Season Preview: 3 questions facing the Capitals

theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.

It was all very on brand.

The Washington Capitals were the NHL's premier regular-season team last year, running away with the Presidents' Trophy and winning more games in a single campaign than ever before. But true to their form in the post-lockout era, the Capitals crashed out prematurely in the postseason, losing in the second round to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With the same group back for another run, what will they do for an encore?

Here are three questions facing the Capitals:

Can they stay focused?

For Washington, the summer must have felt unbearable at times. The lights, smells, and sounds that come with opening night will alleviate some feelings of despondency, but in the back of players', coaches', and the entire organization's minds, it's hard to imagine the next seven months offering much satisfaction.

It's cliche, but in the absence of postseason success, achieving franchise records, career milestones, and regular season honors will be superfluous in a season with a singular objective.

Maintaining focus may prove to be a challenge, with an 82-game schedule to navigate before a crack at retribution, but fortunately for the Capitals, they are talented enough to win, and to dominate, when clicking into cruise control.

What will Eller, Connolly bring?

After failing to match depth with the Penguins, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan made it his summer purpose to bolster his bottom six, and didn't lose a single piece from the active roster in accomplishing that.

Washington acquired a capable defensive and possession center in Lars Eller from the Montreal Canadiens for two draft picks, then signed free agent Brett Connolly on July 1.

With Eller and Connolly, the Capitals hope they've added an offensive dynamic to their bottom six, but neither former first-round draft selection has provided consistent offence at the NHL level. Eller hasn't tallied 30-plus points in a season, while Connolly was overrun by the talented core in Tampa Bay, before showing signs with a career-high 25 points last season in Boston.

If the newcomers deliver quality defensive work and possession splits in their third- and fourth-line roles, sporadic production will sufficiently support arguably the most skilled top six in the Eastern Conference.

Will they shore up the back?

Absolutely loaded up front with an established goalie coming into his prime, the Capitals' most pressing issue lies on defense.

One of the team's most skilled defenseman, Russian national Dmitry Orlov, is still unsigned with just $3.4 million - a potentially insufficient amount - in estimated cap space left. And yet, MacLellan's greatest concern might still be the depreciating Brooks Orpik.

Orpik, who has no-trade protection, has three years left on his contract at $5.5 million - money that would be more beneficially spent appeasing Orlov.

The emergence of Nate Schmidt, and the utility of Taylor Chorney, allowed the Capitals to offset Orpik's 41-game absence and three-game suspension in the playoffs last year. That likely won't be the case should Orlov be squeezed.