Washington Capitals consider aggressive offseason moves after heartbreaking playoff loss to Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals (via Getty Images)
The
Washington Capitals
exited May 15 on Capital One Arena ice, sticks held high in salute, and conflicting emotions churning: the bitter taste of a 4-1 series defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes and the excitement of a renaissance season that advanced them from bubble team to Eastern Conference pinnacle. For a team that saw captain Alexander Ovechkin pass Wayne Gretzky's career-goals record at age 39 but still fell short of the Stanley Cup, the upcoming summer feels both promising and precarious.
Coach Spencer Carbery's bench wizardry is Washington Capitals' competitive North Star
Washington Capitals And Carolina Hurricanes Exchange Handshakes Following Five-Game Series
Two years into his term, head coach Spencer Carbery has guided a transition roster through an injury obstacle course, a record goal pursuit, and a speedy youth offensive push—earning unanimous support for his second Jack Adams Award. Offensively, creativity was unleashed, defensive organization was tightened, and old and new alike had career seasons.
'You hope that guys learn from this,' Spencer Carbery said after Game 5. 'And you hope it doesn't take seven years to get to the Cup finals. But it is a process. And you got to learn how to win this time of year. And you got to learn how to score goals this time of year. You got to learn how hard it is to win on the road and how slim the margins are. Every little puck touch, every little mistake, every power play, penalty kill. So I am optimistic of the group and the new players that came in this year that will be returning next year about where this group potentially can go in the future.'
'A lot of us in here, (it's our) first time winning a playoff round and something to build on,' Dylan Strome, a point-per-game center said. 'A lot of us are here for the future and for a while. So it's something to build on. And of course it stings.'
Tom Wilson resonated with this feeling. 'I guess that's the one kind of silver lining,' he said. 'We can be excited about the future. A lot of good teams play a lot of good hockey at this time of year and fall short. And we got tested in this series. And we're going to learn from it and do the best that we can moving forward. Learn from it, build on it. We got a great foundation.'
Also read:
Washington Capitals sign Ryan Chesley to three-year deal amid rising expectations
Offseason to-do list: cap space, free agents and draft assets
Here's what the Capitals might do for their future season now that they are out of this year's playoff race:
Sign RFA defenseman Martin Fehérváry and determine whether to trade a veteran blue-line veteran to make space for Leonard's NHL debut.
Consider right-side scoring assistance in free agency
Use two second-rounders to replenish the prospect reservoir—or trade them for short-term assistance.
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