Washington Capitals: Who Should Center Ovechkin—Strome or Dubois?

Washington Capitals: Who Should Center Ovechkin—Strome or Dubois?

On today’s show, who is the best option for firstline center for the Capitals, Dubois or Stro? I’ll discuss next on this edition of Locked on Capitals. You’re Locked on Capitals, your daily podcast on the Washington Capitals, part of the Locked On Network. your team every day. Well, hello and welcome into this edition of Locked On Capitals, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. My name is Dan Holy. I’ve covered the Capitals for the past three seasons for Locked On and various other outlets before that. I’m also the host of the weekly show called the Capitals Minute Cast, available wherever you find your podcasts. And as always, I want to thank you for making this your first listen of the day. So, in this edition of Locked on Capitals, we talk about who is the best option for first line center. Uh listen, last season we saw good results uh by Dylan Stro, but another player that took a big step forward is Pure Luke Dubois at the second line center position. Is there the possibility that pure Luke Dubois could be the first line center? We’ll talk about that. And then the big question is ultimately who is more qualified, Stro or Dubois? And let the analytics, let the statistics speak for themselves. So, let’s dive right into it. First, talking about Dylan Stro and well, wow, what a season uh he had last season. And uh if you think back, it was a bit of a turn style um at that first line center position a couple seasons ago in the vacuum um when Nicholas Backstrom stepped away from hockey and then went on the LTIR that there was a real question that you know Backstrom and Ovetchkin had a great chemistry for years. Back assisted on more Alex Ovetchkin goals than anyone else. Who is up for the task of centering a line with the great eight? And as it turns out, Dylan Stro was the guy uh last season. And what did we see from here from him last season? 82 games, 29 goals, 53 assists. That’s 82 points. And uh if you’re doing math at home, that is a point per game season. And that’s quite impressive for a guy that was put on the scrap heat by the Chicago Blackhawks. And that wasn’t just good for last season. That was a careerhigh. And it wasn’t just about the raw point totals. When Stro was on the ice five on five, the Caps controlled the scoring. He posted a goals four percentage of about 52%. And those are the the key markers that we’re looking for. So when he was out there, the Caps scored more than they gave up. That’s a good sign for a firstline center. Now, here’s another thing that um you know really popped off the page. Um, and these are the important things that you need to kind of really drill down on when you’re making a decision about who is the most qualified person is that Stro started over 77 of his shifts in the offensive zone. Um, so the coaching staff clearly trusts him in those big offensive mo moments. Um, and I guess you could say one of the things that’s against him if we’re weighing pros and cons is he’s not the fastest guy out on the ice, right? that he is not going to be the guy that’s finishing his checks. He’s not the guy that’s going to play with a physical flare. And um that’s what I’m saying. He’s not going to wow you with that physical play, but that’s not a part of his skill set. We know that he’s a finesse guy. We know that he’s a guy that slows down the play and controls the pace. Um but what really makes him work, especially with Obie, is that hockey IQ. uh something that’s not easily quantifiable but something that spoke more and more of in modern hockey and the one of the things like I I talked about there is slowing down the play that when there’s a lot of chaos he will slow down and he will dictate the the pace of play. He knows where to be and he ultimately knows how to set up Alex Ovetchkin. And what makes both of those players work so well together is they’re both not the fleetest of foot. shall we say that Stro’s not the quickest skater on the ice. Neither is Alex Ovuchkin. And I think that that compliments uh they complement one another quite well in that regard. Now, that’s the big thing. He’s smart, he’s patient, and he’s got chemistry. Um and I think that is one of the biggest things that Dylan Stro has going for him. Uh because you look back a couple seasons ago um when it was breakdown day, Alexkin talked about the players that cycled through that he played with at the center position and he alluded to the fact that maybe that is why he got off to his slow start a couple seasons ago. Um and that it definitely feels like he has that chemistry um with Dylan Stro. So that is huge. And it’s also about you know playing in big moments. Uh if you remember late last season against the Islanders, Sterome put up that hattick coming in clutch in key moments uh when there was a lot at stake for the Capitals, he scored in all three periods. Uh that’s a