As of noon on Wednesday, July 13, a bunch of hockey dudes will become unrestricted free agents in need of new deals. The Washington Capitals have some specific needs that must be met, and together we are going to figure out how best to do it.
In this edition: that rarest of beasts, a good UFA goalie.
But first, recall if you will our data-driven analysis of the Capitals needs, based on position, and measured by your bad vibes. Here’s the Capitals lineup, color-coded based on how worried we are — and therefore perhaps how interested the front office should be in shoring up that position.
So. Goalies.
No justification needed, but here’s the facts: Two years of Samsonov vs Vanecek were miserable. The Caps dealt Vanecek for picks during the draft, and declined to give a qualifying offer to Samsonov, leaving them with — by my rough back-of-napkin math — zero goalies.
So here are some free-agency options for a goalie:
- Darcy Kuemper 🥤. The Caps have been linked to the Cup winner, who fought through an eye injury last season. The big brains in Colorado saw that he was bailing out the Coyotes and got a ton of overlooked value out of it. That value is now reflected in his price tag.
Projected: 6 years, $6.3 million. - Jack Campbell. Only slightly cheaper than Mr. Darcy is Jack Campbell, who was just fine for Toronto. He just hit age 30, but he’s also not really due for a major pay bump. If you’re looking for competence, he’s it – but term could be a snag.
Projected: 6 years, $5.7 million - Thomas Greiss. At the end of his career, Greiss has not had a good season since he helped the Isles to the Jennings trophy in 2019. Pass.
Projected: 1 year, $1.2 million. - Martin Jones. On the not-old-as-dirt side of the spectrum is another backstop who has suffered through bad teams in San Jose and Philly, where he did not impress. I can’t see the point of bringing him in. Pass.
Projected: 4 years, $5.0 million. - Braden Holtby. Rumor has it Holtby’s career could be over. I think he was pretty good for Dallas overall, though he’s without a doubt been struggling since 2019-20. If he’s willing to rehab his lower-body injury, I think a short-term deal with Washington could be wise, and not just for purely nostalgic reasons. It’s up to him really.
Projected: 1 year, $1.4 million.
Off the board: Connor Hellyebuyck has two more years on his deal ($6.2 million AAV) with Winnipeg. That team is clearly lost in the woods and unwilling to commit to the rebuild they badly need. That’s a great goalie wasting peak years on a team that he’s not helping in the long term.
Who do you like? Who did we miss?
Salary projections from Evolving-Hockey. Please consider joining us as subscribers.
Also in this series: Top-line right wing, Middle-six center, Depth left wing, Left-handed defender, Goalie
