Aside from Pittsburgh -- and that gap has narrowed with Kuznetsov knocking on superstardom's door but I still give the edge to the Pens -- who can match the Caps down the middle? Kuznetsov - Backstrom - Eller is a really strong spine to build a team around, and a team with Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Ovechkin, Oshie, Vrana, Wilson, Eller, Orlov, Niskanen, and Holtby as it's nucleus should be more than competitive. Holtby looks to have rebounded from his poor end to 2017 and most of the regular season in 2018. Vrana, Wilson, Orlov, and Djoos took significant strides forward in their development this season. If they can bring back Carlson and Kempny as well then they shouldn't miss a beat, even without Trotz.
Fun fact about the Caps this year: when their top 9 was Ovie-Kuz-Wilson, Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie, Burakovsky-Eller-Connolly... all of those players were 1st round picks. There may be a Stanley Cup (and actual) hangover with this team to start the year but there is still a boatload of talent in Washington.
Fun fact about the Caps this year: when their top 9 was Ovie-Kuz-Wilson, Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie, Burakovsky-Eller-Connolly... all of those players were 1st round picks. There may be a Stanley Cup (and actual) hangover with this team to start the year but there is still a boatload of talent in Washington.
