Three young defenseman will be RFAs this summer. All should receive qualifying offers from Caps. Otherwise, Shaone Morrisonn, Jeff Schultz and Milan Jurcina are free agents. If given qualifying offers, the players can accept it, negotiate a better deal, sign an offer sheet with another team — which Caps could match — or choose arbitration. Likely, all three will be back for camp. Whether they make the team is the real question. Forwards Eric Fehr and Boyd Gordon are in the same boat.
Chris Bourque
The final cut at training camp last October went to AHL Hershey and had an excellent year (21 goals, 52 assists). Is the 5-foot-8 Bourque ready to break through and win a roster spot next season?
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Karl Alzner
He held his own when forced into the lineup thanks to a spate of injuries in November. Played 30 games with Washington, but the 20-year-old struggled at times during later callups. No. 5 overall draft pick in 2007 should be NHL-ready by fall.
John Carlson
Caps traded defenseman Steve Eminger to Philadelphia for a first-round draft pick that became Carlson last June. The 19-year-old had a brilliant season playing junior hockey in OHL and scored a goal when he joined Hershey for the AHL playoffs. May push for an NHL spot in camp.
Jose Theodore
Goalie signed a two-year deal last summer. But started off slow, split time with backup Brent Johnson and was supplanted by rookie Simeon Varlamov in the playoffs. Is Varlamov the clear No. 1 now? If so, at 32 and with just one year left on his deal, Theodore is tradeable.
Michael Nylander
Veteran was a routine healthy scratch late in the season. Started early in the playoffs, but ineffective play sent him back to bench. He still is owed $5 million next season and $3 million the year after. The 36-year-old center is a buyout candidate if the Caps can swing it under salary cap.
