Look inside the capitals of Washington

NHL.com has been providing in-depth inventory, prospect and fantasy analysis to its 16 teams since November 16-December. 16. Today, Washington is the capital.

Washington’s capitals have the same goal since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 this season – to win it again – but not urgently.

With an aging core that has forwards Alex Ovechkin, 35, Nicklas Backstrom, 33, and TJ Oshi, 34 years old on December 23, and Defenseman John Carlson, Turning 31 on January 10, wants to make the most of the championship opportunities left by the Capitals group. This reflects the appointment of coach Peter Laviolet on September 15 to replace Todd Rearden, who was sacked on 23 August after Washington failed to win a round in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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With 18 NHL seasons coaching experience, Laviolet brings track record to getting results quickly. The 56 – year – old won the Stanley Cup in his first full season with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, reached the Stanley Cup Final in his first season with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, and took on the Nashville Predators without missing the playoffs before the season. He reached the cup final in 2017 for his third season.

“I was uncomfortable, it was the last time I won the cup in 2006,” Laviolet said. “A lot of those guys won the cup in 2018. Well, man, you’re definitely hoping to do this in 2019, and if you do not, you’re going to do it in 2020. So those things don’t happen when, I think it sharpens everyone a little bit. Since they are an experienced group there, I think we can use it to our advantage to try to get it back. “

Video: Alex Ovechkin plays in the top 10 from 2019-20

Although the list of most capitals from last season is intact, they are in transition at Goli.

With a long-term starter‌ Braden Holtby October 9, Vancouver signs a two-year contract with the Cancs as an unrestricted free agent. Henrik Lundquist The 38-year-old signed a one-year deal the same day he finished last season on a deal he bought for the New York Rangers. Lund‌quist competes and helps the groom Ilya Samsonov, 23-year-old Washington’s No. 1 goalie.

Other important off-season additions to the capital are right-wing defensemen Justin Schultz, October 9, and signed a two-year contract Trevor von Rimsdick, Washington, who signed a one-year deal on October 10, said everything in Laviolet’s plan to play aggressive style would fit.

Laviolet, who coached Nashville for six seasons before being fired on Jan. 6, wants to build what capitals have done well in the past. Washington has qualified for 12 playoffs in the last 13 seasons, including six consecutive seasons, topping the Metropolitan Division for five consecutive seasons and winning the Presidents Trophy as the NHL’s best team in the regular season in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

“There is the ultimate victory and then there is victory,” Laviolet said. “You can make it to the playoffs consistently and play into the second round or the third round. There is a championship, there are presidents trophies, there are division championships. Adding. “

The possibility of doing so is one reason for the Defenseman Brendan Dillon Became an unrestricted free agent and signed a four-year deal with Washington on October 6. Although the Capitals lost to New York Islanders in five games in the first round of the Best-of-7 Eastern Conference last season, Dillon said he liked what he saw after trading with the San Jose Sharks on February 18 and believes Washington was more capable.

“You look at the makeup of the roster and the team, and we’re not only super talented and super talented, but we’m grown up, we’re made for playoff hockey. We love to play the physical, tough brand. The game’s a great combination of guys from all over the world. Got it. టానికి To see the Cup win in 2018, we only removed two years from it. The big pieces are still here. “