Washington Capitals

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Washington Capitals General manager George McPhee talks with reporters during a press conference at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., Monday, July 11, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr/The Washington Times)

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Goalie Steffen Soberg, drafted last month, displays his skills during the Washington Capitals' development camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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The Washington Capitals signed forward Troy Brouwer (left) to a two-year, $2.35 million deal on July 6, 2011. The Capitals traded their first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks during the NHL draft for the rights to Brouwer, who could challenge Alexander Semin and Mike Knuble for big minutes at right wing. (Associated Press)

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Washington Capitals center Jeff Halpern (shown here with the Los Angeles Kings) looks to win his first playoff series in his second time around with the Capitals. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee had an active first day of NHL free agency. (Drew Angerer/The Washington Times)

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Washington Capitals goalie Semyon Varlamov won 30 games for the Capitals with a 2.39 goals against average in 59 appearances since the start of the 2008-09 season.. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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Washington Capitals center Brooks Laich signed a six-year, $27 million deal Tuesday to remain with the Capitals. The 28-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent Friday. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson, File)

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Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee had an active first day of NHL free agency. (Drew Angerer/The Washington Times)

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Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee confirmed Tuesday that the Caps inked Swedish prospect Mattias Sjogren to a two-year deal and that top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov will remain in Russia for another year. (Michael Connor / The Washington Times)

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Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee added leadership and experience on the first day of NHL free agency. (Associated Press)

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Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, answering questions at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Thursday, says of the team's future: "It's exciting when I think about what we can do next year." (Drew Angerer/The Washington Times)

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ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington Capitals (from left) Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon and Matt Hendricks wait out the final moments of their season in Wednesday night's 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay. The Lightning swept the Capitals in four games in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.