Washington Capitals: How the New Players Will Factor in This Season

The Washington Capitals are entering the 2011-12 season with a few adjustments on their roster from the start of the previous season. Some of these new players came by way of trade, some by way of free agency, and all look to have a great impact for Bruce Boudreau's Washington Capitals this season.

While general manager George McPhee is not a big believer in large splashes in the free agent market, he did go out and sign a few veterans who will hope to contribute to a deep playoff run when spring rolls around.

One of the big factors that can be looked at when you examine the lack of Capitals playoff success could be the absence of veterans and leadership on the roster. McPhee set out to remedy that problem this offseason, and with a few moves, has players that bring experience to the fold at Verizon Center.

Let’s take a look at five of those incoming players and predict what they will add to the Caps' cup chances this season.

Troy Brouwer

The net-seeking right wing was acquired by the Capitals for their first round draft pick in 2012.

While the Capitals have viable net presence options in Mike Knuble and Brooks Laich, it is widely believed that was not enough to satisfy the score sheet needs in DC.

 With shooting-happy forwards like Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, it is vital to have forwards who can get to the net and bang in rebounds, whereas most Caps forwards seem to favor a finesse approach.

Brouwer is coming off of a modest season of 17 goals and 36 points. He does bring Stanley Cup playoff experience and a ring to Washington, which will improve the Caps come April, May and hopefully June.

Roman Hamrlik

The Capitals signed the veteran journeyman defenseman for $7,000,000 over two years during the summer.

Hamrlik brings over 1,300 games of NHL experience to the Caps blue line. The offensive-minded D-man has scored well over 600 points over his NHL career and will bring a steady influence to the Caps' youthful defense corps.

While the Caps aren’t lacking for d-men that have offensive upside, the need for a stable veteran is there for the sometimes shaky back line in Washington.

Hamrlik is 37 years old and may not be a top four option anymore at this point in his career, but he will feature in the Caps lineup and should draw ice time at even strength and on special teams.  

Tomas Vokoun

One of the most surprising signings of the 2011 offseason was Tomas Vokoun going to the Capitals for one year for the bargain price of $1.5 million.

Vokun comes from the Florida Panthers, where he enjoyed modest success playing for a losing team. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators and played there for six seasons, making the playoffs only one time during his stay.

It was no secret Vokoun wanted to be on a winning team, and it was no secret the Caps played that card in the negotiations. Even with an established starter in Michael Neuvirth, Vokun will get a fair amount of starts and could be the new No. 1 option in a sort period if Neuvirth becomes injured or suffers a drop in form.

The Capitals knew they needed an insurance policy in net, and Vokun was the best available. 

Joel Ward

Another former Nashville Predator comes to the nation's capital by way of free agency.

McPhee signed the 6’1” right winger long term over four years at $3,000,000 a year, according to Capgeek.com

Ward will bring a solid checking option that will replace the departing David Steckel and Boyd Gordon. Where Steckel and Gordon lacked in scoring power, the Caps hope will be replaced with Ward—and with the cap hit, that will need to be substantial.

While Ward was not the most talked about free agent signing, it certainly is a functional one for the Caps, who need more secondary scoring during the course of the season.

Jeff Halpern

The DC area native returns to his home town after six years touring the continent with a wide variety of teams.

Halpern will likely be plugged into the fourth line center roll and will play with a revolving door combination of wingers. He will also likely see time on the penalty kill, increasing the ice time that would normally go with a fourth-line player.

As a former captain in Washington, Halpern will be looked upon for leadership and locker room stability. Because he has been there before, he is one of the best fit for the role.

Roster Moves

The Washington Capitals watched quite a few players head out for new teams this season, so the job fell on McPhee to make key free agent signings and trades to re-stock the team for this year and the future.

Not only were the Capitals re-stocked, but there a few improvements in key places in which the Caps needed to improve in order to become a successful team in the postseason.

We will see how these five players help improve the Capitals and bring what DC faithful have wanted for about three years: playoff success.