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.

Player Spotlight: Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin is arguably the greatest goal scorer of the past 25 years. When you take into consideration how much he scores in an era that doesn’t have many great goal scorers, you could argue that he is the greatest goal scorer ever. Ovechkin has been worth the hype for the Washington Capitals. He is the NHL’s rockstar and the heart and soul of the Capitals.

Despite his six Maurice Richard Trophies and three Hart Trophies, there is one award missing from Ovechkin’s trophy case: a Stanley Cup. For better or for worse, whether or not Ovechkin wins a Stanley Cup is going to affect his legacy. If he wins one, his legacy will be one as one of the NHL’s greatest players ever. That still might be the case even if he doesn’t win a Stanley Cup, but he will be remembered in the same manner that Dan Marino is – a great athlete who never won a championship.

Since entering the league, Ovechkin has 525 goals. The next closest player has 361 goals, a difference of 164 goals. That’s the same difference between second place and 63rd place. Ovechkin’s legacy as this generation’s greatest goal scorer is set in stone. But in a society that puts emphasis on winning championships, Ovechkin’s legacy among all-time greats ultimately depends on whether or not he wins a Stanley Cup.

2016-17 Outlook

The Washington Capitals are going to be among the top teams in the NHL again in 2016-17. There’s no reason to believe that they won’t be. Assuming they get Orlov signed, their offense will be one of the best in the league and so will their defense. They have two elite centers in Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, as well as the Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby. Their defense features John Carlson and Matt Niskanen. Oh yeah, and that Ovechkin guy is pretty good too.

But at the end of the day, regular season success is meaningless for the Capitals. They’ve had it before and it got them no closer to a Stanley Cup. The regular season still counts for something because it determines if you make the playoffs or not. But the Capitals couldn’t care less about regular season success. What matters to them right now is winning a Stanley Cup. And on paper, the Capitals might be the team with the best shot of taking down the Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s about all you can ask for from a team because everything else is likely out of their control.