How much better would the Capitals be with: Jake Guentzel, Jonathan Marchessault or Brett Pesce

How much better would the Capitals be with: Jake Guentzel, Jonathan Marchessault or Brett Pesce

unrestricted free agents on July 1 that could have a big impact for the capitals your locked on capitals your daily podcast on the Washington Capitals part of the lockon podcast Network your team every day well hello and welcome into this edition of lock on capitals I’m so glad you decided to join me today as always this podcast is free and available on all the major platforms and I want to thank you for making this your first listen each and every day my name is Dan homy I’ve covered the capitals for the last three seasons for lockdown and various other outlets before that I’m also the host of the weekly show called the capitals minute cast available wherever you find your podcasts you can find me on Twitter it’s danc caps 28 you can find the show on Twitter it’s lockon caps and the best way that you can help grow the show is to subscribe to lockon capitals on YouTube and comment anything down below today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 100 50 bucks with any winning $5 bet visit fanduel.com locked on to get started so in this edition of lockdown capitals we talk about players that will most likely be available on July 1st for free agency and what they could potentially mean for the capitals uh if you are an everyday of the show you know I talk about that the team as is I don’t think is really built for much more than what we saw last year maybe marginally better but doing the same thing again and again and again and expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity we’ll talk about that a little bit later we will talk about Jake gensel yes that Jake gensel of the Penguins and and the Hurricanes uh if the capitals fans are okay with getting past the fact that he used to be a penguin he could be a huge upgrade for the Caps we’ll talk about that a little bit later we will talk about Jonathan marcheso and how he could be a big boost for the capitals and then in the final segment Brett pesy and what he could mean for the capitals but just to get it going here talking about Jake gensel and right away when I say his name I think that some capitals fans think TOS absolutely not I would never want to see that guy on this team that penguin no there’s no way well there’s been penguins that have come to the capitals and have actually done a really good thing for the team you take a look at niskin and you take a look at orpic those are two former pens if you remember not so long ago that came to this team and really held it down on the blue line so uh I don’t think there should be this negative connotation of Jake gensel when you consider what a dynamic player uh he is and a lot could change uh I know that not a free agent uh until July 1st but we don’t know what what’s going to shake out but the capitals they need to be all in on a bigname goal scorer and Jake gensel fits that bill and for me I’m excited about the possibility of that age on July 1 he’ll be 29 years old so he doesn’t necessarily fit The Narrative of getting younger he’s still not quite 30 but his uh stats uh speak louder than his age um and take a look at you know what he’s meant uh for the different teams that he’s played on it could be quite something in the 23 24 season 30 goals 47 assists how much better with the capitals B with another 30 goal scor quite something career 227 goals 264 assists in 520 games that could be the Boost that the capitals are looking for and position He’s listed as leftwing and rightwing he is versatile uh and this is a guy that’s you know well known around the league as being a premier goal scorer 23 24 uh salary cap hit is six million bucks so I think the capitals are going to have to break open the piggy bank if they want to get a premier goal scor Jake Ensel is a versatile Ford is set to celebrate his 29th birthday on July 1st despite undergoing offseason ankle surgery he remains an attractive trade Target with the Carolina Hurricanes expressing a keen interest in acquiring him and they want to have him on the team in the long term Don wadell of course who’s no longer there indicated that while his team doesn’t typically focus on rental players they may pursue a long-term extension for gensel with several players on expiring contracts the Hurricane’s roster for 2425 season is expected to undergo changes yes I do think that’s possible uh you know you take a look at um the NHL and professional sports in general if you don’t win the Ultimate Prize then your team is horrible uh you take a look at the Hurricanes a team that reup with Rod bremore and his crew there that uh you know it’s interesting that um like I say even if you just don’t make it to the final round we need to shake things up we need to change things uh taking a look at the team here gel’s performance in the postseason is likely to impact contract negotiations of course we know the outcome there with his goal scoring ability making him an attractive Prospect and free agency he can potentially command a contract similar to that of Patrick Lang something similar to that so you know I had heard that the Penguins were interested uh in bringing him back as well it was just kind of a rental situation that at the end of the season they kind of wanted to to bring him back to the team gensel signed a three-year entry-level contract with the pans in May of 2016 after a standout college career his memorable NHL debut saw him scoring two goals on his first two shots in November of 2016 talking about making an impression right out of the gate he continued to excel becoming the first Penguins rookie to achieve a playoff hattrick in April 2017 and playing a crucial role in the team success during the 1718 season including a stand out game where he scored four goals again capitals fans let’s get over the fact that he was a penguin uh we know that he’s playing on the hurricanes or currently that is where he is until July 1st that we need to get over it in the 189 season gensel signed a lucrative five-year contract with the pens he continued to impress earning a spot in the 2020 NHL All-Star Game despite being sidelined by a shoulder injury