The Washington Capitals made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. And they did so with a shockingly bad offensive attack. In fact, they finished with the lowest goal-differential among qualifying postseason teams since 1991. Their offensive woes continued to plague the team as the postseason began.
The Capitals could not run with the New York Rangers. Washington was swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In fact, the Capitals were the only team to be swept out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. Every other series this past postseason lasted at least five games.
In the offseason, the Capitals made bold moves to deepen the roster. Washington traded for Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft. Additionally, they traded for defenseman Jakob Chychrun once NHL Free Agency began on July 1. This isn’t even mentioning their move for Matt Roy in free agency proper.
The Capitals certainly hope these moves are enough to right the ship. A repeat performance of their subpar offensive production this upcoming year may sink them in the end. Washington has to avoid this decline in production if they wish to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Washington drops the puck on this upcoming season on October 12 against the New Jersey Devils. However, they could certainly bolster their offense even more before that game comes around. Here is one last-minute Capitals trade the team could swing before taking on the Devils next week.