It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since the Washington Capitals hoisted the Stanley Cup. A lot has changed since then. From a pandemic to an aging core but one thing stayed the same, the team hasn’t had success since that glorious night.
So how do they get back to that?
They took that first step in the beginning of the month by hiring a head coach with fire ready to prove himself. Nobody can replace Barry Trotz but Spencer Carbery could seize this opportunity ahead of him. He has four chances to do it and possibly just three or less with the great eight.
And that’s pretty much what this window hinges on. How much more in the tank does Alex Ovechkin have? Obviously he is going for one of the biggest records in sports and all eyes will be on him the next two seasons.
Those two seasons are what’s left in the window. Either you go two for two, one for two, or zero for two.
What helped the Caps get over the edge believe it or not was also youth. So it’s up to Brian MacLellan to see what kind of pieces he can add via the trade market or free agency.
One bad move and it’ll be more of the same. One or two good moves could put them back in the playoff dance next spring and then who knows from there.
The best thing I heard when reading about Carbery was how hands on he is at practice and with the players whether it’s practice on the ice or a one on one afterwards. He cares about his guys and I think that’s going to help the youth and the vets.
Everyone has to pull on the rope and develop chemistry. If that can be done anything is possible. I’ve seen that with the 2017-18 team. I’ve seen it across other sports.
Happy anniversary Caps fans. Here’s to the future while celebrating our best triumph.