With a chance to reset, Capitals want to play a faster style of hockey

With a chance to reset, Caps want to play faster style of hockey originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

ARLINGTON, Va. — The game of hockey has never been faster than it is today. Improved conditioning techniques, specialized training regimens and offense-friendly rule changes implemented over the last decade have transformed the NHL into a league where speed and skill are two of the most common traits of its championship contenders.

It’s a fact that wasn’t lost on the Capitals in 2022-23, the first season that saw them miss the playoffs since 2013-14. They carried the second-oldest roster in the NHL. Games with high shot volume tended to end in favor of their opponents; Washington was 13-19-6 when allowing over 30 shots in a game and 22-18-4 when it didn’t.

“I think the game is changing a little bit,” center Nicklas Backstrom said at his end-of-season press conference on April 15. “It’s a lot faster than before and it’s so important with puck movement, I think, in today’s hockey. So, that’s probably an area we can improve on and get better.”

With a veteran roster that will see several players well into their 30s return to the fold next season, the Capitals aren’t suddenly going to start skating faster. Their core is built around players such as Backstrom (35 years old), Alex Ovechkin (37), T.J. Oshie (36) and John Carlson (33), all holdovers from their 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team who are signed to lucrative long-term contracts.

However, skating speed isn’t the only way teams can improve their pace of play. As the front office conducts a search for a new head coach, the Capitals are looking to implement a system that better moves the puck with a purpose and creates space for players to make plays while moving up the ice.

“I think people get caught up in skating speed, where if you look at exact skating speeds, there’s a lot of [our] players that were within a range that is pretty consistent throughout the league,” GM Brian…