As rosters across the NHL begin to take shape for the upcoming season, the Washington Capitals find themselves in a largely familiar spot. That is to say, the roster they have as of now looks very similar to that of last season.
But, is that a bad thing?
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Despite some Caps fans hoping and praying for a free agency splash (sorry Caps fans, Marner was never coming here, and Ehlers was a long-shot anyway…he seemed destined for Carolina), the Capitals largely made depth moves, extending Anthony Beauvillier, and acquiring Declan Chisholm and Justin Sourdif, the latter of which will certainly be making a case for himself to be a NHL full-timer.
Not everyone is happy with how General Manager Chris Patrick and the Capitals management has done this offseason- ESPN ranked the Capitals at second-last in the league in their off season report card, and several other sites shared similar opinions.
But the big question is: Was it even necessary for the Caps to make a big splash this off season?
Time will tell, but since you’re here reading, let’s have a deeper look.
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Before we dive into this off season, let’s take a look back at last year. Coming off a disappointing playoff run, Washington made big moves, eschewing several players while bringing in the likes of Logan Thompson, Jakob Chychrun and reclamation project Pierre-Luc Dubois. They also added depth with Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh and Brandon Duhaime. And while Mangiapane and Raddysh have since left, most of what made last year so successful remains intact.
Fast-forward to this year, and GM Chris Patrick looks like a genius after the turnaround the Capitals had this past season. Even with the removal of Mangiapane and Raddysh, as well as Lars Eller (who combined for a total of 27 goals last season), the Capitals still sit in a great position based off the success of this past campaign.
One lingering question I have though…a question I suspect a lot of people have considering the amount of hope that was placed in acquiring Nikolaj Ehlers…is last season’s success able to be replicated?
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Despite the team’s ride at the top of the Metro Division (and Eastern Conference) for the majority of the season, one feeling I couldn’t shake was that the Caps were punching above their weight. Despite strong showings by many of the team’s newcomers, and career seasons by the likes of Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome, it felt at times like many of the wins were gotten with luck or on the backs of their goaltending duo of Thompson and Charlie Lindgren standing on their heads.
May 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals center Aliaksei Protas (21) shoots the puck as Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns (8) defends in the third period in game one of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
I wasn’t correct in this assessment, or at least not entirely. While some wins appeared shakier than others, Washington’s position at the top of the conference was never really in jeopardy as the season began to wind down.
In fact, one could point to how well the team did in spite of key injuries (like Alex Ovechkin’s broken leg) as a testament to the actual skillset this team possesses. And as the season unfolded, the Caps’ true level of depth began to show, as the late-season additions of Beauvillier, Ryan Leonard and Ethen Frank only bolstered a team that was performing well.
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I suppose some of the questions that linger going into this season are due to the fact that several players were having career years. Protas, Strome, Chychrun, Dubois, Connor McMichael, Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson all put up career-best numbers. Not to mention Lindgren and Thompson in goal, who were sensational in their own right.
When so many players are putting up great numbers (and some for the first time), it’s understandably to be nervous that they will replicate that success again next year.
But, that’s also the correct way to be successful. The Capitals find themselves in a position most teams in this league would envy- they have managed to develop young talent from the ground-up to compliment a quality core group. Then they added key pieces to improve that group, and at reasonable cap hits too.
This is how great teams are built. If you don’t believe me, just ask the Florida Panthers.
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Were they punching above their weight at times last season? Maybe. But now they’ve just proven they are in that class and can skate with anyone else in the league.
Feb 22, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Capitals center Ethen Frank (53) moves the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Kevin Hayes (13) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
If you look at the success of the Caps’ AHL affiliate Hershey Bears in recent years, you’ll be even more excited for the future of this team. Players like Ethen Frank and Ivan Miroshnichenko have had excellent seasons in the AHL. The Bears won back-to-back Calder Cups, falling short of the three-peat this past season, but still were bolstered by the scoring prowess of Frank and Miro (Frank finished second on the Bears in goals despite being called up to the Capitals for the final 24 games of the NHL season). Ryan Leonard will be getting his first full season as a professional, and will be eager to prove he is ready for the show. And there’s Hendrix Lapierre, who will be back on what is quite possibly his last shot at a slot on the Caps’ roster.
Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Capitals right wing Ryan Leonard (9) plays the puck against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
All this is to say that there will be several young players competing for the roster spots vacated by Mangiapane and Raddysh and are all capable of adding plenty of depth scoring to a team that finished second in both total scoring and goals per game last season.
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Feb 25, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Justin Sourdif (24) celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
What I’m really trying to say is, the Capitals didn’t do anything Earth-shattering this off season (not yet anyway), and I’m perfectly fine with that. Last year’s team didn’t need anything groundbreaking to be successful, and I don’t think this year required an addition of a player like Ehlers to throw a new variable into what was already a locker room that clearly gelled exceptionally well. Sure, we’d all have been excited to see a top-six player like Ehlers join the fold, and he no doubt would have added some excitement and scoring.
But that’s also not what this team needed. Last year, this team needed some outside help. Last year, they may have punched above their weight at times. This year, they only need another chance to fight.