Washington Capitals mock offseason: Stanley Cup run

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If the Washington Capitals want to use this offseason to gear up for one last Stanley Cup run, here’s what it could look like.

The Washington Capitals could go in a variety of directions this offseason. There will obviously be some changes, but the extent of those changes depends on what they decide to do. Will they do a full rebuild and get a jump start in restocking for the future? This option isn’t too likely. Especially since the Capitals have won two straight President Trophies. Maybe this team doesn’t need to make drastic changes. Perhaps some tinkering will work.

One of their options is to gear up for one last Stanley Cup run. This likely gives them at most a two-year window, but with far less resources to make moves than the last one. However, it would give the Capitals at least one last chance to win a Stanley Cup with Alex Ovechkin and their current core.

This option is interesting because it’s hard to decide precisely what the Caps need to address. They’ll lose some free agents, so they can start by filling those holes. And wherever the Capitals feel an upgrade is possible, they should explore it. But likely the Caps should look to make an upgrade to the top nine forwards and perhaps add some defensive depth.

However, this option is admittedly risky, arguably even more so than a full rebuild. If the Capitals decide to load up for one last run and don’t win the Stanley Cup, they’re worse off than they were before. And most likely, the Caps would have lost their best chance to jump start a rebuild. Heck, a full rebuild might be the only plausible option moving forward if they fail. But the Capitals have shown they’re willing to be bold and they want to win. So let’s look at how the Washington Capitals can reload over the offseason for one last run.

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Expansion Draft

This won’t necessarily be the first move chronologically, but it is arguably the most vital move the Washington Capitals could make if they want to load up for a Stanley Cup run. In order for this option to work, the Caps need cap space. And as much of it as possible. The easiest way for them to do this is through the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s a bit complicated, but if they want to clear the worst contract on the team (Brooks Orpik), they might be the only team who can help.

Golden Knights general manager (and old friend) George McPhee likely won’t take the veteran defenseman for free. While he sure owes the Capitals after the infamous Forsberg for Erat trade, his priority is making his team as good as possible. McPhee might take Orpik if the Caps incentivize him to do so.

Here’s the problem – Washington doesn’t have many draft picks in their cupboard. So the Caps will have to get a tad bit creative. The Golden Knights will most likely want Philipp Grubauer. And why not? He’s an affordable potential number one goalie. McPhee knows how hard it is to find a franchise goalie. It’s a hefty price, but it would also give the Caps $5.5 million of cap space. By comparison, buying out Orpik would only grant them $3 million of savings. Who knows how important that extra $2.5 million could be for a contender.

The precise logistics of the trade might even net the Capitals a seventh round pick. I’m not sure how the NHL will feel about the Caps giving Vegas a player so the Golden Knights will take a bad contract off their hands.

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Signing the RFAs

The Washington Capitals will have to adjust their RFA strategy if they want to go all-in. One player who is getting a long-term extension regardless of what happens is Evgeny Kuzetsov. He’s a clear future building block and he’s arguably going to be your best center within the next two to three years (perhaps as soon as next season). Kuznetsov’s worth for an eight-year deal sits at around $6.125 million, maybe a tad bit more. This makes sense regardless of what the Capitals are doing. It’s for $6.2 million in this exercise.

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However, Dmitry Orlov would likely be stuck holding the short straw, so to speak. Usually, he’d get anywhere from a five-year deal to an eight-year deal. But in this scenario, Orlov has to settle for a three-year deal. However, it still grants him a nice pay day at $3.35 million a year.

Another person who gets stuck with a bridge contract when they might normally get a long-term one is Andre Burakovsky. There’s a good argument he shouldn’t get a long-term deal because he hasn’t broken through yet. But this is why the Washington Capitals should try to extend him long-term now. Because if he breaks out, you’re paying more to keep him. Burakovsky signs a reasonable $2.15 million a year deal for two years. Both sides are happy and it sets him up well for a nice pay day. Sure, it will cost more to keep Burakovsky in two years, but for now, you keep him at a good price.

Nate Schmidt finally gets a solid deal, getting a three-year deal worth $1.75 million annually. It represents a great pay raise over his current $812,500 salary. Schmidt has earned a greater one, but he’s another player who would have to sacrifice for the team.

Brett Connolly gets brought back at $1.2 million for a year. He gives the Caps a bit more right wing depth and he was awesome with Lars Eller during the regular season. Connolly shouldn’t be hard to trade if someone like Riley Barber proves himself worthy of a top nine spot. Chandler Stephenson gets brought back at $800,000 for a year to serve as the 13th forward. Plus, this team needs an extra center since it only has four natural ones.

Second Line Changes

There will be two primary changes to the Washington Capitals second line. First of all, at least to start the year, Alex Ovechkin will be the second line left wing. The first line of Burakovsky, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie (more on him later) did a phenomenal job in the postseason. Whoever the head coach is, he or she needs to at least let this line develop some chemistry. Even in a worst case scenario, you flip Ovechkin and Burakovsky.

