The season got away from the Washington Capitals as the club recently struggled. On Tuesday, the Florida Panthers put the Caps out of their misery. With a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, the Panthers officially eliminated the Capitals from postseason contention.
This season will be the first in nine that the Capitals missed the playoffs. Washington last missed the postseason during the 2013-14 season. Adam Oates was the Caps’ head coach.
Injuries and age hampered the Capitals in the second half of the season. Their struggles forced general manager Brian MacLellan to sell during the trade deadline. While veterans Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway, and Erik Gustafsson were shipped off, MacLellan focused on ready-to-play young players such as defenseman Rasmus Sandin.
The Capitals moved toward the future while attempting a last-ditch effort to make a run at the playoffs this season. However, Washington is 4-8-2 since the trade deadline. The club is currently on a four-game losing streak which dropped them to 34-34-9 on the season.
The season has gotten marred with injuries to mainstays such as Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. Now there is chatter that the Capitals may move on from longtime center and 2018 Stanley Cup hero Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin casts a shadow. Playing in his 18th NHL season, Ovechkin has pursued the NHL’s all-time goal record. He has 42 goals in 71 games this season, pushing him to 822 career goals. He’s currently 72 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s 894.
The Capitals want to celebrate the greatest player in franchise history. It also wants to compete and build a contender around the 37-year-old.
Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Capitals have failed to get past the first round of the playoffs, a streak that will now extend to five seasons. Head Coach Peter Laviolette is in his final year of a three-year contract. Talks of an extension for Laviolette have reportedly gone cold.
This year could be a pivotal offseason for the Capitals. The club must answer several questions to get back into title contention.
