they really have no choice. Galchenyuk's problem though is that he's a (frank)ing bumhole who doesn't even pretend to care about backchecking. which is fine... if you're Tyler Seguin.
- DoubleDown

He's still young enough where, when he finally matures they probably get him to be better in his own end. I still cant believe Fletcher didn't trade for him when MB asked for Scandella.

Gotta agree.

Absolutely bananas

Some Russian mob connection? They're running the rest of Washington already, right James?

Good blog

Tanner, this is one of the very few discussions where I actually agree with you. I was hoping in some freak way that the Johansson deal was somehow tied to Kovalchuk coming to DC. How else could GMBM possibly justify giving away a 24 goal scorer??? Well, with Ilya staying in Russia, that mirage is gone.

McClellan needs to be gone immediately. In less than 2 weeks, he's set this team back tremendously. His tenure will known for handing out inflated contracts (effecting the entirety of the league), poorly preparing for the expansion draft, neglecting the prospect pool, mishandling the few decent prospects the team does/did have, and mismanagement of valuable trade assets. He's a joke and now the rest of the league knows it, if they didn't already.

I didn't say that Johansson is a better player. I said that he is arguably more effective overall, and when you factor in the value of a $4.5 vs an $8 cap hit and the fact that Kuznetsov doesn't play defense.
- james_tanner1

So it's plausible that Kuznetsov, while being the most offensively talented player on that line, has difficulty getting the puck. The other two drove possession and now the Captials have an $8 player and neither of the guys who helped make him successful.

Also, his defensive game is brutal, he has trouble even looking interested in games sometimes, and if you factor in the defensive and possession skills of Johansson, it's is conceivable that Johansson is a better player.

When you factor in salaries and opportunity cost, what was once conceivable becomes a reality.

- James Tanner

Hmmm. Seems like a bit of a contradiction. But, that can't be possible because you have told us on many occasions that you don't ever contradict yourself.

I don't know what the answer is to what's going on in Washington, but maybe, just maybe it involves knowing more than just the stats lines from the previous season.

Hmmm. Seems like a bit of a contradiction. But, that can't be possible because you have told us on many occasions that you don't ever contradict yourself.

I don't know what the answer is to what's going on in Washington, but maybe, just maybe it involves knowing more than just the stats lines from the previous season.
- Tonybere

Dont worry he'll predict both the rangers and pens to miss the playoffs next season, both were lucky to make the playoffs last season according to him. Remember this is the same writer that called the caps an all time great team for winning exactly nothing (no one cares about the presidents trophy)

here is the most important fact that Nutsoff s contact was way too much . Nic effing backstrom. how can you pay that much for your 2c .the contract is front loaded AND backloaded and its more then your 1c.
Personally thought 6 mill was too much for him and would have tried to trade him for a good 2c that was locked up already to a decent cap hit

OMG I agree with James Tanner
Hell must have frozen over!

Why start name with name calling? How can you think that just because a player leaves Washington and doesn't make his new team an instant Cup Contender, that the Capitals won't miss that player?

If that's the kind of logic you're working with, at least don't call other people names.
- james_tanner1

J. Tanner..your being too polite. That was a dumb post by jficher.

Why start name with name calling? How can you think that just because a player leaves Washington and doesn't make his new team an instant Cup Contender, that the Capitals won't miss that player?

