Changes Coming, Dubois' Arrival, Kuemper Moving On & What's Left On The To-Do List

Still, there's no denying that there's uncertainty and questions surrounding the 6-foot-4, 226-pound pivot, who is joining his fourth team in eight years and has struggled to be consistent.

The hope, though, is that, with a bigger role and Spencer Carbery's coaching, he can turn things around and get back to the level of play that made him a 60-plus point player on three different occasions in his still-young career.

This deal also allowed Washington to start looking toward the future in net. Because the Capitals were able to offload Kuemper's contract, Charlie Lindgren will be the No. 1 going into next season and can continue to show what he can do with ice time, and he could even earn himself an extension.

It also allows Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson to take bigger steps in their respective careers, and that goes all the way down the prospect pipeline in net for D.C.

On the other side of the trade, it also gives Kuemper the chance to start fresh and prove he can still be a starter after what he called a "really frustrating" two-year stint in Washington.

The Dubois trade is a big move, but I wouldn't expect Washington to be done there. There's still work to do and needs to address, as well as a handful of free agents to address, from Connor McMichael to Beck Malenstyn. And with an influx of centers and questions surrounding T.J. Oshie's future, as well as flexibility to work with, there may be more change coming up front as GMBM considers how he'll move around his forward group with Dubois now in the mix.