guy who can finish too, not just pass. He’s not um just a one-trick pony. You know, sometimes centers their job is to dish it to the wingers, but he’s a guy uh that can take control and find the back of the net as well. Um, so with Dylan Stro, you know what you’re getting? Reliable offense, good decision-making, a player Ovuchkin clearly trusts. That’s a big check in his favor. And I think one of the the greatest assets that he has in his skill set is knowing exactly where to be. And uh like I say, it’s a good thing that um the Capitals had someone like that because I think when the Caps went out initially and acquired uh Dylan Stro, I don’t think that they thought to themselves, hey, we’re we’re going to get the guy on the team right now that is going to pick up the torch uh when Alex Ovetchkin hangs up the skate at some point. It just turns out that that is the case. And the things that really stand out again that hockey IQ, being in the right place, knowing how to set up Alex Ovetkin and um you know has some comparables to Nick Backrom. Guess I think that, you know, Nick Baxter was in my opinion and statistically, you know, if we’re going to look at it big picture a better center and who knows where Strom will end up being, but it’s good that they had someone internally uh to pick up that torch and really helped elevate the Capitals to the next level because you take a look at it, that first line center position is entrusted in some big situations and you are playing on a line with the greatest goal scorer of all time that you really need to um work with these players and you know the good thing about Spencer Carberry is he is the guy that knows the players so well. He’s not he’s not afraid of mixing things up. So you know what we saw last year is it was primarily Stro playing on that first line with Alex Ovetkin. Not to say, you know, that Spencer Carberry might not tinker with some things in the preseason or say for some reason they don’t get the uh results that they’re looking for to start the season that you might, you know, see Spencer Carberry try to uh, you know, move a player here and a player there. All right, so coming up here after the break, we’ll talk about another player that could could get a look at that first line center position. He did an excellent job at the second line center position. Pure Luke Dubois. Would he be a good fit or does he deserve a look? I’ll discuss next. The NFL season is here and FanDuel is making sure you’re ready for kickoff with a can’tmiss offer. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. It makes every game more exciting whether you’re watching your team or just keeping an eye on your fantasy lineup. It’s quick, easy, and the best way to add a little more energy to Sundays. So, you know, if you’re watching the Ravens, if you’re watching the Commanders, you know that you’re already into the games. But if you want vested interest in all of the games, put a little bit of money on the game. It makes all of those games that much more exciting. So, are you ready to play? Download the FanDuel app now by visiting fanduel.com to get started. That’s fanduel.com to place your first $5 bet. All right, welcome back into this edition of Locked On Capitals, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. You can find me over on Twitter. It’s dancaps2 and8. You can find the show on Twitter. It’s locked on Cap. So, in segment two here, we’re talking about the man himself, Pure Luke Dubois. And uh if we rewind time a little bit and remember how Pure Luke Dubois arrived in Washington in the first place is the Capitals had Darcy Kemper, a bit of a square peg and a round hole. A guy that the Capitals had a big feeling was going to be the answer in that. Well, as it turns out, he wasn’t uh the answer in that. And you take a look at the Kings, they had pure Luke Dubois, a bit of a mismatch, uh underutilized, misutilized, and was just not a good fit in the for the city of angels. So, what happened? Well, Brian Mlelen and the Kings GM orchestrated a trade, and it seems like it was a winwin scenario. The Kings got a good net minder. The Capitals got a good second line center. And taking a look at Pier Luke Dubois took big steps forward last season. This is a guy that people said was a cancer in the locker room. Only played when he wanted to play uh you know, are we going to see the pure Luke Dubois that we saw in Winnipeg or in Columbus? Or even a worst case scenario, were we going to see the pure Luke Dubois that played for the Kings? And often times it’s about a change of zip code, a change of scenery, and it’s not really too explainable other than to say it didn’t work under those systems. And I think that’s a thing to kind of underline here is that pure Luke Dubois did not mesh with the systems with the Kings. You got a guy like Spencer Carbury, the head coach of the Capitals that has a rapport with the players, um is not dug into any mindset or ideology, um that he’s willing to meet