When the Capitals brought in Dale Hunter as head coach in November, they altered the team’s system, mind-set and the expectations for every player. The focus was on playing a more defensively responsible game, minimizing risk and making the smart play. The new system wasn’t the sole reason that eight forwards saw a dip in their offensive numbers this season, but it certainly played a part.

On breakdown day, several players expressed their regret at not finding ways to chip in more on the scoresheet in the postseason. Thirteen of Washington’s 14 playoff games were decided by one goal, and the team averaged 2.07 goals per contest throughout the postseason.

Where General Manager George McPhee may do the most tinkering this offseason is up front. Four forwards are set to become unrestricted free agents — including Alexander Semin, which would leave a spot (and plenty of salary cap space) for a scoring winger. As seems to be the case every summer, the Capitals could also use some more experienced depth and playmaking ability at center behind Nicklas Backstrom.

What will the depth chart look like by October? It’s tough to tell. But in the meantime, let’s take a look back at how this past season went for Washington’s forwards and what it might mean for the future. This is Part I of the forward breakdown (Aucoin to Halpern) so be sure to check back for Part II (Hendricks to Ward).

The Capitals demonstrated they could play a stingy defensive game under Dale Hunter this season. That system began with the blueliners themselves, some of whom were better suited to his demands than others.

As General Manager George McPhee engineers a roster for next season and searches for a new coach, he could easily keep the bulk of the defense from 2011-12 intact. The Capitals have five defensemen under contract who are expected to be ready for next season, with two more, Mike Green and John Carlson, due new contracts as restricted free agents. That doesn’t preclude the option of changes to the blueline this summer, but if Washington resigns Green and Carlson it will have seven NHL-ready defensemen for next season.

Dennis Wideman is the lone unrestricted free agent in the group. While he has said he would enjoy coming back to Washington, his price tag may simply be too steep on the open market. The Capitals also have Dmitry Orlov coming off his rookie season to slide into the top six on a regular basis, which would help pick up some of the ice time a departure by Wideman would leave behind.

From there, the question remains of how the Capitals’ brass sees the team’s identity moving forward. Critics have long targeted the lack of a grizzled, net-clearing defenseman as a weakness, but to bring in someone to fill that role or another prominent spot on the defensive depth chart would require a few tweaks.

Let’s take a look back at how this past season went for Washington’s defensemen and what it might mean for the future:

The Capitals announced Wednesday that they have extended their affiliation with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears through the 2013-14 season.

The Bears just finished their seventh season as Washington’s AHL affiliate, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Baby Penguins. Hershey has qualified for the playoffs each of the last seven years and won the Calder Cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010.

Hershey will visit Verizon Center in December to host a regular season AHL game against the Norfolk Admirals, marking the first Bears game held in Washington since 1979. The game is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 6.

If there was a silver lining to be found in the Capitals’ two-round foray into the playoffs this spring, it was in the emergence of goaltender Braden Holtby. The 22-year-old’s journey from third on the franchise depth chart to playoff starter demonstrated that, even at a young age, Holtby is ready to take the next step in his NHL career.

Holtby’s presence on the scene likely means that Washington will rely on a pair of home-grown netminders to carry the load next season.

Given that Tomas Vokoun has already said he doesn’t plan on returning to Washington, it makes sense that the Capitals would create a platoon with Holtby and Michal Neuvirth, 24, next season (barring a trade that would alter the depth chart in net). They would compete against each other for starts but still be allowed to develop without the burden of a full 82-game workload.

Both Holtby and Neuvirth — who are under contract for the 2012-13 season at the bargain rate of a $1.75 million combined salary cap hit and combined salary of $1,787,777 — said they will be prepared for a competitive situation next year.

(Nick Wass - AP) Earlier Monday, we took a look at the six unrestricted free agents on the Capitals’ roster.

There are four other players who are restricted free agents. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, that means the Capitals can obtain negotiating rights by submitting a qualifying offer. Should another team try to sign the player, the Capitals have the right to match the offer or receive compensation for losing the free agent.

Before getting started, a few notes: For offesason purposes, players’ salaries, not salary-cap hits, are listed. Restricted free agents’ minimum qualifying offers were calculated on Capgeek.com.

Also, keep in mind that while the NHL CBA is set to expire on Sept. 15, and it is uncertain what changes will be made to the current framework, general managers across the league are still tasked with constructing teams.

Jay Beagle
2011-12 salary: $525,000 | Qualifying offer: one-year, $577,500
Age: 26 (Turns 27 on Oct. 16)
2011-12 regular season stats: 41 GP, 4G, 1A, -2 / Playoffs: 12 GP, 1G, 1A, +1

His season was bookended by serious injuries – a concussion in October and broken left foot in the playoffs – but in between, Beagle became a key part of the new, defensive-minded Capitals.

Given Beagle’s emergence as a shut-down center able to take important faceoffs, kill penalties and play important minutes, there’s little reason to believe Washington wouldn’t want the Calgary native back in the fold. What will be interesting to see is whether the Capitals new coach trusts Beagle as much as former coach Dale Hunter did.

John Carlson
2011-12 salary: $787,500 | Qualifying offer: one-year, $826,875
Age: 22
2011-12 regular season stats: 82 GP, 9G, 23A, -15 / Playoffs: 14 GP, 2G, 3A, -1

Carlson didn’t have the strongest regular season in his sophomore year, but in the playoffs he essentially made up for it with strong play as half of the Capitals’ shut-down defensive pairing.

Despite the significant ice time he logs and important role he plays, Carlson is coming off his entry-level deal with a low qualifying offer and doesn’t have much negotiation leverage as an RFA. Karl Alzner, his defensive partner, was in this exact situation last summer and wound up signing a two-year contract worth $1.28 million – a steal of a deal for the Capitals, who may look to do the same with Carlson this year.