The Washington Capitals are racing headlong into a crossroad for their franchise.
Five years ago, they took out the Vegas Golden Knights to win the first Stanley Cup in team history. This season, they put up 80 points, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and will pick at No. 8 in the NHL draft.
Times change and players age, or need a change of scenery. Evgeny Kuznetsov, a key member of that Stanley Cup-winning team, might be one of the players the Capitals can trade to keep their dream of claiming another Cup with their veteran core mostly intact.