CAPITALS

WASHINGTON

Whatever sting the Capitals feel this summer will be slightly mitigated by the fact they finally beat Pittsburgh in the playoffs. But all jokes aside, there will be upheaval. Washington doesn’t have a lot of cap space to play with, and it feels like a foregone conclusion No. 1 defenseman and pending UFA JOHN CARLSON will leave for the open market. Re-signing RFA power forward Tom Wilson will be a priority, while Madison Bowey is the key RFA blueliner to get under contract. Without Carlson, the back end will need a big renovation, as the depth was far from strong to begin with. Veteran grinder Jay Beagle is a key UFA up front.