Washington Capitals: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 7:The Washington Capitals celebrate around the Stanley Cup after Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena on Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

3 of 5

Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images /

3. Can the Caps shore up their fourth line?

Last season, the Washington Capitals didn’t get much from their fourth line until the postseason. That’s when Devante Smith-Pelly became a legend, Chandler Stephenson became famous in D.C. and Jay Beagle cemented his legacy by becoming the first player in history to win a championship in the ECHL, AHL and NHL.

Beagle has since signed with the Vancouver Canucks. And considering his dreadful possession numbers, maybe his departure is for the best. Now the Capitals can focus on improving what was arguably their biggest weakness — their fourth line.

Travis Boyd will likely get a shot at replacing Beagle. He’s a better skater and is more efficient in transition than the incumbent fourth-line center. Stephenson can play center as well, but he was at his best last season when he was at left wing.

Nic Dowd is another guy to keep an eye on. The Capitals brought him in primarily to serve as competition for Boyd. Whoever loses the competition will likely either spend a lot of time in the press box as a healthy scratch or go down to Hershey. Dowd, much like Beagle, doesn’t bring much to the table on offense. But defensively, he’s a very solid player.

Nathan Walker is yet another intriguing option. He can’t play center, so he’s likely only an option if Stephenson wins the fourth-line center job. But Walker has a ton of speed, which is a must in today’s NHL. He’s gotten very limited minutes, but in a short sample size, he’s done very well. Walker famously helped set up Alex Chiasson’s goal in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Home/Washington Capitals