Caps players must get into shape quickly

It’s a disadvantage Washington has compared to most teams.

“That is a concern. Especially at this time of the year, guys are going to be so excited and they’re going be flying around and make sure that there’s lots of energy and lots of excitement surrounding our team,” Brouwer said. “But we can’t forget that we do have to digest a new system, to make sure that we’re learning while still having that excitement at the same time. It might be a little bit difficult to balance at the beginning.”

Health has to be balanced, too. Forward Jason Chimera said that with 48 or 50 games compared to 82, “it’s going to be full-throttle right to the end,” which means an injury that might’ve been considered short-term in a full season could have a bigger impact.

Defenseman Tom Poti’s groin injury, which also included a fractured pelvis, kept him out of NHL action since January 2011. A forgotten member of the Caps, he said Monday he will be at training camp and hopes to get a shot to prove he’s healthy.

Even if it’s not so much of a proving ground for players who are healthy and seeking to get in shape, training camp is the start of a major process to get back into the swing of games.

“Hopefully training camp helps us a lot, but I don’t know. It won’t be the same,” Alzner said. “It’ll take a few games, I would imagine, for everybody to get the rust off.”

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