Capitals Clean Out Lockers After Disappointing Season

Washington D.C. --  As the Washington Capitals cleaned out their lockers and said their goodbyes Monday, although disappointed with how the season finished, they felt confident that next year will be different.

After finishing the season at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with a 36-40-6 record, the Capitals will watch the playoffs this year for the first time ever.  "It sucks" said team captain Anze Kopitar, "This is the time of year you want to be playing.  No one wants to be on the outside.  You battle all year, play through all the bumps, bruises, and injuries for a shot at the Cup".  Kopitar was one of the few consistent players on this team this year finishing with 41 goals and 52 assists for a total of 93 points.  Kopitar was also, not surprisingly named the Capitals Most Valuable Player this season.

" I feel we've built a great foundation for what we want to come back in Washington," said Aaron Ekblad, who emerged this season as one of the leaders both in the locker room and on the ice.  " When Choro came in as the GM half way through the year, he made some changes that to be blunt a lot of us were unhappy about.  Losing guys like Coots and Ondrej sucks a lot, but we understand it is a business and he did a good job of bringing in some key assets."  One of the key assets brought in was Cole Perfetti who will hopefully join the organization in some capacity next season.

Rookie general manager Travis Chorostkowski, the architect of the mid season trades, said he and his staff know they have lots of work to do to right the ship.  "We have to look inward at ourselves and the mistakes we made to find out how we can get better," he said of the team that he expects to return next year.  " I look at myself first of all, to make sure that I provide the coaching staff with the right tools to compete day in and day out.  " We don't want to be watching the playoffs from home."

The Capitals hope their stay in the cellar isn't long, Chorostkowski points out what a great job the Flyers have done turning around their franchise to win the Metropolitan Division.  "Tommy has done an amazing job in Philadelphia, Mr. Bates in Ottawa as well, and Chicago did the same a couple years ago too.  "It can be done."

This statement is indeed true, and having a top 10 lottery pick, along with the additional early round picks acquired by Chorostkowski this season will help fill the cupboard with some prospects and players to help the also cellar dwelling Hershey Bears.  The Bears wrapped up their season  with the 3rd worst record in the AHL with an abysmal 26-42-8 record to sit at the bottom of the Atlantic division.

Chorostkowski anticipates that his coaching staff to remain intact, but the player roster will not.  The general manager said the franchise has some positives to build on, knows the areas that need improvement and he remains committed to his game plan.  As the players head to their respective off season homes to rest and heal up, they have lots of time to reflect on what may have gone wrong, and work to get better next season. The question is, who will be returning next season?

Edward Lam 

Washington Post