WASHINGTON -- There is something of a jigsaw puzzle when it comes to creating an NHL team, and within that larger puzzle a series of interconnected, smaller tableaux that must come into focus to ensure success.
Perhaps nowhere in the league was the curiosity over what kind of picture would be revealed more piqued than on the Washington Capitals' blue line.
Not only were the Caps being led by a new head coach in Barry Trotz, the longtime Nashville head coach had made a decision to bring in former Pittsburgh assistant Todd Reirden, who was well-versed on the skills of defensemen Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik, who were signed as free agents in the offseason as well.
So far, Reirden's handling of a blue-line corps that is as deep as it's been in many years in Washington has delivered impressive results.
The team has gone from 27th in the league in shots allowed per game last season to 10th this season. Their goals allowed per game has gone from 21st to 13th, and in recent days the Capitals have been playing their best hockey of the season. They've gone 8-1-3 in their last 12 games, allowing only 24 goals over that time.
Reirden has used Orpik with John Carlson for the most part, and that pairing has resulted in Carlson's game evolving drastically.
Meanwhile, Niskanen and Karl Alzner have played together and given the Capitals a solid top four. Although Niskanen played a big role in Pittsburgh's power play last season, he plays less because the Caps' depth and the presence of Mike Green allow Reirden to balance out the ice time among his top five defenders and use Niskanen in more important five-on-five situations.
"With Todd coming in, his game plan for us defensemen has really helped us out where we're not getting hit as much, we're breaking out easier and when you have a plan as a group, it definitely makes it a lot easier on ourselves," Green told ESPN.com leading up to Thursday's Winter Classic at Nationals Park against the Chicago Blackhawks.
"I love our system I love our mentality; it's been beneficial for all of us," Green said.
The Calgary native might be the most interesting of all the Capitals defenders and the one who garnered much attention as a result of the offseason changes.
Nominated for the Norris Trophy as the game's best defenseman in 2008-09 and in 2009-10, when he recorded consecutive 70-plus point seasons, Green has battled injury over the past three or four years that have taken a toll both statistically and mentally.
"Yeah, it was tough, it was really tough to be honest," Green said. "Every time I would start to feel good again, I would come down with something else. And that's been the hardest part is just staying healthy. I feel that when I'm healthy I'm able to play that way and get up the ice and create and try to help my team."
Now, he said, he feels he's able to do what he's done in the past in terms of creating offense using his speed and high skill set.
"I feel great, to be honest," he said. "I'm comfortable and the way we execute and play, then it's just a matter of putting your own little creativity on it and making things happen."
Instead of feeling threatened by the arrival of Niskanen and Orpik, Green said he relished the idea of adding two strong, veteran players to the mix, even though it did throw his role with team into a state of flux.
"My initial reaction was it's fantastic," Green said. "To have guys that can log a lot of minutes and sort of relieve pressure off guys like [John] Carlson and myself and then yeah, you think where do you fit into that sort of recipe? ... It doesn't necessarily matter where you fit in or what you do, you're put in place for a role and you're asked to do your job and that's the bottom line."
Reirden's plan for Green -- his place in the jigsaw puzzle that is the Caps' blue line, if you will -- has been to continue to use him on the power play but expose him less against other teams' top players.
"He's probably played against a little bit easier competition than he was accustomed to the last few years," Reirden told ESPN.com after the Capitals completed their pre-Winter Classic skate at Nationals Park on Wednesday.
"I think it's allowed us to free up some of his best abilities and that's joining the play, being really active in the offensive zone, keeping pucks alive. Pretty much adding some offense from the back end, which is something we wanted to do. Last year we were 24th or 25th in the league in points from our defense. He's a big reason why we're where we stand at fifth right now."
Green has 18 points in 28 games this season and his average ice time is down to 19:39, a significant drop from just a few seasons ago, when he was averaging more than 25 minutes per night.
That Green is contributing while not being overextended is a reflection of a Washington team that has redefined its identity from one that historically was not difficult enough to play against.
"I think that's been a major improvement, and I think a lot of it has to do with obviously the ability that he has but also the situations he's been able to take advantage of because of the depth we have now," Reirden explained.
What makes Green such an interesting figure within the framework of the Capitals is that he is in the final year of his contract and could be headed for free agency in July. It's a dynamic Green has never faced since the Capitals selected him 29th overall in the 2004 draft.
"It is [weird]," Green conceded. "But it's something that I'm not thinking about right now, but it's definitely going to present itself in the future and we'll see what happens. You know, I love Washington; that's all that matters right now."