Ranking the Capitals: #34

by J.P. on Sep 5, 2009 8:17 PM EDT

In an effort to beat the summer doldrums, we're undertaking to rank - with your help - the Washington Capitals, from Ovechkin to, well, we'll see (only players under contract will be considered). The criteria is simple: who at this moment is the most valuable player in the organization who hasn't already been ranked? Put another way, if you could only keep one of the remaining players - because of what he brings on the ice or off it, his upside, what he could fetch in trade, and so on - who would it be? Consider age, potential, contract status, organizational depth, etc. - it's your call. And after you vote and defend your selection in the comments, help us out and suggest a name to add to the next poll. [Note: previous "Ranking the Capitals" posts can be found here."]

Welcome Francois Bouchard to the list, and Zach Miskovic to the poll...

Poll

Who's the next most valuable Cap?

Jay Beagle

12 votes

Viktor Dovgan

3 votes

Joe Finley

4 votes

Alexandre Giroux

12 votes

Josh Godfrey

9 votes

Andrew Gordon

7 votes

Quintin Laing

22 votes

Zach Miskovic

0 votes

Michael Nylander

10 votes

Kyle Wilson

1 votes

80 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

by kcfatts on Sep 5, 2009 9:37 PM EDT reply actions

acknowledging he might never climb out of the minors, i like godfrey’s talent set. because of the caps’ own up-and-down tempo and because every NHL team is on the lookout for an offensive defenseman or two. at the very least he has an NHL-ready slap shot.

by Natty Bumppo on Sep 5, 2009 9:45 PM EDT reply actions

This is my vote. He’s the only guy on the list that another GM would actually offer anything of value for.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 6, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions

"My face is my mask."

by Jake Shapiro on Sep 5, 2009 10:20 PM EDT reply actions

Ok. I’m drunk, and Nylander has turned into everything people hate, but come on.. he’s gotta be put up there soon.

by Laich on Sep 5, 2009 10:43 PM EDT reply actions

Dude — that’s pretty drunk

Atta dinnin stick a who!

by Gould Old Days on Sep 5, 2009 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

No he doesn’t. He’s the only guy on the list you can look at and say ‘the Capitals would be better off as an organization without him’.

by David Getz on Sep 6, 2009 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I think voting for Nylander is very defensible at this point. Sure: on-ice value is skewed by the fact that he really, really doesn’t fit on this team and doesn’t seem to have any desire to try to fit, and off-ice (i.e., trade) value is skewed by his salary and his NMC. Still, I think he could potentially be much more valuable (on-ice) to another NHL team, and so I don’t think he’s completely without trade value. I can’t imagine Laing or Giroux bringing more in a trade, for example. Yes, the Caps would surely give him away for nothing at this point, but there are enough idiot GMs out there that I could imagine someone giving up a 3rd or a 4th for him at the deadline. And maybe I shouldn’t even say “idiot” – for the right team, with the right system, a 4th rounder for a year and change of Nylander at $4.5m might not be such a bad deal.

by blanket on Sep 6, 2009 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

If the Capitals could swing a deal to get Nylander out of town, wouldn’t they have already done it?

by David Getz on Sep 6, 2009 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions

But we’re at a point in the polls where everyone on it has extremely limited value, at best.

So what would Nylander’s limited value be at this point? A veteran plug-in when injuries to non-4th liners occur, or maybe as trade bait for another team that is absolutely desperate for offense? Crazier things have happened than a rash of injuries at the same time, or a GM taking on a horrible contract in order to try and salvage a season.

You’re right that the Caps would be a better organization without Nylander, but they also wouldn’t skip a beat if they lost all nine of the other names on this poll either.

by Cluster on Sep 6, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

No, they wouldn’t skip a beat if they lost anyone off that list; but Nyls is the only guy whose absence actually makes the team better immediately.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 6, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

So if one of our top centers gets hurt, or if we still have Nyls at the trading deadline with only a quarter of this year’s salary plus next season’s expiring year due to him, does he still have negative value in your mind?

All I’m saying is that he might have value that is contingent on the Caps or another team suffering injuries that create holes he could temporarily fill. I know it’s virtually impossible to get past his cap hit and ill-fitting style, but at this point in the rankings I can’t ignore nearly 700 points at the NHL level in a not too deep position in the organization.

by Cluster on Sep 6, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions

So if one of our top centers gets hurt, or if we still have Nyls at the trading deadline with only a quarter of this year’s salary plus next season’s expiring year due to him, does he still have negative value in your mind?

Unless Nylander comes to camp and completely blows everyone’s mind I think he has negative value. The combination of the Morrison signing, the team talking about Laich as the number two center before the signing, and the decision to play Jay Beagle over Nylander makes me think Nylander will only ever dress if there’s absolutely no other alternative due to roster size restrictions.

by David Getz on Sep 6, 2009 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions

He still has a NMC so we can’t just move him at the deadline like that. He’s at best going to be an injury fill in so it’s unlikely that he could build trade value anyway. And our 2C was hurt for a large part of last year and Nyls couldn’t stick in that spot. I don’t see much reason to expect anything different from him this season.

A man must have a code.

by Rob Parker on Sep 7, 2009 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions

But we’re at a point in the polls where everyone on it has extremely limited value, at best.

Yes, but the limited value of a guy like Laing or Beagle is different than the negative value of Nylander. Having depth player grinders can put you in a position to think ‘Well I guess the team’s better off for having this guy, but if they don’t, no big deal’. Having Nylander is a big deal because it hurts the cap situation.

by David Getz on Sep 6, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Atta dinnin stick a who!

by Gould Old Days on Sep 5, 2009 11:39 PM EDT reply actions

I voted Laing in part so I could use this picture:

Chowdah Chatter
Fear the Rebel Polar Bears

by crabchowdah on Sep 6, 2009 6:29 PM EDT reply actions

ftr, what’s going on in the picture is that Dustin Pedroia (aka awesome) is turning a double play against Carlos Quentin and the White Sox last season. Quentin was out at second.

Chowdah Chatter
Fear the Rebel Polar Bears

by crabchowdah on Sep 6, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions

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