3 questions for the Washington Capitals ahead of the 2022-23 season

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As the 2022-23 season of the NHL draws near, here are 3 questions the Washington Capitals must answer:

1) What will be the impact of the absence of key players like Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson? The Washington Capitals is currently dealing with several injured players, like the Boston Bruins and the Vegas Golden Knights. While Backstrom has been indefinitely ruled out following hip surgery, Wilson has been recovering from a knee surgery that could make him unavailable till December, and winger Carl Hagelin has been dealing with an eye injury that could jeopardize his career. It remains to be seen how the Capitals deal with the absence of these players, though they have recruited Dylan Strome and Connor Brown as substitutes.

2) How good is the new goalkeeper, Darcy Kuemper? While Kuemper won a title last season with Colorado, his role in the victory was aided by the high quality of play displayed by the rest of the team. However, the injury ridden Washington team lacks both the defense and forwards of the Colorado team, and Kuemper’s role in helping the team qualify to the play-offs may be limited. Moreover, the team also has a reserve goalie, Charlie Lindgren, who may be called up if Kuemper fails to leave a mark.

3) Is the defense vulnerable? The exit of Justin Schultz has left the Washington defense wide open on the right, and his substitute Erik Gustaffson played his last full regular season in 2018-19. The team is currently down to 3 experienced defenders, which means that the loss of any player due to injury leaves the entire team vulnerable.