The Biggest Areas of Concern for the Capitals the Rest of the 2014-15 Season

With 25 games remaining on the schedule for 2014-15, the Washington Capitals are in familiar territory. 

As has been the case during each of the previous three seasons, Alex Ovechkin and company are in a dogfight for a postseason berth, even if they sit 10 points above ninth-place Florida as of now. 

There's cause for optimism, as first-year bench boss Barry Trotz has the Caps playing a style that figures to be suited for the more physical playoff-style game, and the club's in relatively good position to take a run at one of the three Metropolitan Division seeds. 

That being said, there's a lot of hockey still to be played, and like many other teams in the Eastern Conference, the Caps face questions heading into the stretch. 

Here's a look at Washington's biggest areas of concern the rest of the way. 

The Workload in Net

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Right now, Braden Holtby is one of just five goalies to play in 47 games this season, leading the league with 48 appearances. 

And he's earned that responsibility, as the 25-year-old has the best save percentage and goals-against average among goalies with at least 47 games played—a group that also includes Jonathan Quick, Cory Schneider, Kari Lehtonen and Tuukka Rask. 

But if the Caps intend on doing damage come April and May, Holtby can't be playing every night, though he's by far the most reliable of the team's netminders. 

Justin Peters' victory on the road over the Ducks on Sunday was encouraging, but his .875 save percentage leaves a lot to be desired, so if Barry Trotz intends on lightening Holtby's load, a trade or the permanent promotion of Philipp Grubauer may be in the cards for the Caps. 

A Second-Line Center

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Although there's no questioning Nicklas Backstrom's credentials as a No. 1 center, Washington's long-tenured search for a capable second-liner down the middle continues. 

Since Backstrom arrived in 2007-08, the Caps have iced a number of different No. 2 options behind the slick Swede, including Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Morrison, Mikhail Grabovski, Mike Ribeiro and Jason Arnott. 

And now, unless Brian MacLellan brokers a deal for a veteran presence, Barry Trotz will probably stick with rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov to anchor his second offensive unit. There's a lot to like about Kuznetsov, who, despite still adapting to the North American style of play, has four points in his last five outings and appears to have all of the skill required to fill a top-six role. 

However, if the Caps have any intention of advancing beyond Round 2 for the first time since 1998, one has to think reinforcements are needed at center, as a quartet of Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Eric Fehr and Michael Latta won't stack up well against the elite teams in the East. 

What to Do with Mike Green?

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It's always difficult to come to grips with the potential departure of a longtime cornerstone like Mike Green, but it's even more so when the Caps are battling for a postseason berth with less than a third of the regular season remaining. 

But, with Green set to become an unrestricted free agent after a season in which the former two-time Norris Trophy finalist has enjoyed a resurgence, he may well price himself out of Brian MacLellan's budget come July 2015. 

As NBC Sports' Jason Brough discussed earlier this month, the Caps look to be in a much better position to let Green walk than they were a year ago.

"What may help convince MacLellan to trade Green is that, with Niskanen and Carlson, he’d still have two right-shooting d-men who were capable of manning the point on the first-unit power play," Brough said.

There's no doubting that Washington's a much better team with Green on the ice than without him, but with John Carlson playing like a top-flight rearguard and a solid trio in Karl Alzner, Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik rounding out the top four, is there really a need for Green? 

In the short term, the answer to that question doesn't matter if MacLellan and Barry Trotz have their sights set on a deep postseason run, but if the Caps begin to slide, Green's future in D.C. will look more uncertain. 

Secondary Scoring

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Going into Tuesday night's tilt with Pittsburgh, the Caps sit 6-3-1 in their last 10, and that's the type of pace they'll need to maintain to safely secure a playoff spot. 

During that stretch, Alex Ovechkin registered nine goals and five assists, and while it's no surprise to see him atop the league in the goals department, expecting him to produce at that rate is unthinkable. 

As of now, Ovechkin stands as the only Capital among the NHL's top 50 in goals, though Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Fehr and Troy Brouwer each have 16 on the year. 

Ovechkin looks like a safe bet for 50 at this point in the season, but another 20-goal man or two would go a long way toward making sure this team's got enough offense to stay afloat in the playoff race.