the players where they are and utilize them in the best way possible. And what happened? The confidence was put into pure Luke Dubois. And surprise, surprise, he delivered. He elevated the play of Conor Mcichael. He elevated the play of Alexe Proas or Tom Wilson depending on who was playing on that second line right wing rightwing with him. So I think a good fit. So the question is and I’ll talk about that a bit more in the third segment. Would he be a good option uh at the first line center? But let’s talk about his season in review and kind of weigh out the pros and cons of Pier Luke Dubois. um you know, a newerish guy to the team, right? He has one season under his belt with the Capitals. Uh to contrast the difference between him and Dylan Stro, we talked about Dylan Stro, a smaller guy, not a physical player. Uh on the other end of the spectrum, he is a powerful center who came here with a lot of buzz. And when I say a lot different, 6’3, 218 pounds. Uh, and he’s locked in for a long game here. He he signed that original deal with the Kings, eight years, 68 mil. That’s $8.5 million cap hit. Um, so I think it’s safe to say that he’s not going anywhere. And as Capitals fans, if he can deliver the way that he did last season, we don’t want him going anywhere. Um, so that’s a big thing for the Capitals going forward is having stability um, at least pencled in at that second line center position. Um, in a league of what have you done for me lately? If we want to just talk about the numbers because that is what should be of paramount importance is the numbers and the statistics while also putting weight into things that aren’t easily quantifiable. Talking about chemistry, trajectory, those kind of things. But let’s deal with numbers first as I think that is the most important. Uh he put up 66 points, 20 goals, 46 assists, solid numbers. I think that that is a thing to say that it was a bounceback season for him and I think is what had him playing uh with some confidence. Um but if you want to take a look at the advanced stats, Dubois was excellent. His goals for percentage was 62%. It’s pretty good. Uh when he’s on the ice, the Caps are dominating the scoreboard and his possession numbers are strong. If we want to take a look a little bit closer at his advanced analytics, 52% Cory4 uh positive relative numbers as well. And here’s the kicker. His points per game, 60 minutes was 2.42. That’s higher than Stro’s 2.14. Um, so just taking a look at the numbers alone. So on a minute uh, excuse me, so on a per minute basis, he was actually producing more offense. And, um, Dubois can be a force physically. I think that that could help clear the lane for Alex Ovetkin to go out there and score more goals. Dubois has scored more goals in his own right, but I think if you’re playing the first line center, I think you understand the assignment that it’s important to feed the puck to well the greatest goal scorer of all time. But the thing that I like about PLLD is he drives the net, he protects the pucks when he’s on his game. Um, he is a matchup nightmare for the opposing teams. And you saw true flashes of greatness uh from him and throughout the season. Big picture, he was great. And um you know, you remember that game against Vancouver, he scored both goals, including the OT winner. That’s the kind of player he can be. Um so that is the positive side, but it’s not all positive. It’s not usually all positive for every player. Uh the downside is is his consistency. Sometimes he disappears. Sometimes he’s not engaged. And then, well, the biggest thing that is the biggest deterrent or detrimental for pure Luke Dubois is the penalties. 76 penalty minutes last year. That’s too many minutes. And I know that often times he lets his emotions uh get the best of him. And if you know, that is definitely not going to fly. If you’re playing firstline center with a great H. You need a guy out there that’s going to feed the puck. You need a guy that’s more levelheaded. Um, so in that regard, that is two checks for Dylan Stro and one check I’m going to say for pure Luke Dubois. Um, like I say, too many penalties. 76 penalty minutes last season. You can’t have your first line center sitting in the penalty box that often. Um, that is just going to diffuse and eliminate the importance of the first line. So, high upside, you know, to be clear here, I’m trying to paint an accurate picture. high upside, big frame, elite underlying numbers, but some question marks as well. Uh that um you know, it’s all about weighing out the good and the bad, right? When we talk about these players. Um so that’s the big thing there is what you get in pure Luke Dubois is that big physical presence. And I could see that, you know, if he could really reel in his emotions and not get so invested or those sticking uh penalties, you know, the t some of some of them are a bit ticky tack. It’s just that I think that pure Luke Dubois is a guy that plays and he lays it all out on the