The Washington Capitals are taking risks to try and keep this team competitive

The Washington Capitals are taking risks to try and keep this team competitive

taking risks to try and keep the capitals competitive 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 lock 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 locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase terms apply so in this edition of locked on capitals we talk about GM Bri mullen’s comments about taking risks to make this team competitive listen he could have gone out there and mortgaged the farm he could have got rid of Leonard he could have got of mirish nenko McMichael to get this upper echelon player on July 1 but he didn’t do that he saw the mistakes that he has made before he saw the mistakes that MC made before him about being in win now mode and what the Perils of being in win now mode are uh what it does is it totally depletes your prospects it depletes your AHL and ECHL affiliate and I think he learned a valuable lesson however the Perils of that are the players that you pick up are good maybe uh it’s easy to get drawn into new acquisitions oh look it’s a new shiny toy it’s a name that I’m not familiar with this has got to be better and one of the things that I’ve talked about and if you’re in every day or the show you know I talk about that I want to enter into this with a positive attitude that these new acquisitions are going to take this team to the next level but the players I’m going to talk about in this episode they might have an upside and they might have a a downside we’ll talk about that a little bit later we will talk about what the addition of Roy means to this team a little bit later we will talk about the addition of mangi aani and why he was added to this team and where does radish fit into the capitals Master plans but just to get it going here about my comments off the top of the show and Brian mullen’s comments really about why the capitals did what they did what they did uh the question was do you find yourself taking risks to try and keep this team competitive Max says I think we’ve been trying to take risks looking for upside in players trying to find players that we think can create an environment where they’re more successful that’s been our philosophy versus let’s just tank it and go down and try win the lottery which is a painful approach we are taking a lot of risks and the players that I mentioned those are just some of the Players let’s be honest there’re are risks associated with Pier Luke Dubois as well uh there are you know things to worry about with a Chan that none of these are WorryFree Acquisitions we’re hoping that they could be upgrades but will they be that is the question let’s first talk about Matt Roy and the capitals were all in on him as they gave him a six-year deal the capitals recently bolstered their defensive lineup by signing Matt Roy to a lucrative six-year 34.5 million contract Roy who produced 25 points five goals 20 assists in 81 games with the Kings last season will bring a solid right-handed defensive presence to the team we know the capitals blue line is depleted we know that John Carlson is the one that carries the bulk of the mail uh On Any Given night and he doesn’t complain but that’s not what’s in the best interest of the capitals or John Carlson with an average annual value of 5.75 mil Roy is expected to significantly contribute to the capitals defensive capabilities for the foreseeable future again when you sign sign a player to a six-year deal you are drinking the Kool-Aid on that player and the capitals are drunk on Matt Roy talking about GM’s comment Brian mclen emphasized Roy’s value as a defenseman who consistently faces strong opposition and upholds defensive responsibility highlighting his potential to fortify the team’s Blue Line in the coming years uh we saw Jensen peel away I think that TVR could be Expendable um that I think the capitals blue line is in a better position now potentially than it was before uh Al with the addition of Chen but is that actuality that is the question Matt is a steady right-handed defenseman who plays important minutes against the opposition’s top players and is extremely responsible in his own end GM BR mlen said we feel his addition will help strengthen our blue line for the next several several years I think when I came in early as a young guy I just wanted to be a steady defenseman and try not to make too many mistakes and just play my position Roy said I think as my confidence grew in myself and my teammates I was able to just keep of a little bit of a step and I wanted to produce more offensively so I just wanted to pick my spots find the holes to jump in it’s great to have some offensive success but I’ve always had the defensive mindset first uh oftentimes you see defensemen that like to get involved in in the offense and that’s a good thing if that’s your skill set but if he wants to uh concentrate on his defensive Acumen I think that is good as well uh his performance Overview at 29 year 29 years old Roy performance for the Kings in 23 24 season was impressive as he achieved career-high in assist and average ice time he led the kings in crucial defensive statistics such as short-handed ice time block