With the announcement for the resumption of play several weeks ago, Washington officially clinched a spot in this year’s playoffs. They, being one of the top four teams in the Eastern conference as well as being the Metro division winner, received an automatic bye into the first round of the playoffs. After starting the season extremely hot, they fell into a bit of a slump as the season wore on. Had the season ended a week later, Philadelphia might have passed them in the standings and became the Metro division winner. Their hot start, though, has allowed themselves to advance past their mistakes late in the season and set themselves for a potentially really successful playoff run. There are several questions facing the team that could affect how well they transition from being off for almost 4 months into the fiercest hockey time of the year.
Who Will Be The Starter In the Playoffs?
While there is every reason in the world to start Brayden Holtby in the playoffs, it is worth questioning whether or not Ilya Samsonov will get a few starts or be designated the starter. Even though Holtby is a cup winning goalie, a habitually top tier goalie in the league, as well as the incumbent in Washington for the last several years now, I wonder if the Capitals decide to test their goalie of the future in a highly competitive atmosphere, with Holtby presumably leaving in this year free agency due to the salary cap restraints. With the playoffs, it's do or die, and every game is just as vital as the last. What wouldn’t shock me is that in the round-robin tournament for the first-round bye teams, if that Holtby and Samsonov split the games in some fashion, testing Samsonov’s ability while also getting either one of them ready to become the backbone for the team’s playoff run.
Will Vrana and Kuznetsov continue with how their season as gone?
Part of the reason that the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018 was due to the depth they had. It’s hard to argue that Backstrom and Ovechkin are elite level players and rightfully carried a big responsibility for the terrific performance that the team had. This is true with every contending team in the playoffs though, with star players littered across the league. What separates winners from the contenders is the depth they have, and in 2018, it showed. With their second line centered by Kuznetsov and third line by Eller, the Capitals had the talent and depth to weather any storm. For this year’s playoffs, their depth will be tested once again. Up until the season ended, Vrana was having a career year, posting 25 goals and 27 points in only 69 games. Considering his young age and record year, it will be interesting to see whether he continues at this prolific scoring pace. On the other side of the coins, Kuznetsov has had a predominantly dull year, with only 52 points in 63 games. While similar to Vrana’s numbers, Kuznetsov has already established himself as a premier offensive talent in the NHL, posting 83 points in a single season before. With that previous total and his hefty contract, his productivity should be significantly higher. At points this season, he appeared invisible. With the playoffs starting soon, it’ll be interesting to see how everyone performs out of the gate, especially these two.
Will Connor McMichael make the 28 man playoff roster?
One of the more interesting storylines during this pandemic recess from all that is fun was the reveal of Brendan Leipsic’s private Instagram conversations and his quick removal from the team following two days later. While the Capitals did the absolute right thing in this situation, the question needs to be asked: “Who will replace him on the playoff roster and who then will make the 28-man roster?” As far as playing on the fourth line, I wouldn’t be shocked if Boyd fills it. He has done enough to be kept on the roster despite being in and out of the lineup most of the year. During the round-robin play to start, I wouldn’t be shocked to see multiple players get a look just to see where everyone stands. With the restriction on the roster being capped at 28 skaters, It will be interesting to see if Connor McMichael makes it. After posting over 100+ points in an exceptional year, he is viewed to be on the verge of the NHL in a minimal position. While over the course of the regular season it might hamper his development curve, in a playoff setting it could only really help. While he isn’t likely to play this season because of the previously mentioned depth, experiencing this firsthand could prove to be valuable. Unfortunately, the Capitals can only bring 28 skaters and only approx.17 will be forwards. Is bringing him in worth the risk, in case he needs to play? That’s the question, the one that management will decide but I’d bet that he does and does well enough in Phase 2 and 3 training camps to actually get a look in a “pre-playoff season” game to showcase what he has.
While the Capitals have several questions to figure out between now and starting the playoff season, they probably have one of the best chances considering their overall team structure and 2018 Stanley Cup winner credentials. Even though they almost entered a free fall right before the pause, this pandemic has allowed every team to take a step back and refocus, something the Caps needed. It’s anyone game this year and the Capitals are right in the thick of it
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