The Hershey Bears’ AHL Calder Cup Victory and the Washington Capitals’ Future Strategies

The Hershey Bears’ AHL Calder Cup Victory and the Washington Capitals’ Future Strategies

on today’s show the Hershey Bears are the CER Cup winners in back-to-back seasons and I don’t think that GM Brian mlen is done yet your locked on capitals your daily podcast on the Washington Capitals part of the locked on podcast Network your Team every day well hello and welcome into this edition of lockon capitals I’m so glad you decided to join me today as always this podcast is free and available on all the major platforms including the Sirius XM app and on YouTube 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 locked on 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 daps 218 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 Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code lock on NHL for $20 off your first purchase terms apply so in this edition of lockdown capitals your Hershey Bears are cder Cup winners in backto back years let’s talk about that in this episode a little bit later I’ll talk about players in Hershey that really stood out that I think are due for a promotion and then in the last segment we’ll talk about that I don’t believe that GM Brian mlen is d yet I know we had the move with Pierre Luke DuBois and the Kings I think both teams will ultimately still be very active but just to get it going here talking about the Bears winning another CER cup I gotta say I’m not too surprised uh if you are an every Daya the show you know I’ve spoke about for the longest time that I think they were the Front Runners to win it all and I know that wasn’t anything too novel to say as they were really good this last year and well they did that they won another cder cup in a big big win and it’s interesting it wasn’t a lot of the Marquee names down in Hershey that necessarily got it done it was some of the guys lower in the lineup that got the job done in particular for the bears but in any event a really great win for the team the Hershey Bears won their second straight AHL Championship defeating Coachella Valley with a five to four victory in game six of the cder Cup finals Matt stro scored the game-winning goal in overtime MVP of the playoffs went to to Hendrick SLO here and Pi duet’s hatrick played a crucial role in the Bears Victory the game was intense and action-packed the whole way um I know that there hasn’t been capitals hockey been playing for quite some time but if you tuned in it was quite something action-packed the entire way with both teams putting up a good fight leading to a thrilling win for Hershey and it’s quite something that Hershey was able to do it I know that Coachella Valley had some push back uh we know that it wasn’t going to be easy we know that the Hershey Bears kind of just were able to sleepwalk their way through the playoffs I guess the wolf pack had a little bit of push back and coella Valley was difficult make no mistake about it uh Dan BMA the head coach who’s going to be the head coach of the Kraken next year had that team dialed in but the cap or the Hershey Bears were that much better uh than the rest of the competition out there and I think that that speaks volumes to the capitals organiz and how well they develop players um and I do think and I’ll talk about this a little bit later in the show that a lot of those players really popped off the page and are either due for a bigger role in Hershey or are due for a bigger role with the capitals those names you know I’m talking about their Hendrick’s L here in particular I do also think that pick dubet is going to have a longer look on the team and hey he might even crack the opening night roster so if you take a look at it throughout the history of hockey fourth liners have often played important roles in games this was evident once again on Monday as Matt stro scored an overtime leading Hershey to that 5 to4 Victory with Coachella Valley in game six of the Calder Cup Final and it’s interesting the fourth line for the Bears is really good the fourth line for the capitals is really good and oftentimes I’m going to talk about it in NHL terms you when you hear the fourth line it’s like an AHL callup guy or maybe let’s say not the cream of the crop maybe the guys playing on the fourth line not the case for the Hershey Bears or the capitals that both fourth lines on each respective team uh can hold their own against some of the best out there and it’s a long history of Hershey’s success the winningest uh AHL franchise just keeps to knock them out of the park one after the other after the other Hershey which also claimed Coler cups in 2009 and 2010 now boast 13 championships making them the most successful team in league history uh we didn’t have the the season that the capitals were looking for but the Hershey Bears killed it and it’s going to be interesting to see who comes back next season will Todd Nelson end up going to an NHL team what is the Outlook I think that hendrik Lop here really popped off the page I think that of course Hunter Shepard will be the backup a net for the capitals even Mir shenko grew by Leaps and Bounds Pi dubet I think is also do for a longer look Hendrick slob here in particular though who accumulated a playoff best 22 points in 20 games received the jack a Butterfield trophy as the MVP of the playoffs the Washington Capitals Prospect contributed a goal and an assist in Monday’s game and we saw how you know how much uh Henrik slop here Grew From last season uh to this season or you know the season before shall we say went in the CER cup and then what we saw with him on the capitals last season and then how you’ve seen how he’s even grown uh in this last cder cup here the one that just concluded here that I think that once Camp starts once next season gets going I think that Henrik SLO here is going to be next level I think to a certain extent it was probably hard playing on the big team for a good chunk of last season and then he like Hey we’re going to have you go play down for the Hershey Bears even though it was in The Calder Cup final he made the most of his opportunities and I think is