Is Nylander a bad deal or just plain bad?

by ChrisAm on Feb 21, 2009 4:53 PM EST

As the trade deadline approaches and the calls for a Nylander trade become more intense, the question on my mind is whether he is truly a bad player or just a bad cap hit. Put another way, if Nylander were a $1M cap hit rather than a $5M cap hit, would the Caps still be better off trading Nylander- the player as opposed to the cap hit- for a goalie, a D-Man, or a bag of pucks, assuming the Caps would not receive a forward in return? Because this Caps’ season is ultimately going to be judged during a time when salary cap considerations and player roster numbers no longer matter- and that time is fast approaching- should Nyls be a part of the playoff run and if so to what degree? Can the Caps field a noticeably better 4 line rotation with him scratched and if so what would it look like?

Even with Feds fading, this is the best I can come up with for playoff lines without Nyls:

8-19-25

28-91-21

14-39-16

56/83/87-15-10

I’m not sure this better. Thoughts?

Poll

Michael Nylander - bad deal or just plain bad?

Bad deal

26 votes

Just plain bad

14 votes

40 votes | Poll has closed

If this FanPost is written by someone other than one of the blog's editors, the opinions expressed in it do not necessarily reflect those of this blog or SB Nation.

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Comments

Nylander is not that bad he is just overpaid. If you look at his numbers he is a role player while on the caps that serves a purpose but will never knock your socks off. You cannot really fault him for accepting massive amounts of money.

He is not getting traded because why in the world would someone pick up a 5 million dollar third line center?

You cannot scratch him because if you are my GM and you scratch the 5 million dollar FA from about 18 months ago I am going to put my foot in your @$$.

So you have what we will have. A third line center that is overpaid but plays within his limits and seems to perhaps offer a veteran presence on a younger team. He does have 2 game winning goals and he has been around for a long time. We lead the SE by double digits and we have a very good shot at making a run in the playoffs. I cannot imagine rocking the boat too much.

by pigeonhed on Feb 21, 2009 5:19 PM EST reply actions

You cannot scratch him because if you are my GM and you scratch the 5 million dollar FA from about 18 months ago I am going to put my foot in your @$$.

If I’m a GM and the coach is making decision about who plays based on how much money they make, I’m considering getting a new coach.

by David Getz on Feb 21, 2009 7:21 PM EST up reply actions

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 7:25 PM EST up reply actions

If I’m an owner and the player I’m paying 5 million dollars two is getting scratched, I’m considering getting a new GM.

How the HELL does Shaone Morrisonn keep getting a sweater?

by Whiter Mage on Feb 22, 2009 1:16 AM EST up reply actions

There’s a major difference between a player who was signed to play in a completely different system being an exception to the rule of a general manager making good decisions and a coach whose fundamental team management strategy is flawed.

by David Getz on Feb 22, 2009 11:30 AM EST up reply actions

It may not be nice but it is the way the world works. No matter how just you intend the world to be people are human. Your coach knows how much money was invested into the player and the organization works together to make everyone better. I would have to guess the entire team (Owner, GM, Coach and Players) want Nylander to be an important part of the team. They hope that he will turn the corner and produce. His numbers are not horrible they are just disappointing based upon expectations.
Nylander: 7 G 20 A 27 pts 3+ 28 pm
Those are not bad numbers if you forget what he makes.

by pigeonhed on Feb 22, 2009 10:27 AM EST up reply actions

Part of the job of the coach is make decision about what’s best for the team regardless of what emotional factors play in (the same can be said of GM’s – trading Bondra is a good example). I think Boudreau’s generally done a good job of it – he’s scratched Nylander this year and scratched Pothier after a bad game last year.

by David Getz on Feb 22, 2009 11:27 AM EST up reply actions

Just plain bad

Chalk my vote up for “just plain bad” (and maybe it’s worth adding a poll to this post?). I’d rather have Keith Aucoin, Jay Beagle or Chris Bourque in the lineup, and I’d rather have Steckel centering the third line. Nylander’s offensive woes are disappointing, but his complete inability to play defense and his frequent penalties leave me with no confidence in him. At least Steckel is defensively solid.

by Gould Old Days on Feb 21, 2009 6:52 PM EST reply actions

I wish I knew how to add a poll. Great idea.

