from Katie Carrera of The Washington Post,

Based on the new cap figure, the Capitals have roughly $20.8 million to spend. If Washington re-signs restricted free agents Mike Green, John Carlson, Jay Beagle and Mathieu Perreault at their qualifying-offer salaries, it would have $13.8 million in space. Even if those players return with raises on new deals, the Capitals will have plenty of room to make competitive offers for free agents.

Whether McPhee elects to use that space at the start of free agency, when teams have a tendency to overpay, remains to be seen.

“It doesn’t mean you have to use [the salary cap space] all now,” McPhee said. “You can use it during the season or at the deadline. It’s expensive to use it now. If you do something, it’s always more than the guy’s worth. The question is how much more, and are you trying to trade him by November because he cost so much?”

Washington addressed its largest offseason need by getting a second-line center in Riberio. It acquired him from the Dallas Stars on June 22, but the team still has needs, specifically a top-six scoring winger and perhaps another solid defenseman capable of slotting into the fourth spot on the depth chart.

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