From final cuts and prospects to Alex Ovechkin’s workload and victory songs, Part 1 of this month’s monster Capitals mailbag covers a lot. So let’s get right to it.
(Questions were lightly edited for length and clarity.)
I’m sure you will cover this in your next article but, to me, a critical question is now gamesmanship with waivers. As I understand the rules, Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Hendrix Lapierre are all waiver-exempt. Conversely, Axel Jonsson-Fjällby, Brett Leason, Garrett Pilon, Joe Snively and Henrik Borgström (as well as the NHL vets on the team) would need to be exposed. My sense is the risk is low but I wonder how GM Brian MacLellan and team think and strategize about waiver risks. — Bill H.
By now, I’m sure everyone has seen the Caps’ final cuts: Borgstrom, Lucas Johansen, Jonsson-Fjallby and Leason were all placed on waivers Sunday with the intention of sending them to Hershey. Those four were the last players trimmed prior to Washington submitting its 23-man opening night roster to the NHL ahead of Monday’s deadline.
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Forwards (14): Connor Brown, Nic Dowd, Lars Eller, Garnet Hathaway, Marcus Johansson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Anthony Mantha, McMichael, T.J. Oshie, Alex Ovechkin, Protas, Conor Sheary, Snively and Dylan Strome.
Defensemen (7): John Carlson, Martin Fehervary, Erik Gustafsson, Matt Irwin, Nick Jensen, Dmitry Orlov and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Goalies (2): Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren.
To answer your question, yes, there are a few things teams do to “sneak” their prospects and tweeners through waivers. For example, Sunday was the last day for teams to waive players before submitting their finalized roster. The waiver wire was flooded with prospects and tweeners, giving teams on the lookout for depth players/bargains multiple options at every position.
Another thing teams can do is sign their tweeners to one-way contracts worth more than the NHL minimum, which this year is $750,000. That can deter a team from taking a flier on one, too. (Leason, Bobby Nardella and Pilon are all on one-ways this season.)
Nardella and Pilon already cleared and were reassigned; we’ll find out Monday afternoon if Leason did, as well.
After watching the preseason games it’s comforting to see what might be the core of the post-Ovechkin era Capitals emerge. Protas, Lapierre, Jonsson-Fjällby, Vincent Iorio, Nardella, and Beck Malenstyn look promising. However I’m still wondering if McMichael will fulfill his potential? He still seems tentative and not tough enough fighting for the puck when challenged. I was expecting a breakout preseason by him, but it hasn’t happened. How long is the leash? — Jerome J.
The next wave of prospects does indeed look promising.
But — and this is well-documented — the Caps, like most teams that have spent years propping open the window of contention, need to add some high-end prospects to their pipeline. They don’t need any more fourth-line wings and third-pair D. They need guys who will eventually replace Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom and Kuznetsov and Carlson and Oshie. Ivan Miroshnichenko could be one of those talents. They need more — several more.
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As far as McMichael goes, it feels like he got off to a bit of a slow start in camp but really started to come on toward the end. He made the opening night roster but they are to continue to be patient with him. He’s just 21 and is aware he’s got work to do. In other words, the leash is long.
“It’s something I’ve been working toward all summer, and obviously my whole life, to get to this level,” he told me after practice Sunday. “It’s something that I’ll never take for granted, making an opening night roster.”
The Caps gave Protas a long look. Versatility is something we’ve heard a lot more about this year as something that the coach and brass like. Protas could probably play up and down the lineup and had been tried out on both wings and center. Is there a chance he makes the cut as the 13th forward or fills in Hagelin’s role? — JC.
Protas told me he found out he made the cut when he arrived at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Sunday morning and saw he was included in the practice plan.
“I still can’t believe it, that I made it,” he said. “I’m so happy now but I have to work even more to prove I deserve it.”
One might say hard work is the reason he did survive the final cutdown. The team told him to get stronger and refine his stride — and he spent most of the summer doing just that.
It showed. He produced a goal and an assist and was the only player to appear in all six preseason games. He played up and down the lineup as well as at center and on the wing. He forced management to keep him in D.C.
In the long term, I’m told they see Protas as a center. But right now, the Caps go Kuznetsov, Strome, Eller and Dowd down the middle, with Backstrom working his way back from injury and McMichael also eyeing a spot in the middle. So the fact that Protas can also be an effective winger definitely helped his case for a spot on the opening night roster.
