The Washington Capitals are at a crossroads. After falling short of winning a Stanley Cup once again in 2017, the franchise was forced to make some serious personnel decisions in preparation for the 2017-18 season. The Capitals own one of the most talented rosters in the NHL, but there are plenty of question marks surrounding the team after it failed to take advantage of its championship window over the past couple of years.
How They Finished Last Season
Washington returned to the postseason as the top seed in the Eastern Conference after celebrating another Presidents trophy win. In the regular season, they looked like they were unstoppable. They were dominant at every turn. They boasted one of the league’s best offenses. Goaltender Braden Holtby was in the midst of another strong season. And the blue line – while solid – added Kevin Shattenkirk at the trade deadline to load up for a playoff run. If there was ever a team that was built to win a Stanley Cup, it was the Capitals.
But the challenge with Washington is one that everyone understood: regular season success wasn’t the issue. Succeeding in the playoffs was. In previous seasons, it was the head coach that took the blame. Last season, the tide turned on Alex Ovechkin as he started to take some heat. At some point, the team has to recognize that whatever they are doing, it’s clear that postseason success is not their forte.
That’s what happened again last year as the Capitals hit a wall in the second round when they were eliminated in seven games by the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the Pens have had their number in the playoffs – and losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion is nothing to be embarassed about – the issue is that the Capitals struggled in the first round too against a young Toronto Maple Leafs team. And more was expected from them in Game 7 as they hosted that contest.
Washington has yet to reach the Stanley Cup Final in the Alex Ovechkin era. Ovechkin is now 32-years-old, and some have questioned whether his best days are behind him.
What Changed In The Offseason
The Capitals traded Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for second and third-round picks as well as some salary cap relief. Washington lost Kevin Shattenkirk, Justin Williams, Karl Alzner and Nate Schmidt. They took a flier on free agent Devante Smith-Pelly, but other than that they will be relying on their core talent and some incoming youngsters to play bigger roles this season. It’s also worth noting that the Capitals are still over the cap, which means they will have to make at least a couple more moves in order to shed some more salary. 2013 first-round pick Jakub Vrana should be a lock to make the team out of camp. The Capitals will also need more out of Andre Burakovsky, who will likely slot in to the top-six after flashing his immense scoring potential over the past couple of seasons.
Most Valuable Fantasy Hockey Asset
While most will point to Ovechkin at first glance, Nicklas Backstrom has actually been Washington’s most valuable fantasy asset over the last three years. Backstrom led the NHL with 35 powerplay points a year ago. He scored 23 goals with a team-high 86 points in 82 games with a plus-17 rating. Backstrom will turn 30-years-old in November so he should still have plenty left in the tank looking forward to this season.
Regular Season Win Total Outlook
The fact that Washington finished with 118 points is a testament to their talent, depth and ability to stay healthy for the most part a year ago. Fast-forward to 2017-18 and the Capitals appear to be that much more vulnerable on paper. Washington lost Williams, Johansson, Shattenkirk, Alzner and Schmidt and they still need to shed more salary in order to get under the cap before the season begins. The sportsbooks have the line for the Capitals at 107.5, so taking the Under means they will finish with at least 11 fewer points than they did a year ago. Considering the age of their core players and the hits they took in the offseason, there is a good chance that Washington remains under its projected points total in 2017-18.
Pick: Under 107.5 Points
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