(Caps Outsider)
After more than a year of folks believing it was inevitable that T.J. Oshie, and later, Evgeny Kuznetsov, would be selected in Seattle’s expansion draft, the Capitals protected those players and dared them instead to take one of their high-priced defensemen. Then the Kraken selected goalie Vitek Vanecek, a player who took the long route through the Caps’ system and finally shined in the NHL while being paid peanuts.
This sucks.
The Capitals are in cap trouble, needing to free up money to pay Alex Ovechkin and maintain a competitive roster that’s aging badly.