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When the Capitals were introduced to the league, they were among two new teams added at that time, with the Kansas City Scouts also joining. The Capitals had high hopes for their inaugural season, especially when they secured the first overall pick in the draft. However, their choice of defenseman Greg Jolly turned out to be a significant miscalculation. Jolly was a major disappointment and is often regarded as one of the biggest letdowns in NHL history.
Despite being drafted first, Jolly's career quickly faded after just two mediocre seasons with the Capitals. This failure was symptomatic of what was to come for the franchise. The prospect pool at this time was shallow, compounded by the fact that European players were not yet a staple in the league.