But what about Marcus Johansson? Well, he gets traded to the Anaheim Ducks straight up for defenseman Sami Vatanen. Player for player swaps (except for that nutty 20 minute period last summer) rarely happen. But this one makes sense for both teams. Normally, this would affect the Caps expansion draft strategy. However, remember we just paid Vegas to take Orpik.

Secondly, the Caps are now free to trade John Carlson if he won’t sign an extension. But now that the Capitals need a new top six forward and with free agency looking shallow at best, it’s time for another trade. This one sends Carlson to the Edmonton Oilers for Jordan Eberle (with the kings of Alberta retaining $2 million).

Another player for player trade that makes sense. Edmonton gets an offensively gifted defenseman who has been an excellent power play point man in the past. He’s a great fit in their system. Eberle needs a change of scenery, but even in a “bad year”, he still got 20 goals. This came despite spending most of his even strength time with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who didn’t have much chemistry with him.

Free Agency

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals main free agent move will involve re-signing a top forward from last season. Yup, the Caps are bringing back Oshie. If the Capitals are going all-in for the Stanley Cup, it’s pretty much a requirement to bring back number 77. Oshie loves it in DC and Washington clearly wants him back. It doesn’t come at a cheap price, costing them six years and $6.15 million a year, but it’s worth it.

Next, the Capitals are bringing in a cheap version of Alzner – Ron Hainsey, to be precise. He’s older and he might decide to retire. But if Hainsey decides to come back, he’d be perfect in a third pairing role. As far as penalty killing, he was arguably the best penalty killer on the Carolina Hurricanes, the best shorthanded team in the NHL until they traded him. Hainsey signs for $1.9 million for a year.

The final unrestricted free agent will be a backup goalie. Thanks to losing Grubauer, the Washington Capitals need a solid backup goaltender in case the worst case scenario occurs and Braden Holtby gets injured. There are some intriguing options out there. Steve Mason is one, but he has no experience as a backup. Ondrej Pavelec could be fixed by Mitch Korn, but even at his best, he’s been mediocre.

I went with Anders Nilsson because he’s going to be cheap (signing for a year at $950,000), he has experience as a backup and he’s even proven to be pretty darn good at times. No goalie out there is good enough to overcome a Holtby injury, but Nilsson lets the Capitals rest him as much as they want.

Prospects

Because of the salary cap, the Washington Capitals will need to have some very cheap contracts on their roster. Enter the prospects. The most prevalent one will be Jakub Vrana. He impressed in a small sample size last season. Since Burakovsky has graduated to the top forward line, the third line needs a unique talent to replace him. Vrana fits the bill perfectly. Being on the third line allows him to be sheltered offensively. Once Vrana proves himself, the third line can take on more responsibilities.

The next prospect is Riley Barber. He’ll be making a move from right wing to left wing, but he has experience there. Barber would be a nice fit for the fourth line. He’s defensively responsible and is an impressive skater. Barber also has enough offensive skill to chip in a few points. If Connolly struggles, Riley could be bumped up to the third line.

Finally, Caps fans will see the debut of Madison Bowey. While he’s going to have to be sheltered, he’ll be paired with Hainsey, who should be able to help him grow into his role. With a strong top four, the third line likely won’t be relied on too much. This could be good for Bowey, as it allows him to steadily take on more responsibilities as he makes the transition to the NHL. I was tempted to sign Cody Franson, but he likely wouldn’t play enough to justify what he’d probably get.

Opening Night Roster

The Washington Capitals would ice a darn good Opening Night roster. One could argue it’s as good, if not better, than the one from 2016-17. There’s some changes and tinkering, but most of it is positive. The best thing about this lineup is it’s very versatile. It has guys who can jump up and fill in for teammates. Trotz (or whoever the coach is) would have a lot of options on the table. It’s up to the coach to make sure they’re optimally utilized.

Burakovsky – Backstrom – Oshie
Ovechkin – Kuznetsov – Eberle
Vrana – Eller – Connolly
Barber – Jay Beagle – Tom Wilson
Stephenson

Orlov – Matt Niskanen
Schmidt – Vatanen
Hainsey – Bowey
Taylor Chorney

Holtby (starter)
Nilsson (backup)

The scoring is pretty well spread out on across this lineup, especially if Vrana can take lessons from his cup of coffee in the NHL from last season. This team has about $1.4 million of cap space remaining. I made it a point to leave some room so the Washington Capitals can make a move if needed.

Next: End of an Era?

Is this team good enough to win the Stanley Cup? Who knows. Hockey is cruel and unpredictable. But they’re at least good enough to contend for a Stanley Cup assuming no catastrophic injuries. This was done via CapFriendly and their amazing armchair GM tool. Be sure to check it out and post your lineups in the comments!

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