FL4WL3SS said:
I think with a good goalie, Washington has become a very dangerous team.
It's possible, but I wouldn't hold your breath. They rely so heavily on the powerplay that the easiest way to neutralize Washington is to simply not take penalties. An incredible powerplay and stellar goaltending can certainly steal you games though. At this point, the biggest boost Washington is likely to get is from the hopeful return of Mikhail Grabovski. Grabo has perhaps been Washington's best 5-on-5 player this season, which is not coincidentally the Caps' biggest weakness. Also, the player centering Alex Ovechkin right now? Jay Beagle. Lines as of last game:
Johansson - Beagle - Ovechkin
Kuznetsov - Backstrom - Brouwer
Chimera - Fehr - Ward
Penner - Wellman - Wilson
The third line has been phenomenal this season. The fourth line is fine and play a limited role anyway (moving Beagle back there doesn't hurt, either). Having Backstrom on the second line is a luxury, and Kuznetsov has been a nice add, though he's still a bit raw. But, they're missing punch on that top line, which isn't going to help Ovechkin's 5-on-5 play at all. A hot Halak/Holtby and a healthy Grabovski could certainly make Washington a tougher out, but they're still prone to disappearing too often. There isn't consistency, and almost certainly not enough to win 16 games. I'm not a believer yet, but adding Grabo to center one of the top 2 lines would give me hope.
Next year's team, in my opinion, could/should be much better. They're only losing Halak, Penner, and Grabovski to UFA. Halak is replaced by top goalie prospect Grubauer and Holtby in net, Penner hasn't played a significant role in DC, and Grabovski is a strong re-sign candidate. He's missed almost a third of the season anyway, so re-signing him would be an addition in some ways. Laich hasn't been healthy either and could be a buyout candidate or virtual addition if he can come back healthy. They'll have a full season of Kuznetsov and an NHL-adjusted Wilson and Carrick (a pair of 19-year-olds). They'll also have ~$13.5m in cap space (~$18m if they buyout Laich).
The big question: is there anyone worth adding that wants to come play in DC? Washington is not known for landing big free agents. I believe the only current players on the Caps to have signed as a free agent with Washington from somewhere else are Grabovski, Ward, Hillen, and Erskine. That's not an eye popping group. Over the past 10 years, I believe this is a pretty inclusive list of the "top" free agents Washington has signed: an aging Tomas Vokoun on a one-year make good deal, an old Roman Hamrlik/Mike Knuble/Brendan Morrison/Andrew Cassels, and Donald Brashear... Robert Lang, back in 2002, was probably the biggest free agent sign Washington has had dating back to at least that year.
