The Washington Capitals currently sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division and above just four teams in the Eastern Conference overall after 47 games. The team sits at a similar crossroads as they did last season where a string of good results could place them right back into playoff contention or a losing streak could see them hoping for good luck in the Draft Lottery.
Last season’s team ultimately went in the wrong direction and general manager Brian MacLellan sold off some of roster assets at the trade deadline to recoup value. This season’s path is still somewhat undetermined but the noise and rumors around certain players, like center Nic Dowd, are only getting louder as we approach the March 8 deadline.
In his first media availability since returning from the bye week and All-Star break, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery was asked about his mindset moving forward. The rookie bench boss is well aware of the question marks that will be following his team.
“Very short-term focused on just Montreal,” Carbery said. “That’s the way as a coaching staff we’ll try to dial in – today, tomorrow when it comes, and next game when that comes. From a big-picture standpoint, there’s just not a lot of margin for error and we know that. We know the challenge that we’re up against. I believe in this group and I know we’re going to keep fighting.”
The Capitals’ four-game losing streak heading into the break really put a dent in their already questionable playoff chances. Before they square off with the Canadiens on Tuesday night, they’ll be sitting five points out of the third playoff spot in the Metro and seven points out of the second wild card spot, held by the Atlantic Division’s Detroit Red Wings.
Their 51 standings points see them sit closer to the Columbus Blue Jackets (42) at the bottom of the conference than to the second-place team in the Metro, the Carolina Hurricanes (61). Carbery was asked on Monday if he understands that the team’s front office may need to go in another direction, in terms of subtracting from the roster, at some point very soon.
“I understand the whole dynamic of the future of the organization, setting yourself up for success for years to come,” Carbery said. “I feel like as a head coach my job is to do everything I can to put the group that we have into positions to have success. Would I like to add two more, three more, four more players? Absolutely. Do I believe in the group? Absolutely, but I also understand organizations have to make decisions. I believe we’re in the fight. I believe we have a team that can play in the playoffs. Having said that, is it going to be challenging? Without question. Have we demonstrated at times we can be a playoff team and at others stretches we aren’t? Yes.”
The Capitals have several players who are on expiring contracts and could be attractive rentals for teams definitely headed to the postseason, including Anthony Mantha, Max Pacioretty, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Joel Edmundson. There are also other names, despite having a little more term on their deals, that will likely still pop up in rumors like Dowd, Charlie Lindgren, and Nick Jensen.
The fear is that players who have those rumors hanging over their heads may be impacted on the ice by all of the talk. Carbery believes it’s his responsibility to combat that.
“It’s my job to help them stay in the present,” he said. “Everything that you read, everything that you hear, whatever direction you think our management is going, at the end of the day, it’s not going to matter. You’re concerned with what you’re doing right now and making the most of that. Whether it’s someone that’s rumored to be involved or on an expiring deal.”
The Capitals will need to get off on the right foot against the Canadiens on Tuesday because their next stretch of games is not kind to them. Outside of two games against the Habs, their next four games in between come against the literal four best teams in the entire NHL by standings points (VAN, BOS, COL, FLA).
Last season, MacLellan waited until February 23 to deal away Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway, which signaled the team’s intentions for the rest of that season. The Capitals have eight games in between that date this season to convince him not to do the same this year.
