The Capitals continued to make some good offseason moves in mid-summer, re-signing Sergei Fedorov, Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr.

The signing of Fedorov was crucial. Picking him up in a late-season trade gave the Caps a true locker-room leader and a great influence on fellow Russians Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. Plus, the 38-year old is a winner, and he's been successful time and again.

Laich finally broke through last season and had a great year, coming on late when the team took off and won the Southeast Division. The Caps gave him a three-year deal -- Fedorov signed for one season -- so the team has some well-placed faith.

Fehr has been a bit of an enigma at times, but he seemed to finally find his way in the final part of last season, playing smart hockey and doing well in the playoff series with the Flyers. Also, he's big (6-foot-4), something the Caps seem to like.

The question now is where injured vets such as Chris Clark and Michael Nylander fit in. If they can come back and play as they've played in the past, this will be one very good hockey team.

Washington finally has the right mix of depth and talent, plus there's a bunch of young players ready to step in when the inevitable injuries occur.

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