Quoting: ClockReads2113
"... Kuemper who is a decent starter"... what lol He's been the most consistent goalie the last 5 years.
But they have Brown who is a nice mainstay for Wilson until he returns.
They did fine without Backstrom last season and Strome is a clear upgrade to nothing.
Yes they could miss but they would have to go through some major injuries to Ovi and Carlson to make that happen, which is possible because of their age.
Quoting: qc14
Wilson will be a big loss but they already played 2/3ds of last season without Backstrom and he was not very good while playing despite putting up ok point totals. Samsonov and Vanacek being gone shouldn't count as a loss at all -- they were terrible last year and Kuemper has been a top 5 goalie in the league. Same with Schultz, who by the end of the year was the 6th defenseman. I could still see them taking a step back if Ovi and Carlson both completely hit a wall, but this is a better roster than the one that coasted into the playoffs last year, a lot would have to go wrong to only hit 90 points.
I totally agree with these two. Yes, I am a Caps fan so I don't love seeing them miss the playoffs lol. That being said, Schultz not being resigned is an upgrade - he was brutal last year. Sammy and VV leaving is also not a loss and Darcy is a HUGE upgrade. They made the playoffs last year with an incredible amount of injuries (at one point, the Caps had maybe 4-5 rookie players playing at the same time) AND having horrible goaltending. And Backy being replaced by Strome is a huge upgrade as well. Sorry I am basically repeating the above notes.
Yes, the Caps could easily miss the playoffs, but so could the Pens, who are just as old and could face injuries as well.
Anyways - thanks for this series - was fun!
Edit: also, your take on the Devils finishing before the Caps in the metro is a VERY hot take, especially with their barely above mediocre offense and mediocre goaltending. But hey, hot takes are exciting to make!