It looks like the Washington Capitals aren't bringing back Andrew Mangiapane.

Per The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, Mangiapane, who also switched agents, will not sign an extension with the Capitals and is expected to hit free agency on July 1.

It wasn't likely that Mangiapane, who had 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points, was going to be back in Washington given his cost and previous $5.8 million cap hit. However, the news does validate general manager Chris Patrick's desire to bring in another skill forward and revamp the third line.

Patrick explained on breakdown day that the third line, specifically down the middle, was an area of concern that the team wants to figure out, but also said that bringing in another talented forward to bolster the secondary scoring would be an option to consider this summer, too.

"It would be great to add another skilled player to our lineup, for sure. It would be great to also have a third line that is a really dependable third line. The Dowd line is effectively a third line; it would be great to have two third lines, like Nic's line," Patrick said. "Those are two areas we'd like to improve on. Can you do both at the same time? I don't know. We're going to have to see what's available and what's out there. But those are certainly, at least, what my focus (is). And I think Mac is hopefully on the same page on that one."

With Mangiapane out and Taylor Raddysh and Lars Eller also appearing unlikely to return, the Capitals have to replenish what is essentially the entire third line, though Ryan Leonard was a mainstay there to close out the regular season.

Connor McMichael will likely get that first crack at 3C, but that then leaves the team in need of a second-line left wing.

Prospect Bogdan Trineyev seems likely to replace Raddysh, who spent time on the third line but was mainly on the fourth line with Dowd and Brandon Duhaime. Andrew Cristall will also get the chance to show what he can do in training camp, and the same goes for Hendrix Lapierre, who is still looking to prove his worth as a full-time NHL forward.

Beyond the prospects, though, there are some names in free agency that could be impactful, including 22-goal scorer Jack Roslovic.

Then, there's the trade market. There are several names on the block, but if Washington wants to make an even bigger splash, it could inquire bout what it would take to acquire a name like J.J. Peterka. It won't come cheap, though, and would require a serious return and likely a haul of prospects in return.

D.C. has just under $10 million in projected cap space, and while a big swing would be ideal to take the next step as a contender, it may just not be feasible.

At the end of the day, there are several paths the Capitals can take; now it's just picking the right one as the team looks to continue getting younger and remain a contender while preparing for life after Alex Ovechkin.