shots showcasing his value as an asset in defensive play uh that is quite an upside uh taking a look at his career statistics the road his career with the Kings Roy has consistently delivered solid performance accumulating a total of 106 points and a plus 67 uh rating in 369 NHL games he also has playoff experience having contributed six points in 18 playoff games notably he was selected by the kings in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL draft and was has made a strong impact on the team since his debut in 2019 uh seems all really good doesn’t it it seems like there is no risk but what did GM Brian mcclelen say he said risky moves to make this team competitive that was the question and he said yes that some of the moves he made were risky so let’s talk about the risk and the downside in the 2223 season Roy’s defensive performance lived up to expectations but his goal scoring numbers dropped significantly compared to the previous season with only nine regular season goals and one in the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite consistent underlying performance metrics such as shots on goal scoring chances and high danger chances Roy’s goal production decreased this could be attributed to a regression to the mean or perhaps some bad luck a return to a 10 goal season would have significantly boosted the team’s offensive output and the defenseman’s position anal in the team’s performance in the playoffs it’s clear that the Oilers display dominance in both power play and penalty kill despite this Roy was on ice for all nine Power Play Goals against the team I guess those are some of the things that missed the press conference when he was welcomed to the team which was a start contract contrast to the regular season performance as a key contributor to the League’s second best power play unit while it’s challenging to attribute this struggle so go to one player it’s evident that Roy’s performance faced considerable drop off during the playoffs especially on the penalty kill so there are good there is bad and how will he be for the capitals that is the big question this suggests that there have been challenges in adapting to the high level of competition faced in the playoffs so like I talked about in this show I am trying to Showcase both sides of the coin we heard all the good stats about the Acquisitions GM Brian mlen and the capitals beat writers cherry-picked the good information uh I hate to say it but I’m going to be the guy that’s going to give you some of the bad statistics uh according to these players and I think to make an accurate assessment to uh understand these players you must understand the good and the bad um it’s like that in everything in life if you’re dating someone you don’t say hey I like them because they’re really good at this and Overlook all their bad qualities I think that is a recipe for failure the same thing is true in sports it was a risk GM Brian mlen acknowledged he’s making risky moves to help preserve the future of this team with the understanding that they are risky how risky will they end up being I guess we’ll find out all right so coming up here after the break we will talk about mangi aani and the addition of him to this team and what will he mean and and what is the risk associated with him 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 perform 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 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you’ll 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 you want at the prices you want it’s easy to make your car the 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will he bring to this team that is what we’re going to talk about next Andrew mangiapani was traded to the capitals from the Calgary Flames in exchange for 28-year-old forward the Flames received a second round pick in the 2025 NHL draft from the Colorado Avalanche mji apani expressed his excitement about joining the capitals citing the team’s strong organization and his eagerness to contribute to their success what is one of the things that we know this team struggled in the goal scoring Department Dylan stro led the team knocking it out of the park and where was Alex oetkin he was nowhere to be found uh he was getting assists but he wasn’t scoring goals he went and rolled around on a camel in Dubai he found God out there came back a changed man but we don’t know what kind of Alex oetkin we’re going to see in the fall or what kind of Alex oetkin we will see in total is there injuries going to be facing this team there is so much to consider talking about the his statistics during the previous season mangi aani scored 40 points for the Flames with 14 goals and 26 assists in 75 games he has accumulated 215 career NHL points with 109 goals and 106 assists in 417 games all with Flames notably mji aani achieved career highs in goals 35 and points 55 during the 2122 season he hasn’t been able to find that he’s been searching he’s been a little bit snake bitten I’ll talk about that a little bit later in the segment it’s worth mentioning that he will become an unrestricted free agent as we know and was scooped up by the capitals um to see what kind of player he is and that’s one of the things that GM Brian mlen said