Welcome back to Puck Drop: NHL Preview 2013-14, where our hockey department gives you a detailed look at each team from around the NHL leading to the start of his hockey season. Check back often as new teams are added to our Puck Drop page. Today we take a look at the 2013-14 Washington Capitals.
Last Year
With rookie head coach Adam Oates behind the bench for a shortened 48-game season, the Washington Capitals started off to an uncharacteristically sluggish start last January. Their 2-8-1 span led many people to believe that Oates and his team would be incapable of succeeding over the course of the rest of the year. However, a March weekend in Winnipeg that ended up in a pair of back-to-back wins for the Caps sparked an enormous turnaround that managed to save their playoff hopes and secure their fifth division title over the last six years.
Washington’s top two stars, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, propelled their team to the peak of the Southeast Division by having outstanding offensive seasons in which both of them flourished as the year progressed. While Backstrom finished third in the league with 40 assists, Ovechkin finished third in the league in points with 56 and first in the league in goals with 32.
Unfortunately, the Capitals’ season ended all too familiarly with another first-round playoff exit by the hands of the New York Rangers in seven games. If they hope to improve on last year’s heartbreaking yet predictable result, the Caps will have to find a way to play their best hockey when it counts the most.
Offseason
Once July 5th rolled around, Washington fans as well as NHL analysts assumed that the Capitals would stay conservatively quiet throughout the free agency period that took place. For the most part, they were absolutely right.
General manager George McPhee confirmed that he was not looking to make any outside additions to the team. He firmly felt that there was enough depth throughout the rest of the organization to fill any missing holes that were necessary come opening night. He stayed true to his word for the majority of the months ahead, but as most Caps fans know, George McPhee is a mysteriously silent worker when it comes to getting deals done. Ultimately, he proved that to be true when he signed Mikhail Grabovski to a low-risk, one-year contract for $3 million.
With the loss of both veteran center Mike Ribeiro and grinding role player Matt Hendricks, the Grabovski signing was essential to complete Washington’s lineup for this upcoming season. Along with that single new addition, the Capitals also managed to re-sign top line defenseman Karl Alzner to a four-year, $11.2 million contract. Alzner is an extremely solid, young stay-at-home defenseman with a tremendous upside of potential as he continues to develop further in his career. It was a very smart signing by McPhee to lock him up in D.C. for another four years.
The final move of the offseason for Washington hasn’t quite been settled yet. Forward Marcus Johansson has yet to be re-signed despite the fact that McPhee has stated on numerous occasions that both parties are interested in getting a deal done as soon as possible.
I don’t believe there is reason to worry about the situation. Defenseman John Carlson was not re-signed until mid-September of last year so chances are the Caps organization will come to terms with Johansson sometime within the next couple of weeks as training camp approaches.
Storyline to Watch
When the puck drops on October 1, one aspect of the Washington Capitals team that I am most intrigued by is their goaltending situation. In my opinion, 23-year old netminder Braden Holtby has solidified his spot as the undisputed number one goaltender for the Caps.
Contrary to that statement, backup goalie Michal Neuvirth was given a contract extension last April at the tune of $2.5 million per year for the next two seasons. This was something that completely caught me as a lifelong Capitals fan, off guard. Neuvirth has consistently made it a point to let everyone know that he is interested in being a full-time starter for an NHL team. He has stated that if he cannot start for Washington, he hopes and wants to be able to do that for another team.
Why Michal would want to stay in D.C. and play behind a younger goalie is beyond me. I’m confident that if he had held out and tested the free agent market he most likely would’ve received an offer from a team that indeed was in need of a number one. In my mind as well as every other Caps fan’s mind, we know that Holtby is our guy. He is our future between the pipes, but with Neuvirth’s extension, what happens now? Will Adam Oates try and promote another crease battle for the starting job? I surely hope not.
It seems like Washington paid more for their backup than they did for their starter, which to me doesn’t make any sense at all. What their exact intentions are when it comes to Neuvirth remain to be seen, but regardless, I am very curious to see what happens in the Capitals’ net over the course of the 82 game season.
Players to Watch
For this upcoming 2013-14 season, a few players on the Caps’ roster catch my eye the most.
The obvious player to keep track of is newcomer Mikhail Grabovski. Will he return to his productive ways under head coach Adam Oates? We’ll find out soon.
Can Brooks Laich come off of a successful sports hernia surgery and stay healthy for an entire season after only playing a minuscule nine games last year? I hope so.
Will veteran forward Martin Erat prosper with an offensive team like Washington and put up 60+ point numbers? It’s very possible.
With Troy Brouwer on pace to double his total points in a single season last year, can he take on a power forward role and become a constant catalyst for offensive production on the vital second line this year? I believe he will.
There are too many key players for Washington this season to keep track of, but the most crucial in my mind is top defenseman Mike Green. Green is coming off of a returning year after recovering from a sports hernia surgery similar to that of fellow teammate Brooks Laich. The 27-year old Calgary, Alberta native has had two 75+ point seasons, two 20+ goal seasons, and one 30+ goal season over his 7-year NHL career. Additionally, even though he only managed to play 35 games last year, he finished first in goals among defensemen with 12, and in my opinion, he has a great chance to lead the National Hockey League again starting this October.
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