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Anyone really impress you in camp/preseason? Any surprise players climbing up the depth chart as far as injury replacement goes? Thanks. — Joel R.
Iorio, the team’s second-round pick in 2021, definitely opened some eyes. He was ultimately sent to AHL Hershey, but thanks to a strong camp and the fact that he’s the organization’s fourth-best right-shot blueliner (behind Carlson, Jensen and TvR), I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets an opportunity as an injury replacement sooner than later.
On the flip side, I’d be willing to bet the decision makers would have loved for Lapierre and Borgstrom (both had no points in three exhibition games) to have made the decision to send them down a little harder.
As for “what” has surprised me, I would say just how good the goaltending looks like it’s going to be with Kuemper and Lindgren. Routine shots are no longer an adventure. Goal sticks don’t end up behind the net. Rebounds aren’t kicked (and blockered/gloved) all over the place. Again, it’s preseason and Lindgren has a short track record, but the early returns look promising.
With Protas being such a big body, would management like to see him get more physical? I know the game isn’t really trending that way, but I’d like to see him put some fear into other guys. — John A.
Management always wants everyone to be more physical.
Seriously, though, I did notice that Protas’ improved skating helped him get on defenders while forechecking a bit quicker. A few times, in fact, I feel like he caught blueliners by surprise.
But, yeah, I think everyone would like to see him throw his 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame around a little more.
Does Peter Laviolette disagree with Brian MacLellan about playing the youngsters or are they on the same page? Just seems the Caps have had a history of stunting their brightest youngsters’ growth recently, except for maybe Tom Wilson. — Victor T.
It’s always been my sense that Laviolette and MacLellan are on the same page when it comes to playing veterans over less experienced players.
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That said, they are not opposed to playing young players. That is, as long as they feel they are ready for the role/workload. Take Fehervary for example. In his age-22 season, he was the third-most deployed defenseman behind Carlson and Orlov.
Laviolette and MacLellan don’t hate your favorite young player. Trust me. The facts are that Washington is an older team and it plays a structured system, which favors experienced players. Laviolette and MacLellan want to win; their jobs literally depend on it.
As far as Wilson, I feel like his growth actually was stunted early on because he got thrown into the fire before he was ready to handle the heat.
In his 10-year career, Kuemper has only started more than 30 games three times, and more than 50 games only twice. Lindgren has never played more than 14 games. What sort of workload can Kuemper expect this season and does Lindgren look like a viable backup who is ready for a bigger role? — Ben R.
The days of a starter playing 65-70 games (like Henrik Lundqvist did early in his career) are long gone. That said, Kuemper will be the undisputed No. 1 and I’d expect him to play 50-55 games, assuming he stays healthy.
Was signing Lindgren a bit of a calculated risk, given the fact he’s only got 29 games on his resume? Yeah, it probably was. But know this: A lot of teams were interested in him after he went 5-0-0 with a .958 save percentage and a 1.22 goals-against average for the Blues last season.
Nardella, to my eye, seems like an NHL player this preseason. Do you see him the same way? How do the Caps see him? I have the feeling that he could be Snively 2.0 just on defense. Will he get the opportunity? — Luka K.
At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, Nardella is undersized for a defenseman. But he moves well and has good offensive instincts.
By now you know that he was sent to Hershey but I do feel like the 26-year-old could make his NHL debut at some point this season as an injury call-up.
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Did you know that Nardella and Snively were roommates in Hershey and attended the same high school when they were teammates on USHL Sioux City? Snively is obviously ahead of Nardella right now but I suspect there’s a chance they’re both in Washington’s lineup for a game or two this season.
Pre-2018 I remember hearing a lot more about the management of Ovechkin’s minutes in order to save him for the playoffs. Given his age, workload, and how he was less productive over the second half of the season (I know he needed to carry the team in the first half), how do you think the coaches will manage his minutes? — Matthew B.
I can’t imagine we’re going to see a big dip in his playing time this season, particularly early on with Backstrom (hip) and Wilson (knee) sidelined to start.