following his trade to the hurricanes in March 2024 gensel scored his first goal with the hurricanes on March 17th after returning from an the injured reserve list with his remarkable track record and consistent performance genso remains a player of significant interest in the NHL again same thing goes for the capitals here there’s a lot of interest on a lot of other teams and I understand that it’s not going to be easy to reel in a big fish like gensel but hey the capitals have done it before um you know the questions that I have is that Brian mlen willing to shake things up a lot to accommodate that um you know he’s going to demand a big contract that means players coming out of the lineup to facilitate that or to accommodate him and uh is you know are we going to stick to the script of of Ted leonis and Brian mclen that you know the promises made to Alex sekin that he wants to be on a competitive team listen I think adding Jake gensel to the lineup makes the capitals a whole lot more competitive than they were last year um and you know I’m not here to you disparage or diminish what they did they did make it to the playoffs but you know they got eliminated in four games and the season before uh they didn’t make it to the playoffs period And if you even want to rewind time one more year they were eliminated rather quickly in the first round against the Panthers so it’s been some time since the capital have made a deep push uh 2018 winning the Stanley Cup I don’t want that to be something that the capitals hang their had on forever I want another Stanley Cup and I want it done well Alex oetkin is a capital that would be a really great thing and I think that Jake gensel would really tie into that uh and could be a really huge piece of the capital’s future so it’s not J just Jake gensel there’s other big fish out there like Jonathan marcheso would he be a good fit on the capitals all discuss straight ahead it’s winter take call in the NBA and NHL and fanduels giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 50 bucks to bet on spreads money lines player props and more Let Me Tell tell you something guys my NBA team that I was following got eliminated from the playoffs the Timberwolves they got eliminated now they’re setting up tea time so maybe that’s a position that you’re in as well say the team that you’re following whether it’s the NBA team it’s the Wizards uh maybe it’s the Nationals and you’re not that into the game open up the FanDuel app put a little bit of money on the game all of a sudden the game is that much more exciting so visit fanduel.com locked on and make every playoff shot count FanDuel America’s number one sports book all right welcome back into this edition of lockon capitals part of the lockon podcast Network your team every day so there are a lot of big name players that will be available on July first it is what I perceive to be as musty TV just like the trade deadline and the spring I like to clear my schedule and and pay attention to it all day and even before I was a podcast host I just loved it I like the moving pieces I love the chess match and the capitals I think if they were wise would be willing and and and able and ready to move some pieces to bolster this team what are what are some of the things that we know about the capitals that have changed Nick Backstrom stepped away from hockey indefinitely he’s probably going to play his or be on the roster on the ltir for his the last remaining year on his contract the same thing could be said for TJ ooshi as well we know that he has back issues uh we know that they say that he had to fly in his back specialist for Minnesota to get him game ready all of those kind of things so the capitals need to widen the lens a bit here and go out for a big name free agent on July 1st let’s do it let’s get it done and Jonathan marcheso is one of the big names on the market or will be on July 1st as we know on his age on July 1 will be 33 so again doesn’t necessarily fit you know what the capitals say they’re looking for in getting younger and faster he plays right and left wing his salary cap hit in 2324 was 5 million bucks uh but taking a look at him historically 42 goals 27 assists this last last season how much better would the capitals be with a 42 goal score and 27 assists I think markedly better and I know that the hope and the prayer is that you know Conor McMichael and hendrik slap here are going to be turned into these Bonafide goal scorers and wow they’re gonna maybe is what I’m going to go ahead and say I want a little bit of a sure thing I want that top six forward that Brian mclen has spoken about for well years here already uh in 638 games games 230 goals and 258 assists not too bad pretty pretty good Jonathan zamaro is a versatile Winger who played a crucial role in the success of the golden knights at the age of 33 his 2324 salary cap hit again I said his 5 mil the team’s management has expressed a strong desire to keep him in the lineup due to his leadership and performance on the ice marel has also voice his interest in staying with the golden nights but negotiations for a contract extension are not finalized as a record this thing everything’s in flux his exceptional performance with a career-high 42 goals has significantly added to his value in the league marcho’s journey in the NHL started with the Columbus Blue Jackets and he later had successful stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers before joining the golden knights and if you are a fan of the NHL at large not just the capitals no doubt you recognize the name Jonathan marcheso a premier goal scorer that I think could be the Boost that the capitals are looking for and what are some of the other things I’ve read about him is that he has said that he wants to continue his career with the golden nights however it’s also been said that he wants to kind of put down rout somewhere uh that he can you know establish a family and H and have his kids grow up in a community instead of you know jumping from from City to City to city like often times is the case when you’re a professional athlete and when you have the accomplishments of Jonathan marcheso I think that you can kind of You Know sketch out your own path you know it’s not like you are