other than Roy getting that six-year deal and I guess the contract that pure Luke Dubois has a lot of these contracts are like let’s see what kind of player you are you know when he talked about Chan he was non-committal he’s like well let’s see how it works for Jacob let’s see how it works for the capitals I’m not going to make any long-term commitments until we see if it’s a fit mapi’s enthusiasm he highlighted the capital’s recent success in making the playoffs and expressed his enthusiasm about being a part of a winning team something that has eluded the Flames for quite some time this trade follows the capital’s previous acquisition of Pier Luke Dubois from the Kings for Darcy keer on June 19th as we know GM Bri nlen got busy even before July 1 arrived the capitals recently acquired Maj aani from the flames in exchange for a draft pick we know that for Lars Eller this trade provides the capitals with valuable draft Capital emphasizing the importance of upcoming drafts for the future of the franchise the move also gives the capitals more salary cap and roster flexibility after July 1st additionally TJ oshi’s future with the team remains uncertain due to his ongoing back problems and what is one of the things that we know about TJ ooshi is he said he doesn’t want to come back unless there are some promises some assuredness that he is going to be able to make it through the season without having to fly his specialist from Minnesota in so he’s not laying on the floor uh doing all the things that he had to do urinated in a bottle all those types of things as the team seeks a sustainable way for him to continue his career without constant absences from the lineup GM Bri mlen mentioned that they are still searching for a permanent solution and will evaluate the situation towards the end of the summer he’s given TJ oi’s time but kind of tipped his hand in that direction and for clarification off the top here mapani from the Calgary Flames in exchange for a draft pick receiv received from the Avalanche for Lars Eller um just for clarification there so uh taking a look at manani the TJ oosi connection if he goes on ltir those kind of numbers those numbers of his contract and oshi’s LTI money kind of coincide Andrew mapani recently expressed his excitement about being traded at the Caps he sees it as an opportunity to join a team with high Ambitions and start fresh mapani is eager to contribute to the team with an aggressive playing style EMP izing his ability to create scoring opportunities he also discussed his past shoulder injury expressing confidence that he is fully recovered and is ready to perform perform at his best that is what we’re hoping for his absolute best looking ahead M aani aims to demonstrate his capabilities during during training camp and hopes to play a significant role in the Capitals lineup he sees this opportunity as a pivotal moment in his career and is committed to making the most of it uh that’s the optimistic part that is the feel-good fuzzies part about it what is the theme of the show risky moves to stay competitive it’s not all good there is some bad and I hate to be that guy but I want all of the listeners and Watchers to be well informed in the 22 23 24 season mangiapani faced high expectations from Flames fans after scoring 17 goals while playing with an injured shoulder the previous year and achiev aing a career high of 35 goals two years ago however he fell short of exceeding the 20 goal Mark due to various challenges despite his effort to generate scoring chances he only managed to score 14 goals in 75 games which was a decrease from his previous performance it’s worth noting that his individual expected goals were 21 indicating that he created scoring opportunities but struggled to convert on them oh that’s that’s the bad part we don’t need another player on this team that struggles with scoring goals I got it I got it it’s on it’s on the blade of my stick I got it I I don’t got it I missed the goal sorry guys uh I’m not saying that that is going to be the kind of player that he brings to this team different systems in uh in Calgary different coaches that kind of thing we’re hoping that he can find a glimpse of him former of his former self map’s role in playing minutes at five on five with challenging line mates might have contributed to his decreased goal scoring numbers like I said on the bright side he displayed Improvement in playmaking tallying 26 assists the highest per game in his NHL career however it’s important to note that he appeared to move away from his previous gritty playing style and became more finesse oriented looking ahead it will be crucial for mangiapani to focus on reuniting to his gritty playing style that is something that suits the capitals also so well emphasizing physicality and willingness to do the Dirty Work to create offensive opportunities while his work ethic is undeniable channeling into the grinder mentality rather than solely skill-based approach could Elevate his performance in the future that is what he has to do uh the the risky moves to make this team better GM Brian mlen acknowledged it I’m coming back to the main point again and again and again again so you guys understand the players that I haven’t spoke about uh so much uh