For half a decade now, the Washington Capitals have iced great hockey teams. Every year, they've shown up with a dense crop of homegrown talent and a few outside veteran acquisitions to give the rest of the league a skate for its money. Every year they have a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, so do twenty-nine other teams.
In the history of the Washington Capitals, probability has turned to fact every season as the overwhelming odds of other teams winning the oldest trophy in North American professional sports eponymously overwhelm the Caps' great hopes.
At the end of the first day of free agency in the summer of 2011, The Capitals have made the same type of moves they seem to make every year. They've kept one of their own free agents nobody thought they could keep. They've moved on from several fan favorites. They've brought in above average players from average teams in the hopes that these players will blossom in the presence of top talent.
Will this be enough? Two years ago, the same type of moves were enough to capture the best record in hockey. For the last two years, they've been enough to lead the Eastern Conference. For the last four years, these quiet maintenance moves have helped the caps win the Southeast Division. Unfortunately, no amount of patience, progress or timely change has ever been enough to bring a Stanley Cup to Washington.
Alex Ovechkin will be a Capital for another decade, but his best years are right now. Half of his best chances to lead the team to a championship may already be behind him. This blog is dedicated to the hope that he can help the team triumph, and to the community we feel every year he doesn't.
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