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The Washington Capitals do not seem to have the hangover of the Stanley Cup, as they defeated the Boston Bruins in a 7-0 win over the opening night. But not all games will be so easy, so we have some hot questions to ask our panel of puckheads:
Will the Capitals come back as Stanley Cup champions?
Greg Wyshynski, Senior Writer of the NHL: Until last season, the Capitals were unable to cross the second round of the playoffs from Alex Ovechkin's entire career for two reasons: the Pittsburgh Penguins, their killers in three missions consecutive; and the fact that key players in Washington could never all leave at the same time. They hoisted the Stanley Cup because Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and especially Braden Holtby were at the peak of their powers for two months. Can this happen again for four rounds? Sure. Is that ok? I'm skeptical, so it's a "no" from me, man.
The hero of the Capital Playoffs has been a model. "Front is not there because it's black," said Willie O. Ree, an NHL pioneer. "He's here because he's a good hockey player."
Can the Capitals repeat, or will Sidney Crosby be back? Which guardians will bounce? Who are the sleepers? How is Gritty going to affect all this?
Teammates Tom Wilson's Capitals made it clear Wednesday that they were not happy that he was suspended 20 times for illegal control.
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Emily Kaplan, NHL National Reporter: I just do not see it. What the Penguins have achieved by winning consecutive cuts is so difficult in the NHL today, which has a crazy parity and a salary cap. As the Capitals spent the spring and summer wading through 24 playoff games and celebrating as they should, the rest of the NHL was resting and reorganizing. Now comes the difficult point for general manager Brian MacLellan: make uncomfortable decisions about the beloved team that ultimately won everything. "Because our group really enjoyed playing with each other and for each other, my goal this year was to bring everyone back as much as I could," MacLellan told me in September. "By starting this year, I hope I have the discipline – if it does not go as it should or if some players are not doing well – we can make decisions based on thisnot last year. "
Chris Peters, Hockey Outlook Analyst: They will do it if they play as they did in the first game. Mercy, was it still a fight? That would be asking a lot, though. My skepticism about the Capitals as a pretender to repeat has much more to do with the growing depth of the Eastern Conference. It's not that their road to the Cup last year is easy, but the challenge they face throughout the regular season and playoffs looks even harder this season. Strong hopes from the Toronto Maple Leafs, another solid training for highly motivated Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and perhaps some more with legitimate hopes in the playoffs. it seems to me to be a big challenge.
Ben Arledge, Associate Editor: No, I think the Caps qualify for the title of the Metropolitan Division, but do not expect it to turn into a Penguins dynasty race. There are too many good teams. The Caps essentially return the same group, which is not a bad thing, but the teams around them have improved decisively. In the subway, the Flyers added James van Riemsdyk. Hurricanes made a handful of moves. The Penguins should have a better Matt Murray this season. And outside the division, the Atlantic is stacked and the West is loaded. I do not see the cities of Tampa Bay, Toronto and Boston allowing Washington to cross the East – and if that happens again, the West will wait with a power plant on the bridge. I do not like the chances that everything is going well for Washington two seasons in a row.
Sachin Chandan, ESPN magazine researcher: The trail is there. Thanks to the playoff structure, they will avoid at least two of the three Atlantic Trios of Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay. With six of the seven teams leading our pre-season Powerener Rankings standings from the East, the Capitals should easily rack up points, although they may have to face Pittsburgh again in the second round . The Capitals are reporting 93% of player minutes, one of the highest continuity rates in the league, and they could improve. The Capitals won the Cup despite a percentage lower than the average of Corsi, 47.3%, having exceeded 50% of the previous three seasons and with Holtby having experienced the worst regular season of his career. If they bounce back, Ovi and his team will play again in June.
What is your bold prediction of capitals for a year from now?
Wyshynski: We are either fascinated by Braden Holtby's new contract, or we wonder why he does not have one yet. Holtby is still two years old with a $ 6.1 million success, the seventh record for a goalkeeper this season. He will be 30 in September. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Ilya Samsonov, presumed guardian of the Capitals' future, has finally taken the KHL step and played for the AHL Hershey Bears. It is assumed that Holtby gets an extension. But will it be a short-term contract rather than "franchise" contracts awarded to players such as Carey Price and Pekka Rinne? Or will the capitals let Holtby enter 2019-2020 without extension?