If it ain't broke, don't break it.

by ChrisAm on Feb 21, 2009 7:38 PM EST up reply actions

Ta-da!

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 10:50 PM EST up reply actions

One day you won’t have to clean up my fanposts. Thx.

If it ain't broke, don't break it.

by ChrisAm on Feb 22, 2009 8:49 AM EST up reply actions

No worries at all.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Feb 22, 2009 8:51 AM EST up reply actions

I think Nylander is, more than anything, a bad fit on this team. Get him in an offensive system that fits his style and I’ll answer the bad versus bad deal question.

by David Getz on Feb 21, 2009 7:22 PM EST reply actions

Agreed.

Bad fit? Yes.

Bad attitude? Possibly.

Bad effort? Probably.

Bad deal? Definitely.

Bad player? No.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 7:26 PM EST up reply actions

And to clarify that penultimate question, the deal is only really bad in retrospect – at the time, it may have been a little long and a little high on the dollars, but the Caps needed a #1 center and it should have worked. Don’t forget (and this is a point too frequently overlooked), Nylander was signed to play for Glen Hanlon’s Caps, not Bruce Boudreau’s Caps, and he had 19 points in 21 games for Hugs, whose ideas on how to play the game were a much better fit for Nyls’ style.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 7:32 PM EST up reply actions

And while I agree 100%, I also think it’s crazy. In 2007 if you’d described the Boudreau system to me and asked me if Nylander would be a better fit in Hanlon’s system or Boudreau’s, I’d have said Boudreau’s. I find it strange that he has turned out to be such a bad fit. But sometimes you just don’t know these things until you try them.

by Gould Old Days on Feb 21, 2009 8:06 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed

Confidence is such an under-appreciated facet of the game and I think that’s largely the problem with Nylander. A problem that from the outside may go unnoticed and lead to the perception that he’s simply hit a wall in his career and no longer capable of being a productive scoring-line player. He may no longer be a top-line, point-per-game player but I’m pretty confident that if he was traded and put on a scoring-line with decent wingers he’d be much more productive than he is in DC. He’s been misutilized and that’s led to his play’s decline and apparent apathy at times. It’s been pretty clear that Boudreau doesn’t like what he brings to the table and Nylander has given him little reason to reconsider. Ideally one would hope that a more pragmatic approach is taken to integrate him further into the team but that ship seems to have sailed not just on the coaching staff’s part but Nylander’s.

Something has to give but with the reluctance around the league to take on salary it might be a very tough sell for GMGM.

by Langway on Feb 21, 2009 10:29 PM EST up reply actions

Most of us probably would have said: “who’s Bruce Boudreau?”

by Sct112 on Feb 25, 2009 5:15 PM EST up reply actions

In 2007 if you’d described the Boudreau system to me and asked me if Nylander would be a better fit in Hanlon’s system or Boudreau’s, I’d have said Boudreau’s.

I don’t think I would have. Nyls is an East/West player, not a North/South guy (actually, he’s East/South/West/North, repeat).

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 10:49 PM EST up reply actions

If it ain't broke, don't break it.

by ChrisAm on Feb 22, 2009 8:53 AM EST up reply actions

Comment of the month.

by grapejoos on Feb 22, 2009 9:34 PM EST up reply actions

[…] at the time, it may have been a little long and a little high on the dollars, but the Caps needed a #1 center and it should have worked. Don’t forget (and this is a point too frequently overlooked), Nylander was signed to play for Glen Hanlon’s Caps, not Bruce Boudreau’s Caps

That point can’t be stressed enough.

by David Getz on Feb 21, 2009 9:07 PM EST up reply actions

Dear GMGM

Please stop making No Trade agreements.

by hotdog88gt on Feb 22, 2009 12:12 PM EST reply actions

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