Running 2014 NHL Offseason Thread

The Caps are signing the entire Penguins roster. I don't know how to feel about this.

 

Niskanen and Orpik are probably good additions on defense. Perhaps they will go after goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury via trade.

 

Orpiks awful

 

He's no worse than Mike Green defensively. That's a lot of scratch for Orpik, though. Caps also signed Justin Peters, a clear sign that they want to keep Holtby as the No. 1 guy going forward.

 

Love the Penguins about as much as anyone loves anything. But I'm having trouble figuring out why there was a lockout if the Caps are going to give Brooks Orpik that kind of cash. Not to mention Calgary giving 3/$8.7 to a defenseman that wasn't even good enough to stick on defense last year.

 

There was a lockout because 57% is a lot more than 50%.

 

What to do when one of your favourite players is traded to your most hated team? I am deeply conflicted. JR laughed his ass off when I told him.

 

I'll give the Caps credit for addressing their most pressing needs. Scoring isn't the problem. They missed the playoffs last year because they were a) horrendous with two-goal leads, losing something like 14 times when they got one; b) were the kings of giving up a goal immediately after scoring one; and c) because Oates spent the entire year fucking with Holtby's head by trying that asinine three goalie setup.

All three of those issues were addressed by yesterday's moves. There's no doubt they overpaid for Orpik, but Caps fans have been clamoring forever for the team to get some actual top-4 blueliners, and they seemed to get two of them yesterday. Behind Alzner and Carlson, Washington was putrid on defense. My only sadness is that there probably isn't enough space left to sign Grabovski, who I really liked as a No. 2 center. Kuznetsov is going to be really good, really fast, I think, and I would expect Tom Wilson to take a bit of a step forward offensively this season. Really curious to see how it all works out.

 

Will the Goose remove Shanahan's shrine after he let Bolland walk to Florida, of all places?

 

Who cares about THAT? RYAN MILLER IS A FREAKIN' CANUCK! :'(

 

And the Canucks have just signed former Battalion guy Bobby Sanguinetti

 

Oh yeah, I saw that....

Wasn't long ago Sanguinetti was a first-rounder to the Rangers, played in the KHL last season. Might be a cheap addition to the Canucks blue line.