There’s 16 teams still playing for that chance of winning the Stanley Cup. The Washington Capitals are not one of them as we all know.
Now the Caps have a goal of remaining competitive while searching for some youth this summer. Tom Wilson told the media on breakdown day:
"“I think the leadership and the group of guys is kind of second to none around the league. You’ve got really good quality people and really good teammates and that’s a foundation that you can build around. Different guys come in and can complement that or add to that. There’s going to be probably a second wave of what we need younger guys to come in and start pulling their weight and adding and complementing the core that’s getting a little bit older. I’ll be probably a little bit of a hybrid of that in the middle.”"
Here are five fun facts as we wrap up the 2022-23 season:
#5 Russian Machine never breaks
Alex Ovechkin not only passed Gordie Howe for second place of all time, he finished the season with 42 goals. Although he didn’t lead the league, of the other nine players to reach 42 goals and 33 assists, none of them were older than 27. Ovechkin turns 38 in September just before next season.