The Capitals Are A Playoff Team With Plenty Of Assets. But Now's The Time To Be Aggressive — And Here's Why
The Capitals have some questions to answer this offseason, and though they don't necessarily need to make a splash, it may be wise to bring in a big name.
The Washington Capitals enter the 2025 offseason in a rather interesting spot.
Thanks to a swift retool on the fly last summer and career years for several players, the Capitals finished this past season atop the Eastern Conference and remain a playoff team.
That said, there’s not really an urgency to make a lot of noise, and general manager Chris Patrick himself is expecting a bit of a more lax offseason. However, there are certainly still areas of need to address and questions to answer.
Considering all of that, even though the Capitals don’t necessarily need to be aggressive this summer, they should consider making some kind of big move, and here’s why.
Ovechkin hasn’t made a decision on his future past the 2025-26 season yet, despite speculation, but if it really is his last year, D.C. may want to go all-in to give him one last run at the Stanley Cup. All the while, adding another name gives the team another up-and-coming star to help the team when it comes to transitioning to a world without No. 8.
As Washington learned from this past postseason, secondary scoring and depth down the lineup go a long way, as does having speed and aggression on the forecheck. That’s what’s helped transform the Florida Panthers into an unstoppable force in the East.
Right now, there are some interesting names on the trade block, including the likes of 23-year-old winger JJ Peterka and even Jason Robertson as the Dallas Stars face a bit of a cap crunch, though recent reports indicate the Stars would rather hold onto him.
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Peterka fits the bill for what the Capitals are looking for and can add quite a bit to an already impressive rising top-6 featuring Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas.
Washington is also in a good spot when it comes to its prospect pool, having built an impressive future core. Looking at the talent in the system and the number of picks, the team certainly has the assets to put together an enticing package; it’s just a matter of what D.C. is willing to give up.
The Capitals have $9.3 million in projected cap space, and the biggest need is figuring out how to strengthen the middle-six, though adding a depth defenseman is also a necessity, considering how much the Martin Fehervary injury hurt Washington in the playoffs.
So, taking that into account, the time is now for the Capitals to be aggressive with the window still open.
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