The market for Kevin Shattenkirk should be robust. Will the Capitals be a part of it?

The past year of Kevin Shattenkirk’s career has been building to this: the offseason, and with it, unrestricted free agency. His last season with the St. Louis Blues was rife with trade speculation that culminated in him being dealt to the Capitals on Feb. 27. Shattenkirk’s preference was to then prolong any decisions about his next destination with a deep Stanley Cup run in Washington. But now that the Capitals have bowed out after a second-round loss there’s a countdown until July 1, when Shattenkirk is expected to be the most coveted defenseman in this free agency cycle. In his exit interview with reporters on Friday, Shattenkirk said he intended to talk with General Manager Brian MacLellan