Time will tell which moves work and which moves don’t.
Articles like this are easy to write; what always amazes me is when the articles discuss who was added to a team–NOT who has left a team. Or who still needs to be traded from a team to fit the new free agent into the lineup.
Shiny and new always seems to be the best approach in the off season; lose a great D man to another team; and then add a D man makes a team improved you say; and why is that?
Free agency is a fun time — a risky time — and is just one of the ways a team can improve; draft — trades — internal promotions; free agency — trade deadline moves. We will use them all. That is all we can do.
Sorry we aren’t making big news Caps fans in free agency; but we will improve — we will use all of our tools; I am confident in that plan of attack. And haven’t we earned a benefit of the doubt — I guess not with OFB?. Time will tell who is right or wrong; I shall save this one to discuss at a later time.
Let’s take a look at the teams that have been in and especially those who won the Stanley Cup in the last 3 seasons: Pit vs. Det., Det. vs. Pit, Phil. vs. Chicago. Everyone of them made huge moves, including the strange Hossa theme, to improve themselves in their quest for the Cup. They all had very good defense and were strong up the middle and the Caps obviously are not. The Caps have been headed in the right direction and we all definitely appreciate that but I think it’s generally understood that the only thing that delivers the benefit of the doubt is a championship. Beyond that, when every other team requires certain improvements to win a cup, isn’t it a little crazy to think the Caps are somehow the exception to the rule?
All us caps fans want is for you to take a risk! This team has needed a physical defenseman for years and has failed to get one every chance it has gotten. The front office seems to think that the run and gun will win stanley cups. The run and gun will win presidents trophies, but not stanley cups. 16th in goals allowed is not going to win stanley cups. Take a risk. We all know that something is going to have to be given up to get what is needed. Just do it!
Everything that needs to be said to reply to this post has already been said.
You get the benefit of the doubt when you EARN IT, Ted.
This fanbase has been chewed up and spit out too many times over the years to just sit back and watch this soft-as-a-baby’s-bottom team get bounced out of the playoffs in the 1st or 2nd round again.
Ticket prices keep going up, but the end result is the same…disappointment.
Ted,
For someone like you who claims to have a very hands-off approach in letting GMGM handle the roster moves, you sure do spend a lot of time defending those decisions that you had nothing to do with.
Food for thought.
I like to consider myself open minded and can see both sides of this argument. I don’t know that overspending for D would be a good idea. However, all of the Caps competition seems to have markedly improved in the last few days.
I really hope you are right, Ted.
I like Pucksandbooks’ response. How about a friendly wager? Although I think that, where you to lose, you should donate money to charity as well.
With a 30% increase in my season tickets I expect the front office to put forward a 30% increase into builidng a winning team.
“And haven’t we earned a benefit of the doubt”
Well, the Caps have won one playoff series since you bought the team, so no, you haven’t earned any benefit of the doubt.
How,exactly, has McPhee earned the benefit of a doubt?
He has failed to address our defensive woes year after year.
After year.
As a Capitals fan since their inception, I can say that nothing about being a Caps fan is easy. It is just a difference of opinion. I am completely on board with developing system talent. However, I also believe that every team need is not going to come from within and as a result an occasional free agent signing is needed. A rugged defensive defenseman has been a team need for three years now, the system does not have such a player, and as a result the fan base is growing irritated that such an obvious need is being ignored. I will be rocking the red every season but I will be much happier once this is addressed.
Generally agree about lack of moves, but based on factors not mentioned by Ted. For example, we can develop prospect C during the regular season and make a move at the trade deadline.
A lot of stupid UFA contracts. But, we should have been in on Zybnek at that $ point. He would have solidified our D at a reasonable price for years to come with no loss of assets. We shouldn’t have Erskine or Sloan as a #6, period. Kind of embarassing for a team of our calibre actually.
No benefit, just doubt. Too many first rounds and out. A good team that can win on offense in the regular season, but lacking proven playoff defense needed to win. There is no evident upgrade in this area thus far for next year, so why should fans believe anything will be different?
There are arguments on both side of the fence here. I agree with the plan but I also think the blue line has no fear factor as I wrote in my blog. There also needs to be a consistent center for the second line. A defenseman who bangs bodies every night and a center, like Belanger who can win draws and make plays. Where he comes from (Draft, Hershey, Trade, or FA) I don’t care. It is evident though that those two things would help greatly. Now OFB wrote about getting by the Devils, Flyers and Penguins. I think these 3 teams were handled last year by the Caps, and will be again. Montreal however, was our demise along with Halak. Halak is now gone and Alzner and Carlson will be here full time. Lets see what pans out, I have a good feeling about it personally! But if Ted is going to pay for Hawaii…I’ll get in on this as well!!
Amen Ted! You’re following the correct path!
Boy, OFB only risks $500, maybe a grand … and he wants you to wager airfare and a week in Hawaii … that’s better value odds than gambling in the free agent market for OFB, no?
Earned the benefit of the doubt why? The team has underachieved in the playoffs big time. And the “time will tell” line wears very thin after 35 years of failure………….
