The Washington Capitals have quite a bit of work to take care of going into the offseason.
Not only are there a number of RFAs that need to be taken care of, including Connor McMichael and Ethen Frank, but there are pending UFAs and questions up front as the team ponders several decisions regarding the direction of the lineup going into next season.
Washington has two roster UFAs in Max Pacioretty and Nicolas Aube-Kubel, along with Matthew Phillips, Joe Snively, Lucas Johansen and Chase Priskie, and there are different choices to be made for each.
Pacioretty doesn't know what the future holds for him, as the 35-year-old was not the same player he once was after making his return from back-to-back Achilles tears.
While he showed that he still has his classic shot and put up 23 points in 47 games, he wasn't putting up the performance he usually did, and he acknowledged he was a "shell of my former self" while also admitting that he was also continuously rehabilitating and not at 100 percent.
Related: Despite His Remarkable Comeback, Pacioretty Was 'A Shell Of My Former Self' With The Capitals. He Doesn't Know What Comes Next
Pacioretty, without a doubt, has upside and means a lot to the group as a leader and depth-scoring winger, but D.C. has a number of young players waiting in the wings, and Pacioretty seems likely to want to explore a change of scenery.
As of April 30, he hadn't really engaged in talks or committed to the possibility of an extension with the Capitals. He was also among the candidates to be traded at the deadline, though he felt loyal enough to stick around and finish what he started.
Now that he did that, he can get the fresh start that he wants and continue his recovery, or he could elect to call it a career.
Related: After Nearly 2 Years On The Couch, Pacioretty Is Finally Playing Meaningful Hockey Again With The Capitals. That's Why He Stayed In D.C.
Aube-Kubel, a waiver wire pickup from 2022, went from being cut in training camp to finishing the year as a fringe forward. He showed great chemistry for a stretch with Nic Dowd and Malenstyn on the fourth line but didn't show the consistency needed to keep his lineup spot.
While Aube-Kubel is a good locker-room presence and has good speed and flashes of offensive prowess, he's struggled to find consistency and maintain a full-time spot in the lineup, and with several prospects in line for a roster spot and the team getting younger, the 27-year-old may have better options in free agency.
AHLers Phillips and Snively, along with Johansen and Priskie, are interesting cases for the Capitals; Phillips started the year up at the NHL level but found himself getting limited minutes and being waived (and shortly claimed by Pittsburgh) before finishing the year in Hershey. There were hopes that Snively may make the jump this season, but he was unable to impress or solidify himself as a full-time NHLer as he spent the majority of the year in Hershey.
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Looking at the situation and Washington's impressive prospect pool, Phillips and Snively face heavy competition for roster spots if they return to D.C., but if they don't mind the potential of returning to Hershey once again, they would be good candidates to re-sign as they've proven to play a key role at the AHL level. However, both may be interested in more opportunity and ice time elsewhere, and Snively has also received KHL interest .
The same goes for the Hershey blueliners in Johansen and Priskie.
Johansen started the year up in Washington but ultimately ended up back with the Bears after failing to secure a full-time spot in the NHL lineup, and now, he's dealing with another setback and a long-term injury.
Meanwhile, Priskie, who was originally drafted by D.C., spent the season in Hershey and thrived in a full-time role with the Bears, but didn't get his NHL chance (he was the last on the call-up depth chart when it came to d-men).
Related: What's Next For Lucas Johansen? With Capitals Prospect Out 'A While' & Suffering Another Setback &, Blueliner's Future In D.C. Uncertain
Next steps for them will likely be dependent on what they want for their futures, but at the same time, even though the Capitals have flexibility to work with, Washington may want to explore different names on the market, too.
At the end of the day, the Capitals have quite a bit of business to take care of, and it looks like it may benefit them as they call upon the youth they already have within the organization.
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