line. I don’t feel like nine times out of 10 uh that he is a guy that mails it in. We did see glimpses of it. Maybe eight times out of 10, I guess I’m going to say. Uh I think the more important thing uh for a coach to understand that the Kings weren’t willing to understand is why is he playing disinterested? Is he not playing in a position that suits him? And you know what we saw from him at the second line last season I felt like suited him. Like I say elevated the play around him. and in the absence of of Afghani Khnetsaf who we know no longer plays with the Capitals um that they were looking for a really solid um stabil stable second line center and I do believe that they have that in um Pier Luke Dubois it’s just like I say about reeling it in playing into your strengths and um you know again the guy’s got the pedigree he’s got the history he has a long history involved in hockey everything is there for the makings of a perfect hockey player I think that he still just needs to hone in on a couple things and he could truly be some next level talent for the Capitals. All right, so coming up here after the break, the big question is who is more qualified to play that first line center? Is it Dylan Stro or pure Luke Dubois? I’ll discuss straight ahead. 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What do we know is last year, of course, it was Stro uh on the first line. Last season, it was PLLD on the second line. But who is more qualified? Let’s dive into that in the final segment of today’s show. Um, let’s start with Stro Pro. He’s proven. That’s a big thing. Uh he has chemistry with Elvatchkin. He just had a career year. And he plays smart and doesn’t take bad penalties. Hockey IQ. Uh chemistry with Alex Ovuchkin, huge and plays smartly. The cons, not overly physical. He’s not the fastest guy, and his possession numbers aren’t as strong as Dubois. And you know, when we talk about those things, it’s uh sometimes people put a little bit more weight into a physical player. Oftentimes, I’m guilty of doing that as well, but Dylan Stro is more of a finesse player, and there is a place for a finesse player in there. It’s good to have the physical guys to be sure, but having the finesse guys like Dylan Stro uh is huge as well. talking about pure Luke Dubois pros big powerful uh great underlying number 62% goals four percentage 2.42 goals per 60 um he can absolutely dominate when he’s engaged. Uh the cons is his consistency is an issue. We’ve talked about that. He’s been accused of that at all the different stops that he’s made around the NHL at points in his career that often times he appears u disinterested. uh we know he takes too many penalties and chemistry with Obie is still of a question mark. So, those are all things to factor in. And um you know, when I talk about these kind of things, it’s not like you’re taking Stro out of the equation, right? It’s not like Stro is is vanquished and he’s no longer a part of the team. I’m just saying that would it is there the possibility that uh you know, they give pure Luke Dubois a look on that first line. And the answer to that question, I think, is absolutely. And the perfect time to get a look at him on the first line would be in the preseason. I think that the job of course uh is Dylan Stros and um until he does something to prove otherwise I think he’s pretty secure. I think that you know when you’re a player of Alex Ovetkin’s ilk that the you got to think the coaches kind of maybe are they want your opinion right that you know Alex Ovetchkin probably has a pretty firm opinion about who he wants centering his line and you got to think um that Dylan Stro is a front runner. I I don’t think that Alex Avetuchkin has any issues with pure Luke Dubois, but I think the chemistry goes a long ways with him. And when you take a look at the Capitals, I think that they don’t want to shake up the snow globe a whole lot. We know that there still is a tremendous amount of questions primarily on the third line, more specifically the third line center position. It’s just, I think, options um for the Capitals if they run into stretches throughout the season, you know, maybe where they’re not getting the production that they’re looking for. And the one thing we know about Spencer Carberry, like I’ve talked about in today’s episode, is that he’s not afraid of shaking things up. You saw a loss in the first game of the season, and right away he was shaking things up. He is not he does not have his feet dug into uh you know kind of old school hockey ideology where this is my lines. I’m going with a hot hand in net the whole time and that’s just the way it’s going to be. Spencer Carberry doesn’t work that way. It’s a modern coaching system that you don’t deal with the same things the way you would like say with Peter Lavlet where I think that Peter Lavlet was more of an old school coach and well you see that that gets him limited uh production big picture it often doesn’t get him to the goal where