The Capitals could look to the Hurricanes to improve their roster

It's no secret that the Washington Capitals have been decisively outmatched in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes.

There's no question that Spencer Carbery's first year behind the bench has been something special - a Jack Adams-worthy season, no doubt. But despite the progress, the Caps' still have some question marks regarding their roster, especially on the blue line. These issues need to be addressed before they can be considered true Stanley Cup contenders.

On the other side, the Canes' are pushing hard for a Stanley Cup run of their own.

But once the NHL postseason wraps up, they'll be facing their own hard decisions. With multiple high-end UFAs hitting the open market, Capitals GM Chris Patrick could have a golden opportunity to snag some serious talent out of Carolina this summer.

According to Puckpedia, Brent Burns is signed to a 8 year, $64,000,000 contract with a cap hit of $8,000,000 per season, currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes. His contract was signed on November 22, 2016, and expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, when Burns will be 40 years old.

Brent Burns is one of the most accomplished defenceman in the NHL. While a Stanley Cup remains one of the few accolades missing from his CV, there's no doubt he still has plenty of game left in him.

Although he's in the twilight of his career, there's no denying he will want to continue his playing at the NHL level, and the Washington Capitals will have an opportunity to scoop up this highly talented veteran on a short term team friendly deal.

According to Puckpedia, Dmitry Orlov is signed to a 2 year, $15,500,000 contract with a cap hit of $7,750,000 per season, currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes. His contract was signed on July 1, 2023, and expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, when Orlov will be 33 years old.

How could we forget Dmitry Orlov?

The former Washington Capitals veteran was part of the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship team and has since emerged as one of the top defenders on the Hurricanes.

While there have been rumblings of Orlov signing with the KHL after his contract expires, he might reconsider - for the right price.

With Martin Fehervary's recent knee injury, it's uncertain whether he'll be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Adding to that, top prospect Cole Hutson is reportedly leaning towards another season at the NCAA level, which could open the door for a reunion with Dmitry Orlov in D.C.

More details to follow.