due for a promotion or a bigger role shall we say talking about team unity and resilience that is the big thing if you get knocked down get up and and just brush your shoulders off and it’s paid the dividends for the Bears Lop here emphasized the team’s resilience and unity stating we’re brothers for life it’s incredible strome scored the game-winning goal just 106 into the extra session after the puck came to him between the the faceof circles following the game stro expressed his excitement saying the puck just popped me in the slot there and I blacked out but I heard hit the post and go in the rest is history of course we know strome the stro that is the brother of Dylan stro that plays uh on the capitals as well it’s there’s just certain families throughout uh the NHL that just have you know you take a look at kachuck you take a look at the stall brothers that it’s interesting that these families of really great hockey players is quite something talking about performance and perseverance despite stroes heroics the Bears wouldn’t have been in a position to win without pick Dub’s outstanding performance dubet recorded a hat-trick despite suffering a serious injury less than two weeks before when he lost six teeth after being struck in the mouth by a teammate shot dub exclaimed that’s playoff hockey baby with the group we had it was always the Bears again pick dubet I’m just going to look into my crystal ball here a little bit I think that he is going to find a spot on the team uh as long as he performs well in Camp I’m so proud of everyone stro commended Dub’s perseverance in the face of such Serious injury saying he’s one of the best goal scorers in the league you saw today we can score Every Which Way he’s a warrior I I do think that he is due for a bigger role and we had just a small small sample siiz last season of pick dubet but I think that he crushed it and was definitely a key piece in the Hershey Bear success talking about the game highlights here the game started with Ryan Winterton scoring just 137 in followed by dubay’s quickly capitalizing on a power play to tie the score one to one shortly before the end of the first period L here red redirected a shot to give the Bears a two to1 lead the second period saw Miran studnick and Winterton scoring for Coachella Valley and Dubay responding with two goals setting the stage for a dramatic final period at Dub’s third goal at 856 in the third period gave the Bears a 4 to3 lead however kale flurry scored for Coachella Valley tying the game four to four and sending it to oot that was the moment I was a bit concerned we have come this far and it could all end and you know or you that would have been the worst case scenario that all of a sudden they wouldn’t have won uh that was a bad feeling I hate every time uh that things like this go to overtime because then there’s always the possibility that even though you put in all this work in this game you could lose but it wasn’t the case as the Hershey Bears won and ended up winning The Calder Cup uh reflection of the team’s work stro the younger brother of Washington’s Dylan stro and anaheim’s Ryan stro reflected on the team’s hard work stating we worked so hard all year we beg skated we battled it it was all for this moment and now there’s Champions backto back it’s unbelievable it is unbelievable that the Hershey Bears continue to keep knocking it out of the park consistently and doing it backtack years against coella Valley highly improbable that scenario I’m going to tell you but the Hershey Bears the AHL affiliate of the capitals found a way to get it done and a tip of the Hat goes to that team as I think many of those players and the head coach could be destined for greater things all right so coming up here after the break we’ll talk about players in Hershey that are ready for more what other players really popped off the page I’ll discuss Straight Ahead passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to Peak Performance superchargers roof racks exhaust kits LED headlights and more whether you’re into speed power or style eBay Motors has got you covered with over 12 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you’ll always find exactly what you’re looking for and with eBay guaranteed fit your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time or your money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber not cash with all the parts at the prices you want it’s easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers are you watching Fox Sports or ESPN on your TV all day have to turn down the volume with all the shouting make the switch to locked on sports today a free 247 sports streaming Channel programmed for you every day to bring you the biggest stories with out all the screaming locked on sports today brings you the can’t miss analysis opinions and news streaming 24/7 on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app part of the locked on podcast Network it is your team it is every day all right welcome back into this edition of lockdown capitals part of the lockdown podcast Network your team every day in the first segment I talked about the outstanding performance of the Hershey Bears and and because of that I think that a lot of those players have outgrown playing in the AHL and I’m not using that as a pejorative I think that the AHL is a fine organization it is one notch down from the NHL and a lot of great NHL players got their start playing in the American Hockey League but I think that a lot of the players have played so great that they need to find a bigger role on the capitals and I think that just if you take a look at how they played during The Calder Cup it is time and talking about salary cap challenges that you know the capitals might go out and try to get some upper echelon players uh but there are certain constraints that maybe they don’t have to go out and get a bunch of talent outside of the organization maybe they have a lot of that Talent internally so in talking about salary cap challenges here for a moment the capitals are facing a financial and competitive challenge they have limited salary cap space to make significant roster