Capitals GM laments loss of Ward, speed discrepancy after playoff exit

With the stinging six-game defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins having now sunk in, the Washington Capitals' latest playoff failure has come clearer into focus for Brian MacLellan.

In a media debriefing Monday morning, the second-year general manager spoke in confidence about his core, but said that improving his bottom six must be an offseason priority.

MacLellan mentioned the ancillary importance of former Capitals middle-six forward Joel Ward, who sprung to the San Jose Sharks in free agency last summer.

"He's the kind of guy we needed in the playoffs," MacLellan said, according to the Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.

MacLellan said that Tom Wilson is the type of player they want to mold into a Ward-type function, but they'll likely have to explore other options to remedy another issue: speed. He noted that Washington got "exposed" by quicker teams, namely the Penguins.