Caps front office anticipates a much quieter off-season
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Last season, the Washington Capitals overhauled approximately one-third of their roster, retooling on the fly so as to remain competitive, as their Stanley Cup chances diminish. This year will not be the same.
Both General Manager Chris Patrick and President of Hockey Operation Brian MacLellan said this offseason will be different.
"I think we had some big spots to fill last year, our goals for roster spots," MacLellan said. "This year there's fewer holes. It's not going to be the same as last year."
Washington Capitals did note, however, that there are areas they'd like to address. Their third-line was a question mark last season, and they'd like more depth on the blueline.
To address these lacking areas, Washington will look both internally, and externally, while evaluating their free agents, all with the goals of getting younger.
Patrick and MacLellan will be looking at their young prospects when training camp begins this fall.
"We've had some growth in young players. We have some players that are young and are coming up to make the next jump, so you've got to be cognizant of leaving room for improvement, leaving room for guys to come in."
Washington will look to add a piece, or two, where necessary, with there being many options from which to choose, when free agency opens on July 1st. However, that doesn't mean they will add a star.
"We will definitely evaluate everything," Patrick said. "With a rising cap environment, a lot of teams that are looking to spend - the prices, I think we saw it at the trade deadline with the prices going up. I think it could follow the same path here in free agency. We'll see what we have available to spend, and hopefully we can be competitive in some of that stuff if we think it's a right fit."
The NHL salary cap is expected to increase by $7.5M the 2025-26 season, and $25.5M by 2027-28, to $113.5M, which will help teams add additional pieces to their rosters.
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MAI 26 | 48 ANSWERS Caps front office anticipates a much quieter off-season Should Washington add a big-name free agent July 1st? | ||
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