lamoureux to make full returns, but he is a smart, talented defenseman with a high hockey IQ, and a dedication to physical conditioning. As with Jagger Firkus, look for Lamoureux to join the top 10 in the next Caps Prospect Rankings.
Artyom Duda (prospect): Make that another top prospect from the 2022 Draft Class added to the Caps. This time, the Caps add an offensive-minded defenseman with a projectable frame (6’1”) and noticeable skill. Duda is a Russian-born player, and so his timeline is shaky at best, but it is clear that he has shown good progress in Russia, as he progressed from the MHL to the KHL part-time in 2022-23. Playing in Russia’s top league at 18 years old is an impressive feat, and something that we hope is a sign of things to come for Duda.
Maksymilian Szuber (prospect): A seventh-round pick of the 2022 NsHL Entry Draft (196th overall to Boston) Szuber is an overage prospect that has shown promise playing fulltime in the DEL. Szuber is a long-term project, at best, but he has plenty of experience playing at the highest level in Europe where he has shown a consistent two-way game, and a bit of a mean streak in big games. We are told that Caps GM Rob Willis was also interested in acquiring this player because he shares the same first name as Willis’ youngest son (different spelling).
In addition to the above, the Capitals also added an impressive amount of arsenal in the form of draft capital, as follows: BUF 1 (2024), BOS 2 (2025), TOR 2 (2025), CGY 3 (2023), TOR 3 (2025), STL 6 (2023), NYR 6 (2023), PIT 6 (2023) and BUF 7 (2023) - !!
We were able to catch up for a few minutes this morning with GM Willis, and here is what we got out of him on the State of the Franchise.
Q: Are the Washington Capitals a better hockey team today than they were yesterday?
Willis: Yes, I absolutely believe so. I would say that we are a vastly improved hockey team both on and off the ice. The addition of a true centre in Logan Couture, one of the best in the game today, or the addition of character guys like Glendening and Lindblom. I am feeling very optimistic about that.
Q: Are the Washington Capitals a playoff hockey team in Season 21?
Willis: Yes, that remains the goal, and that won’t change heading into next year. It’s pretty evident that I decided that change was necessary, and it was. However, looking forward to the future, we have a very powerful top six forward group that include the likes of Mitch Marner, Jamie Benn, Jeff Skinner, Nick Schmaltz, Lawson Crouse and, now Logan Couture. In addition, we have Clayton Keller, who I strongly believe will become a very important player for this franchise moving forward. Our defensive group is stabilized by the veteran presence of Tyson Barrie, Jeff Petry, Torey Krug and Brian Dumoulin. We are also made better by the emerging talents of Bowen Byram, and to a certain degree, Alex Romanov, who are some of the top up and coming young defensemen in our game today. Finally, our goaltending outlook remains very strong with Darcy Kuemper, a top 10 goalie in this league by any measure, and we also feel very good about Karel Vejmelka developing as our number two goalie. We will absolutely be back to the dance in Season 21, count on it.
Q: What happened to the Capitals in Season 20?
Willis: You know, that’s a great question. I believe strongly in the group that I have put together here. We focussed a lot on team culture, and on playing a good, responsible brand of hockey. Somewhere along the way, it seems we lost the signal as a team. At the end of the day, I made the decision to let the players sort the on-ice issues out directly, because of the faith that we all had in this group. While there were periods where it appeared our fortunes were turning, the end result was that the players didn’t meet the expectations that were set. What happened yesterday was our response to that. Now, we feel that we have addressed some key strategic priorities as a franchise, and we are a better hockey team moving forward, in spite of Season 20.
Q: The Capitals traded the rights to their 1st round pick in 2023, any regrets?
Willis: That is the burning question, I assume. While there were definitely periods of remorse over not having our pick, given our results on the ice, at the end of the day, you can’t live in the past. I made a decision last year that in order to move our franchise forward, we would need to add a quality top four defenseman. I was able to do that, and I believe that we would do a similar move again with all things equal. At this stage in the game, there is no consideration of that at all. Some investments work out better than others and we feel good about where we are as a hockey team.
Q: What is your plan for the Washington Capitals heading into the off-season?
Willis: First of all, I will say with certainty that the Washington Capitals will be in attendance at Draft Central in Monaca, PA this summer for the NsHL Entry Draft. As with any opportunity to improve, I will weigh all the options and opportunities that present themselves in the off-season provided that they further the organizational goals of the Capitals. I am feeling good that I will come to the draft table with eight picks, including a couple inside of the top 100, which is always nice. In addition to the diamonds that our scouting staff will no doubt uncover in the 2023 draft class, I am also feeling really good about the volume and quality of prospects that we have from the class of 2022. We were already closely monitoring the development of prospects Calle Odelius, Filip Mesar, Adam Engstrom, Jared Davidson and Maxim Barbashev from the guys that we selected. Now adding to that group the likes of Jagger Firkus, Maveric Lamoureux and Artem Duda is something that Caps fans should be excited about for the future of their team. In addition, we are forecasting several graduations of prospects within our system, including Jesse Ylonen, Ruslan Iskhakov, Lukas Rousek, and a few others that we are keeping a close eye on. Our scouts indicate that Ylonen is ready for an every day with the Capitals in Season 21, so we will look forward to his addition.
Q: Final question –define the State of the Washington Capitals in 10 words or less…
Willis: The state of the Capitals is very good. Stay tuned.
Well, there you have it folks - transparent and unedited the GM himself. As we look ahead, let's not forget that the Capitals still have hockey games to play before this season is over. In fact, the team isn't even mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet! With the level of talent that exists on this squad today, the Caps could shine in the spoiler role down the stretch. Actually, if some devine act were to occur, such as the re-emergence of the spirit that used Petr Mrazek as a host during the Caps famed run to the Stanley Cup finals, the Capitals could - mathematically - still make the playoffs.... Nahhhhhhh!
In the meantime, here is the projected lineup:
FWD Line 1: (LW) Mitch Marner (C) Jamie Benn (RW) Nick Schmaltz
FWD Line 2: (LW) Jeff Skinner (C) Logan Couture (RW) Lawson Crouse
FWD Line 3: (LW) Clayton Keller (C) Luke Glendening (RW) Denis Gurianov
FWD Line 4: (LW) Oskar Lindblom (C) Kevin Stenlund (RW) Brendan Gallagher
DF Line 1: (D) Torey Krug (D) Jeff Petry
DF Line 2: (D) Bowen Byram (D) Tyson Barrie
DF Line 3: (D) Brian Dumouin (D) Alexander Romanov
Goalie 1: (G) Darcy Kuemper
Backup: (G) Karel Vejmelka
