Grav takes a look at the 2023 Washington Capitals and shares his thoughts on their roster and whether or not he believes they will return to the playoffs this season.
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15 Comments
Washington is younger, healthier and their prospects just won the Calder Cup. They finally fired their PP coach that fans have been begging to replace for a decade and they went out and hired the youngest head coach in the league! Washington was the 2nd best team in December despite the injuries and it was only after Carlson went out for 3 months that they dropped out of the playoffs. They sold heavily at the deadline and tanked hard and STILL only missed the playoffs by 6 wins! A healthy Backstrom, Wilson, Oshie and Carlson will make a difference. A faster younger lineup with a coach that emphasizes a new fresh look. Mantha is in a contract year so he has to play well. Kuznetsov has 130 points in his last 160 games. Strome is finally showing why he was a 3rd overall pick. Kuemper is capable of taking anyone to the Finals. Miroshnichenko is over here. Leonard will join the team in April. There's a lot to be optimistic about. The team needs more scoring besides Ovechkin but even he should have a better season since he's healthier and he's obviously not going to have to miss time for his father's death like he did last year. They should spend the entire season in the wild card race.
In the long term, Washington's future is a mountain of salary cap space opening up over the next 3 years. I don't think ownership is interested in a full tank and rebuild that takes years. They're going to instead spend big at free agency and even bigger on a few trades to bring together a new core in their prime. Look at Vegas as an example, they won the Cup with hardly a single player they drafted. They never went into a 5 year tank rebuild. They spent money and traded futures for elite talent. I think everyone is interested in that model. Washington certainly isn't interested in going back to empty arenas when Ovechkin is gone.
Will the Capitals make the playoffs? If anything they need a rebuild.
I noticed on the Defense you left out LuJo and Alexeyev. On the forwards you left out guys like McMichael and Lapierre as well as Snively and Frank who will all get looks given the Cup win they're coming off of. These are the guys who will play when Max is injured to start the season and when guys like NAK get the night off. Edmondson was brought in as Irwin's replacement so that's an upgrade there. Washington GM already said he expects to use at least 9 D this season minimum. Washington has a lot of youth that needs a spot, if the veterans like Mantha don't produce or the old guys like Oshie need a break, they're going to jump in. The depth is underrated.
Idk..being average worked pretty damn well for VGK last season
Nah I really think they have a shot at the wildcard. They have a lot of young guns too you didn’t mention. If they stay healthy or if the young guys step up. they’ll be right there in the hunt.
Goaltending scares me. I don’t see how they go anywhere in the playoffs if they make it with their tenders.
You're forgetting the depth.
There real name is Washington Crapitals! They didn't do anything to improve the team in fact they went backwards. I see them missing the playoffs. Alex OV breaking the record is the only reason to watch them.
Can't really argue with much of what you said we just need to hope some prospects breakout. Miroshnicehenko will get his chance in training camp and will be available all year as he's bought out his KHL contact. As for back-up goalie it's easy to forget that Lindgren played every game in December when the Caps had the 2nd best record in the league.
A review from someone that doesn’t follow the Caps closely and the lazy analysis of dismissing the importance of keeping Wilson long term.
If they stay healthy they have a shot at the wildcard. I don't agree with the statement "all the Caps care about is Ovi's record". That's just headline reporting. These guys want to win, and will hopefully prove this preview wrong.
In order to "still" be a playoff team wouldn't they have needed to be a playoff team last season?
Mcmichael and Lappiere should get some looks this year the youth could help bolster the aging core. They do need bounce backs from mantha and pac to play at least 50 games this year
We do better when we have zero expectations!! Could be rough, but we get a couple of young additions and have players like backy and Carlson back to their form, watch out. We’re sneaky!
Goaltending Carried then last year, they’re a bottom 5 team without it
At first glance, guznetsov kinda looks like Domi in the video screen title.
And I was like wait a minute, did I miss a trade?? 🤣