Band Back Together

As the Capitals prepared for their first practice of the season, T.J. Oshie took a lap around the rink with linemate Nicklas Backstrom. Just over three months removed from winning the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas, Oshie felt extraordinarily comfortable as the Capitals began their title defense.
"I was talking to Nick," Oshie recalls, "and I said it just kind of feels like we're onto the next series after Vegas. Like, 'here we go again.'"

Oshie wasn't alone. With the Capitals returning a nearly identical lineup as the one that won the Cup last spring - 18 of the 20 Capitals in uniform in Game 5 are back this season - there is a collective belief that the team can build off last year's championship run.
"I'm expecting us to get out there and pick up where we left off," says winger Tom Wilson.
The Capitals are the rare defending champion that was able to retain not only its core, but much of its supporting cast as well. Potential free agents John Carlson, Michal Kempny and Devante Smith-Pelly all re-signed, while veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik also returned with a new one-year contract.
It is a stark contrast from a year ago when the Capitals began the season looking to replace six regulars who were lost via trade, free agency and the expansion draft. While the 2017-18 Capitals would eventually secure the game's ultimate prize, it's easy to forget that results were mixed at the start of the season as the club integrated several new players and a crop of rookies.
"At the beginning of last year," Wilson remembers, "we didn't know what team we were going to be. We had no identity."
A year later, with 11 of 12 forwards returning from last season, plus the entire top-six on D, the Capitals are confident they can hit the ground running.
"I think first and foremost that confidence comes from the style of play we have," Oshie says. "That is so ingrained and was such a big part of our success last season. Getting so many guys back that are comfortable with that and know the systems, I think that's a good building block. I don't think there's going to be a large learning curve for guys in terms of what they have to do on the ice."
The Capitals' fresh faces from a year ago are now not only familiar with the systems and expectations, but the experience of winning and playing critical minutes en route to the Stanley Cup should also have a lasting impact.
Chandler Stephenson, who began last season with AHL Hershey, grew into a fixture in the Capitals' postseason lineup while playing all 24 games. Defenseman Christian Djoos, a healthy scratch to start the year, dressed for the final 22 games of the playoffs, while Jakub Vrana emerged as a top-six forward and appeared in 23 postseason games.
"For sure it's something I can build off," says Vrana, who opened the scoring in the Capitals' Cup clinching Game 5 win. "You can always improve and I think I can still be better. Last year was great, but maybe this year I can be more [consistent]."
The architect of the roster, general manager Brian MacLellan, has not only brought the band back together for this season, but he has also made sure the core of the team will remain in Washington for years to come.
Consider the long-term stability on the blue line where the Capitals top-four defensemen - Matt Niskanen, Dmitry Orlov, Carlson and Kempny - are all signed for at least three more seasons. Up front, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Lars Eller, Oshie and Wilson are also all signed for at least three more years. Backstrom and Braden Holtby have two years remaining on their current deals.
"There's a comfort level and we have confidence in guys that have proven themselves," MacLellan says. "We have some young guys that we still expect to get to the next level. We think Vrana, [Andre] Burakovsky and Wilson got another level they can get to. We expect the same out of Oshie, Backstrom and [Ovechkin]. I think [Kuznetsov] has another level he can get to. We're optimistic with what's going on with our roster."
Wilson had career-highs across the board last season with 14 goals and 35 points and took ownership of the top-line right wing slot. Fresh off signing a six-year contract over the summer, Wilson is expected to see more time on the power play in 2018-19.
First-year head coach Todd Reirden has said that he is especially looking forward to working with Burakovsky, who was limited to 56 games last year due to injury but has 20-goal potential if healthy. Burakovsky is still only 23 years old and the fifth-year pro could be in line for a breakout season.
"We want to help him grow as a player," says Reirden, who spent years as an assistant coach helping develop young defensemen as they realized their full potential.
"He's dealing with a bit of a different situation with me too," Reirden says. "[It's] a different personality and the way that I choose to deal with young players and help them. Coming at things from different angles in terms of player development is always something that's been very important to me."
Kuznetsov played some of the best hockey of his career last spring while leading the league with 32 points in 24 playoff games. Still, the Capitals believe he also has some untapped potential, as they'll look to expand his defensive responsibilities and use him on the penalty kill.
"The young guys need to keep getting better, keep developing," MacLellan says. "I think they want it, they're ready for it and it's going to be an important part of our team. If those guys get to the next level, we're actually a better team than we were last year."