Capitals Searching For Specific Big-Time Upgrade

Two offseasons ago, the Washington Capitals shook up their roster and set a standard of how good they are going to be moving forward. The Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson era isn't over just yet, but it's approaching quickly and the team is expecting to stay very competitive for a long time longer.

With what the Capitals have done, they are in a good position, with not only who's on their roster, but who's in the system as well. Some of those prospects and picks can be used to upgrade, but others will grow into everyday players. According to David Pagnotta, "This is a team that wants to go after that start piece that can be part of this roster for a lengthy period of time. I think they're going to be active."

There's proof that the Capitals have already tried with Quinn Hughes, but there will be more players out there that could be available. Players like Jordan Kyrou, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Filip Forsberg are names that come to mind, whether they are in trade rumors or not. This is based on the direction of teams, some involving trade rumors, term, and skill.

The Capitals don't appear to exclusively be looking at forwards either considering the Hughes attempt. Carlson is 36 years old and in the final year of his deal. Even if he sticks around, his role will start to decrease like Ovechkin's has slightly based on ice time.

There are a couple of young players or prospects that seem untouchable, and that's why the Hughes deal didn't go very far. This includes Cole Hutson, Ryan Leonard, and Alaiksei and Ilya Protas. The Capitals have cap space, but beyond the players that I mentioned above, it will be interesting to see which players catch the eye of Washington when searching for someone to spend a number of years with the team and make an impact.