Last season the attention was on whether Alex Ovechkin was going to break the record for most NHL goals. Now that the record has been broken the Washington Capitals are hoping for another lengthy playoff run that ends with another Stanley Cup. A quiet offseason keeps this team together but did they lose an opportunity to make this team better? After losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, they hope to turn things around this season.
Capitals are quiet during the offseason
GM Chris Patrick did not want to make moves that did not make sense. Instead, he brought back some key players and signed depth. He re-signed forward Anthony Beauvillier and goaltender Charlie Lindgren, while signing young star Ryan Leonard to a 3-year, entry-level deal. He did bring in two defensemen, Justin Sourdif and Declan Chisholm, as part of strengthening their defense. Sourdif comes over from the Florida Panthers and Chisholm from the Minnesota Wild. Both are defense-first defensemen and are looked at to play key roles during the season.
Can Thompson repeat the success from the 2024-25 season?
Goaltender Logan Thompson came out of nowhere to have an excellent season for Washington. He had an impressive record of 31-6-6 with a 2.49 goals against average and .910 save percentage with two shutouts. He was the primary reason for the team's success and gave the team much needed hope entering the 2025-26 season. Nothing this offseason gives us a reason he will not be as good, or even better, than last season. he has a strong defensive team in front of him and his athleticism is top-notch. Thompson will be a key player for the Capitals this season and his play could determine if they are hoisting Lord Stanley at the end of the playoffs.
Is depth scoring an issue?
When we think of the Washington Capitals we immediately think of Ovechkin. However, last season the top of the forward group did quite well offensively. Leading was Dylan Strome with 82 points followed by Ovechkin and his 73. Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois finished with 66, with Tom Wilson a close one with 65 points.
The bottom six did not contribute as much and one wonders how far they would have gone in the playoffs if the depth scoring contributed in the postseason. Is scoring depth an issue this season? Is it a concern that it may hinder them from advancing in the playoffs? The offense at the bottom drops off considerably and for the Capitals to achieve success everyone needs to be on the scoresheet more often. Rookies or not depth scoring is a must and they need a way to find more offensive production.
The Capitals are bringing back the same roster basically and they are hungry for another Stanley Cup. Will the lack of moves hurt them or help them? If Thompson has another outstanding season he woul be able to carry this team without additional scoring. Does this go down as Ovechkin's last NHL season? If so, this could be added motivation to go out on top.