Caps' Week: Carlson Out, Dowd Gone, New Blood Arrives

The Capitals face a pivotal week where the Carlson era officially closes its chapter, marking the end of a defensive cornerstone that's defined their back end for years. Nic Dowd's departure leaves a gap in the bottom-six grit that Ovechkin and crew have relied on in tight games, while fresh faces step in to shake up the lineup. Front offices around the league watch closely as these changes test Washington's depth ahead of a schedule packed with divisional foes and playoff implications.