17 Things: Capitals Back From Break, Lineup Questions, Trade Chatter & All-Star Perspective

Here are 17 Things to consider as the Capitals return from the All-Star Break, including more on lineup questions, trade deadline and more.

After some time away at the beach — or on the ice in Toronto if you're All-Star Tom Wilson — the Washington Capitals are making their way back to D.C. for the second half of the season. And there's a lot of work to do.

Head coach Spencer Carbery said it ahead of the break: there needs to be improvement after a lackluster 0-3-1 road trip to close out the first half, and the team will be expected to give every ounce in order to make that final push that has implications on the trade deadline, playoffs and more.

That said, here are 17 Things to consider as we return from the All-Star Break.

1. Washington is set to return from the All-Star Break with a 10:30 a.m. practice on Monday before hosting the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Tom Wilson was the team's lone representative at this year's festivities in Toronto, where he played for Team MacKinnon and had a defense-first mentality with a couple of face-off wins, a block and a (light) hit in 3-on-3. For Wilson, it was a full-circle experience as he returned to his hometown, and he said the trip allowed him to reflect on his career so far, too.

2. He also had some fun with Nikita Kucherov, pointing out that the Tampa Bay Lightning star took on most of the boos and therefore allowed Wilson to "fly under the radar." Kucherov's effort during the Skills Competition was questionable and brought about some controversy.

While I understand the player's perspective and how he doesn't necessarily owe anything to the crowds nor should he necessarily overexert for something that doesn't impact the standings, seeing how much a player like Dylan Strome would have wanted to go and enjoyed the festivities and perhaps put in more of a serious effort made it a bit difficult to watch. If you don't want to be there, don't attend. Still, he had fun with the fans and looked okay in the game, so he made the most of it.

3. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin, who reportedly informed the team that he preferred not to participate in this year's All-Star Weekend, spent his time off in Dubai for some R&R. The hope is that whatever lower-body injury that held him out for three games before the final few games before the break is past him and that he can heat up in this second half, where he's been known to step up.

He had his ninth goal of the season before the break in Dallas — a very Ovi-looking goal — so fingers are crossed in the District.

4. That's just what the Capitals will need, as they have a lot of ground to make up in the playoff race. The Detroit Red Wings were able to steal an extra point right before the break, leaving D.C. seven points out of a Wild Card spot. Trevor van Riemsdyk noted that this is where the real work begins, and it all starts with offense, as Washington is still struggling to score goals.

5. Speaking of goal-scoring and health, Max Pacioretty's agent, Allan Walsh, tweeted that the 35-year-old should be good to go as the team returns from break. Pacioretty left the final game before the break with a lower-body injury, but luckily, it's not related to his Achilles.

6. An update on Sonny Milano should also be on the horizon. The 26-year-old has missed the last 23 outings with an upper-body injury and has not played since Dec. 9. It's believed that he was injured against the New York Rangers when he was spun around on a hit by Jacob Trouba, but that's not confirmed. He was skating in a non-contact jersey before the break, as his recovery didn't get to a point where he was cleared. Perhaps the extra week changes things.

7. Still, there's a question of where Milano will slot into the mix. With Pacioretty and T.J. Oshie back and healthy, there's not too much room without upsetting the apple cart. Anthony Mantha's heated up, Aliaksei Protas is an important piece that plays in several situations and it's hard to take apart that fourth line, especially with Beck Malenstyn playing a critical role at even strength and on the penalty kill.

8. Questions also remain on the blue line. Both van Riemsdyk and Ethan Bear took turns sitting out as Spencer Carbery and Mitch Love shuffled the line combinations, looking for the right pairs to get the job done, but they haven't been able to find that exact balance just yet. There are eight healthy blueliners, making Carbery and Love's jobs difficult as they all compete for a spot, and perhaps we will see more shuffling and other odd men out. Joel Edmundson and Nick Jensen are also candidates for a scratch, and Alex Alexeyev, who recently ended a stretch of 24 consecutive healthy scratches, could also get another look.

9. In goal, despite a rocky road trip, the crease should belong to Charlie Lindgren. The 30-year-old has given D.C. the best chance to win this season and has stolen quite a few games, while coming up with some clutch saves and being among the league leaders in save percentage (.920) and goals saved above expected (10.1). That's not to say that Darcy Kuemper has been bad; despite the numbers, he's been able to step up in some games and is pretty much playing up to expectations. The defense in front of both, though, needs to get cleaner.

10. We're just over a month away from the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, and the Capitals' approach remains up in the air. It could still go pretty much either way; say Washington starts out hot in its return and gets back in playoff position. There's no need for a sell-off. If things continue to go south and the team extends its four-game losing skid it left behind before the break, then it's possible there's a repeat of last year and perhaps some hotter performers or veterans could go on the block.

11. Nic Dowd's name will be one to watch. The 33-year-old center has one year left on his deal at $1.3 million and could fetch a big return as he's been one of the top defensive forwards. However, that would be a tough name to part ways with; Dowd means a lot to the room and has been a staple in the lineup for the last five years, while also being a solid role player and coachable piece of the puzzle.

12. Dowd's value could also go up thanks to the "relatively thin" center market, as TSN's Darren Dreger pointed out. Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm were both dealt during the break, and there aren't many pivots up for grabs anymore. Dowd could very well fetch a better return because of that. It's up to D.C., though, if that's the way to go and if that's the best route forward. If it means building for the future, then it's definitely something to consider, especially if the standings aren't in the Capitals' favor come late February or early March.

I had a long chat with his teammates before break about just how important he is, and they all shared the same sentiment: he's a key piece in more ways than one. That feature is coming this week, so stay tuned.

13. Mantha's also a name to watch as the deadline approaches. The pending UFA has turned a corner this season and is on pace for a career-high 27 goals, boosting his value. If Washington elects to sell, he could fetch quite the return, which reportedly wasn't the case this summer. Or, perhaps the team would consider bringing him back on, considering his turnaround under Carbery. Again, it all depends on the moving parts.

14. I don't think Evgeny Kuznetsov ends up moving mid-season. I've said that before. While the market is thin for a center, his $7.8 million cap hit for the next one and a half seasons, as well as his inconsistency, doesn't add a lot of value. Still, he's a player to keep an eye on because he did look more noticeable on offense before the break with three points in his final three games, though there's still work to do without the puck.

15. Speaking of other Russians in the system, Ivan Miroshnichenko turns 20 today. If D.C. sells, I can see him coming up to D.C. to get some games in toward the end of the season. Something that's impressed me about his game is not so much his shot and scoring, but his playmaking, vision and play behind the net to set up his teammates.

16. Pierrick Dubé is another player I see getting a call-up in the event of a sell-off. He hit 24 goals before the AHL All-Star Break and all areas of his game, from his speed to his strength to his shot, have stood out to me. I also chatted with him about hockey in France, and he had quite a bit to say about his home country as he was one of two French prospects to join D.C. in the offseason.

17. The AHL All-Star Weekend starts tonight, with Ethen Frank defending skater title (13.032 seconds), Dylan McIlrath sporting the "C" and Clay Stevenson getting to participate in his first festivities thanks to a dominant rookie season. Also, check out this great story on Stevenson from Monumental Sports Network's Tarik El-Bashir, about how he overcame a family tragedy to shine in net.