The Washington Capitals have grown tired of the offseason talk of expectations. They understand the importance of the free agency frenzy that lured captain Alex Ovechkin back for a 22nd NHL season.
Now, they’re ready to show off a new-look lineup for a newly expanded 84-game slate that begins Friday night in North Carolina against the defending champion Hurricanes.
The Capitals’ offseason has already been longer than they would’ve liked. The 2025-26 campaign ended without a postseason appearance for just the fifth time since Ovechkin arrived in the District in 2005.
People were interested in these podcasts
General manager Chris Patrick entered the summer prepared to prevent a repeat of that disappointment. He signed forwards Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner, traded for Alex Tuch and added defenseman Vincent Desharnais to the blue line.
Those additions gave Capitals fans — and the NHL world at large — reason to believe that Washington could be making one last run to the puck before Ovechkin, 41, skates off into the Russian sunset. The Capitals captain only decided to delay his retirement in July after seeing the moves Patrick made to start the offseason.
The new veterans join rising stars, such as rookies Ilya Protas and Cole Hutson, along with second-year players Justin Sourdif and Ryan Leonard.
While previous Washington squads were overly reliant on Ovechkin and Wilson, this year’s Capitals have depth. Eleven players on the roster have recorded at least 20 goals in a season. Nine of them have managed that feat multiple times in their careers.
“We added a lot of pieces, a lot of big-time players who can score and a lot of secondary scoring as well,” goaltender Logan Thompson said. “You just have four lines you can roll out and every line is dangerous.”
“It’s an 84-game season. There’s going to be some lines where we’re going to need our first line to win us the game,” center Pierre-Luc Dubois said, referring to a forward group led by himself, Wilson and Tuch. “Some days it’s going to be our fourth line and [Thompson] and [goaltender Charlie Lindgren] and everybody included.”
Analysts from ESPN and Bleacher Report declared the Capitals winners of the offseason with a shot to blossom into Stanley Cup contenders. Odds from DraftKings placed Washington at +1700 to capture their second title in franchise history, the fourth-best odds in the Eastern Conference.
“The sky is the limit. The potential is there, obviously the talent is there,” forward Anthony Beauvillier said. “We’ve just got to go work and be hungry to get the playoffs and go from there.”
He’s seen the early evidence of a win-first mentality in practice. Their playing pace is up, he said. The practice habits have improved. The competition level has remained high throughout training camp.
“I’m a big believer that practice makes perfect,” Beauvillier said. “It’s been a lot of fun. I’m just excited to get going.”
The Capitals won’t have an easy start to the year. They expect to face a sharp Hurricanes group that knocked off the rust in a loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
“If you drew it up, it wouldn’t be the most ideal situation to start on,” alternate captain Tom Wilson said of the season opener, which features a Carolina squad that dropped their debut game on Tuesday. “But I guess you just kind of rip off the Band-Aid and get going.”
In a scheduling quirk, the Capitals are one of six teams that have to wait until Friday to kick off the 2026-27 campaign. Meanwhile, six other squads will have played twice before Washington takes the ice.
There’s no real benefit, according to Wilson.
“It’s kind of weird sitting around and seeing all the games starting,” he said. “You’re just sitting at home still. But it’s the time of year where rest really doesn’t do much for you. There’s so many variables throughout the season; we’re not going to get bent out of shape over this one.”
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery hopes the weeks of preparation allow his players to hit the ground running. He’s kept his lines and defensive pairings consistent throughout camps.
The group looked promising during preseason exhibitions. A regular-season opener against a division rival is a massive step up in energy, though.
“The most important thing for me tomorrow night is just understanding the intensity. It was a five out of 10 throughout training camp and preseason; it’s going to be a 9 1/2,” Carbery said. “You have to know that and be able to work your way through that.”
After Friday night’s matchup with the Hurricanes, the Capitals will head straight to Tampa to face the similarly strong Lightning. The home opener arrives next week; the rival Pittsburgh Penguins visit Washington on Wednesday.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.