moves for younger Talent with only 3.7 million in cap space according to cap friendly however this could increase by to 15 million if injured veterans Nicholas bom and TJ Oshi retire which is unlikely or are placed on ltir additionally moving on from free agent Max Patch ready could increase cap space um I do think that um that they’re going to have to be creative in how they end up spending the money that they have available but I do think uh that there is going to be some key additions uh made this offseason so I’ll taking a look at potential Solutions within the organization with three forwards positions possibly becoming vacant the solution lies within their organization Washington’s AHL affiliate Bears just secured back-to-back cder Cup championships showcasing the talent in their AHL affiliate uh that’s what I’m talking about about Pier tobay hendrik sler even Mir schenko Hunter Shepard clay Stevenson maybe and you know you take a look at vinc Vincent iorio Dylan melrath um that there is a lot of players uh that could be available to the capitals at some point Ryan Chesley at some point on the back end could also be an option for the capitals talking about promising young players for the capital several players from Hershey including hendrik SLO here Hunter she Shepard even nenko have the potential to fill the roster gaps at a lower cost L here named AHL playoff MVP has shown promise after playing 51 games for Washington this past season Shepard has limited NHL experience but has displayed potential I have zero% worry about Hunter Shepard he has been an NHL quality net minder for quite some time I saw him playing for UMD he’s always been a good net minder always with will be a good net minder I am not concerned Shephard has limited that NHL experience but I think he is ready for bigger things while even Mir nenko has demonstrated his abilities in the AHL and deserves another opportunity at the NHL level and that was one of the things that I spoke of last summer that I thought that we needed to get a longer look at even mirish nenko and we did and I’m going to be honest at first it was a little dicey not what id hoped for but ultimately I knew that he was getting acclimated to the North American game and what we saw in the playoffs in his play in the cder cup and in general with Hershey there I think he has grown by Leaps and Bounds and is ready for bigger things so there are financial implications uh the combined cap hit for L Pierre Shepard and mirish nenko would be just over 2.5 million for the 2425 season leaving room for additional cups or acquisitions especially if backr and Oshi are on the LTI this strategy also allows for the utilization of young defenseman from Hershey to fill out the bottom six pairings cost effectively Lucas Johansson we talked about Alex alexv of course Vinnie iorio Dylan melrath those kind of players I think are ready for a bigger role I mean you take a look at Dylan melrath I think that he is NHL ready I think that he could be on an NHL team right now the leadership qualities of course um it’s just where would he fit but I think that he I was very impressed suffices to say towards the end of the season when he had that big call up and I think that he played flawlessly for the capitals taking a look at the future here looking towards their younger players could give Washington fans a preview of the post Alexander oetkin era and their success of the Hershey Bears in the last two seasons suggest a promising future for the organization again I am very excited about what Hershey was able to accomplish a topnotch team um and its affiliation with the capitals is of course uh not something that should be overlooked either but quite impressive and like I said I think that some of those players have played so well that they are NHL ready they’re busting out at the seam saying AHL don’t hold me down I’m ready for bigger and better things and I think that that is going to be the case of many of the players that played in Hershey this past season all right so coming up here after the break I don’t think that GM Brian mlen is done I just don’t I think that he is going to try to make a bigger Splash on July 1 what kind of player should we expect I’ll discuss Straight Ahead game time is an authorized ticket Marketplace of the Major League Baseball which makes getting tickets faster and easier prices on the game time app actually go down the closer it gets to first pitch with killer last minute deals all in prices in views from your seat and their lowest price guarantee game time takes the guest work out of buying MLB tickets and life is busy oftentimes and sometimes you think to yourself Nationals are playing tonight I’m gonna order tickets on lunch break and guess what you forget about it well fear not with game time as tickets actually get cheaper closer to first pitch so take the guest work out of buying MLB tickets with Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code locked on NHL for $2 off your first purchase terms apply again create an account and redeem code l o c k d n NHL for $20 off download game time today last minute tickets lowest prices guaranteed all right welcome back into this edition of lockon capitals part of the lockon podcast Network your team every day so Brian mclen made a big splash and he sent Darcy keer out to the Los Angeles Kings in return the capitals got Pier Luke Dubois uh an interesting move it’s been criticized amongst many people about you know he’s struggled with the different teams that he’s played with but his numbers historically have been rather well he doesn’t necessarily get along with his teammates all the time but I think that if there is a head coach that could coax the inner Pier Luke Dubois that stunning hockey player I think that it could be coach Spencer carbury that is the Hope anyway and uh I ultimately don’t think that the capitals or the Kings for that matter are done uh making moves which was spoke about here so talking about offseason news according to a recent rumor from David penot of the fourth period both the Los Angeles Kings and capitals are looking to bolster their lineups by adding a top six Winger uh listen we