Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Window Is Wide Open

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Each year, fans of contending NHL teams inevitably debate amongst themselves over one topic: how long is our window open? It is what shapes the expectations of each individual, but it isn’t limited to just fans. NHL franchises have to determine if the best times are behind them, or whether the future is as bright as could be. The Washington Capitals have been fortunate to be able to ask themselves that question since the 2007-08 season, where they made the playoffs for the first time with their franchise player, Alex Ovechkin.

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Since then, the Washington Capitals have only missed the playoffs once in the midst of Adam Oates trying to change the smallest of details down to the individual player. If you ask the fans, the window has probably opened, closed, and opened again several times depending on the day. On June 30^th of this off-season, I doubt there were any fans that were nearly as optimistic about this season as they were about 48 hours later, after the Washington Capitals had acquired T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams.

The Washington Capitals are most likely set heading into this season now. The dynamics of the team have changed significantly. Now is the appropriate time to go over just how open the window is for a Washington Capitals team with a quietly aging Alex Ovechkin.

That last sentence is very drastic, because Ovechkin will only be 30 heading into this season. He has been rejuvenated over the last few years after seeing a worryingly sharp decline in production under Dale Hunter. However, his peak production of scoring 60+ goals is well behind him. Ovechkin will continue to be elite for several years most likely, which on its own probably keeps the Washington Capitals chances of achieving the ultimate goal within reach. The Washington Capitals can probably get even more out of him by sheltering him once the decline starts. That might extend his elite productivity for an extra season or two.

Oshie and Williams both have two years left on their current contracts. This is important because several very important members of the Washington Capitals, even before those additions, also have expiring contracts in 2017. Brooks Laich, Karl Alzner, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky are all very key players who will be free agents in some capacity that year. They are joined by Nate Schmidt and Philip Grubauer, and the roles that the two of them will be playing by them time are yet undetermined. While there are a few key players due for extensions by next off-season, it is clear that the Washington Capitals are locked in for the next two years. They are really going for it.

Out of those 2017 free agents, Brooks Laich and Justin Williams will probably be leaving due to several reasons, including inevitable decline in production. This is the exact reason why, barring some unforeseen circumstances, the Washington Capitals Stanley Cup window will extend well beyond 2017. By then, the younger players who are expected to play big roles this upcoming season (Burakovsky, Kuznetsov, Tom Wilson) will be even more matured, and will hopefully be entrenched as key players on the team. We can’t forget about Marcus Johansson, who will still play a very important role on this team whether it is in the top-six or on the third line.

Now, back to Ovechkin, As long as he can stay healthy, he will be at least an above-average top-liner for three or four years. Nicklas Backstrom is still in his prime, and all of the younger players are going to be entering theirs very soon. This team is actually surprising young, and the team’s older players will likely be moving on. Jason Chimera probably is entering his last year in Washington, Laich (if he can stay healthy, even) will probably see a change of scenery, and Brooks Orpik is a pretty safe bet to be bought out at some point before he plays out all five years of his contract.

Washington Capitals Window After 2016

A lot of what happens to the Washington Capitals after that depends on the results over these next two seasons. If progress still hasn’t been made, and the team flames out in the first or second round without making a serious run, a re-tooling of sorts may be very necessary. I don’t see many scenarios in which the Caps would have to do a complete rebuild again for a very long time.

Many believe that the “Rock the Red” Washington Capitals were the most likely to win a Stanley Cup during Ovechkin’s career. However, looking at the teams from those years, I think the best opportunity is now, during these next two years. The squads under Bruce Boudreau, in my opinion, did not have the complete top-six coupled with young players such as Burakovsky and Wilson, and maybe eventually Galiev and Jakub Vrana, along with a very strong defensive core and an elite netminder like Braden Holtby. The collective core of this team is going through their prime years right now. If a third-line center such as Derek Roy or Mike Santorelli are added before the season opens, this team is arguably the class of the Eastern Conference on paper. But, that will not get you past the second round of the playoffs and beyond, on its own.

The next two years is the most likely time frame for the Washington Capitals to win the Stanley Cup. This team is absolutely a contender for at least that long. Considering the influx of talent that is currently underway and the strong foundation that this franchise has, the window could be even larger. It is impossible to know exactly what this team will look like in a year, much less two or three years from now. As currently constructed, the time is now. But the window will not suddenly slam shut two years from now.

Next: Capitals Mailbag: Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Oshie