Hot Take - Caps Should Trade Ovechkin

[Jouko-Pouko]

Sure. But some teams are building and some teams are not. I don't think you could reasonably argue the caps are building for their chance. This was their pinnacle. Two straight President's trophy. Top 5 in basically every category.

Over 1/3 of their team needs new contracts this season. Some are UFAs and some are RFAs. 29 other teams losing doesn't mean 29 teams should blow it up, but it would be silly to say 29 teams losing means 29 teams should stay the course.

What's that quote on the definition of insanity? Caps have been doing the same thing for 13 years for now. Eventually, you're just banging your head on the wall so you can bleed from the forehead.

Pretty clearly talking about the team there.

I just don't believe the thought that teams always need to become horrible to become good again in 10 years maybe. When you have a generational talent like Ovechkin, you build around him until he retires. You can rebuild after that, you just need to continue building around him while he's still playing. You don't do it forever, just as long as Ovechkin's career continues. Ovechkin is in my mind the best goal-scorer to ever play the game, so you don't want fans to remember him playing for any other team in the league. Players like him don't come along too often, his legacy will live on for another 40 years.

And why is it so obvious that he's talking about the team? It's not clear from the quote you shared but I don't know if there's more to it. He talks about a team he doesn't feel he's part of anymore.

[rataylor22]

I just don't believe the thought that teams always need to become horrible to become good again in 10 years maybe. When you have a generational talent like Ovechkin, you build around him until he retires. You can rebuild after that, you just need to continue building around him while he's still playing. You don't do it forever, just as long as Ovechkin's career continues. Ovechkin is in my mind the best goal-scorer to ever play the game, so you don't want fans to remember him playing for any other team in the league. Players like him don't come along too often, his legacy will live on for another 40 years.

And why is it so obvious that he's talking about the team? It's not clear from the quote you shared but I don't know if there's more to it. He talks about a team he doesn't feel he's part of anymore.

Trading Ovechkin isn't going to make the Caps horrible. He's a 30 goal 9 million dollar winger. Trading Ovechkin is probably going to make the Caps....similar to what they are now. Get rid of Ovechkin and replace his minutes with Burakovsky and Vrana, and they are probably similar or even a little bit better. The Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie line was miles more effective than that same line with Ovechkin, and you aren't even accounting for the players and depth 9.5 million in cap space can add.

Ovechkin has been a generational talent. But he's 32 and....not anymore. He's not like Sid where he's maintain/changing his game to stay as good as he always was, he's already declining. Ovechkin was the best pure goal scorer to ever play. But that doesn't mean he's the best pure goal scorer in the NHL today. In terms of goal scoring, I'd take Kucherov, Matthews, Tank, Laine, Pastrnak, Malkin, Rakell, Simmonds for sure over him. That's just the top of that list. And all those guys are far more effective complete players than Ovechkin.

This isn't about Ovechkin's legacy. This is about what Ovechkin is now. What he is, is an overpaid 30 goal scorer who is a liability 5v5. You can't keep building around him because his age and cap hit prevent that. When you have players contributing 2/3 of what their cap hit is, in a league that's increasingly becoming more cap intelligent, team building is HARD.

[Rodgort]

So should the Ducks now trade Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler because that was likely their best shot to win as well?

Yes this is mostly being snarky but I feel it fits the same type of discussion haha

[newfcollins]

If I was Anaheim, I would consider trading Perry after his hot playoff run. Might be the last chance to sell high on a 32-year-old on the decline that is making $8.6 million for the next four years.

[agentzero]

To sell high on a 32-year-old on the decline that is making $8.6 million for the next four years....

...You need a buyer..!

On those terms, I don't see a buyer. Perry isn't going anywhere.. Neither is Ovechkin. You don't get any proper return when you trade a mega star like that. You just gotta live with him and insulate him. The Caps had a chance, they just have to beat Pittsburgh, which has shown to be the better team. Losing in 7 games to the better team, no shame in that. They are just better.. Imagine how the guy swimming in Lane 6 next to Michael Phelps felt all these years? Was he supposed to switch sports because he was tired of winning silver medals? Washington will just have to settle for its silver medals, while Pittsburgh collects their (black and) gold.

WSH's mistake was messing with their 2010 team.. They ran into Jaro Halak who channeled Hasek.. They didn't need to change so drastically, but they spemt a few seasons messing around there and it did that core in, IMO.

[Jouko-Pouko]

If I was Anaheim, I would consider trading Perry after his hot playoff run. Might be the last chance to sell high on a 32-year-old on the decline that is making $8.6 million for the next four years.

I totally agree. Ovechkin at $9.5M for another 3 years or Perry at $8.6M for another 4 years - I'm definitely taking Ovechkin. Ovechkin's contract doesn't look great these days but Perry's contract is much worse. He looked like a 4th liner in many games.

[rataylor22]

So should the Ducks now trade Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler because that was likely their best shot to win as well?

Yes this is mostly being snarky but I feel it fits the same type of discussion haha

Getzlaf, no. He dominated in a way that Ovechkin and the other two didn't. Kesler and Perry? Yea they should actually. Those contracts are terrible, they're declining, and Kesler is one of the biggest reasons Anaheim lost that series. He got run over by a train all series.

Be "snarky" if you want, but honest evaluation of those players and the Ducks cap leads to the pretty obvious conclusion that they should trade those two if they can. So instead, I'll thank you for Starkly making my point obvious.

I totally agree. Ovechkin at $9.5M for another 3 years or Perry at $8.6M for another 4 years - I'm definitely taking Ovechkin. Ovechkin's contract doesn't look great these days but Perry's contract is much worse. He looked like a 4th liner in many games.

And Ovechkin played like a third liner pretty much all season at even strength. Both contracts look terrible for what the player is giving you.

[rataylor22]

Value at an all time high right now, time for the caps to take this seriously lol

[StuntMan12]

To Montreal: Alex Ovechkin
To Washington: Max Pacioretty, Alex Galcenyuk, 2018 1st Round Pick, $10,000,000 CASH (Gretzky style)

[GinFizz]

Montreal just called and they said "What are you out of your mind?"