If that's the kind of logic you're working with, at least don't call other people names.
- james_tanner1

If this were your first foray into buffoonery, I'd have let it pass, but alas, it was not. You'd been living in that neighborhood for a while. The underlying premise of this article, and many you've written over the past little while was that the Caps brass had made many missteps this off-season. This day was coming - the Caps being forced to jettison valuable players, not your writing about it, for the past two years. EVERYONE who follows the Caps knew it. In choosing between Oshie and Williams, the Caps made the right choice. I love what Williams brings. The money just wasn't there for it. Choosing between Kuznetzov and Johansson, the Caps again made the right choice. Kuznetzov is likely a top-10 center in the NHL. Johansson is not. The decision the Caps were faced with was not whether or not to keep Williams, Schmidt, Johansson, or Alzner, the decision was if the Caps decided to keep those players - all of whom are good players, and players I like, but rather should the Caps decide to retain those players, what OTHER players from the active roster would need to be parted with, given the monetary threshold of player salaries they'd need to reach - cap constraints. There's no way they were getting rid of Wilson, so who else, given the level they had to attain? Furhtermore, the players they let go will be easier holes to fill than the players they chose to retain.

Will the departure of these players hurt the Caps? Yes, no one is disputing that - at least no rational person who follows them. That name-calling offends you is interesting, given that, you assert that GMBM is now the worst GM in the NHL, with no more than subjective data to make such a claim.

Losing Mojo and Williams doesn't mean this team is going to tank... They still have plenty of scoring prowess and defensive ability to get the job done. While the moves were certainly head scratchers, I'm not completely sold on the idea that this was it and they went "all in" for a cup only to come out empty handed. Mojo and Williams leaving opens up for some of the young talent to come in and make an impact and give those players on the roster itching for more time to step up. It's not all doom and gloom, not time to blow it up and it certainly isn't going to a tank season.

If this were your first foray into buffoonery, I'd have let it pass, but alas, it was not. You'd been living in that neighborhood for a while. The underlying premise of this article, and many you've written over the past little while was that the Caps brass had made many missteps this off-season. This day was coming - the Caps being forced to jettison valuable players, not your writing about it, for the past two years. EVERYONE who follows the Caps knew it. In choosing between Oshie and Williams, the Caps made the right choice. I love what Williams brings. The money just wasn't there for it. Choosing between Kuznetzov and Johansson, the Caps again made the right choice. Kuznetzov is likely a top-10 center in the NHL. Johansson is not. The decision the Caps were faced with was not whether or not to keep Williams, Schmidt, Johansson, or Alzner, the decision was if the Caps decided to keep those players - all of whom are good players, and players I like, but rather should the Caps decide to retain those players, what OTHER players from the active roster would need to be parted with, given the monetary threshold of player salaries they'd need to reach - cap constraints. There's no way they were getting rid of Wilson, so who else, given the level they had to attain? Furhtermore, the players they let go will be easier holes to fill than the players they chose to retain.

Will the departure of these players hurt the Caps? Yes, no one is disputing that - at least no rational person who follows them. That name-calling offends you is interesting, given that, you assert that GMBM is now the worst GM in the NHL, with no more than subjective data to make such a claim.
- sfischer

I think you are missing the understanding of how important cap space is and how it effects the rest of a teams lineup. It would have been better to let Oshie walk and sign Willams. You free up a lot more cap space and the term is much shorter. You keep Mojo and Trade Kuz. Kuz You would again free up more cap space and Kuz would bring a much better return. The players you loose are not that much better than the ones you kept and you would have a lot more cap space. You use that cap space to fill out the rest of the roster with much better quality players instead of the also rans they will add now.

You just cant compare Willimas and Mojo to Oshie and Kuz and say which ones you would keep and which ones would make the team better. You also need to include the players you would fill out your roster with the cap space money left over from which of the two pairs of players you keep. So would you rather have Oshie and Kuz + (2nd and 3rd round pick for trading Mojo), and $5ml in cap space or Would you rather have Mojo +1st rounder and a prospect, (because you traded Kuz instead of Mojo) half the term, Willimas+half the term and $10ml in cap space?

I think you are missing the understanding of how important cap space is and how it effects the rest of a teams lineup. It would have been better to let Oshie walk and sign Willams. You free up a lot more cap space and the term is much shorter. You keep Mojo and Trade Kuz. Kuz You would again free up more cap space and Kuz would bring a much better return. The players you loose are not that much better than the ones you kept and you would have a lot more cap space. You use that cap space to fill out the rest of the roster with much better quality players instead of the also rans they will add now.

