Here are our 17 thoughts on the Capitals this week.

Here are our 17 Things for this week, which proved to be critical in the Capitals' season.

1. Evgeny Kuznetsov was demoted to the fourth line on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues, while Nic Dowd took his place on the top six. Head coach Spencer Carbery explained that the move was to ignite a spark and try to get some consistency going with the team, striking a balance with every other trio. He also didn't shy away from pointing out that Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin have "been getting crushed" when together this season. It was a bold move, but one that needed to be made to try to spark some chemistry but also, to spark Kuznetsov.

2. He still skated over 16 minutes given he plays on the power play and penalty kill, but one has to wonder what's next for Kuznetsov here. He has not been able to find consistency or get any momentum going, and while there are flashes of it, he can't maintain it. I personally don't see a deal coming at the trade deadline just because of his cap hit and the fact that the value may not be high, but it does seem that the road may be getting a bit more bumpy and winding toward an end. When that is, I'm not sure, but it seems like he'd be a good draft trade asset.

3. Nicklas Backstrom made his way to St. Louis to kick off the team's four-game road trip. He has been around the team and has even skated in a tracksuit at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for some individual work. However, to my knowledge, no decision has been made on his career or next steps at this point in time.

4. That said, this team is certainly missing No. 19. He's a vocal leader in the room and on the bench, and his playmaking mind is unparalleled. It's been a major void since November, and while Dylan Strome has made the void hurt a little bit less, the team is still missing a top playmaker like No. 19 with Kuznetsov unable to replicate his past success.

5. In the locker room, Backstrom's role has been filled; Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie are both sharing the "A," and Wilson has been wearing it more consistently.

6. Still, having Backstrom simply on the road is huge for Washington at this point in time. The Capitals are at a critical juncture and are still very much in the playoff race. While their loss to the St. Louis Blues wasn't pretty, it didn't hurt too much, as their primary opponents also failed to gain ground in the race.

7. Speaking of leaders, Alex Ovechkin is back from a three-game absence due to a lingering lower-body injury. It was not related to the Jordan Staal collision on Jan. 5, but was something else. The captain managed to extend his point streak to seven games before he and his teammates were shut out on Saturday.

8. It may be an unpopular opinion, but this is not a completely disappointing season for Ovechkin. Amid his struggles, he's still finding ways to contribute offensively and remains on pace for a 50-plus point season at age 38. The All-Star break will be welcome as he gets the opportunity to get more rest, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him pick things up in the goal-scoring department after that. He's famous for impressive second halves of the season.

9. Ovechkin's absence, while longer than the team would have hoped, did pave the way for a dominant new line: Pacioretty-Strome-Oshie. The "Ops" trio, despite Saturday's result, is an outstanding combination not just because of the underlying analytics but also because of the performance. Watching both Pacioretty and Oshie, each works hard and doesn't shy away from doing what Oshie refers to as "dirty work": chipping and chasing pucks, winning board battles and getting to the high-danger areas. He and Pacioretty think the game at the same speed and work hard, and when put with a playmaker like Strome, it's an automatic recipe for success.

10. Oshie has also been a new player since returning from Minnesota, and the only thing he did was go back to see his chiropractor, which is nothing new. He's not the only believer in its methods; Charlie Lindgren said that he became a big believer in chiropractic and cupping this summer, which he said did a lot for the body.

11. It paid off for No. 79 on the ice, too, as he's all but become the Capitals' No. 1. The stats didn't go in his favor against St. Louis, but he still came up with quite a few big stops on grade-a chances while he remains among the league's best netminders this season. This summer was big for him, as Lindgren also unlocked a new mindset toward the game and started working with a mobility coach while keeping in touch with Jake Oettinger. That hard work has paid off.

12. That said, Darcy Kuemper has not done anything to fall into a No. 2 role, and the team still has a lot of faith in him. His numbers have not told the whole story, and the players assert that they are confident with either one of them in the net.

13. Another goaltender to keep an eye on: Clay Stevenson. The Hershey Bears freshman broke the franchise record for the most rookie shutouts with his sixth on Saturday, and he continues to thrive in his first full year up at the AHL level.

14. Speaking of the AHL, I would love to see Pierrick Dube earn a call-up the next time the opportunity arises. The French forward hit the 20-goal mark and is among the league's best performers, and he's earned the chance to show D.C. what he can do at the highest level.

15. Of course, call-ups occur when injuries call, and the Capitals are dealing with two big ones: Sonny Milano missed his 20th consecutive game on Saturday and remained in a non-contact jersey as he recovers from an upper-body injury. Rasmus Sandin, who has missed the last eight outings with his own upper-body ailment, recently upgraded to contact. Progress is being made with both skating, but the NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

16. Going back to prospects, Ryan Leonard made headlines these last two days. He scored and stayed hot for Boston College, but got a penalty for screaming in the goaltender's face a la Radko Gudas. Then on Sunday, he got another unsportsmanlike conduct call after shooting the puck into the net after the whistle.

While some critics believe it's immature from Leonard, it's all passion, and he will learn the ways of the trade as time goes on. That's where teammates and leaders on the Capitals will step up to help him, but Leonard will also learn on his own. To that point, Nick Jensen and I were chatting about physicality, and he said you learn real quick what flies and what doesn't in the NHL. That won't be different for Leonard.

17. Some trade deadline tremblings, as Washington is reportedly among the suitors for Sean Monahan if they buy. If they sell, Nic Dowd could be on the block, though I think it'd be wise for D.C. to keep him in the room.