The Barry Trotz era is about to begin and there are so many questions heading into the 2014-2015 campaign. Trotz is known for being the only Head Coach in Nashville Predator history and is more known for his defensive-style system than his offense which becomes a concern to poolies because of players like Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, two major offensive stars in Washington. Then there is the flipside of that in which the major defensemen in Nashville led the way on offense for the Preds. Will that translate in Washington?  Will that transform D Mike Green back to the offensive star that he once was? What should be the most important question is will Braden Holtby be that guy the Caps were hoping he'd be? GOALIES I was never one for the two-headed goaltender system. There needs to be a clear number 1 and a steady backup with the backup clearly knowing his role.  Perhaps with the new coach and the new system, Holtby can be that number 1 goalie the Capitals were counting on last year.  His metrics last season were far from impressive as he took a baby step backward in his development.  With Trotz behind the bench and incoming goalie coach Mitch Korn, Holtby's numbers should improve as he regains his confidence in net.  Korn was the goaltending coach in Nashville for the past 15 years, instructing NHL elite goaltender Pekka Rinne. Now if Holtby can be Rinne........Gone is Michal Neuvirth who was traded to buffalo at the trade deadline last year. Justin Peters signed 1 2-year deal as a free agent to back up Holtby. DEFENSE It will be interesting to see who emerges on defense in the Trotz system. Will it be a return to elite form for Green, or will John Carlson take that next step as a premium fantasy defenseman? Matt Niskanen parlayed his career season (46 pts.) in Pittsburgh into a 7-year deal with the Capitals. At 27, Niskanen is in his prime, but don't expect a return to those numbers unless he benefits this time from an injury to Green or Carlson.  He does have the talent but expect a little drop-off in production in his first year with the Caps.  Karl Alzner, Dmitri Orlov and free agent signing Brooks Orpik are all defense-first D-men so don't expect much in the way of offense. FORWARDS The Capitals offense begins and ends with Ovechkin, aka the Great 8 and Center Backstrom. Some say that it's Backstrom that makes Ovechkin better, but having either on your fantasy is a win-win. The duo were actually tied for the team lead in points with 79. Can Ovechkin post back-to-back 50+ goal seasons?  Something he hasn't done in any of the four previous seasons.  RW Troy Brouwer has seen time on the power play with those two and is a streaky player in terms of scoring, so get him when he's hot. Rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov is slotted to complete the Backstrom-Ovechkin line, so keep an eye on training camp developments. C Marcus Johansson was a huge disappointment for the Caps as well as fantasy fans as a big jump was expected in terms of production. Is time running out for MJ?  Support players Eric Fehr, Brooks Laich and sophomore Tom Wilson round out the top forwards on the team. These players will provide limited production as role players. Joel Ward had a career year with 49 points but has not been more than a mid-30's scorer before, and not since 2009-2010. PROSPECTS Kuznetsov will make the most impact this coming year as he got a small taste of NHL life at the end of last season playing in 17 games with the Caps and going 3-6-9 in those 17 games. He is slated to be on a line with Ovechkin and Backstrom.  Not too shabby for a 22-year old starting out in the NHL!  A player who has 40-40 potential may be a year away, or may possibly get a call-up if the Caps need a spark on offense, is one Andre Burakovsky. All the 19-year old LWer did last year at Erie of the OHL was go 41-46-87 in 57 games.  He may be up sooner than later.  The top defenseman on the farm is Madison Bowey, who at 6'2" and 2013 lbs. at 29-years old will need a few years of development in the minors.  Top goalie prospect Philipp Grubauer saw some action last season but only because the duo of Holtby and Michal Neuvirth was pretty horrendous at times. I don't expect him to see any NHL action this year unless someone sustains an injury. Overall Fantasy Outlook As bad as the goaltending situation was in Washington, they still had a shot at reaching the playoffs as an eighth seed if it wasn't for a stretch in December and January where they went 6-10-6 that made it an uphill battle to reach the playoffs.  Holtby will need to rebound and we think he will under new Head Coach Trotz and the team playing a tighter defensive style but still having the dangerous AO on the attack.  AO will need some scoring support and hope that Johansson, Fehr, Brouwer and Wilson can provide that.  Don't be surprised to see Mike Green rebound with a high 40-point effort as Trotz likes his d-men to get involved.  We think the Capitals have a shot at making the playoffs and making some noise but they also could miss the playoffs as they try to adapt to the new system.