James Tanner: Capitals Are Going to Miss the Playoffs

Wow went for the jugular - as described replacing those losses will be tough - hard to see that they completely tank - although any injury to Holtby could be devastating - just depends on how the rest of the division shakes out - gotta figure only Jackets and Pens as locks - the rest up for grabs Rags / Philly / Car -

You're right, they had a terrible off season. Kuznetsov is not worth close to $8M per year. They shouldn't have traded Johansson and let Schmidt get taken by Vegas for nothing. Williams, Alzner and Shattenkirk all blasted the team on their way out the door. I still think the caps will make the playoffs but they're definitely not a presidents trophy team anymore.

Wow went for the jugular - as described replacing those losses will be tough - hard to see that they completely tank - although any injury to Holtby could be devastating - just depends on how the rest of the division shakes out - gotta figure only Jackets and Pens as locks - the rest up for grabs Rags / Philly / Car -
- dozerD10

The Jackets came out of nowhere last year, and while I do appreciate some of their roster (especially Jones and W) I just don't see them as a guarantee to repeat that success.

Truthfully I like your blogs on here for the most part - think people get all worked up when obviously at times you are just trying to have a bit of fun. Thanks James.

Now - Regarding Washington...

I think they obviously made some mistakes this summer, but I think the biggest mistake was the Trotz hiring. You have/had a team that was built to play run and gun hockey, and truly dominated doing it. Sure they got bounced in the playoffs, but the cup is such a hard thing to win to begin with. I think they should have stuck with that they were built to do, in a sense what Pittsburgh did.

Every team/organization rises and falls, windows open and close. The Capitals, will be joined by teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh soon enough. Clubs like LA, and San Jose know all too well about this as well.

Truthfully I like your blogs on here for the most part - think people get all worked up when obviously at times you are just trying to have a bit of fun. Thanks James.

Now - Regarding Washington...

I think they obviously made some mistakes this summer, but I think the biggest mistake was the Trotz hiring. You have/had a team that was built to play run and gun hockey, and truly dominated doing it. Sure they got bounced in the playoffs, but the cup is such a hard thing to win to begin with. I think they should have stuck with that they were built to do, in a sense what Pittsburgh did.

Every team/organization rises and falls, windows open and close. The Capitals, will be joined by teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh soon enough. Clubs like LA, and San Jose know all too well about this as well.
- flyer_nutter

Hey man, I appreciate the kind words. To be honest with you, there is a contingent of trolls who don't like my politics who would argue with me if I wrote that it's usually dark out at midnight.

But if you eliminate the crazies, response to these blogs is almost always positive and it's a lot of fun either way.

Hey man, I appreciate the kind words. To be honest with you, there is a contingent of trolls who don't like my politics who would argue with me if I wrote that it's usually dark out at midnight.

But if you eliminate the crazies, response to these blogs is almost always positive and it's a lot of fun either way.
- James_Tanner

All good, it's become a bit of a weird tradition to bash certain bloggers. Don't sweat it. As for politics haha, I wont go there too much but the idea of Western democracy is a sham. Keep the peons distracted and fighting amongst themselves, and lets not kid ourselves that the media isn't a progapanda tool to keep us fighting. Left vs Right, two arms of the same corporate master.

Corporate profits are the highest they have been in 50 years, and wages have been stagnant for a decade +. The disparity between rich and poor is the problem for much of the issues today. World needs a French Revolution 2.0.

/end rant.

Back on track, curious when the Capitals decide to call it and start a rebuild. One would probably venture to say its too soon - they still have Holtby and some good pieces, but that lineup smells of mediocrity unless something changes.

All good, it's become a bit of a weird tradition to bash certain bloggers. Don't sweat it. As for politics haha, I wont go there too much but the idea of Western democracy is a sham. Keep the peons distracted and fighting amongst themselves, and lets not kid ourselves that the media isn't a progapanda tool to keep us fighting. Left vs Right, two arms of the same corporate master.

