Despite their first-round exits over the last two seasons, there’s no doubt that the Washington Capitals are still a very strong team. They are loaded with talent and have a brand new, proven head coach Peter Laviolette at the helm. There’s no reason not to see them as a top team.
But some major questions remain heading into this season, and how the team responds to them will determine how much success they can have. They can either be a middling team that’s fighting for a playoff spot until the very end of the regular season, or be a top three team that plays a dominant game day in and out.