A cram session in which Chris calmly prepares Peter for Caps hockey

We got an email from Sam, who asked us for a summary of everything that happened before the puck dropped on Saturday night. And that’s when I realized I needed a summary too. So much has happened; the mind reels. The RMNB team has been on it every stage of the way, so I DM’d Chris Cerullo and begged him to catch me up. What follows is a conversation that you might find helpful, in case you’re just as overwhelmed as I am.

But first, as succinctly as possible. here are the big changes to the roster since last season.

Out:

In:

Ian gave the definitive take on all those moves:

Recapping the seven major moves Brian MacLellan made to transform the Washington Capitals

And now, me and Chris’s conversation.

This discussion happened prior to Saturday’s game. It has been lightly and tenderly edited for clarity.

Peter: Hi Chris.

Chris: Howdy.

Peter: I need your help. I need to figure out what’s going on with the Caps and I need to do it right now. Help me.

Chris: Hundo P.

Peter: I think the biggest change of the offseason was to the blue line, right? Jakob Chychrun seems like a totally different kind of defender than Nick Jensen was.

Chris: Yeah, Chychrun is a modern NHL, offensive defenseman, and Jensen is not, plus he seemed to take a step back last year. The change made a lot of sense — for everyone other than the Ottawa Senators. The two players really couldn’t be more different. Jensen had one goal last season; Chychrun had 14 and 41 total points.

Peter: So do you think we should expect a better/faster/more transition to offense as a result?

Chris: Yep. The early results, albeit obviously preseason, with Chychrun and John Carlson paired together, showed that for sure. Very, very high-event hockey. Washington dominated their five-on-five minutes.

Peter: Awesome. Something to look forward to.

Okay, so the big thing in the preseason that caught my eye was the return of Jakub Vrana. What did he do to make the team? What was the thinking by General Manager Brian MacLellan there?

Chris: cough General Manager Chris Patrick cough

Peter: Yes. That’s what I said. General Manager Chris Patrick. Obviously related to NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick.

Chris: Vrana was his typical self. Near the top of the team in all “just shoot the puck” categories. The main thing constantly being emphasized about him was his speed — something the Caps have lacked really since he left. I also think he impressed enough in the smaller areas and with his “puck…