The Washington Capitals have had disappointing playoff exits in each of the last two seasons, and it wouldn't have been much of a surprise if they opted to fire Bruce Boudreau and change the makeup of the team. But cooler heads prevailed, and the Capitals opted to retool and give it another go this year with the same essential makeup of the team.
Owner Ted Leonsis is supportive of that. In a speech at the National Press Club, Leonsis explained that his team was much younger than anyone was recognizing. Via the AP.
"Last year the underreported story of our team was how many young players joined our team," Leonsis said Wednesday in a speech at the National Press Club. "We probably took steps back because we brought in so many young players."
He explained that the team didn't play as well as they can, because so many of the players had yet to reach their prime.
"They're not even in their prime," Leonsis said of the young core. "The team will make the playoffs -- as I promised -- 10 to 15 years in a row. That's what I believe."
That's a lot of years. The Capitals are still remarkably young for the level of success that they had, but they have to start doing some winning in the playoffs soon to ensure they are kept together.