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Washington Capitals: Stability big offseason winner

By Ron Juckett

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates by the Captitals bench to celebrate his second period goal as Brayden McNabb #3 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates back to the bench during the second period of Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates by the Captitals bench to celebrate his second period goal as Brayden McNabb #3 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates back to the bench during the second period of Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Washington Capitals hope keeping the team together is the best way to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. With their chemistry, it might work.

The Washington Capitals preached stability after winning the Stanley Cup and they delivered. Of the 23 players on the roster, 21 are holdovers from last year.

Of the two spots changing hands, one belongs to Pheonix Copley and the other to Nic Dowd. Copley was the main goalie for Hershey in the AHL, and the Caps top farm club, while Dowd is an unrestricted free agent signing from St. Louis.

The Caps are gambling the same crew can win another cup. It is not a bad one to make.

There is one huge change. Todd Reirden takes over as head coach for Barry Trotz. Trotz got his money with the New York Islanders and Reirden earns his first job as top dog. But, the tools remain the same as if some repacked an old set of Craftsman wrenches into a new box.

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But, Reirden has spent the last four years on the bench with Trotz. Again, when given the chance to look elsewhere, the Caps opened a drawer and used what was comfortable and well-fitting. Same coach, new responsibilities.

Washington hopes by keeping the band together they can gel again come next spring and repeat.

Granted, there were not any huge needs to fill. After trading Brooks Orpik to Colorado in a salary dump, they signed him as a free agent when the Avs bought him out. So, it cost the Caps backup netminder Philipp Grubauer to do it. Big deal.

If there is a point of weakness before training camp starts, it is in the net. Braden Holtby is fine as the primary goalie. Who his position coach is remains a mystery, but Holtby is fine. However, Copley is unproven in the AHL. September will be interesting as he gets meaningful playing time.

Unless top prospect Ilya Samsonov impresses in his North American debut, Copley’s spending his winter watching Holtby first hand wearing a snazzy baseball cap.

The thinking is this for Washington. To a man, everyone elevated their game when it mattered most. Devante Smith-Pelly became and unrestricted free agent and re-signed. Tom Wilson turned his spring into a six-year mammoth extension.

If given he opportunity to get everyone back for another run why would you not? Although the balance of power has tilted in other divisions, the Metropolitan is Washington’s to lose. With Pittsburgh slayed and the Cup in DC filled with anything from cereal to borscht, there goes the old demons.

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So, for the Washington Capitals, repeating how you won the Cup makes sense. It is not broke, as the end result speaks for itself, why change it?

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