The Washington Capitals have one defender under contract for next season, and he recently had head trauma. The team has 14 significant contracts expiring this summer, which means the their short-term ambitions and long-term vision may soon come into conflict. Is this team sincerely in win-now mode? Are they doing a stealth rebuild? Are they just trying to get Ovechkin to the goal-scoring record?

We don’t know. And with the team’s postseason chances uncertain (40-60 percent according to different sources), it’ll soon become critical for Brian MacLellan and the front office to figure out what to do with all these guys. Before that happens, we’re taking stock ourselves. Here’s what we want the team to do with every expiring free agent.

There are three options:

• Keep and extend 💘
• Keep and let expire 💔
• Trade at deadline 💣

There’s also an Other 🐿 option if you’re a coward. (We are both cowards.)

Matt Irwin 💔🐿

32-year-old defender earning $750k

Peter: Keep and let expire 💔.  Thank you your service.

Ian: Other 🐿 He’s a Laviolette Guy so whatever happens to Laviolette will happen to Irwin.

Martin Fehervary 💘💘

23-year-old defender earning $790k, restricted free agent

Peter: Keep and extend 💘 Time for a “prove-it” deal.

Ian: Keep and extend 💘 One of the best skaters in the league who should continue to improve. His next contract though: he’ll have to go to another level.

Erik Gustafsson 💔💔

30-year-old defender earning $800k

Peter: Keep and let expire 💔 My dude has priced himself out of Washington’s budget. He’s been next-level, and I hope he gets paid for it this summer.

Ian: Keep and let expire 💔 Was a great value this season, but he won’t be on his next contract. He seems like a super-charged Laviolette defender, benefiting from his aggressive, five-man offensive system. If Laviolette is not brought back, Gus is not a fit on this team at all. The first three months of the season (including his great December), Gustafsson showed some of the worst defensive inclinations I’ve seen in three decades of watching hockey. Since January, he’s been less aggressive and there’s been some noticeable improvement. Gustafsson has some good gifts (passing/skating/hands), but his penchant of playing too aggressive makes him the type of guy that will either win you or lose you a playoff series by himself — and a third-pairing defender should not have that much impact on a team.

Alexander Alexeyev 💘💘

23-year-old defender earning $860k, restricted free agent, aka Alex²

Peter: Keep and extend 💘 Let him cook.

Ian: Keep and extend 💘 He’s an RFA. Could be some more upside here.

Trevor van Riemsdsyk 💘💘

31-year-old defender earning $950k

Peter: Keep and extend 💘 Absolutely re-sign this guy, who is worth way more than his contract.

Ian: Keep and extend 💘 TVR is one of the best values in the league. A really good, under-the-radar rearguard.

Nick Jensen 💘💘

32-year-old defender earning $2.5M

Peter: Keep and extend 💘 Of all expiring defenders, I’m most confident an extension for Jensen would be doable. He’s not flashy enough for the big raise, and term could be doable give his age.

Ian:  Keep and extend 💘 Jensen is one of the rare players who developed and became more under Peter Laviolette. They likely could re-up him with a non-substantial raise.

Dmitry Orlov 🐿💘

31-year-old defender earning $5.1

Peter: Other 🐿 An extension would be ideal, though I have to admit I’m worried about his health. This has been the worst season of his career, and that’s recipe for tough negotiations. The Caps should be prepared to walk, even if that sucks.

Ian: Keep and extend 💘 He’s been the bedrock of the Capitals defense over the last five or six seasons. He has struggled this season at times with way more minutes, but I think it’s more fatigue and him having to be this team’s Superman, rather than him falling off.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel 💔💘

26-year-old forward earning $1.0M

Peter: Keep and let expire 💔 I’d say trade, but again I don’t see a lot of appetite for a player who himself was a waiver-wire pickup.

Ian: Keep and extend 💘 Imagine Nic Dowd, NAK, and Aliaksei Protas/Beck Malenstyn on the fourth line next year. It’s cheaper and could end up being almost as good. I’m sold.

Marcus Johansson 💔💘

32-year-old forward earning $1.1M

Peter: Keep and let expire 💔 A monkeywrench for the stretch run and playoffs, but not in the long-term vision.

Ian: Keep and extend 💘 Johansson has been superb this season. He can play anywhere in the lineup and is badly needed on the power play. He’s close with Nicklas Backstrom. And he should remain cheap to re-sign. No-brainer.

Garnet Hathaway 💘 💔

31-year-old forward earning $1.5M

Peter: Keep and extend 💘 Absolute gamer. I love this player.

Ian: Keep and let expire 💔 Hathaway has formed a great partnership with Dowd, but the team has not won with him here. He’s likely looking at a large raise, and there are forwards like Beck Malenstyn who could replace him for less.

Conor Sheary 💘💔

30-year-old forward earning $1.5M

Peter: Keep and extend 💘 This will piss off everyone else, but barring a major raise he brings a ton of value, even if just as remora to Ovi’s great white shark.

Ian: Keep and let expire 💔 Sheary has made the most of every opportunity he’s received. But he has not performed well for the Capitals in the playoffs. He is exiting his prime, and his role on the team is blocking prospects in Hershey from playing in the NHL. At best, he’s a third-line forward and a decent depth top-six replacement. He will likely be costly to re-sign considering and the Capitals should focus those dollars on defense.

Carl Hagelin 💔💔

34-year-old forward earning $2.8M

Peter: Keep and let expire 💔 There is no dramatic tension here.

Ian: Keep and let expire 💔 I think retirement or playing in Sweden is the likely next step.

Lars Eller 💣💔

33-year-old forward earning $3.5M

Peter: Trade at deadline 💣 Not sure there’s even a market, but WSH has too many forwards (and centers) competing for too few spots. As an expiring UFA in his mid-30s after two down years, he’s the most expendable. Maybe bundle with Mantha for a defender with term?

Ian:  Keep and let expire 💔 My problem is less Eller and more his usage. I believe Aliaksei Protas has surpassed him — Pro’s process stats are some of the best on the team — and that young Belorussian should be playing every night. Instead, because of roster issues, he’s down in Hershey. If the Capitals are able to make it into the playoffs, having Eller as a depth center would be essential. The team has durability issues because of its age, and keeping him around for one last hurrah seems obvious to me. Trading Eller at the deadline would likely not be a one-for-one deal and the team might have to deal draft picks for another team to take on his salary. It just doesn’t seem worth it.

Connor Brown 🐿💔

29-year-old earning $3.6M

Peter:  Other 🐿 I have no idea. I really like this player. I have no idea. I’m torn. Again: No idea.

Ian: Keep and let expire 💔 I wanted to like him, but then he got hurt. He didn’t impress or seem like a fit even when he was healthy.

So. We agree on nothing. I think Ian and I generally have the same notion of where the team stands, but when it comes to what to do about it — what pieces we like and don’t — we can’t agree on much. I’m sure the comments will go much smoother.

Headline photo: Capitals