9 – Number of days remaining until the 2017-18 season. But it’s also…
…the number of players on the Caps’ roster who finished last season with a plus-minus rating of +20 or better, the most they’ve ever had in a single season in franchise history. That’s the good news.
The bad? Three of those players (Karl Alzner, Marcus Johansson, Nate Schmidt) now play for other teams… so the 2017-18 squad has their work cut out for them if they want to match that feat for a second-straight season.