The Washington Capitals continue to wait for a response from Alex Ovechkin on what he plans to do moving forward, whether he is looking to sign a one-year deal for his final season or retire, but the team is still focused on what their lineup will look like as they try to get back into the playoffs next season.
In a recent mailbag article from Sammi Silber at The Hockey News, a question was responded to in regards to whether the Capitals will try to take a swing this offseason, regardless of what happens with Ovechkin.
Silber wrote: "...ultimately, one way or the other, I think they try to make a splash for a big star, and I think the hunt is for a winger rather than a center (D.C. is very deep there thanks to Justin Sourdif's emergence this season and Ilya Protas being ready to make the jump). Ovechkin said his primary objective if he chooses to come back will be to go for another Cup and remain competitive, and general manager Chris Patrick said that was what he and the front office aspire to do as well. The room wants to win, too."
Following up on that, a question was asked about if the Capitals may have any specific players on their radar.
Silber replied: "As mentioned in the question, Jason Robertson, Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, and Alex Tuch are the big names that have come up as trade and free agent targets to watch going into the summer."
She continued: "Some other under-the-radar names headed to the market: Michael Bunting and Oliver Bjorkstrand could provide some secondary scoring. Kailer Yamamoto, a former first-round pick who's 27 and still has some upside, could also be a cheap pick-up on a tryout or two-way deal that could provide some depth. Ultimately, though, I think Washington tries to swing big and then looks internally to add more scoring depth."
At the end of the day, Silber seems confident that the Capitals will be looking to make a big splash regardless of Ovechkin's decision on his future, but time will tell what that looks like, and who they will target this summer.
As the offseason moves along, be sure to continue following along at Stars and Sticks as your source for news, updates, rumours, and more around the Washington Capitals.
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