Capitals' Brian MacLellan: Braden Holtby is our No. 1 goaltender

Jaroslav Halak is on Long Island after a read-through in Washington, leaving the Capitals' crease entirely similar to the dissatisfying state it was in when management dealt him ahead of last season's trade deadline. 

However, newly appointed general manager Brian MacLellan appears confident in what remains and his ability to find suitable support for Braden Holtby. 

"I think we can get more out of Holtby," MacLellan said via Alex Prewitt of The Washington Post. "My plan would be as of now to go with Holtby as our No. 1 and find him a backup goaltender.”

MacLellan, of course, was a key member of Washington's braintrust last season, a group that traded Michal Neuvirth to the Buffalo Sabres for a stopgap in the form of Halak. 

Holtby was limited to just 48 games after resisting tweaks suggested by Washington's former coaching staff and enduring a slow start. That said, he compiled solid numbers when he found himself in the crease, finishing with a 23-15-4 record, 2.85 GAA and .915 Sv%.