Any discussion about the Washington Capitals will begin and end with Alexander Ovechkin, with a little more talk about him thrown in the middle just for insurance.

While nearly all the attention at the beginning of last year’s rookie class centered around Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin just ho-hummed his way to finishing as the third-highest rookie point-scorer in NHL history and became only the second rookie to score 50 goals and rack up 100 points as a rookie, after Teemu Selanne’s 1992-93 season.

Despite being a part of one of the strongest rookie classes in recent years, Ovechkin rose above it all to prove his considerable talent and show that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the league for years to come.

Unfortunately for the Capitals, that’s about all the good news they have.

The team doesn’t have much natural talent beyond Ovechkin, and some of the precious little they had left in the off-season.

Gone is hometown boy and captain Jeff Halpern, who signed with Dallas. Halpern, the NHL’s first player born and raised in the Southeastern District, finally decided to depart to a contender after six years in Washington. His departure leaves a major hole up the middle for Washington, as Dainius Zubrus is the only offensive-minded center left on the club.

Also gone is veteran winger Brian Willsie, who finished fourth on the team with 41 points.

The team will re-gain the services of talented 2002 1st-round pick Alexander Semin, who had 22 points in 52 games in 2003-04. He’ll add some much-needed flash and flair to the lineup.

The team’s biggest free agent signing was solid young defenseman Brian Pothier, who had a career year in Ottawa. Washington also inked veteran enforcer Donald Brashear to discourage teams from going after Ovechkin and traded for right wing Richard Zednik, who had 30 points in 67 games for Montreal last season.

The Capitals do have a few good prospects waiting around the corner. The team’s AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, won the Calder Cup championship last season. Key players from that team, including forward Eric Fehr and defenseman Mike Green, could see increased minutes on the big club in 2006-07.

Starting goalie Olaf Kolzig will again be back for Washington, but he isn’t getting any younger. The organization seems to be pinning its hopes on Maxime Daigneault, but he’s still a couple of years away from being a full-time NHL goalie.

Washington has a decent collection of bangers and grinders, but is desperately short on pure skill players. As such, they are at least two years away from serious contention in the NHL. However, at least with Ovechkin, there will be something to watch in the nation’s capital this season.

Key Additions:  LW Richard Zednik, D Brian Pothier, LW Donald Brashear

Key Departures:  C Jeff Halpern, RW Brian Willsie

Three Breakout Players:

LW Alexander Semin: We couldn’t put Ovechkin here too, so we settled for the other Alex on the Capitals. It’s hard to believe it’s been three seasons since Semin debuted as a rookie. After compiling 22 points in 52 games in 2003-04 and two seasons in Russia, the talented winger should be ready to give the Caps a much-needed boost on offense. The more open offensive game plays right into his style of play. Expect Washington to give Semin ample opportunity to rack up points this season.

D Brian Pothier: Pothier enjoyed a career year playing as the 6th defenseman on a positively stacked Ottawa team in 2005-06. No more. Pothier will jump into top-four duty right away, and will likely be asked to play on both the power play and penalty kill as well. Pothier is a solid talent, and has a bright career ahead of him, but he won’t have much help on Washington’s club. 

LW Richard Zednik: Zednik got his start in the league with the Capitals, and now he’s returning to a much different team. The speedy winger will be one of the few in the locker room who played on a Washington Capitals playoff team. Zednik, who struggled with the Canadiens last season, is looking to reclaim the form that saw him score 50 points two seasons in a row. Perhaps a change of scenery to a familiar place will help the former 30-goal scorer regain his touch.