an AHL Guy saying hey I demand the king’s Ransom he can get what he wants based on the back of his hockey card if he wants to put down roots in DC I would be all about it throughout his career he has proven to be a consistent goal scor and has played a pivotal role in the team’s success again we know the golden knights we remember what the capitals did to the golden knights in 2018 uh the various stops through the Stanley Cup Playoffs that there was no way that the capitals were going to be able to take down the golden knights they did just that so uh and you know it is an abundance of wealth uh on the Vegas Golden Nights one of the things I’ve observed as just a fan of the NHL is um the GM in uh for Vegas uh definitely went out and made some big moves around the trade deadline of course those moves didn’t pay dividends as the golden knights were fanned out quickly as well so but all things considered they have a lot of players uh that they could be willing you know maybe to part with one and ultimately it’s up to the golden knights to belly up and and pay him what he wants and if in fact Jonathan marcheso wants to play with Vegas but I could see him wearing a capitals Jersey and I can already see the marcheso name plate on the back of his red capitals Jersey I think that this team would take you know a Next Level step and I think that you know when we hear Brian mclen talking about that top six forward I think that you know a lot of times capitals fans we dream small we think that you know it’s going to be kind of the semi-obscure guy it’s going to be a Brett Conley thing it’s going to be you know a a Devonte Smith P thing it’s going to be you know this player that kind of player I think the capital should be willing to dream big we saw what they did last summer uh those kind of moves are lackluster I’m going to go ahead and say you know you take a look at Max pater ready okay I mean on paper I understand what the capitals were trying to do there six different times in his career he scored 30 goals what did he do for the capitals at the end of the day was a good Mentor Joel Edmonson moved on to greener pastures so we need some Premier Talent on this team and cap fans let’s not sell this team short it’s not like we’re talking about going to a deplorable team in the NHL this is still a franchise that has a lot of accomplishments uh you know one of the greatest goal scorer of all time at some point Alex oetkin playing on this team a Stanley Cup win under their belt not to mention president’s Trophy winning all of those kind of accomplishments that I think that you know we need to dream big and Jonathan marcheso would be a key piece to the capitals f future and I think that that would Fast Track what the capitals are trying to do and we don’t need to always adhere to this has got to be this slow and laborious rebuild uh and you know even with Jonathan marches so it’s not going to take them to the Moon Over the night it’s going to make them better but he would be just one building block to be completely Frank with you you would need Jonathan marcheso plus almost an another equally big name to take this team to the next level that is the deficiency that that is the disparity and if you want you know to take a look at a team that did it really well even though they got eliminated here somewhat recently is the New York Rangers scoring up and down the lineup you take a look at the Florida Panthers the Edmonton Oilers those aren’t single-dimensional teams those are teams that have many different guys on the team that’s can score goals let’s take a look at for the capitals right now it was stro it was oetkin it was Wilson um but they need more upper echelon big time goal scorers Conor mcdavid’s uh you know zaban jads panarin uh you know those kind of things those are the kind of players you know that the capitals are going to need if they want to be competitive and at the end of the day I think that that is the above all end all isn’t it to be competitive I know the motto is to grow from within and that’s great if you have that talent but adding a player like Jonathan marchell would FastTrack this team uh in part and make them competitive in the fall so it won’t be the that we have to always worry about well the team is going to be good someday so it’s not just the forwards the Blue Line could use a boost as well would Brett pesy be that boost the capitals are looking for I’ll discuss Straight Ahead all right welcome back into this edition of lockon capitals part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day so often times on this show I talk about what the capitals need in the goal scoring Department we know that and I in the first two segments I spoke about that but they also need help on the blue line John Carlson cannot play 30 minutes per game throughout the whole season that is a recipe for failure uh I know that John Carlson rarely uh argues about it or you know expresses any kind of displeasure about it but at the end of the day that is not is what’s best for for John Carlson that is not what is best for the capital so they need other Premier Talent on the blue line they do have that in Martin farari they do have that in Rasmus sandine um and then you widen the lens a little bit you look at Jensen you look at TVR you know kind of a bit more middle of the road there and then you take a look at Alexia who I think has grown you know by Leaps and Bounds so that’s a good thing that whole internal thing I was talking about and then if you want to take a look down in the farm there you got Vinnie I Ariel you got Dylan melrath who I think could honestly be on the capitals opening night roster but even with those that said I think that Brett peshy could be a huge piece for the capitals Blue Line taking a look at Brett peshy excuse me his age on July 1st he’ll be 29 years old his 2324 salary cap is 4.0 to5 million so under 30 um I think there’s a lot of upside side if it’s possible Brett peshi a defenseman for the Hurricanes is currently 29 years old and has a 2324 salary capit of 4.02 five there have been rumors of a potential trade suggesting that peshi may leave the Hurricanes as a free agent again capitals are going to have to open up the piggy bank there his skill set is a right shot penalty