In response to red75's comment:

I think Mike O'Connell had a similar thought process in 2005.

I don't envy either.  Both teams are pitiful and will not be relevant for at least the next five years.

I don't know if there's a lot of "franchise faces" but there's definitely some quality out there potentially on the UFA market this summer - Getzlaf, Iggy, Perry, Streit, Backstrom, Horton, Raymond, Semin, Bouchard, Howard, Clowe, Penner, Ribeiro, Ryder, Morrow, Cleary, Elias etc. Plenty of options for a team with $30 million in cap space.

In response to red75's comment:

That's a great bunch of guys.  I will go on the record and state that at least 75% of them have deals in place before they become UFAs.  Just because a guy hasn't received an extention on his contract five months early, it doesn't mean he'll be jettisoned by his current team.  There is no way in helllllll that Anaheim allows Getzlaf and Perry to walk.  I can't imagine offense starved Washington waving goodbye to Backstrom.  No way Chiarelli sees Horton go.  Iginla (his real name, spelled correctly) is a very valuable player.  He won't be leaving without a big trade.  Why would the Islanders lose Streit?  How did Mason Raymond sneak in there?  Semin...maybe.  Who's Bouchard?  The guy that Jonathan beat up?  Jimmy Howard is no prize.  The rest of those guys are typical UFA candidates.

the other Backstrom - the goalie.

In response to red75's comment:

Why would a team be excited about an old goalie that was never more than average in his prime?

Just listing those who could be attractive to teams with space - Backstrom will get attention as a backup or for a tandem.

This is what I was trying to get at the other day - lots of talent looking for work this offseason; many more $$s to be bought than teams willing to spend. I was shot down in my argument that Horton's best deal will come from the Bs. I think this thread speaks to that - I really don't see a ton of huge spenders out there and, if there are, they're bigger splashes to be made than Horton. I think he stays put.

Wonder if something like Ovechkin to Colorado makes sense? Maybe with the O'Reilley stalemate there's something there.

Man, Elias would looks great in black & gold. Oh well.

What is Oates trying to do in Washington? Looking at some of his decisons and changes to the team, it's almost like he's trying to lose his job.

 

Why move Ovechkin from his natural position, and seperate him from Backstrom? Makes no sense.

Looks like Caps are struggling. Yet many people in their pre-season predictions always have Caps way up in the standings. Caps are a team that was built wrong a long time ago ... you don't build a team around the winger position.

This post has been removed.

In response to shuperman's comment:

You just refuse to put CAP hits when discussing trades and please don't use Barnaby as a reference as far as what GMs shoud do as far as roster are concerns (game breakdowns is fine). The return for Luongo and Ovie as far as thier skill is one thing but the contracts spell doom for any good return.

I actually agree with the OP that caps must be thinking of trading Ovechkin. He's been getting noticably worse the past two years: his shot totals are trending down, his point totals are way down, he hasn't adjusted to new defensive looks, and he isn't responding to coaching. Ovechkin is also not the same youthful personality he used to be, he appears depressed, sedated, annoyed most of the time. As an ex-DC resident, I can attest that the guy used to spend wayyy to many nights out partying, and I wonder (total speculation here) if the guy is into painkillers. His game has really taken a hit. the current player he is is absolutely not worth the cap hit.

 

The thing is, where do you put ovechkin? would a contending team really think about bringing in a player like him onto a team when he doesn't listen to the coach? I really can't imagine it happening. the only teams that could even really afford him are teams like the Bruins with a ton of cap space and a need for offense, and I just don't see that happening--no matter how bad our PP is.

Look at this MASSIVE decline in Alexander Ovechkin's on-ice corsi rating

2007-2008: 10th in the league
2008-2009: 11th in the league
2009-2010: 5th in the league
2010-2011: 45th in the league
2011-2012: 355th in the league


It's pretty easy to interpret this data: from 2007-2010. When Alexander Ovechkin was on the ice, his team was assaulting its opponent with shots and scoring chances. Ovie was the kind of player that was the reason for the phrase "he tilts the ice against his opponents". Now, when Ovechkin is on the ice, the opposite is true. He's a liability, and he isn't even fun any more.

This post has been removed.

In response to Olsonic's comment:

On-ice corsi rating is so important, also.  There is no better way to evaluate talent than to use some made up stats.  Let's take a look at the current leaders in on-ice corsi:

1.  Andy Miele

2.  Bobby Butler

3.  Brad Richardson

4.  Jake Muzzin

5.  Benn Ferriero

6.  Dustin Penner

7.  Justin Williams

8.  Alec Martinez

9.  Jeremy Welsh

10. Stephane Dacosta

I have a hard time believing that there are GMs lining up for career suicide by trading for Alexi Yashin Ver. 2.0.  I think OV will get bought out before his contract is over.

