ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - They’re no longer defending Stanley Cup champions, don’t know if one of their best players will be eligible for opening night, are over the salary cap ceiling and face expiring contracts for two franchise cornerstones after the season.
That parade feels like a long time ago.
No bigger question confronts the Washington Capitals at the start of training camp than the uncertain status of center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who tested positive for cocaine at the world championships. Kuznetsov has already been suspended from international play for four years and could face further discipline from the NHL.
“Teammates, from what I’ve gathered, have been supportive,” general manager Brian MacLellan said Thursday. “Also, I think they’d like to hear from him at some point and he’ll address the team and just talk about his situation. I think that would be an important step for the whole team to move forward.”
Kuznetsov voluntarily entered the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program and met with Commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday. The team did not make Kuznetsov available to reporters like other players on media day because the NHL has not decided whether to levy further punishment.
League officials are occupied with collective bargaining negotiations but should make a determination on Kuznetsov well before the regular season opens. Washington visits defending champion St. Louis in the season opener Oct. 2.
“He realizes he makes mistake,” captain and fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin said. “Sometimes the best thing is just support him and be at his side.”
Kuznetsov has plenty of support from teammates but is far from the only unknown for the Capitals this season. They may need to make a move before camp ends to get under the $81.5 million salary cap and still need to work on getting extensions done with center Nicklas Backstrom and goaltender Braden Holtby.
MacLellan talked to Holtby’s agent a few days ago and plans to meet with Backstrom’s camp soon. Each player can be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
“We’re going to communicate with both players,” MacLellan said. “Both guys have been a big part of our organization, big part of our success. We’d love to keep both. We’re going to play it out until the end here.”
Holtby said he watched fellow goalie Sergei Bobrovsky’s situation with Columbus last season in the final year of his contract and wants to make sure everyone is on the same page. Bobrovsky signed a $70 million, seven-year deal with Florida that would seem to set the market for Holtby, who might be hard-pressed to fit under Washington’s cap.
“There’s always that area where you can work with, but at the same time you have a responsibility to the other players in the league, too,” Holtby said. “When it comes down to something like that, you can figure out what’s best for all sides and go through that kind of thing.”
Holtby backstopped the Capitals to their first title in franchise history, but the presence of top goaltending prospect Ilya Samsonov and 2014 second-round pick Vitek Vanecek may make it easier for the team to move on. Samsonov and Vanecek will have the opportunity in camp to compete with Pheonix Copley for the backup job.
Backstrom has no such potential replacement coming. The 31-year-old Swede has been Ovechkin’s running mate for more than a decade and figures to play out the rest of his career in Washington - assuming a deal can be reached.
“We’ve been together since Day 1, and the chemistry that we have on the ice is tremendous,” Ovechkin said. “I hope he’s going to stay.”
On the ice, the Capitals hope to have defenseman Michal Kempny back for the start of the season after surgery in April to repair a torn left hamstring. Winger T.J. Oshie’s right shoulder is 100 percent after breaking his collarbone in the playoffs.
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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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