Fourteen forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders make up the Capitals’ season-opening roster, led by way of captain Alex Ovechkin, who enters the season with 780 profession aims and 22 aims shy of passing Gordie Howe (801) for moment position at the NHL’s all-time aims record. Ovechkin may be seven aims shy of passing Howe for probably the most aims scored by way of a participant with a unmarried franchise (Howe: 786 aims with Detroit).
The Capitals input the 2022-23 marketing campaign taking a look to make the playoffs for the 9th consecutive season and the thirty third time in franchise historical past. The Capitals have reached the postseason in 14 of the final 15 seasons, becoming a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins as the one groups with as many appearances within the final 15 years.
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper will make his Capitals regular-season debut and play in his three hundredth NHL sport on Wednesday evening, after signing a five-year contract with the Capitals right through the offseason. Kuemper, who helped the Colorado Avalanche seize the Stanley Cup final season, posted a file of 37-12-4 with a 2.54 goals-against moderate and .921 save proportion in 57 video games performed in 2021-22. Kuemper might be joined by way of Charlie Lindgren, who the Caps signed to a three-year contract within the offseason to fill out their goaltending tandem.
Up entrance, Connor Brown and Dylan Strome are scheduled to make their Caps debuts as opposed to the Bruins. The Capitals received Brown from the Ottawa Senators for Washington’s second-round select within the 2024 NHL Draft. Brown, 28, recorded 39 issues (10g, 29a) in 64 video games with Ottawa in 2021-22. Strome signed a one-year contract with the Capitals after recording 48 issues (22g, 26a) in 69 video games with the Chicago Blackhawks final season.
The Capitals’ core of Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and Tom Wilson will input their 8th season in combination. The New York Islanders are the one different group to have no less than seven gamers play in combination for the final seven seasons on their lively roster.
With accidents to forwards Backstrom, Wilson and Carl Hagelin, the Capitals will search for contributions from younger skill. Washington beginners mixed for 65 issues final season (32g, 33a) to rank eleventh within the NHL. Seven Caps beginners made their NHL debuts final season, and 10 beginners recorded some extent, the fifth-most in one season in franchise historical past and probably the most for the reason that 1981-82 season (12). One of them is Herndon, Virginia, local Joe Snively, who earned a full-time function with the Capitals this season after changing into the primary Virginia-born participant to play for the Capitals in franchise historical past final season. In 12 video games, Snively recorded seven issues (4g, 3a), together with a three-point effort on Feb. 10 opposed to the Montreal Canadiens (2g, 1a).
Head trainer Peter Laviolette enters his 3rd season with Washington. Last season, Laviolette guided the Capitals to a 100-point season in spite of the group incurring 288-man video games misplaced to harm. Laviolette additionally handed John Tortorella (673) for probably the most wins by way of a US-born head trainer in NHL historical past and later earned his 700th profession win, changing into simply the tenth trainer in NHL historical past to achieve the 700-win mark. Laviolette begins the season six wins shy of passing Alain Vigneault for the eighth-most wins in NHL historical past.