What’s more, I’m watching Holmgren go completely off his head in free agency and thinking that there might be a hell of an opportunity there. The Flyers make an offer for Kovalchuk? I would love to see him sign with the Flyers, if that means they’re forced to trade both Carter and Gagne. I’d KILL to see McPhee seize that opportunity and trade a baby goalie and some picks and prospects to the Flyers and land Carter as a 2C behind Backstrom. THAT scenario is FAR FAR better than anything that was on the market at C on July 1.
Ted-
Fans come, games sell out. We are living up to our part of the bargain. The Caps we very lucky to get the right to draft Ovy. Take away that gift from god, where would the Caps be? GM has little to do with it.
Time for management to do their part. Quit rewarding these soft players. Use them as assets and bring in guys to finish the job. No one is saying rebuild, but reload.
The annual playoffs failures are tough to take. Add in Strasburg, McNabb, Wall, the Caps have blown their chance to control this town.
Enough already. If you want the cup, grab it. No one is gonna give it to you.
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Benefit of a doubt? Ted, the Caps suffered one of the worst upsets of all time! I’m not saying it would have been wise to go into free agency with guns (and checkbook) blazing, but I can certainly understand why some fans would be anxious.
So Ted, basically you’re saying that you won’t make changes in coaching/management if (and invariably when) the Caps get knocked out in the first round again?
The key to a winning strategy is the willingness to tweak it once in a while to fit the new situation before you. Not forcing a square peg into a round hole.
Gotta win more than 1 playoff series every 11 seasons to earn the benefit of the doubt…
I think you perfectly brought up the disagreement. As a lifelong Caps fan, no – I truly and simply don’t believe you have earned the benefit of the doubt.
In all fairness Ted time has told the tail. You are now in the 5th year of your latest “5 year plan”, and despite having the best player in the world, all you have to show for it is 1 playoff series win in in over a decade!
You refuse to address the weakensses of this team and contimue with the same practices that has made us a pretender instead of a true contender, and have set us up for all these playoff failures.
Time HAS told who was right and who was wrong. Many of us who TRULY know hte game were right, and you were wrong.
3 out of 4 playoff series lost in 3 years. One playoff series win in 12 years. Winning in the playoffs earns the benefit of the doubt. Not addressing the lack of playoff mentality in the locker room does not.
Making snarky blog posts about dedicated and excellent local caps coverage also does not
I thought Snark was dead Ted. Seems to me you’re ‘saving’ a lot of posts for later. I for one hope you’re right, but saving posts for later only to say, “I told you so” is snarky and rude. Makes you less likable.
Ted,
You earn the benefit of the doubt when you advance past the first round. Caps definitely took a step back last season regardless the reason they lost to MTRL.
While we all can be monday morning quarterbacks when you see your direct competition in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Tampa Bay all stocking up you sometimes need to tweak your plans.
I don’t think many Caps fans thought a huge free agent was needed but some holes still need to be filled that are currently not in the organization.
I think the article is dead-on and really speaks to what bugged me last year. I would hear how much “depth” the Caps had at defense. Usually “depth” connotes quality, not quantity.
Being deep with below average veteran D-men doesn’t mean much when it comes down to the playoffs, especially when your coaching staff doesn’t make the necessary adjustments to counterattack a trap-style defense.
I’m willing to wait and see this season. But if after the playoffs are said and done and the Capitals have yet another early exit, will you finally admit that this system isn’t working and change?
Your current GM has only one playoff win in 12 seasons. That isn’t exactly a resume you want for a GM. Just saying.
I think even the biggest supporters of the CAPS realize we need to upgrade the D to go far into the playoffs. GM McPhee seems to be the only that does not think so, and in the end (when is that ??) he may be right….but how many years do we have to watch the Pens take franchise players and reinvent themselves for another run at the cup before he’s questioned by ownership ?? 11+ years and “his” team has one playoff victory…and that was a tough one at that…..
I think you earn the benefit of the doubt after you’ve won a cup.
Loved reading another “we’ll see who’s right or wrong (Big Teddy/GMGM or the caps fans you continue to alienate yourself from.
As long as you do something to improve people will be happy. You need to understand the fans unease. Watching a first round debacle followed by defections causes panic. Especially when our 2 most hated rivals keeps being aggressive,and those are teams that actually accomplished something the last 2 postseasons. As of now we look to be content with an underachieving club, that is why fans are nervous and reactionary.
One playoff series win (barely) in 12 years is hardly reason to expect the benefit of the doubt. I know you are selling out games and hitting goals in that area. Also doing great things with the fan base but I think it only hurts frustrations when you say things like benefit of the doubt. You have to win something to get that and honestly mentioning the regular season only rubs it in even more.
This is a fan base that has never had a championship. Run by a GM that has failed to do anything in the playoff’s for a very long time. Benefit of the doubt? Really? Why would you expect that?
OFB made strong points and they were not far fetched at all. Either is your opinion. However after losing to lower seeds so often I would expect you to be a little less confident about this. As the “nay sayers” are proven right every playoff year.
I believe !!! You tried buying big name …. FAIL
So slow and steady ….. Don’t mess with presidents trophy winning team.
And I’ll watch team mature and grow.