As of noon on Wednesday, July 13, a bunch of hockey dudes will become unrestricted free agents in need of new deals. The Washington Capitals have some specific needs that must be met, and together we are going to figure out how best to do it.

In this edition: that rarest of beasts, a good UFA goalie.

But first, recall if you will our data-driven analysis of the Capitals needs, based on position, and measured by your bad vibes. Here’s the Capitals lineup, color-coded based on how worried we are — and therefore perhaps how interested the front office should be in shoring up that position.

No justification needed, but here’s the facts: Two years of Samsonov vs Vanecek were miserable. The Caps dealt Vanecek for picks during the draft, and declined to give a qualifying offer to Samsonov, leaving them with — by my rough back-of-napkin math — zero goalies.

So here are some free-agency options for a goalie:

Off the board: Connor Hellyebuyck has two more years on his deal ($6.2 million AAV) with Winnipeg. That team is clearly lost in the woods and unwilling to commit to the rebuild they badly need. That’s a great goalie wasting peak years on a team that he’s not helping in the long term.

Who do you like? Who did we miss?

Salary projections from Evolving-Hockey. Please consider joining us as subscribers.

Also in this series: Top-line right wing, Middle-six center, Depth left wing, Left-handed defender, Goalie

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