NHL Season Preview 2016-17: Washington Capitals
Can the Washington Capitals finally win a Stanley Cup in 2016-17?
Last season, the Washington Capitals gave their fans a ton of hope with an epic regular season. They finished with a .732 percent point percentage, their second-highest of all-time. Washington also won the President’s Trophy as the best regular season team in the NHL. After disposing of the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, the Capitals lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Time is running out for the Capitals, as Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will only be elite for a few more seasons. This could be the Capitals best chance to win a Stanley Cup. But will the Capitals be able to shake off their ghosts of the past in 2016-17?
Offseason Review
Here’s a quick review of what the Washington Capitals have done during the offseason.
Additions: F Brett Connolly (Bruins), C Lars Eller (Canadiens)
Losses: F Jason Chimera (Islanders), C Michael Latta (Kings), C Mike Richards, D Mike Weber
Retained: F Marcus Johansson, F Tom Wilson, D Dmitry Orlov
The Capitals are bringing back most of the same roster that won 54 games last season. Probably a smart idea. Washington didn’t have much room to improve anyway. While they did lose Jason Chimera, Brett Connolly is an interesting replacement candidate. Connolly is a former first round pick that just hasn’t panned out. Perhaps he will finally live up to his hype in Washington.
Dmitry Orlov is a very important cog to the Capitals’ blue line. Expect him to get bigger minutes after putting up an impressive 29 points in 82 games despite only playing 16 minutes a night. He understandably was a bit rusty to start last season after missing the entire 2014-15 season. But as the season went on, he improved.
Lars Eller is a solid addition for the Capitals. He gives them three legitimate centers and is an underrated playmaker. Eller wasn’t utilized properly by the Canadiens. Despite inconsistent deployment and a revolving door of wings, Eller consistently drove possession in Montreal. Eller will have better wings and more consistent deployment in Washington. He is an upgrade over Jay Beagle and Mike Richards.
Marcus Johansson finally got the long-term contract that he wanted. He’s worth it too. The Capitals need as much talent as possible and Johansson is a legitimate top six forward. Washington’s power play revolves around his zone entries. Wherever he plays in the lineup, he should be a productive player.
