On paper, the 2000-01 season was a resounding success. The Capitals won the Southeast Division with 96 points. Captain Adam Oates defied his age and tied for the league lead with 69 assists. Peter Bondra scored so much (45 goals) and smiled so much, he decided to sign an extension to remain with the team, reversing an early-season trade demand. And goalie Olaf Kolzig was his steady self, winning 37 games. However, things didn't end so well when the Capitals lost to Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs, and things soured as coach Ron Wilson significantly reduced Oates' playing time, leading to some bad dressing-room karma.

	2000-01 by the numbers
	Record: 41-27-10-4, 96 points (T9th overall, T5th East, 1st Southeast) Man-games lost to injury: 147 (T23rd) Goals for: 233/2.84 (13th) Goals against: 211/2.57 (13th) Differential: 22 (13th overall) 20-goal scorers: Peter Bondra (45), Steve Konowalchuk (24), Jeff Halpern (21) 50-point scorers: Adam Oates (82), Bondra (81), Sergei Gonchar (57)

Looking at next season
The Oates situation is now at an impasse. The Caps picked up his $3 million option, but the 38-year-old center demanded a trade. Coupling this with Washington's passive approach to free agency leaves the Caps looking a lot like they did last season, which doesn't bode well when several other Eastern Conference teams upgraded significantly in recent weeks.

General manager George McPhee cried foul on Jeremy Roenick's deal with Philly. But the reality is that no rules were broken, and McPhee would have received permission to speak with Roenick if he had asked (Phoenix didn't deny any suitors.). The positive for the Capitals is that even if they enter next season virtually unchanged, Wilson's club remains a playoff-competitive team.

If Oates gets his wish, Jeff Halpern is poised to take over as the top-line center. The 25-year-old followed up a 21-goal regular season by leading the team in postseason scoring (2-3-5) and making headlines as a great pest in the face of superstar Mario Lemieux. With Trevor Linden and Andrei Nikolishin, the Caps won't blow away the competition at center, but it's hardly a weakness.

The Caps also are two-to-three deep at wing, and left wing Chris Simon should be in much better shape with a full training camp. On the right side, Ulf Dahlen (48 points) tops the list, while Danius Zubrus will receive an opportunity to prove whether or not he's worthy a top-line position in the NHL. Zubrus came from Montreal with Linden; he is big and fast but has been tremendously inconsistent as a pro.

On the blue line, the Caps will have an average age of 32, but the group still can be effective. Sergei Gonchar, 27, is a premier power-play blueliner (26 power-play assists), while Calle Johansson and Sylvain Cote are solid veterans. They all need to remain healthy for the Caps to protect Kolzig well.

To significantly upgrade the team before training camp, McPhee would need to make a trade because there really aren't any A-level unrestricted free agents left on the market. Eric Lindros and Jaromir Jagr remain available, but the Capitals haven't been heavily involved with either player, although Lindros listed Washington as a possible destination last spring. Trading Oates might actually happen because the Capitals need to upgrade the roster and don't want the team captain reporting to camp as a disgruntled player.

Brian A. Shactman covers the NHL for ESPN.com.