I very much doubt that Adam Oates is a Quaker, but that's just me.
The championship window of the "Ovechkin era" is over. At this point, Alex Ovechkin is a player who seemingly still has a skill that is of particular usefulness in hockey success - putting the puck in the net. But he no longer is a player that can drive playoff success in a comprehensive way, and maybe he never was. At this point age is starting to catch up with him, and other than his uncanny ability to score (which wasn't really on display in the Islander series), he is really just another player out there on the ice now. If the Caps tree to win another championship in the "Ovechkin era," it will have to be with others doing the heavy lifting in all other aspects of the game besides scoring, and probably having to take an ever-increasing part of the scoring burden as well. It may still be the "Ovechkin era" in that he is still on the team, but it will not be the "Ovechkin era" in terms of his capability to drive outcomes.
Pretty much agree on Ovi except I do think he can/does still drive some success in that when he is on and running full steam...OTHERS follow. His ability to do this is decreasing, but he is still a presence on the ice.
However, For THIS team to succeed, we need more from Kuzy and Willy and Vranna. Kuzy needs to be the super Kuzy we see flashes of. Vranna needs to score. Willy needs....hell I don't know. Needs to do what he does, but need to get a little more scoring out of his efforts. Ovi can still score goals, but like you said, someone else (Willy and Kuzy) need to do the heavy lifting.
Problem is, even is Kuzy is what he could be, and Wilson dominates every aspect, and Ovi...scores goals, you still have only one incredible line (if all three guys are fully functioning at the same time), so you need some other threats down the lines.
Vranna could pick it up, but Backy is a question mark, and Oshie...despite his never ending effort is also aging and both these guys could be one concussion away from retiring.
I like Eller for what he is, but that's a reasonably skilled 3c, and I don't expect that to change much (at least not in an upward direction).
For this team to have any real success, some of the yet unproven youngins are going to have to blossom...and do so quickly.
And then we still have holes on D
And the goal tending is a question mark. If we are talking future success....then Sammy is gonna have to mature very quickly...like THIS year and that only happens if Holtby is gone.
Not all that pretty a picture I think. Curios to see who we land for a HC.
GO CAPS