after July 1st getting acquainted with him so Andrew mapani on paper could be really good uh he could also be the guy that gets snake bitten when he has the puck on his stick I guess it remains to be seen all right so coming up here after the break we will talk about Taylor radish and what kind of player he will be for the capitals potentially all discuss straight ahead all right welcome back into this edition of lockon capitals part of the Lockton podcast Network your team every day in this next segment here we are talking Taylor radish a guy that played for the Chicago Blackhawks a lot of these players are recognizable names around the NHL whether you know a lot about them or you’ve just like yeah I’ve heard that name in a Capitals game as an an imposing team I’m going into these players I’m talking about Roy mji aani and in this segment radish and talking about we heard about all the good attributes from the capitals beat writers from GM Brian mlen but what I’m doing I hate to say it I am bringing you the other side of the coin what kind of player are these you heard the good and I’ll talk about the good but I’m also going to be talking to you about some of the causes of concern the capitals have made an addition to the roster by signing forward at Taylor radish to a one-year $1 million contract radish 26 joins the capitals after recording 14 points five goals nine assists in 73 games with the Blackhawks during the 2324 season standing at 6 foot3 and weighing 198 radish brings a physical presence to the ice ringing among the top players in short-handed ice time that is a good thing takeaways hits and block shots for the Blackhawks his previous season with a Chicago s radish established NHL single season career highs and goals assists points and games played prior to his time with the Blackhawks radish played with the lightning where he amassed 73 points 36 goals 37 assists and 225 career games additionally he spent time in the AHL with a Syracuse Crunch contributing to 110 points in 159 games radish is Junior Hockey career was also notable with 292 points uh in 20 41 games with the Eerie otter and the Greyhounds in the OHL internationally radish represented candada at 2017 and 2018 in the IIHF World Junior Championships radish brings a valuable skill set and a winning mentality to the capitals that is the hope that he is going to bring uh the bring the pressure and bring the physicality that is what we love so what are the expectations for Taylor radish with the capitals GM Brian mlen secured radish with a one-year $1 million contract in effort to bolster the team’s forward depth following the departure of patch ready malen Stein and Obby cubel while radish could potentially contribute to the fourth line mlen sees the potential for him to take on a larger role in the future if all things go well describing radish as an intriguing player Mac expressed confidence in the team’s ability to further develop radishes capability I think you you take a look at Spencer carbury and his crew on paper it appears promising at 26 years old R radish is known for his size and scoring ability with a proficiency for positioning himself in high scoring areas and POS and possessing strong shooting and Pock handling skills Mack highlighted radishes skill set and size emphasizing his potential to complement teammates with play making an offensive contribution radishes previous accompl accomplishments including scoring 20 goal goals in 78 games with the Hawks two seasons ago demonstrating a promise however he will need to demonstrate consistent performance at the highest level especially after spending years in the AHL there is a significant opportunity for radish in Washington as he may secure a place on the formidable fourth line with Nick Dow and Brandon duim furthermore based on his performance he could potentially earn more ice time and contribute in various positional roles uh summing this off radish situation mlen stressed the importance for radish establishing his identity within the team okay those were the good things that was the one side of the coin risky moves to stay competitive during 2324 Taylor radish who was acquired from Tampa Bay in the brand in Hegel trade faced challenges that raised uncertainty about his future at the Blackhawks despite an impressive 20-goal performance in 2223 Rish struggled to replicate his success only managing to tally 14 points in 73 games this decline is an offensive production led to questions about potential to contribute to the team in the upcoming season as we know he was dealt to the capitals although rishid had a notable two assist game against San Jose and March he was unable to consistently replicate his previous scoring success as a result there is uncertainty about whether Kyle Davidson will extend radish as we know he didn’t as he was dealt to the capitals uh so there is good there is bad there is causes of concern there is reasons to be excited and all in all we will know the thing that I like about GM BR mclen as he was very transparent uh he said that this these are risky moves uh they had all started with P Pier Luke dub to be honest with you and uh we know I spoke critically of it I I’m trying to be optimistic about it overlooking uh his mistakes and knowing that