know what Pier Luke DUIs is ostensibly but I don’t think he’s done uh we saw what the capitals were last year listen pure Luke dubba is going to fix some things for the capitals potentially theoretically hypothetically he might be the fix at least in part but need more and I think that you know you take a look at Alex oetkin last year got off to that slow start you saw the pictures online some people say they’re true some people say they’re false of uh Alex oetkin that is just not the the most fit I’ve ever seen him suffices to say so I think that the capitals need better options goal scorers that we know can score goals um and because we know that there’s guys down in Hershey that potentially could be goal scorers we need Pro proven goal score so trade news the capital sending goalie Darcy keer to the kings in exchange for pier Luke du raised some skepticism around the league despite both players having Hefty salaries no salary retention was included in the deal DUIs struggled in the 2023 season almost being traded midseason camper also had a disappointing season finishing with poor goal metrics however both teams recognized the need to move on from their high-paced underperforming players and the trade worked out for them so one of the things that was spoke of and I’ve heard this I think it was Brian mlen speaking on a podcast here recently as he was talking about that I think that Darcy keer got a bad rap and what what am I saying now hear me out here is that Darcy camper was the net minder when Spencer carbury was first here new systems a different defensive plan and subsequently it aired Darcy keer out to dry uh when Charlie lingren was fully integrated and rolled in the capitals were more familiar with the systems now I’m not here to say that Darcy keer can do no wrong but what I’m saying is just to widen the lens a little bit take the face off the clock and look at the gears and be un honest assessor of things that Darcy keer was a Stanley Cup champion you can’t take that away from him and you also can’t deny the fact that the capitals struggled in the beginning of the season and many players talked about it as well uh GM Brian mlen disagreed with Spencer carberry’s defensive schemes and ultimately that is what hung Darcy out to dry do I think that he’s as bad as his stats indicate absolutely not and I hear a lot of talk about how poor of a net minder Darcy camper was I don’t think that’s necessarily the case so when we look back at this let’s not be revisionists let’s remember exactly how it was laid out King’s general manager Rob Blake took responsibility for was failure to meet expectations acknowledging that they didn’t integrate him into the system properly um I that’s Rob Blake making it right I think he’s just realized that it was trying to put a round peg in a square hole for piure Luke duah on the Los Angeles Kings sometimes a change of scenery can do a lot of good things take a look at Sunny Milano for example uh Brett Conley if you want to rewind time a little bit that sometimes a change of zip code uh can change a lot of Dylan Str for example now the question is who will each team Target next will they pursue a trade sign a free agent or wait for the 2024 NHL draft potential targets let’s talk about that next year they could consider returning to the trade market potentially targeting someone like Pittsburgh’s Riley Smith whose production declined this year and might not be in the team’s best interest alternatively they are numerous solid options and free agency which I’ve spoke about on the show Sam Reinhardt Jay gensel Steven Stamkos Jonathan marcheso and Tavo terrain those are big names and capitals fans let’s scrub the whole idea that we can’t have nice things that I think that the capitals could make a swing for Reinhardt gensel Stam Co marcheso or terrain and that’s not crazy the capitals have a long history of being a great team talking about the draft here finally the 2024 NHL draft is another option the kings hold the 21st overall pick while the Kings have the 17th overall pick or excuse me the capitals have the 17th overall pick the capitals are in need of young defensive prospects and it’s likely they will address this position in the first round the Kings on the other hand will probably go for the best player available potentially a center or Winger uh so I do think that it’s going to be Igor sheresa I think that he is going to be the best option for the capitals at that spot uh of course I would have said celebrating would have been the best but that’s not who obviously is going to be available for the capitals you can kind of see how it’s sketched out I know that that doesn’t necessarily always follow the same script I thought that the capitals would have been Front Runners for mattf mishop didn’t turn out but that’s just what I’m talking about how it’s sketched out right now that is how I see things shaking out so in conclusion here it will be an interesting thing to see how things unfold later uh on trade de or excuse me free agency and as the summer progresses here so interesting times for the capitals and the Kings for that matter is I think that both teams are looking to bolster their lineups and I think that the Kings got markedly better with Darcy keer I still believe that he is a great net minder I I don’t believe the talk that just because he had oneoff season if you take a look at everything in total I don’t believe he was that bad I I don’t say think that Charlie lingren was bad either but I’m just let’s look at this clearly here and also taking a look at the addition of Pier Luke Duo I’m hoping I’m being positive that it’s going to work out that a change of scenery is going to be what the doctor ordered as capitals fans we ultimately have no choice but to be positive if we’re going to adapt a negative attitude that this isn’t going to work this isn’t going to work it’s going to be a long season all right once again I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of lockon capitals only daily year own 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 lockton’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 Hy and I’ll talk to you again next time

