Capitals Wrap: Injury Reveals, Contract Talks For Brown, Wilson & More, Backstrom & GMBM Not On Same Page

Here's a wrap up on all the Capitals news and notes from breakdown day and beyond.

ARLINGTON, V.A. -- There was a lot to be said over the weekend at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, as the Washington Capitals shared their final words and thoughts before packing up and heading home for a longer offseason than usual with no playoff run ahead of them.

The breakdown day was difficult, with the Capitals not only expressing their disappointment with the inconsistency and adversity that led to them missing the postseason for the first time in nine years but also reacting to the news of head coach Peter Laviolette parting ways with the team while sharing updates on their injuries.

Here's a wrap-up from the team's exit day and what to watch as the offseason gets underway.

- Nic Dowd said he has been dealing with a number of ailments and has been playing through some things this season. He said that there will be a decision made in the coming weeks as to whether or not he needs surgery. He would not reveal what the injury is.

- T.J. Oshie had a double ablation on his back, a five-minute procedure that uses soundwaves through a needle in order to block pain signals traveling from nerves to the brain. Oshie said the procedure "felt like knives" but admitted that he already feels "light-years" better than he did. He can start training immediately, which will allow him more time to work on conditioning and prepping for a fully healthy campaign after years of having to rest and wait until August.

- Alex Ovechkin dealt with three different instances of injuries this season, but most of those were upper-body ailments. They were nothing serious, per the captain, and he will return home to Moscow, rest and get back to training as he usually does with Pavel Burlachenko.

- Tom Wilson fractured his ankle blocking a Brad Hunt slapshot on Jan. 24 against the Colorado Avalanche. It was a "small, small fracture," and Wilson was able to recover and finish the year on a high note while returning to the form he was in last season.

- Evgeny Kuznetsov was dealing with some health issues this year, but said that he will not be surgery. Still, he did say that those lingering injuries did make it difficult to play the way he wanted.

- Anthony Mantha's injury to close out the season was a lingering issue with his groin. He does not need surgery, and benefitted from the extra time of rest.

- Darcy Kuemper did reveal that Tyler Toffoli gave him a concussion back in December. His second instance of injury later in the year was a back issue, but he is fully healthy now. He will not play for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships.

- Martin Fehervary hyperextended his elbow, which led to a month of sitting out of the lineup. The 23-year-old cut a slit in his elbow pad to allow for breathability with the brace and explained that it was a painful injury to deal with. His lower-body injury later in the year was a groin issue. He is going to take his time before making a decision on whether or not he will suit up for Slovakia at Worlds.

- Connor Brown, who only got to appear in three and a half games before suffering a torn ACL, is a UFA and hasn't yet spoken to the team about a next deal. However, general manager Brian MacLellan did say that he will touch base with Brown's camp and see where he may fit into the puzzle. GMBM also noted that he thought Brown would be a great fit and help the team in several areas, making the injury even more frustrating.

- Wilson, whose contract expires at the end of next season, has already made it clear that he wants to remain a Capital and said that he would not "play hardball" when it comes to his next deal. The feeling is mutual for the team, who will do "everything they can" to keep him on board for the rest of his career in Washington.

- Fehervary is a RFA and said that he is not thinking about his next contract right now, and Alex Alexeyev is in the same boat and had the same response.

- There hasn't been an update on Conor Sheary's contract, though No. 73 did say last week that teams will know what they're getting in him. I take that personally as a sign of him not re-signing.

- GMBM wants to revamp the top-6 this offseason and will also look to incorporate youth and possibly add some blue-line depth. That being said, he'll look to the free agent market, as well as the trade market, to pull that off.

- Carl Hagelin is a UFA and plans to play again, though it doesn't appear that anything has begun in terms of contract talks. He is coming off four surgeries over the last two months, with the most recent procedure being a hip resurfacing. He has not skated yet, and the plan is to get back on the ice, see how he is feeling and, if the hip is feeling good enough, touch base with his agents on what's next.

- Nicklas Backstrom said that he was feeling optimistic going into the offseason that a full summer would work wonders and that he was feeling good, skating pain-free and  has full confidence that he will continue to prove he can still play in the NHL following hip resurfacing surgery.

GMBM isn't sold just yet and said that he'd meet with Backstrom and the strength coaches while explaining that he doesn't know how much better Backstrom will get. He also said that No. 19 would have to make a decision on his career.

- MacLellan also shared that he was disappointed in Kuznetsov and Laviolette's seasons. Kuznetsov didn't comment much on what went wrong and said that he would have to sit down and think about his year before talking about it. After hearing Kuznetsov punted answering any questions about his lackluster year or improvement, MacLellan quipped with a grin, "That's where we're at."

- After the team's season finale, a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils, Laviolette requested a morning meeting with MacLellan. GMBM said he had wanted more time to talk with players before evaluating Laviolette's year and said he was open to conversations about his future with the team, though, during that meeting, both sides thought it was best if they mutually parted ways. It wasn't a "can't fire me if I quit" situation; Laviolette's contract was due to be up on June 30, anyway, and he wanted to explore the market.

- Anthony Mantha reflected on his year (we'll have a column tomorrow) and, when asked about whether or not his relationship with Laviolette played a part in any of his struggles, said that it wasn't about that and that he holds himself accountable for those issues, not the coach.