Corporate profits are the highest they have been in 50 years, and wages have been stagnant for a decade +. The disparity between rich and poor is the problem for much of the issues today. World needs a French Revolution 2.0.

/end rant.
- flyer_nutter

Preach it dawg!

Back on track, curious when the Capitals decide to call it and start a rebuild. One would probably venture to say its too soon - they still have Holtby and some good pieces, but that lineup smells of mediocrity unless something changes.
- flyer_nutter

This is a long way out. It will take a collapse and new management before anything close happens. And with Backstrom and Ovechkin, if they get bad enough you're in a Sedin situation where rebuilding is put off until your all-time franchise players decide to retire.

This could get ugly. The thing is, they really tried to extend their competitiveness window and they botched it.

Wash, rinse and repeat. Capitals made some moves that I don't agree with. They stacked the deck for a number of years and didn't get it done. There is always a price for that to pay. The good thing though is that they actually have to play the games! The Caps still have a solid core of players and still should be a playoff team. They play in a tough division though. I don't see them dropping like a rock but in the Metropolitan division you can have a solid season and still not make the playoffs. Some other players are going to have to step up and they are more susceptible to long term injuries.


As far as Mr. Tanner being able to do better than an NHL GM, I'd like to see him given an opportunity to do so. As long as I can be the blogger for that fantasy team in fantasy land.

This is a long way out. It will take a collapse and new management before anything close happens. And with Backstrom and Ovechkin, if they get bad enough you're in a Sedin situation where rebuilding is put off until your all-time franchise players decide to retire.

This could get ugly. The thing is, they really tried to extend their competitiveness window and they botched it.
- James_Tanner

I see them heading for that nice mediocre phase the Flyers were in for years. Purgatory. It's a terrible place to be. I dont really know what moves the GM can make, but to me Trotz should have never been hired. Needed to play to your strengths as a team. I don't think he is a bad guy to have in there now I suppose, a lot of that firepower is lost.

This is a long way out. It will take a collapse and new management before anything close happens. And with Backstrom and Ovechkin, if they get bad enough you're in a Sedin situation where rebuilding is put off until your all-time franchise players decide to retire.

This could get ugly. The thing is, they really tried to extend their competitiveness window and they botched it.
- James_Tanner

All teams require a collapse before the rebuild takes place. I'm sure selling the owners on the rebuild with a guarantee of no playoffs and perceived loss of revenue for a few years is quite the tough sell.

That said, I don't think Backstrom will be an issue skill wise. He is an elite center with just 3 years remaining on an extremely friendly/ cheap 6.7 mil per. Ovi is another story and the jury is out on him at the point. Kuzy is clearly overpaid at this point and he will need to up his game. They are paying him as first line center and he has not demonstrated as such as of yet. If Kuzy and let's say Bura don't ramp it up then I would go for the rebuild and just be done with it. Otherwise, it becomes a long painful process imo.

All teams require a collapse before the rebuild takes place. I'm sure selling the owners on the rebuild with a guarantee of no playoffs and perceived loss of revenue for a few years is quite the tough sell.

That said, I don't think Backstrom will be an issue skill wise. He is an elite center with just 3 years remaining on an extremely friendly/ cheap 6.7 mil per. Ovi is another story and the jury is out on him at the point. Kuzy is clearly overpaid at this point and he will need to up his game. They are paying him as first line center and he has not demonstrated as such as of yet. If Kuzy and let's say Bura don't ramp it up then I would go for the rebuild and just be done with it. Otherwise, it becomes a long painful process imo.
- Capsnut

Ovechkin's game imo needs to evolve. Media will rant, but who gives a (frank) really. He's played the game like a bulldog and it's going to take an obvious toll sooner rather than later. Needs to not chase those huge hits as much, to extend his career. Easier said than done when ego comes into it I am sure.

Caps needs right now are pretty big. Top 4 D x 2, and some holes up front. Hopefully they can find a way, I loved those run and gun teams a few years ago.