The Hershey Bears clinched their second consecutive AHL championship by securing a 5-4 victory over Coachella Valley in Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals. The highlight of the game was Matt Strome’s overtime game-winning goal, leading the Bears to a thrilling win. Hendrix Lapierre, the MVP of the playoffs, and Pierrick Dube’s hat trick played pivotal roles in the team’s victory, showcasing the intense and action-packed nature of the game. The Bears’ triumph solidified their status as the most successful team in league history, claiming their 13th championship. The team’s unity, resilience, and hard work were echoed by players such as Lapierre and Strome, reflecting the determination that led to their victory. In addition, the financial and competitive challenges facing the Washington Capitals were noted, with potential solutions presented within their organization. The promising young talent from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, was highlighted as a crucial element for the team’s future success. Finally, the NHL offseason news covering potential trades, free-agent signings, and the upcoming NHL Draft was mentioned, providing insight into the teams’ future plans and strategies.

Follow Dan on Twitter: @dancaps218
Follow Locked on Capitals on Twitter: @lockedoncaps

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOCapitals?sid=YouTube

Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Indeed
There is no “I” in “team.” But there is one in “Indeed” and that’s the hiring platform you need to build yours. When you’re hiring, you need Indeed. Claim your SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLAR CREDIT now at Indeed.com/LOCKEDON. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? You need Indeed.

Policygenius
Check life insurance off your to do list in no time with Policygenius. Head to policygenius.com/lockedonnhl to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.

eBay Motors
For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.

FanDuel
FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#WashingtonCapitals #Caps #NHLHockey #allcaps #ovechkin