You just cant compare Willimas and Mojo to Oshie and Kuz and say which ones you would keep and which ones would make the team better. You also need to include the players you would fill out your roster with the cap space money left over from which of the two pairs of players you keep. So would you rather have Oshie and Kuz + (2nd and 3rd round pick for trading Mojo), and $5ml in cap space or Would you rather have Mojo +1st rounder and a prospect, (because you traded Kuz instead of Mojo) half the term, Willimas+half the term and $10ml in cap space?
- goldy

Out of curiosity, why would you keep Williams over Mojo? Why trade Kuz and let Oshie walk? You're willing to lose a LARGE chunk of the scoring prowess just to keep an aging 3rd liner?

Out of curiosity, why would you keep Williams over Mojo? Why trade Kuz and let Oshie walk? You're willing to lose a LARGE chunk of the scoring prowess just to keep an aging 3rd liner?
- hefnerta

I would keep Willimas over Oshie. 5vs5 numbers are very close, Willimas is a huge puck possession guy, he is cheaper and less term. Not saying Willimas is better, but i am taking into account cap space and filling out the rest of the team.

Kuz would bring a lot more if you traded him over Mojo. Mojo is cheaper, much better on defense, and shorter term.

With Kuz 8 year deal, at that price, you better hope he is your guy for the future. He is already 25 and never has scored over 20 goals. Thats a lot of money and term. Plus, halfway through his contract, there is a strong potential that Ovie and Backstrom will no longer be on the team. (Both contracts will be up then). Is Kuz your future #1 center? How effective will he be without Ovie and Backstrom taking most of the attention from the other team when they are on the ice?

The last half of Oshie and Kuz's contract, Ovie and Backstrom may be gone. I just would not have signed anybody past Ovie and Backstrom's expiring contracts without having any idea what they may want. Keeping Willimas and Mojo over Oshie and Kuz would have accomplished that.

The Caps have about $5.5ml in cap space, you should really have $1.5ml in reserve for injuries and call ups. So they are really working with $4ml.

You just cant compare Willimas and Mojo to Oshie and Kuz and say which ones you would keep and which ones would make the team better. You also need to include the players you would fill out your roster with the cap space money left over from which of the two pairs of players you keep.
- goldy

So, either A) the underlying premise of the piece is completely flawed, as such comparisons cannot be made, and therefore there exists no basis for criticizing the GM for such decisions.

B) The objective here is to maintain available cap space rather that retain the players with the greatest upsides and more likely to help the team win games - albeit ones with the greatest salaries.

or C) The disparity in talent between the players the Caps retained, and the they players they allowed to depart was not proportional to the salary levels of those players.

Not seeing any of these arguments being true. Again, the Caps brass said they were all-in for a Cup in the past two years, knowing that after the second year, tough decisions would need to be made. Tanner likes to make all personnel decisions based on statistical data, and that has led him to the conclusions he's drawn. But, I might add of the top-8 teams in Corsi, only two made it into the second round, and NONE made it beyond that. None of the top-3 teams made it to the 2nd round. Kuznetzov is going to get better, not sure you can say that about Johansson. I like Marcus, but getting a high-2nd round pick for him, + a 3rd from a team that failed to qualify for the playoffs isn't robbery...Oshie will likely sustain his productions for 3-5 years. Will Williams? not likely given his age, and the fact that he's not a terribly swift skater. Young players in the Caps system - Bowey, Joos, Vrana, Walker, Stephenson and a couple other young d-men will have spots on the big club to play for, while not going in the tank. Burakovsky will get a bigger role. Saying GMBM is now the worst GM in the league due to some tough decisions he had to make that weren't in line with Tanner's weighing of Corsi statistics is hyperbolic nonsense...and I called him on it.