Ovechkin's game imo needs to evolve. Media will rant, but who gives a (frank) really. He's played the game like a bulldog and it's going to take an obvious toll sooner rather than later. Needs to not chase those huge hits as much, to extend his career. Easier said than done when ego comes into it I am sure.

Caps needs right now are pretty big. Top 4 D x 2, and some holes up front. Hopefully they can find a way, I loved those run and gun teams a few years ago.
- flyer_nutter

Ovechkin's game needs to evolve but not that way. He shouldn't remove the physical elements of his game. He does need to improve his all around game. Stop taking so many low percentage shots and become a better player away from the puck. I doubt that happens at his age.

The Caps don't need 2 top four defenseman. They have Niskanen, Carlson, and Orlov. They need depth defenseman.

You know Tanner is serious when he says MacLellan is worse than Chiarelli.

You know Tanner is serious when he says MacLellan is worse than Chiarelli.
- Yeomra

They are interchangeably bad.

Wash, rinse and repeat. Capitals made some moves that I don't agree with. They stacked the deck for a number of years and didn't get it done. There is always a price for that to pay. The good thing though is that they actually have to play the games! The Caps still have a solid core of players and still should be a playoff team. They play in a tough division though. I don't see them dropping like a rock but in the Metropolitan division you can have a solid season and still not make the playoffs. Some other players are going to have to step up and they are more susceptible to long term injuries.


As far as Mr. Tanner being able to do better than an NHL GM, I'd like to see him given an opportunity to do so. As long as I can be the blogger for that fantasy team in fantasy land.
- MJL

There is a better chance someone would pay me to run an NHL team than someone paying your to infict your opinion onto the world. For real!

. To be honest with you, there is a contingent of trolls who don't like my politics who would argue with me if I wrote that it's usually dark out at midnight.
- James_Tanner

Hockey blogger injects his politics into his blogs and gets upset (plays the victim card) when people call him on it or disagree with him. I mean, it's only politics on the Internet - what could possibly go wrong?

There is a better chance someone would pay me to run an NHL team than someone paying your to infict your opinion onto the world. For real!
- James_Tanner

Well that's not a statement that you can back up. More importantly, it's obvious that you don't have the knowledge or expertise in the sport to be an NHL GM so I don't really need to worry about being able to blog. That's real.

It's funny how I said all of this a while back, you fought with me tooth and nail, and now you agree.

I'm not saying they're definitely going to miss, but they're not a lock. Losing that depth is major, and you combine that with Carolina improving, NYI likely to have a bounce-back season and NYR being a mystery.

I'd even go out on a limb and say the only lock I see in the Metro is CBJ. Bobsy would have to have an epic fail of a year for CBJ to not make the playoffs.

The Metro is going be both tight in terms of points, but wide open as far as who finishes where, if that makes any sense.

They saw the Chicago model, and said "us too".

Hockey blogger injects his politics into his blogs and gets upset (plays the victim card) when people call him on it or disagree with him. I mean, it's only politics on the Internet - what could possibly go wrong?
- Tanuki

Not upset or playing the victim. Simply saying that most negative comments are from people who have political views that I find morally repugnant, so I don't really care what they have to say. But I do feel like I should speak up against tyranny, fascism and racism and that that is more important than having a politics free blog. Fact is, the world we're currently living in requires that.

If someone wants to argue hockey, I'm always here and never shy away from defending from what I write. I

Truthfully I like your blogs on here for the most part - think people get all worked up when obviously at times you are just trying to have a bit of fun. Thanks James.

Now - Regarding Washington...

I think they obviously made some mistakes this summer, but I think the biggest mistake was the Trotz hiring. You have/had a team that was built to play run and gun hockey, and truly dominated doing it. Sure they got bounced in the playoffs, but the cup is such a hard thing to win to begin with. I think they should have stuck with that they were built to do, in a sense what Pittsburgh did.

Every team/organization rises and falls, windows open and close. The Capitals, will be joined by teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh soon enough. Clubs like LA, and San Jose know all too well about this as well.
- flyer_nutter

You have no idea what you're talking about. The (frank)ing poopshow that was Hunter and Oates...