Washington Capitals mock offseason: Stanley Cup run

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.