people can grow and become better players is that going to be the case uh for pier Luke Dubois is that gonna be the case for mapani is that GNA be the the case for Chan household names if you are a fan of the NHL at large um but there is reasons that these teams wanted to move on from them they all have dings in their game but to be honest with you Jensen getting dealt out as well he was not a perfect player and you saw what the capitals got in return so it’s putting it all in the calculator the good plus the bad equals question mark we don’t know but I hope after watching and or listening to this episode you know about the good and the bad of these players or causes of concern or their strengths however you want to look at it um that I think that these players in the moves that Brian mclen made are good but in his own words are risky but that risk was worthwhile taking because this team is intact we’re not talking about Conor McMichael got away even mesenko Ryan Leonard you know the the all-star cast down in Hershey it didn’t happen uh so to a certain extent Kudos goes to Brian mlen um would it have been worth parting with the likes of a Conor McMichael and even Mir nenko uh plus plus plus whatever the case for a marcheso for uh a gensel a player like that we’ll never know um and some teams pushed all their chips in how good will the Nashville Predators be next season how good will the lightning the Canucks the players that Flex their muscles how good will they be next season sometimes you know the best laid plans go to waste again I recite the big moves that the Vegas golden knights made at the trade deadline I was in awe I’m like oh my God how great is this team why can’t we have some of this in Washington guess what their name is not going on the side of the Stanley up sometimes things on paper they they don’t they don’t come to fruition and you know sometimes the the the players that kind of fly under the radar uh end up surprising you and you take a look at that Sunny Milano historically Brett Conley Devonte Smith Pell um players that you know were not really well-known names around the NHL came here as Reclamation projects potentially or ostensibly and that’s what they were and and that’s what what you know how the capitals got a lot of these players when Sunny Milano came here he was positioned to be an AHL player I remember that and he was one at points one of the better players on the capitals last season so to put a bow on this show there is a lot of good to look forward to Roy the capitals all in six-year deal mapani scored a lot of goals a couple years ago and radish you know I I think that there’s a bigger question mark over his head than the other two that I mentioned but um I think the capitals made some good decisions and uh we’ll see how this all plays out in the future listen I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of lockon capitals your only daily yearr 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 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 lockon podcast Network your team every day my name is Dan Hy and I’ll talk to you again next time

The Washington Capitals recently signed defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year, $34.5 million contract. Roy, who played for the Los Angeles Kings last season, is known for his strong defensive skills and is expected to bolster the Capitals’ defense. General manager Brian MacLellan emphasized Roy’s ability to play against top opponents and his responsible defensive play. Roy himself expressed his focus on defensive play, which has been a priority for him throughout his career. At 29 years old, he had an impressive season with the Kings, achieving career highs in assists and average ice time. He has been a consistent performer for the Kings and has also represented the United States in international competition.

The Capitals also acquired forward Andrew Mangiapane from the Calgary Flames, giving up a second-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in the 2025 NHL Draft. Mangiapane brings scoring ability, having achieved career highs in goals and points during the 2021-22 season with the Flames. He expressed enthusiasm about joining the Capitals and aims to contribute to the team’s success.

In the 2023-24 season, although Mangiapane fell short of exceeding the 20-goal mark, he showed improvement in playmaking, tallying the highest assist rate of his NHL career. However, it will be crucial for him to refocus on his gritty playing style to enhance his performance in the future.

Additionally, the Capitals signed forward Taylor Raddysh to a one-year, $1 million contract. Raddysh, known for his physical presence and scoring ability, joins the Capitals after a season with the Chicago Blackhawks. The general manager sees potential for Raddysh to make an impact and emphasized the importance of Raddysh establishing his identity within the team. Despite facing challenges in the 2023-24 season, Raddysh’s past achievements, including a 20-goal season, demonstrate his promise.

The trade and signings aim to strengthen the Capitals’ roster for the upcoming season, providing valuable additions to the team’s defensive and offensive capabilities.

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