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Metro Division Outlook: Where do the Carolina Hurricanes Stand?

By Joshua Ryan

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 22: General view of Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on April 22, 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes won 5-2. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 22: General view of Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on April 22, 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes won 5-2. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 24: Brock McGinn #23 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores the game winning goal against Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals at 11:05 of the second overime period in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. The Hurricanes defeated the Capitals 4-3 in the second overtime period to move on to Round Two of the Stanley Cup playoffs. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 24: Brock McGinn #23 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores the game winning goal against Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals at 11:05 of the second overime period in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. The Hurricanes defeated the Capitals 4-3 in the second overtime period to move on to Round Two of the Stanley Cup playoffs. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Washington Capitals

Key Additions

Radko Gudas

Richard Panik

Garnet Hathaway

Key Departures

Andre Burakovsky

Brett Connolly

Matt Niskanen

Brooks Orpik

Placing the Washington Capitals as a top Divisional contender feels odd considering the summer they have had. Andre Burakovsky was inconsistent but still provided plenty of promise as a 23-year-old NHL’er with five full seasons under his belt. Matt Niskanen was a veteran defender who is clearly on the wrong side of 30, and Brooks Orpik’s retirement shows that he was playing on a declining track.

Where this offseason hurts the most is Brett Connolly. 2018 saw Conolly produce his best goal scoring numbers of his career, and at 26, it seemed as though this was a sign of his development reaching its apex. Losing a 20-goal scorer is always a loss, but Washington is still, more or less, the same team that won the division last season.

Alex Ovechkin is still as productive as ever. With his 51-goal clinic, the 33-year-old captain shows no signs of slowing down. The Caps had four players produce over 70 points and all of them are returning to the nation’s capital. The top end talent is still intact for this team, and the depth seems to still be present as well.

T.J Oshie, Jakub Vrana, and Tom Wilson are all 20+ goal scorers, and that kind of depth is what Stanley Cup contenders are made of. This forward group is an elite collection of workers, and they know what it takes to win it all.

Their defensive group lost two veteran pieces, and that kind of experience and locker room presence is difficult to replicate. Radko Gudas is a good attempt but the chemistry in Washington is so strong, there is the potential that the blueline group will struggle, especially early in the year.

Braden Holtby didn’t have an elite season, but he is still one of the better goaltenders in the league; his load is getting heavy, starting 58 games in 2018, but if the Caps can get backup duties to be more consistent, he should have a better year.

X-Factor’s

What can Panik and Hathaway bring to the table?

Carl Hagelin was important to the Capitals success after being a mid-season acquisition. With production still needed from the forward group, what kind of support could these offseason acquisitions supply?

Backup Goaltending

This is something that I believe will be an important development. Holtby can only do so much, and if this team wants to compete later in the year, they cannot ride him the way they did this season; a decision that left the Carolina Hurricanes facing a worn down netminder.

Alexander the Great’s Quest to Surpass the Great One

Ovechkin has been the premier, generational, goal scorer of my lifetime. How long can he keep up this rabid pace? It isn’t out of the question to see the Russian sniper follow a 50-goal season with a mark just as high

Best Case

Divisional Champions

Worst Case

Third Place in the Division

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