Washington D.C.-- The Washington Capitals wrapped up a successful training camp and pre-season slate with a 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders at home on Sunday.
The victory gave the Caps a 5-0-2 final pre-season record before they head into the 2015-2016 NHL season, which starts at home on October 10th, when they host the New Jersey Devils.
Yet, this isn't the same Capitals squad who found a way to defeat the New York Islanders 4-3 in their opening playoff series before blowing a 3-1 series lead against the New York Rangers just a few months ago.
The best way to describe the Capitals off-season is "in with the new and out with the old" as general manager Brian MacLellan made moves to put the Caps in a position to win their franchises first Stanley Cup.
The first major transaction came on June 15th when the Capitals front office re-signed AHL standout and Game 2 (NYI series) winning goaltender Philipp Grubauer. This re-signing along with the free agent signing of NHL-veteran Dan Ellis solidifies Grubauer as the number two goalie in Washington and more importantly Braden Holtby's main back-up.
With rumors and trade talks flying at the 2015 NHL Draft in Sunrise, Florida, the Capitals surprisingly stayed quiet and on course to draft "their guy". That "guy" happened to be Russian goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov who fell right into the Capitals lap at the 22nd overall selection.
The pick left many experts scratching their heads seeing how the Capitals already had a stacked goalie prospect pool in the organization already, and with the 26-year-old Holtby looking for a big payday in the off-season.
The Capitals re-signed third-line center Jay Beagle on June 29th, while letting Eric Fehr, Joel Ward and Mike Green test the free agent market. Fehr (Pittsburgh), Ward (San Jose) and Green (Detroit) would all find new homes for the upcoming 2015 season during the summer.
As the calendar hit July 1, it looked as if the Caps weren't going to strike on any of the big names on the free agent market and focus on re-signing its core players instead. But MacLellan had something else in mind.
MacLellan started the shenanigans by signing three-time Stanley Cup Champion and Los Angeles Kings veteran winger Justin Williams to a two-year, $6.5 million dollar deal.
Then, he hit major paydirt when he completed a trade with the St. Louis Blues acquiring U.S. Olympic hero T.J. Oshie, while only giving up Troy Brouwer, goalie-prospect Pheonix Copley and a 2016 third round pick.
The trading of Copley, ended the scrutiny of drafting Samsonov in the first round of the '15 NHL Draft.
After going after not just one but two-top line wingers from which the Capitals had been missing as a key part of their lineups from playoff runs in the past, MacLellan and his fellow leaders in the Caps front office now needed to focus on re-signing key returning pieces.
Game 7 hero, Evgeny Kuznetsov was re-signed to a two-year, $6 million dollar deal. Marcus Johansson avoided arbitration and signed a one-year, $3.5 million dollar deal. Main netminder Braden Holtby signed a long term five-year, $30.5 million dollar deal.
The Capitals look to be a favorite in not just the Metropolitan Division but the Eastern Conference as a whole come October.
Alexander Ovechkin looks to remain a pre-season favorite to win his sixth Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy, and Braden Holtby has a chance to capture his first Vezina Award if he can keep up his spectacular play from last year.
Ovechkin and friends have never been past the Conference semifinals and this year will be no easier as Pittsburgh reloaded in the offseason by signing Phil Kessel, and the New York Rangers are always a threat with their stellar blue-line defense and Henrik Lundqvist in the crease.
But this year looks to be the Capitals' best chance to capture the franchises first Stanley Cup, with x-factors Williams, Oshie and Kuznetsov adding to Ovechkin, Backstrom and Holtby's skillful play.
Look for the Capitals to be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference when they open the 2015-2016 NHL regular season on Saturday, October 10th at home inside the Verizon Center when the New Jersey Devils come to town. Washington open a four-game homestand that also includes the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes.