Vitek Vanecek

Brian MacLellan says trade of Vitek Vanecek the ‘first step in the process to make a change’

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan spoke from the floor of Bell Center after the 2022 NHL Draft ended.

The biggest news from the Capitals’ two days north of the border was that they dealt Vitek Vanecek to division rival New Jersey for two draft picks. According to Mac, the Capitals had two goals with the trade: 1) get assets for a good young player so it could move on from its inconsistent young goaltending duo and 2) Move up in the second round of the Draft.

With the 37th overall pick that they acquired in the trade, the Capitals selected defenseman Ryan Chesley from the US National Team Development Program.

“Yeah we targeted him,” MacLellan said. “We thought we had to move up to get him because he wouldn’t be around. We incorporated that into the Vanecek trade.”

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Capitals trade Vitek Vanecek to New Jersey Devils for draft picks

The Washington Capitals’ young goalie tandem is no more.

The Capitals traded Vitek Vanecek and the 46th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft to Metropolitan Division foe, the New Jersey Devils, for the 37th overall pick and a third-round pick (70th overall). The deal came together shortly before the start of Day Two of the NHL Draft.

The Capitals were rumored to have interest acquiring Montreal Canadiens backup Jake Allen as of last night. It’s unclear if that’s their next move or something else.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Capitals plan to give qualifying offers to Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek, but still want to acquire a veteran goaltender

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said on Breakdown Day in May that the first offseason decision he wanted to make was in regard to the team’s goaltending situation. Both Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek are restricted free agents and will need qualifying offers from the team by July 11.

MacLellan stated on Wednesday that the two young netminders will get those offers but that the Caps still plan to explore both the trade and free agency market for a veteran alternative.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 year ago

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Report: Capitals tried to extend Conor Sheary earlier in the offseason

The Washington Capitals are entering an important time period that could reshape the franchise during the final years of the Alex Ovechkin Era in DC. The NHL Draft, where the team could make a trade, is on July 7 and 8, and free agency opens on July 13.

The Capitals, who have not won a playoff series since lifting the Stanley Cup in 2018, will have approximately $25 million to play with after second-line center Nicklas Backstrom had a second hip surgery last month that few athletes have returned from.

Now, Elliotte Friedman is reporting one of the Capitals’ first major moves of the offseason.

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan tried to re-up 30-year-old, third-line winger, Conor Sheary, who will be an unrestricted free agent next year.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Vitek Vanecek: 2021-22 season review

For the second straight year, Vitek Vanecek put up an almost fine regular season and an atrocious playoffs, and he threatens to do the same next season unless someone does something.

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By Peter Hassett 1 year ago

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Brian MacLellan says Capitals’ first offseason decision will be its goaltending

Brian MacLellan rolled the dice last summer. Without many great veteran options in goal, the Capitals general manager decided to bring back his young goaltending tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek for another season. The decision ultimately did not work out.

Both goalies started the same amount of games in the regular season (39) and neither separated themselves as the full-time starter. Vanecek got the opportunity to start Game One in the playoffs against the Florida Panthers, but ultimately yielded the net to Samsonov in Game Two after a poor performance. Sammy was mostly sensational in the postseason but sported career lows in save percentage (.896) and GAA (3.29) during the regular season. Both players showed promise. They also showed maddening inconsistency.

While MacLellan admitted there was a chance the team could turn to both goalies again next year for the third consecutive season, he made clear that the team would address all options in how to improve the position.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Ilya Samsonov will replace Vitek Vanecek, start Game Three for Capitals

After two games in Florida that saw Vitek Vanecek go 1-1 with a 4.21 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage, Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette has seen enough and is turning to Ilya Samsonov in net for Game Three against the Panthers.

Samsonov relieved Vanecek in Game Two and blanked the Panthers, making 17 saves on 17 shots.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 year ago

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It’s anyone’s guess who will start Game Three for the Capitals between Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov

Coming into the Capitals-Panthers first-round series, Peter Laviolette said he hoped his Game One starter would grab the reins, but remained realistic that both goalies would likely play in the series.

Now, after Vitek Vanecek got pulled in Game Two and Ilya Samsonov stopped all the shots he faced in the third period, the Capitals have a dilemma on their hand.

Which goalie should start Game Three?

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Vitek Vanecek found out he would be the postseason starter on the team plane: Laviolette ‘wanted me to be better like Bobrovsky’

One of the hallmarks of the 2021-22 Washington Capitals has been its inconsistent goaltending. Neither one of the Capitals two young starting goaltenders, Ilya Samsonov or Vitek Vanecek, seperated themselves during the regular season. Both tendies got 39 starts each during the season and both finished in the negative in Money Puck’s popular Goals Saved Above Expected stat.

“It hasn’t happened, but yet, in a 100-point season, we’ve been able to find success in that,” Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said before the team’s first-round series against the Florida Panthers. “They are two young goaltenders that are pushing every day. That’s where we’re at right now. That’s how we’ve found success. We relied on both goaltenders. We’ll count on both goaltenders.”

Laviolette kept both goalies in the dark about who would start until Monday afternoon. It was then when Laviolette tabbed Vanecek to be the team’s starting goaltending for Game One on Tuesday and have the first opportunity to hold onto the job.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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