2016-17 record: 55-19-8 (118 points)
Lost (yet again) to Pittsburgh (again) in the Conference semi-finals (again)
Captain: Alexander Ovechkin
The Washington Capitals were hoping to at some point in the last three years hoist a Stanley Cup. However, as it's almost always been in their existence, they once again failed to make it out of the second round. This time, it was another President's Trophy winning season that was followed by another loss to Pittsburgh. Now, they have the indignity of having to replace several key parts while dealing with a salary cap that threatens to be the noose on their chances of winning a Stanley Cup in the near future.
The Capitals still have a formidable core up front, with Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin leading the way. However, Ovechkin slumped to 33 goals, far below what is normally expected of him, and like most Capitals, wasn't much of a factor in the playoffs. The problem is that 48 goals went out the door in the off-season, as Justin Williams and Marcus Johansson both were victims of the Capitals' cap problems. That didn't stop the Capitals from signing both TJ Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov to long term deals, deals that the Capitals could be getting buyer's remorse from in a few years, particularly with Oshie. Secondary scoring has the potential to be a problem, which is why Andre Burakovsky will need to step up this season. If the forwards have the potential to be a problem, then the blue line is already knee deep in it. Three players are signed beyond this season, and unfortunately, one of them is Brooks Orpik. They were forced to let Karl Alzner and Kevin Shattenkirk walk while they saw Vegas take Nate Schmidt in the expansion draft. John Carlson could be on his way out after the season if the Capitals don't get creative with salary cap maneuvering. As for composition, it's Orpik, Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, Matt Niskanen, and whoever can claim a spot on the third pairing, as that is likely to become youth being served here. In goal, this is surprisingly the most stable part of the team, as Braden Holtby mans the net as a starter. He was fairly ordinary in the playoffs, but the team in front of him deserves just as much blame here. Phillipp Grubauer returns as a backup. The exodus in Washington is most likely going to be affecting the special teams, as Alzner and Williams were significant players on the penalty kill and power play, respectively.
Prediction: 2nd in the Metropolitan Division
For all of the team's inability to manage the salary cap and keep certain key players, the Capitals are still in decent shape as far as making the playoffs. They may need to rely more on a pipeline that is soon to be tapped out during the season, which could lead to yet another season of failure in the playoffs.
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