from Katie Brown at NHL.com,

The Washington Capitals spent this offseason trying to fix what went wrong in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when they were eliminated by the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round after holding a 3-1 series lead.

Since drafting Alex Ovechkin with the first pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, Washington has been one win from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final three times (2011, 2012, 2015), but the Capitals haven't been able to earn that victory.

Ovechkin turns 30 on Sept. 17, so the time for Washington is now.

"I felt the window to win with him was 10 years old," Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said in July. "He's a fantastic player. He plays hard all the time, and I feel I haven't met my commitment to him, that we would build a team that would be able to win Stanley Cups.

"The difference between winning and losing is just so small, so I do not think our window as an organization is closing."

Ovechkin scored 53 goals last season to become the sixth player in NHL history with six 50-goal seasons. With Ovechkin able to produce at an elite level, the onus is on general manager Brian MacLellan to help the Capitals make the most of Ovechkin's prime.

continued