Washington Capitals Roundtable: Where Do The Forwards Fit?

The Capitals are going to be faced with some very tough decisions in the near future due to players returning from injuries, a new signing, and the emergence of a few young players.

The Washington Capitals had an excellent offseason. They addressed their needs up front by signing forwards Justin Williams and trading for T.J. Oshie. This comes on the heels of the 2014 offseason, where the team inked defensemen Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik to long-term deals.

Though the Capitals have had a great season to this point, they will have a variety of tough decisions to make in the near future. Jay Beagle was injured at the end of December, leaving Marcus Johansson to fill in as the third line center – a position where he has excelled.

The Washington Capitals also signed free agent center Mike Richards to provide even more depth down the middle. With Marcus Johansson’s recent injury and unknown return date, Richards will be centering the third line. 20-year-old forward Andre Burakovsky has re-emerged after a tough start to the season, creating even more issues.

Now, Beagle is close to a return. The dilemma will come if each of these four players are healthy moving forward. Does Beagle move to the fourth line? Should Burakovsky stay in the top-six? Can Johansson remain a good third line center option?

Our team at Stars and Sticks discussed three important questions, and then decided what their ideal lineups would be at full strength.

Next: Is Andre Burakovsky a Second-Liner?