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment:

 

NAS brings up a good point, I should clarify for the scientifically illiterate. In order to boost the sample size, you have to adjust the default filters for games played, cause it will lump in guys that have only played a couple shifts in a single game. (There's an average TOI filter you can use too, but I'm too lazy to use it). I obviously made the GP adjustment when listing Ovechkin's Corsi data (The amazing things you learn in a high-school level statistics class).

Example when filtering for 60 GP @ 5v5 in the 2011-2012 Season:

1) Patrice Bergeron
2) Tyler Seguin
3) Justin Williams
4) Daneil Sedin
5) Brad Marchand
6) Chris Kunitz
7) Anze Kopitar
8) Pavel Datsyuk
9) Henrik Sedin
10) Evgeni Malkin

when you do, it's so obvious looking @ these numbers year to year that they reflect both the players that are so good on offense that they don't have to play defense (like Henrik Sedin, and the old version of Alex Ovechkin) and the players that are good on offense but fantastic on defense (like the selke winners you constantly see on this list, Kesler, Bergeron, Datsyuk, Toews). Theres also the guys that get carried by their line-mates, and know their roles (like Marchand, Clowe, Kunitz). Kinda just gotta use subjective interpretation with it comes to those guys.

So yeah, it's super noticeable how Ovie has declined by looking at the corsi numbers.

 

 

 

In response to SanDogBrewin's comment:

It was a fun question ya prude.  

In response to red75's comment:

red.  The problem is getting even one of them interested in going to winnipeg.  If they wanna over pay for penner the rest of nhl is smiling.  Of that list getz and perry would be the only ones worthy of a long term deal.   i love the winnipeg story.  But they must build through the draft bc i just dont see a lot of players wanting to go there. M 

Ovie in a B's uni is not happening.   However, if the Caps do become sellers, I would love to see the Bruins go after Chimera or Brouwer.

In response to lucdufour's comment:

 

Ovie in a B's uni is not happening.   However, if the Caps do become sellers, I would love to see the Bruins go after Chimera or Brouwer.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

the funny thing about the whole idea is, I think he's close to what the bruins need: a one way offensive player that can play on the wing. I mean, the guy does a fair amount of hitting too, he's probably the most-bruins-like russian that has ever existed in terms of his willingness to get dirty in the corners.

 

yeah, the guy can't play a lick of defense and CJ would hate him, but we've got plenty of other guys that can play the defensive role, and maybe if the Caps could eat part of his contract (can't you do that in the new NHL?) he wouldn't be a bad fit. it's actually possible Ovie would love getting away from the captain role which he hates in DC. theres no question in Boston who the leader is. Ovie would fit in nicely.

LOL this is really funny to speculate on. It would probably cost us Dougie Hamilton and David Krejci to make it worthwhile to the caps fan base (who would be on suicide watch after this kind of deal) 

OVECHKIN TO THE BRUINS!

hockey wise, they should 100% trade him if they can. Business wise they can't 

In response to Olsonic's comment:

Isn't it just as noticeable when looking at his goals and assists?

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment:

........or better yet.  

Watching the Caps play and comparing what he does on the ice to years past .

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment:

 

In response to Olsonic's comment:

 

So yeah, it's super noticeable how Ovie has declined by looking at the corsi numbers.

 

Isn't it just as noticeable when looking at his goals and assists?

 

 

Yeah, points can help tell the story, but I think shot differential is more useful indicator of how the game goes when you are on the ice. And yeah, anyone who watches Ovie play now can tell something is wrong, but corsi helps to quantify your subjective interpretation. And since its something that aggregates over every single game of the year(like all statistics), it allows you to check whether your interpretation holds true for a long period of time, so Chowdahkid doesn't have to watch every single game that Ovie plays just to come to the same conclusion (don't you have OHL, QMJHL, AHL and Pewee games to watch?). It's called having evidence to support your beliefs so you don't make a mistake, it's a recognition that you're prone to make an error if you leave your opinions to a small sample size.

 

It's no surprise that corsi falling off dramatically mirrors what chowdah claims you might think from watching him play.. THATS THE POINT. That's why it's a valuable statistic. And because shots happen more often than points, you can make a more accurate prediction about future behavior. Thats why I'm saying Ovechkin is truly cooked in Washington. It isn't that he's snake bitten or is missing the net, the guys is simply not effective at all any more.

Truly cooked,  i need an explanation.  4 g 4 a in 12 games.  Iggy is notorious for slow starts but always get his pts.  In ovi last season he had 38 goals and 65 pts.  Thats his worst year.  He isnt 35.  

If 38 goals and 65 pts means hes cooked give me 6 of them.  Money aside hes a pure superstar.  

I thik the last week or so hes ben coming around.  Why they had him with beagle n crabb baffles me.  Is he a 50 goal machine anymore?  Maybe not.  But if he cranks 30 plus goals in his bad yrs i wouldnt call that done.  Not worthy of 9 million.  But not cooked either