First Line
LEFT WING [8] Alex Ovechkin Ht: 6-2 Wt: 220 Age: 24 Career Stats Assessment: The two-time MVP owns a case full of trophies. By season's end, the ebullient star hopes to add two he covets more than the others: a Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal.	CENTER [19] Nicklas Backstrom Ht: 6-0 Wt: 183 Age: 21 Career Stats Assessment: Among the game's slickest passers, he ranked third in assists, 10th in scoring and improving on faceoffs. Don't let the baby face fool you: He's tough, having never missed an NHL game.	RIGHT WING [22] Mike Knuble Ht: 6-3 Wt: 230 Age: 37 Career Stats Assessment: The free-agent acquisition goes where few Capitals ventured last season: to the front of the net. Has appeared in 82 regular-season games in four of the past five seasons.

Second Line
LEFT WING [21] Brooks Laich Ht: 6-2 Wt: 210 Age: 26 Career Stats Assessment: Perhaps the team's most versatile forward, he can play both wing and center and last season posted career highs in goals, assists and power-play goals. Beginning to show leadership traits of a future team captain.	CENTER [9] Brendan Morrison Ht: 5-11 Wt: 181 Age: 34 Career Stats Assessment: Finally recovered from the hip, knee and abdominal injuries that sabotaged his career, Morrison has scored 50 points six times. The Capitals gambled $1.5 million dollars that he can rediscover that form.	RIGHT WING [28] Alexander Semin Ht: 6-2 Wt: 205 Age: 25 Career Stats Assessment: An electrifying talent who possesses all the tools to be a 100-point scorer but has struggled to remain healthy. Entering the final year of a two-year extension, the salary cap-strapped Caps could have a tough choice to make.

Third Line
LEFT WING [34] Boyd Kane Ht: 6-4 Wt: 229 Age: 31 Career Stats	CENTER [39] David Steckel Ht: 6-5 Wt: 222 Age: 27 Career Stats Assessment: The team's best faceoff man, winning 57.9 percent of his draws last season, which ranked fifth in the league. Six of his 13 career goals have come against the Lightning.	RIGHT WING [10] Matt Bradley Ht: 6-3 Wt: 201 Age: 31 Career Stats Assessment: With Donald Brashear gone, some of the enforcer responsibilities may fall on Bradley, who has fought 19 times the past two seasons. Also wants to increase his offensive output.

Fourth Line
LEFT WING [53] Quintin Laing Ht: 6-2 Wt: 210 Age: 30 Career Stats Assessment: Twelve years and 583 minor-league games after being drafted, the fan favorite finally will start a season in the NHL. In order to stay, he must do what got him here: grind, block shots and kill penalties.	CENTER [15] Boyd Gordon Ht: 6-0 Wt: 201 Age: 25 Career Stats Assessment: Referred to as a "security blanket" by Coach Bruce Boudreau, he's almost always on the ice when the Capitals are protecting a lead or killing a penalty. Last season, won 56.1 percent of his faceoffs.	RIGHT WING [17] Chris Clark Ht: 6-0 Wt: 196 Age: 33 Career Stats Assessment: After appearing in only 50 games the past two seasons, the former 30 goal-scorer is finally healthy. Can play both wings and on all four lines -- and over the course of 82 games, probably will.

Extra Forwards
LEFT WING [14] Tomas Fleischmann Ht: 6-1 Wt: 190 Age: 25 Career Stats Assessment: Injured to start the season. Coming off a breakthrough season in which he posted career highs for goals, points and shots, the sinewy winger has has a blood clot in his left leg believed to have been caused by a nine-hour flight home to the Czech Republic. He expects to return in late October.	CENTER [92] Michael Nylander Ht: 6-1 Wt: 195 Age: 36 Career Stats Assessment: Faced with the prospect of receiving little playing time, the veteran flirted with the possibility of going to Europe. Talks, however, have fizzled, creating a very awkward situation.	RIGHT WING [16] Eric Fehr Ht: 6-4 Wt: 212 Age: 24 Career Stats Assessment: Injured to start the season. Just when it appeared the 2003 first-round pick had overcome the injuries that have slowed his development, the big winger needed surgery on both shoulders in May. He hopes to be ready for game action next week.

-- Analysis by Tarik El-Bashir