Washington Capitals: Replacing The Departed
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Capitals are going to be entering the 2015-16 NHL campaign with a much different looking team than they iced in 2014-15. The team finally has a complete top-six with good forward depth, and will ice a downgraded, but still formidable defensive unit. Braden Holtby will continue to be a beast between the pipes.
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Even with the additions of T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams, the Capitals were left with several holes when Mike Green, Joel Ward, and Eric Fehr left the team in free agency. Troy Brouwer was a key part of the package moved to acquire the aforementioned Oshie.
The presence of these players will be missed in several aspects. Mike Green was the point man on the first power play unit, and his main job was simply to put the puck in Alex Ovechkin’s wheelhouse. He did well at this job. Troy Brouwer was slotted on that same first power play unit, and was given the responsibilities of taking faceoffs to help setup the 1-3-1, and just generally be a big body in front of the net. Ward was a very valuable penalty killer, and could really slot anywhere on the right side of the lineup at five on five. Eric Fehr did an exceptional job over the past two seasons as the third-line center, a role which he was thrust into simply by need while Adam Oates was still in charge.
Looking at who has departed the team this offseason, it is fair to wonder just how the Capitals plan to utilize their new acquisitions to fill those holes. I’ll be looking at each individual that left the team, and how the Washington Capitals will plan to fill the voids left by those players this year.
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