If you’ve watched Ovechkin over the years, you’ll notice he’s no longer the wrecking ball he once was. He’s much more judicious when doling out hits and turning on the jets. These days, if you watch his shifts closely, it almost looks as though he’s pacing himself at times. Is that a good thing? Probably depends on who you ask. I bet the coaches would rather him play 17-18 minutes all out than occasionally hit cruise control while skating 21-22 minutes. But Ovechkin wants to play 20-plus minutes. And what the big man wants, the big man usually gets.
If you could make one trade to round out the team would it be on D or F? —Sam B.
I’d go D. It feels like they’re in decent shape, but I do wonder about depth and, specifically, if Gustafsson is an adequate replacement for Justin Schultz on the third pair.
Capitals have been fortunate with everyone clearing waivers so far. If the final round goes as well, we’ll have a lot of NHL-ready prospects. So question is, do you see the Caps having more appetite to seek trades early to midseason? — Darrell G.
Perhaps? The Caps definitely have a surplus of bottom-six forwards, tweeners and left-shot D. Maybe they can offload a prospect in a minor deal or include one in a package. But most teams have enough bottom-six forwards, tweeners and left-shot D in their own system.
Assuming Backstrom is able to come back before the playoffs, how do you see the Capitals making the salary cap work? — Tyler A.
Let’s start with three assumptions: 1) Wilson returns in December, 2) Carl Hagelin (eye/lower-body injury) does not play, and 3) there are no other long-term injuries.
If that is how things play out, and if Backstrom is healthy enough to return at some point in the regular season, the Caps would have to offload significant salary to shoehorn everything under the cap. They’d also need to offload a center to make room for No. 19.
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I’m not saying it won’t happen. But it feels like a long shot … and the Caps’ offseason moves indicate they feel it’s unlikely, too.
What is the one thing Caps fans should be most excited about going into the season that nobody is talking about? Alternatively, what’s the one thing we should be most worried about that’s not getting a lot of attention? — Ian S.
I mentioned this before, but I’m not sure how much people realize what consistent, predictable, quality goaltending is going to do for this team, in terms of both its play style and collective blood pressure.
As for something people aren’t talking about, how about this: As long as the Caps are an LTIR team, they won’t be able to bank cap space to spend at the trade deadline. For more information on that, read Puckpedia’s detailed breakdown here.
What’s your hope-o-meter saying? — Brian S.
Plan. The. Parade.
No, seriously, I like this team. Goaltending plays such an outsize role in wins and losses and how far a team goes in the postseason. And for the first time in a long time, they’ve got an edge at arguably the game’s most important position.
What are some of the go-to locker room songs after a win? — John Z.
It’s too early to say what this year’s victory song is going to be. But I need to give the fellas a shoutout for playing Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” after their preseason win in Detroit last month.
The real question is: What theme is Laviolette going to go with for the postgame celebration? After handing out “Karate Kid” bandanas and a Vikings’ axe and shield in his first two seasons, the bar has been set awfully high. I don’t know the answer but I’m hearing this year’s theme will be revealed internally very soon.
Is Protas really going to beat out McMichael? Any chance both make the team as centers, and Eller is traded? — Carl P L.
I know you asked this question long before we knew Protas and McMichael both made the opening roster. And, no, Eller has not been traded.
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The question at the moment is this: Which one of the youngsters will be in the lineup Wednesday night vs. Boston? Protas had a stronger preseason but McMichael has played in roughly twice as many NHL games — 33 vs. 68.
What’s the deal with Kody Clark? — Kev M.
He’s battling a lower-body injury. He’s still in Washington and is currently evaluating his options. Since he’s still here, that makes me think surgery is on the table.
When Wilson returns around the holidays, do you think MacLellan is more inclined to risk losing a player to waivers or trade for a future asset and maybe a little cap relief (read: Eller and a mid-round pick for a mid-round pick)? — Andrew P.
As long as Backstrom is on LTIR, the Caps can fit Wilson without making any additional moves. And as I hinted earlier, I don’t expect Hagelin to play this season, so that’s another $2.75 million on LTIR.
Seems a lot of guys that are traded here, or are picked up in free agency, want to stay, which works to our advantage. How quickly do we sign Dylan Strome, who IMO could be a long-term No. 2 center? — Mara X.
Strome has made a good first impression but my gut tells me both the team and player want to try each other on and make sure there’s a fit before committing long-term.
(Top photo of Connor McMichael celebrating: Geoff Burke / USA Today)