he’s at. So I think that the Capitals uh with Spencer Carberry he is um a huge uh part of this equation. So the verdict let’s get to the verdict. If you ask me right now, it’s it should come as no surprise. I think it still goes with Dylan Stro. Um, he’s earned that spot. And I don’t think that that is something that the Capitals should mess with too much. Uh, don’t try to fix something that isn’t broke. Maybe you’ve heard that before. I think that holds true here as well. But like I say, I’m not opposed. say pure Luke Dubois came into camp on a heater just ready to elevate his game you know and we’ve seen that before with different players that you know it could make it interesting and I want the most qualified uh person to play that first line because like I say at least next season is going to uh be quite a big responsibility in years to come that’s going to change a lot. I spoke about why Stro works well with Ovuchkin uh because they’re not you know neither one of them is the quickest skater uh on the ice. um when you minus Ovuchetkin in years to come, that’s going to change everything. We might see a change uh up the middle there a little bit. But all things considered, I think uh that it is um Stro’s job. He’s earned it and he’s proven that he can do it. Uh but like I say, but if Dubois comes into camp, plays with pace, and cuts down the penalties, that is he’s going to have a higher ceiling and he’s going to become more valuable. Um, but you know, when you come into camp, it’s not going to be easy to um, determine, you know, if he can cut down on penalties because we haven’t seen him play in game time. I guess you could, you know, gauge some of that based on preseason games, but I think, like I said, it’s Stro’s job until he proves otherwise. So, this might be one of these storylines to follow all season. Could be a battle, could be a rotation that, um, you know, like I say, it’s not written in stone that they can rotate through. And wouldn’t that be a great option for the Capitals if they, you know, pure loop Dubois can play really well on the first line as well? Uh, the one thing I know for certain is the Caps have two solid options and that’s not a bad problem to have. That is what you call an abundance of wealth. Um, that regardless of where they play up the middle, the Caps are Lights Out, Stro, Dubois, and you’re talking Nick Dow on the fourth line and question mark on the third line, center, right? Is it Mcichael or whatever the case is? there is uh a lot of things to consider, but like I say, it’s it’s a good situation for the Capitals to be in. Uh many teams don’t have that luxury. You know, they’re just trying to put together they’re trying to put together a team that has maybe one good center or two at the most. Um I think that the Capitals have a lot of great options. Not to mention, there’s wingers on the team that could that have a history playing at the center position. So, I think that Spencer Carberry um has a lot of tools in his tool set. He has a lot of options on which direction that he can go in. So, it’s not there’s no real loser in the situation. I guess if you were Stro, um I don’t know if you’d view that as a loss, but it’s a win-win for the Capital. Suffices to say, having a strength up the middle with Dylan Stro and Pure Luke Dubois, it is going to be exciting to see how this whole season unfolds. All right, once again, I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of Locked On Capitals, your only daily year- round podcast covering the Capitals. And I want to thank all of you that listen on the audio side and watch this on YouTube. You are what makes this show successful. When you’re done here, head on over to Locked on NHL as they have you covered 5 days a week, available wherever you find your podcasts and on YouTube. All right, once again, I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of Locked On Capitals, part of the Locked On Network. It is your team every day. My name is Dan Holy and I’ll talk to you again next time.

The Washington Capitals face a pivotal decision heading into the new season: Who should center Alex Ovechkin? Dylan Strome delivered a career-high 82-point campaign, showcasing strong hockey IQ, smart decision-making, and proven chemistry with Ovechkin. While not the fastest or most physical player, Strome consistently generates offense, wins crucial shifts in the offensive zone, and provides the steady, reliable playmaking that Ovi thrives on.

On the other side, newcomer Pierre-Luc Dubois brings size, physicality, and elite advanced stats to Washington. With a 62% Goals For Percentage and 2.42 points per 60 minutes, Dubois has the raw upside to be a dominant force. However, penalties and consistency remain question marks. The battle between Strome’s reliability and Dubois’ high ceiling could define the Capitals’ lineup decisions this year—and may be one of the biggest storylines to follow all season.

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