The Washington Capitals come into the 2021-22 season with the bulk of the roster that finished last season on a 113 point pace over the regular season. Last year at the deadline, the team went out and acquired Anthony Mantha, expecting him to be the piece that put the team over the top in the playoffs. Instead, for the third straight postseason since winning the Stanley Cup, the Capitals were knocked out in the first round.
The Capitals had a fairly quiet offseason, but as their regular season record over the last three years reflects, they are a force to be taken seriously until it is proven that the aging curve catches up with them.