Kaplan: Tom Wilson will no longer be suspended. I do not try to be brazen, I really believe it. What many fans outside Washington do not understand, is how Wilson is important to this team. He knows it, and his heavy contract extension of $ 31 million that he signed this summer is testimony to that. I've heard several people say that if there was not Alex Ovechkin, Wilson could be the captain of this team. Wilson's physical play and respect for legality are part of his identity and why he associates well with Ovechkin on the front line. But being suspended several times is not a sustainable way to make a living in this league. I believe this 20 game suspension will be an alarm bell and that it will play a more responsible hockey brand.
Before the conversations with Rod Brind's Love (30:16) and Isabelle Khurshudyan (1:02:08), Emily and Greg present an overview of the Eastern Conference (7:40) and Western (38:50). In addition, we tackle another dangerous shot by Tom Wilson (1:13:53). Listening »
Peters: We are starting to have more honest discussions about how long it stays in the heart of capital cities before Brian MacLellan makes tough decisions. I'm glad they do not have to have these conversations after the Stanley Cup, but that's coming. In addition to being eligible for Holtby's renewal next summer, so is Nicklas Backstrom. Ovechkin and Matt Niskanen signed an expiring contract in 2021. Some of the preparation work is due to be done this summer, with 12 players on the list of players whose contracts expire at the end of the season. Seven of these players are restricted free agents, but six of these calls are eligible for arbitration. The situation of salary caps that seems to be the result of the next pay cycle next season should tell us a lot about the orientation of this team and the choice of their coach.
Arledge: Alex Ovechkin will no longer be the most important offensive element of the team. Kuznetsov has remained under superstar status for a few seasons now, and I think he's really making the jump this time around. Ovi may still be the main scorer – probably not too much – but Kuznetsov may be considering a campaign of nearly 100 points. He had 83 points last season, so 95 points are not out of the question this season. He is extremely talented and I think you will see a transfer of power from Ovechkin to Kuznetsov in this team. Oh, and Kuznetsov scored two goals at home during the Wednesday night opener against Boston, just to let you know that he was on the pitch.
Which player is the most critical for the success of the Capitals this season?
Wyshynski: Evgeny Kuznetsov. It's an offensive dynamo that could lead the team to points in the regular season. His chemistry with Ovechkin allows Backstrom to anchor his second lineage with T.J. Oshie, and it's a palpable depth in the top six. But more importantly, if Kuznetsov is dominant in the playoffs, the Capitals are too. His 32 points in 24 playoff games earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy, except in cases where his teammate is a little more deserving (and, let's face it, Ovi had the most compelling story for the media vote on the reward).
Kaplan: Braden Holtby. The Capitals have no more proven backing, having maximized the value of Philipp Grubauer and traded against the Colorado Avalanche. Pheonix Copley, 26 – two NHL playoffs, a NHL debut, no NHL action all last season – will be Holtby's replacement. The lack of Copley's experience should translate into an increased workload for Holtby, which he prefers. (During the season, Holtby won the Vezina Trophy, as well as the two seasons where he was ranked in the top four, the goalkeeper played at least 63 games). If Holtby returns to this form, and I think he will, he can anchor this team in the playoffs. If it's fragile, Washington is in trouble.
Peters: That's Alex Ovechkin for me. There is no doubt that Kuznetsov takes the torch of the offensive for this team, but I will stick to the old reliable here. I think we have seen the Ovechkin game fluctuate a little more recently. He had this season of goals in 2016-17, but bounced back last season. Any idea that his rating was slowing down was erased. But now that he and the Caps have their long-awaited title, I do not think the captain is content to be content with that. He played inspired hockey during the playoffs and was as much an emotional leader as an offensive leader. Everything is always about Ovi in DC
Arledge: Holtby. This team depends on the quality of its game. And with Grubauer gone, everything is Holtby this season. He really struggled in the race last season before catching fire in the playoffs. Show me the goalie who has spent three consecutive seasons with at least a .922 save percentage, and not one who has reached .907 in 2017-18. If the Capitals want to be true contenders and seek to defend their Cup, Holtby will not have to be good … he will have to play at the All-Star level, Vezina.
Chandan: I'm going with the $ 64 million advocate, John Carlson. Carlson's 68 points, his career best, were an important part of the Capitals' prowess. His strong run continued during the playoffs, adding 20 more points. In addition, Carlson was the only defenseman in the NHL to play 200 penalty minutes and 300 minutes of power play, and should carry the same charge this season. If something goes wrong, capitals would either count on Christian Djoos or Brooks Orpik to cover the minutes of the pair against Michal Kempny.
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