The Washington Capitals are in the midst of a busy offseason following a number of trades and signings and a change in their front office structure. All the while, the team still faces questions going into the 2024-25 campaign.

From what the new moves mean for the lineup to the status of waiting prospects, we reopen The Hockey News‘ Capitals Mailbag to answer some of those burning inquiries.

Editor’s Note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.

How’s the team looking going into next season?

Washington is looking a lot better. The team overhauled roughly a third of the roster and got younger while bringing in more pieces to help with the offense and bring overall stability to the mix.

Does this mean that D.C. is automatically a contender? Of course not, this is still a team in transition and these are all new pieces. Now it’s a matter of how they mesh together. That said, the roster got the upgrade it needed; now it’s up to the coaches and players to trust the process and make things happen on the ice.

Does Andrew Mangiapane fit into the Capitals’ long-term plans?

Andrew Mangiapane brings a lot of potential and upside, but still, some uncertainty. The 28-year-old has shown that he can be a threat in the offensive zone and play a key role on special teams, and he had 35 seasons just two years ago. However, he just needs to find that consistency.

I think D.C. sees how this year goes with him and sees how he fits into the system. There are several prospects in the pipeline waiting for their opportunity (we’ll get to that), but if Mangiapane fits in with Spencer Carbery’s systems and proves to pack a punch and bring his scoring prowess to the mix, he could be in for a longer stay.

Will Charlie Lindgren, Logan Thompson and Jakob Chychrun return after next season?

I think this question falls well in line with the Mangiapane question above. This is a year for D.C. to prove itself and show that those moves were all the team needed to succeed.

Charlie Lindgren has impressed the organization and has certainly earned his job as the starter going into the season. Logan Thompson adds another factor, though, as a solid 1B option who can create competition in the crease.

I think that in goal, the Capitals see how Lindgren and Thompson fare as a tandem and make a decision from there, especially with Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson getting closer to being NHL-ready by the day.

As for Chychrun, the 26-year-old wasn’t necessarily expecting to land in D.C. but is excited for the opportunity in Washington. Former general manager Brian MacLellan said that when it comes to Chychrun, they’ll wait and see how he meshes before making a decision there. Personally, though, I think he’ll fit in well, and I think there’s a future here for him in the District.

These signings are great, but is it blocking the path for players like Hunter Shepard and other AHlers ready to make the jump?

This is an interesting question with Washington wanting to kind of skip over the rebuild stage and transition while remaining a contender.

The Capitals have a number of prospects waiting for their NHL chance, including Hunter Shepard, who seemed ready to step into the No. 2 role when Darcy Kuemper was shipped out for Pierre-Luc Dubois. However, I think when Thompson emerged on the market, MacLellan saw an opportunity to create a more stable and competitive situation in net and strengthen his team, and therefore took it.

Shepard has a lot of upside and has shown promise, but this past season had its highs and lows, and it wouldn’t be useful to have him spending time as a full-time No. 2 up at the highest level and not playing as much when he could be getting top minutes and continuing his development in Hershey. So no, I don’t think that bringing in Thompson blocks him for now.

As for other names like Ivan Miroshnichenko and Riley Sutter, it’s up to them to outplay others for their opportunity, but also, hockey’s a business, and D.C.’s desire to remain a contender means more playing time at the lower levels for those players waiting for their chance. So now, it’s just about paying their dues.