killing shutdown defenseman has garnered interest from other teams making him a valuable asset considering recent contracts for similar players peshi could potentially command a long-term deal with an annual value of around six million or more I think that’s that’s within reason an aav of around six million I think that is within reason and that would take care of a lot of the questions on the capitals blue line for quite some time despite expressing interest in staying with the Hurricanes again players always say that and until they’re not on the team uh rarely do you hear a player that says get me out of the current team under I’m under contract with the team’s upcoming contract negotiations with several key players may present challenges in retaining him you want to bring the B whole band back every year but like we talked about here there is a lot of change going on in Carolina so it is possible if peshi becomes a free agent multiple teams including the Maple Leaves the capitals are likely to pursue him uh so it is possible notably peshi was selected by the Carolina hurricane in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft he achieved Personal Best in his sophomore season with seven goals and 21 points in 41 games moreover in his Junior season he was the second highest scorer among the Wildcats defenseman with 16 points in 31 games again not too bad a guy that has a bit of an offensive flare as well after completing 109 games at the University of New Hampshire peshi signed a three-year contract and level contract with the hurricanes in March of 2015 he initially made his professional debut with the Hurricanes age shall affiliate the checkers of course before transitioning to the NHL during the 1920 season peshi played a significant role for the Hurricanes contributing four goals and 18 points in 61 games from the Blue Line unfortunately his season was cut short due to a right shoulder injury sustained against the Maple Leaves which was necessitated and a season ending surgery so that is kind of a look back and we in the beginning of the segment I talked about his his draft you know where he was drafted and his cap hit and what kind of player is he uh is he the dynamic defenseman the blue liner that the capitals are looking for yes I really think he is and you know I referenced earlier uh one of the things that they did you know time flies it was several summers ago when nanin and orpic were brought in how much of a GameChanger was that for the capitals on the blue line absolutely huge I’m going to go ahead and say that nenin was one of the better blue lines on Blue liners on the capitals and orpic was as well he had a physical flare a leader um that you know I give you know A+ marks on that move I think that the capitals and Brian mlen need to do something similar to go out and address the blue line there’s not as much I don’t think that needs to get done with the defense as there is with the offense but that said uh we saw the problems that were presented when John Carlson missed a substantial amount of time a couple seasons ago when he took that puck off the head in Winnipeg um that you know you got to plan for worst case scenarios and the worst thing I could think of for the capitals is in game one or to start the season a guy like John Carlson that plays 30 minutes a night routinely gets injured does your team have the needed depth you know to step up and fill that role in part yes you could say sandine you could say farari but you know it’s not just putting in time on the ice it’s about the quality minutes on the ice I think the capitals could work on their defensive depth and I think that Brad peshy would fit into that so it is going to be interesting what tactic Brian mlen you know chooses to take on July 1 my hunch my fear is that not a lot of anything will get done I think that it will be some small moves that uh take place similar to what was done last summer uh because you know everything that’s being being set out there is he wants you know this team to grow internally and I’m going to do my best to get that top six forward seeing is believing and color me a little bit skeptical I would like to be wrong I would like to hear that BAC went out and signed gensel or marcheso or Brett pesy um or some player similar to that I think that that is what is needed for this team to you know get out of mediocrity I think the capitals did a good thing by making it to the playoffs don’t get me wrong but you know making to the first round and getting eliminated early uh that is not you know that is not the goal for this team I know that that’s not Spencer carberry’s goal for the team I know that that’s not Brian mclen or Ted leontes’s goal for the team they want this team to be prominent in the DC area and bring back competitive hockey to the district adding a player like gensel Mar Jou or Brett pesy could take this team to the next level all right I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of lockon capitals your only daily year-round podcast covering the Washington Capitals and I want to thank all of you that listen on the audio side and watch this on YouTube you are ultimately what makes this show successful when you’re done here head on over to locked On’s 247 streaming channel available on the free Amazon Fire TV channels app and on YouTube all right once again I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of lockon capitals part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day my name is Dan Hol and I’ll talk to you again next time

The Washington Capitals will have several options to consider when addressing their need for a goal scorer and help on defense. Jake Guentzel, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brett Pesce are potential candidates for the team to consider. Guentzel brings significant goal-scoring ability and versatility as a forward, while Marchessault offers consistent goal-scoring and leadership skills as a winger. Meanwhile, Pesce is a valuable defenseman with skills in penalty-killing and shutdown defense, making him a potential trade target for the Capitals. All three players have proven track records in the league and could address the Capitals’ needs effectively.

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