The Washington Capitals didn't wait for Alex Ovechkin's retirement decision to bolster their lineup and future.

After missing the playoffs just one year after finishing second in the NHL standings, the Capitals and GM Chris Patrick made some big trades on Tuesday and Wednesday to ensure they can compete for the top spot instead of just any playoff spot next season.

Washington first acquired right winger Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues, then brought in right winger Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

Kyrou recorded 18 goals and 46 points in 72 games, but he had 36 goals and 70 points in 82 games the year before.

Tuch was one of the NHL's top pending UFAs in the lead-up to free agency, putting up 33 goals and 66 points in 79 games. His career high in points is 79, which came in 2022-23.

Both players combine for an $18.625-million cap hit, so even if Ovechkin doesn't return for 2026-27, the Capitals will have two veteran contributors to replace the offense he consistently produced.

That said, with Tuch getting a huge raise and earning $10.5 million per year for the next eight seasons, the Capitals essentially reaffirmed their commitment to opening a new Cup contention window without having to rebuild long-term.

While there's considerable potential for a bounce-back season for Washington next year, the risk for Patrick and Caps ownership is they don't have the generational talent they've relied on in the Ovechkin era. So they could be a little more than a "mushy middle" team – too good to get a pick at the very top of the draft, and not good enough to be a legitimate front-runner for a championship.

The Capitals aren't the only team that believes in a retool rather than a rebuild, and that's their prerogative.

Kyrou is only 28, and Tuch is only 30, so there's a reasonable expectation they're going to do well in D.C. for a long time.

The Capitals also have Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, Martin Fehervary and Logan Thompson signed through at least 2031.

After the Tuch and Kyrou acquisitions, the Capitals have about $12.7 million in salary cap space. They also have all three of their first-round picks in the next three drafts, so Patrick could trade one of them for immediate help.

The Caps' fourth line could use more experience after moving Nic Dowd at the trade deadline, and that's what Patrick should be spending some of his remaining cap space on.

Let's not forget about Ovechkin, either. If he does return, it won't be at the league-minimum salary, meaning that Patrick will have to carve out a good deal of cap space to bring him back. 

Regardless of Ovechkin's status, it's now clear the Capitals are taking a run at getting back into the playoffs next year and improving on their second-round exit in 2024-25.

They're taking the chance that Kyrou and Tuch will be high-end contributors for at least a half-decade. Considering Kyrou has amassed at least 70 points in three of the past five seasons and Tuch is a power forward who's recorded at least 66 points in three of the last four seasons, the Capitals will likely get some effective production from them in that span.

But are the Caps going to be one of the Metropolitan Division's best teams, or are they going to sneak into a wild-card spot and be first-round cannon fodder in what could be Ovechkin's final season?

Of course, Washington could have great luck on the health front, get one more high-impact season out of Ovechkin and make a surprisingly long post-season run. That's obviously what the Capitals and their fans are hoping for.

But make no mistake – there's also a very real chance the Caps falter in 2026-27 and waste the goodwill of an Ovechkin farewell season.

If Tuch and Kyrou don't solve the Capitals' power-play struggles, or if the roster overall can't click and finish drastically higher than 15th in most goals-for, it could be surprising, but we'd be wondering at this time next year about whether they have what it takes to win the Stanley Cup without drafting one or two potential 100-point players.

Patrick has been proactive in picking up above-average point-producers, but it's going to take resilience from the rest of Washington's roster to get the Caps in a position where they can do damage in the regular season and playoffs.

The Capitals have more than enough talent to push back up the Metro standings, but there's little room for error here – and it's going to take skill and determination for the Caps to qualify for the post-season and get far once they get there.

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