It's been a very tough last few seasons for the Washington Capitals, exacerbated by a missed postseason last year for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign. The Capitals will be one year older when training camp gets underway, and the future does not look bright in the nation's capital. GM Brian MacLellan is in an extremely tough spot this summer; the team has very little cap space and a roster stocked with expensive veterans who are tough to trade.

The Caps will remain exciting for the rest of Alexander Ovechkin's career as the 37-year-old looks to surpass Wayne Gretzky as the sport's greatest goal scorer. But other than that, there isn't much to be too thrilled about in Washington. MacLellan took a chance on another aging veteran in Max Pacioretty coming off an injury-riddled campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes, traded for defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Montreal Canadiens, and was unable to get anything for Evgeny Kuznetsov despite the Russian officially asking for a trade.

The offseason has been as bad as last season was for the Washington Capitals. The hope is that MacLellan isn't done reshaping the roster, but there really isn't much he can do with the cap space the franchise is working with.

Signed Max Pacioretty to one-year deal

Under normal circumstances, Max Pacioretty at $2 million per season is a steal. But considering the injuries that have hindered the 34-year-old, it's a gamble for a player who is approaching the twilight of his career. It's certainly not a bad signing for MacLellan, especially as Patches has been nearly a point per game over the last few seasons. The problem is, he's only played 44 games over the past two years between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

This is one of those signings that can go either way, and although the low AAV is encouraging, a 34-year-old player is not what an aging Capitals team really needs heading into 2023-24.

Traded for D-man Joel Edmundson

Joel Edmundson was drafted by the St. Louis Blues back in 2011 and won a Stanley Cup with the team in 2019. He was excellent in that playoff run, but his play has started to decline over the years, and he didn't move the needle too much with the Montreal Canadiens over the last three seasons.

Still, MacLellan acquired him for a third and a seventh round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, which isn't too bad at all for a 30-year-old who still has some game and will add some toughness to the bottom pairing. The Habs also retained 50 percent of his $3.5 million cap hit, making him a low-risk add with solid potential upside.

Evgeny Kuznetsov remains a Capital

Although it began as only speculation, Evgeny Kuznetsov recently confirmed that he did request a trade out of Washington. It is a disappointing development, as this is a key player who has skated his entire career with the Capitals, and has been one of their most reliable players over the years.

Still, all good things must come to an end, and Kuznetsov will long be remembered for his heroics during the team's 2018 Stanley Cup run. Maybe MacLellan is hoping Kuzy will return to the point-per-game form that eluded him last season, but he should be looking to maximize the return for a player who just turned 31 and has probably put his best days behind him.

The Capitals don't have too many trade chips, especially with the contracts a few of their top players are making. Evgeny Kuznetsov is a great hockey player and a Stanley Cup champion, but if he remains on the team when training camp opens, it's a loss.

Final Grade: C

The Washington Capitals aren't used to missing the playoffs, but as the game's greatest goal scorer approaches his final few years in the league, it's inevitable that this squad will be rebuilding at some point in the 2020s. To the credit of the team, they were riddled with injuries last year, and having Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom back to full health in 2023-24 should help them stay competitive in the Metropolitan Division.

Still, it's hard to argue that the Caps got much better by adding Max Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson, and the core will be another year older when training camps open. Brian MacLellan had no choice but to go bargain hunting and he did a decent job of it, especially if Patches can build some chemistry with a few of the longest-tenured Capitals. But it's hard to feel like the general manager is finished this offseason, and it's also hard to see this roster competing for a Stanley Cup again before Alex Ovechkin's incredible career comes to an end.