As we inch closer... and closer... to pre-season, the Washington Capitals are still trying to sort some things out before training camp gets under way.

The biggest question at this point is who will play second-line-center now that Mikhail Grabovski is gone. The obvious answer would be Marcus Johansson, who has played the role before and would be a decent fit. He's no Grabovski, but he has a high skill set and can only improve as the season wears on.

However, there has been lots of talk involving rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov playing the position. Kuznetsov played on the wing when he came over for a few games last season, and as the games went on, you could see his comfort level improving. But could he take on a high-pressure role as center and be able to keep that intensity for a whole season?

He does have professional experience down the middle, playing center in the KHL. He was an offensive force there, but this is the NHL and I'm not sure he'd be ready to take on a role like this as has a lot to learn yet, but Caps Head Coach Barry Trotz seems to have faith in him:

“I talked to him about coming in and playing center, which he did more in Europe than he did here,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “He’s got a really high skill level. He’s going to be adjusting. I think he can really be a strong candidate for that second-line spot and really take some heat off the Backstrom spot on the top line. I think he’ll be able to make those plays.” (NHL.com)

While the departure of Grabovski was something that is still leaving Caps fans shaking their heads, Kuznetsov could eventually develop into a great two-way player, as long as he's on board with becoming one. There are a lot of question marks going into this season, and he's definitely one of them.

He has the ability to be the high-scoring, flashy player that the team will try and go to in clutch situations, but the Caps desperately need better two-way play, which means he'll be thrown in the fire like most Caps rookies seem to be. There is no doubt he will be a great player, but there is fear here in Washington that he could be the second-coming of Alex Semin and only show up when he wants to.

However, the ironic thing about Semin, in his time with Washington, is that he actually was a pretty good two-way guy, and the Caps have definitely missed that, especially Alex Ovechkin. Kuznetsov has the same, if not better, offensive gifts as Semin, but the Caps really need to be sure he doesn't have the same bad habits.

Johansson, in my opinion, would be better suited to make that transition into solid two-way play while still contributing. He already has the experience, and I can't see why they would want to take that away from him. He still has to develop his game and find his niche', and if he isn't playing the second-line-center position, would he be demoted to the third-line-center or placed on the wing?

It's all just very complicated, and now I need a nap.

The first pre-season game is September 21 against the Buffalo Sabres.

It should be interesting to see how this all plays out come October.

More to come...

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