There are a bunch of open questions for the Washington Capitals this summer. After swapping Matt Niskanen for Radko Gudas and extending Carl Hagelin for four more years, the Caps still have eight free agents whose future is unclear. Muddying things up further is the absence of a concrete salary cap for next season and the twin, looming chaoses of the entry draft and free agency.

To help alleviate your anxieties, I’ve ranked the Caps’ free agents by how likely they are to suit up for the team next season. From slam dunks to long shots, here we go.

Jakub Vrana

Likelihood to return:

An restricted free agent coming off a career, 24-goal season, Vrana is basically a slam dunk. The salary cap ambiguity makes things a little bit tougher, but the Caps love this player. The uncertainty here is about what kind of deal it will be: a bridge deal to Vrana’s unrestricted free agency or a contract that will eat up a few of those UFA years.

Christian Djoos

Likelihood to return:

Djoos had a few setbacks in 2018-19, but with Niskanen gone and Orpik likely gone, Washington will want continuity for  their blue line. At age 24 and with the Caps owning his negotiation rights, Djoos’ return is nearly a sure thing. Where he slots in the depth chart is another matter.

Andre Burakovsky

Likelihood to return:

There are a lot of reasons to be pessimistic about Burakovsky’s future with Washington. He failed to get above 12 goals for the third straight season, his automatic qualifying offer has a nasty price tag at $3.25 million, and he has been the subject of trade rumors since last Christmas through Thursday. But the Caps own rights to negotiate with him, so until that changes he is more likely to stay than to go.

Chandler Stephenson

Likelihood to return:

It’s the same story for Stephenson. He’s proven himself to be a player who doesn’t move the needle at all on offense, but he’s young (25) and cheap (coming off a $725k deal). Unlike Burakovsky, there is no detectable upside to Stephenson, but there’s also not a lot of risk either. The only question is whether his cap hit will be needed elsewhere — especially now that we know the cap will be lower than we had thought.

Dmitrij Jaskin

Likelihood to return:

Jaskin is a curious case. Like Burakovsky and Stephenson, his negotiation rights are owned by the Capitals as an RFA. Unlike Burakovsky and Stephenson, he was a healthy scratch for the last month and a half of the season. There’s clearly a disconnect between the front office, who proclaims to still like the player, and coaching, who — not so much. Had the 2019-20 salary cap come in around $83 million as earlier projected, I’d be a lot more confident for Jaskin’s return, but now he’s somewhat more expendable. He’s only slightly more likely than not to be a Cap in 2019-20.

Brett Connolly

Likelihood to return:

Connolly’s 22-goal, breakthrough 2018-19 season came at the right time for 27-year-old Connolly: the dawn of his unrestricted free agency. That stinks for Washington, who will likely lose their best tertiary offensive weapon, but Connolly and his family are about to have their lives changed. Brian MacLellan says he’d still like to make a deal with Connolly happen, but finding a number both parties would like would be tough.

Devante Smith-Pelly

Likelihood to return:

Devante Smith-Pelly had a tumultous 2018-19 season. He reportedly failed his conditioning test in the fall, then was subjected to a last-minute decision to assign him to Hershey before the trade deadline before returning to DC for the playoffs. Ultimately, DSP was unable to repeat the magic of the 2018 playoffs. While the team has said they’d be open to bringing him back under certain euphemistic conditions, it’s a longshot.

Two-time Stanley Cup Champion Brooks Orpik

Likelihood to return:

Brooks Orpik will turn 39 before the 2019-20 season begins. While the old man is still in good shape, he’d be fighting against precedent if he were to return. Just 14 defenders have suited up for more than ten games in their age-39 seasons since the last full lockout. Orpik says he’s not in a rush to make a decision about his future, but it’s quite possible that decision will be out of his hands altogether.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong