As Capitals Seek To Boost Offense, Defense Still Remains A Concern; How Can Washington Bolster The Blue Line?

ARLINGTON, V.A. — It's no secret that the Washington Capitals have work to do over the offseason, and one of the goals is to add some offense to the mix. However, there's another glaring need for D.C.: to bolster the defense.

Head coach Spencer Carbery referenced the blue line on breakdown day, citing the need for more size and speed in that department.

"Probably when you start to break down the individual player, what attributes do we need to add? Size on the backend, I think about, speed is right up there," Carbery said, citing Hendrix Lapierre's footspeed.

Washington did add an X-factor in Rasmus Sandin last season, and he and Martin Fehervary figure to lead the future young core. The Capitals also signed Ethan Bear to a two-year deal, but the 26-year-old struggled to find consistency in his game and also ended the year in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, so he never got the chance to truly step into a full-time role.

Looking at the d-corps, there's quite a bit of room for improvement. Washington gave up 3.07 goals per game on average, the 17th most in the league, while the defense also struggled to find chemistry and get on the same page. Coverage in front of Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren was questionable at times amid missed assignments, failed clears, bad reads and miscues.

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Nick Jensen and Trevor van Riemsdyk in particular struggled this year, with Jensen's 44.67 Corsi-for and 44.49 expected goals-for percentage ranking worse on the team at 5-on-5.

Meanwhile, the penalty kill took a major hit, falling below 80 percent for the first time since 2018-19. The Capitals would suffer highs and lows while shorthanded but started getting into patterns and bad habits that would lead to at least a goal against per night. D.C. ranked 14th-to-last on the PK at 79 percent in the regular season, and it also proved to be a breaking point against the New York Rangers in the first round.

The Capitals also need more offense from the blue line as the team looks to generate scoring.

John Carlson, who turned 34 in January, led the league in ice time, taking on more and more responsibility, especially toward the end of the year with Sandin, Jensen and van Riemsdyk being sidelined with injuries. He also continued to lead the offense with 52 points in 82 games.

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Though Carlson has helped carry the weight of the defense, and though Fehervary complements him well while Alex Alexeyev and the future packs promise, the blue line needs a bigger boost.

That said, as Alexeyev, as well as up-and-comers Vincent Iorio and Hardy Häman Aktell continue to grow their games, Washington may want to ponder adding a puck-moving blueliner to the mix.

It would give the Capitals another asset that can provide offense from the point and take on big minutes. Brett Pesce and Brandon Montour are two potential UFA blueliners to watch, as the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers face a cap crunch with several free agents to address.

MacLellan also mentioned exploring the trade market, and there could be options there as well.

Overall, it'll be an interesting situation to monitor, but there's work to be done on multiple fronts for D.C.