Summer synopsis: Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals had a quiet summer, entering the 2023-24 season with only a few key departures and a handful of additions to fill the gaps. They will have to rely on their veterans, but it will be their depth pieces that will likely determine Washington’s playoff hopes.

Draft

1-8: F Ryan Leonard, USNTDP (NTDP)
2-40: F Andrew Cristall, Kelowna (WHL)
4-104: F Patrick Thomas, Hamilton (OHL)
5-136: D Cameron Allen, Guelph (OHL)
7-200: F Brett Hyland, Brandon (WHL)
7-206: G Antoine Keller, Genève-Servette (Swiss U20)

The Capitals’ biggest splash of the summer undoubtedly came in the draft, where they brought in standout names in Leonard, Cristall, and Allen. Leonard headlines the group — a heavy-framed winger with phenomenal play-driving abilities and one of the better shots in the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s a promising forward headed to Boston College for the 2023-24 season, where he’ll stick with his linemates of the past two seasons: Will Smith and Gabriel Perreault.

Cristall was the only player who could challenge Connor Bedard’s scoring in the WHL this year, finishing with a staggering 95 points through only 54 games. He added another six points in seven games at the World U18 Championship, flexing that his scoring prowess isn’t limited to league play. However, many scouts had concerns with Cristall’s skating posture and ability to gel with teammates, leading to questions about his ability to translate to the next level. He’s a dominant winger with a strong shot and a great ability to work into the slot from the boards, but maintaining that dominance in the NHL will be a heavy ask. Cristall was considered a lock for the first round by many public scouting services but fell considerably when draft day came around. He’ll represent a boom-or-bust pick for the Capitals — exactly the thing that could help out the aging organization.

The same "boom-or-bust" prescription can be applied to Cameron Allen, who was arguably the most impressive defender at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup but very quickly lost his steam as the 2022-23 season rolled around. Allen is a tall defender who uses clean strides and good agility to keep up with his forwards and get involved in plays. But as the year went on, his quickness and ability to jump in and out of offensive attacks wore down – leading to disappointing results as Allen only recorded 25 points through 62 games. This was a step down from his rookie season in the OHL, where Allen netted 37 points in 65 games. Once lauded as a potential first-round pick, Allen fell considerably — speaking to the concerns surrounding him. The Capitals may have a long road ahead of them in developing Allen, but his upside could make it worthwhile.

Trade Acquisitions

D Joel Edmundson (trade with Montreal)

The Capitals sent a third- and seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to Montreal in exchange for Joel Edmundson, adding veteran support behind a blueline that doesn’t jump off of the page. While Edmundson has never been dominant, he remains a favorite of NHL execs thanks to his physical presence on the ice and leadership presence in the locker room. Unfortunately, he’ll start the 2023-24 campaign on injured reserve, nursing a fractured hand that required surgery in late September. He was given a timetable of four to six weeks for his return.

UFA Signings

F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K)
F Alex Limoges (one year, $775K)*
D Chase Priskie (one year, $775K)*
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2M)
D Dylan McIlrath (two years, $1.55M)*
G Hunter Shepard (two years, $1.55M)*

The Capitals only gave out two one-way contracts to UFAs this summer. Luckily, they were given to two high-impact forwards. Pacioretty joins Washington after missing nearly the entire 2022-23 season with Carolina. Given he missed nearly the entirety of last season thanks to back-to-back Achilles injuries, Pacioretty’s $2M contract can double in value if he hits all the games-played performance bonuses in his deal. For Washington, it’s a solid bet on a player who was on pace for 40 goals in each of his final two seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020-21 and 2021-22. The 34-year-old seemed to still have his scoring touch in limited appearances last season with the Hurricanes, too, notching three markers in five contests. If he can slide into a top-six role upon his return, expect him to maintain some semblance of previous form.

The other major player of interest here is Phillips, who’s now made the roster out of training camp after spending years toiling in the minors for the Flames. He’s been one of the more explosive scorers in the AHL over the past two seasons, notching well over a point per game, but only has three NHL appearances to his name. He will increase significantly on that total this season, as he would require waivers to be assigned to AHL Hershey. The 25-year-old is projected to begin the season in a top-nine role.

RFA Re-Signings

D Martin Fehervary (three years, $8M)
F Riley Sutter (one year, $775K)*

Washington’s lone major RFA signing was Fehervary, a 2018 second-round pick who’s well on his way to a consistent top-four role in the nation’s capital. He spent most of last season stapled to John Carlson on the team’s top pairing (when Carlson was healthy), but that spot is now in jeopardy with the trade acquisition of Rasmus Sandin at the tail end of last season. Still, the 24-year-old averaged 20 minutes per game on the nose last season and should provide dependable play over the next three seasons. He recorded 16 points in 67 contests last year.

Departures

D Bobby Nardella, (HV71, SHL)
F Carl Hagelin, (retirement from NHL)
F Connor Brown, (Edmonton, one year, $775K)
F Conor Sheary, (Tampa, three years, $6M)
F Craig Smith, (Dallas, one year, $1MM)
D Gabriel Carlsson, (Växjö, SHL)
F Garrett Pilon, (Ottawa, one year, $775K)*
F Kody Clark, (unsigned UFA)
D Matt Irwin, (Vancouver, one year, $775K)*
F Mike Vecchione, (Hershey, AHL)
G Zachary Fucale, (Trakor, KHL)
F Henrik Borgstrom, (Hv71, SHL)

At the beginning of 2022-23, someone looking at this list would have called Brown the biggest departure. However, the winger sustained an ACL injury early in the season that ended his time in D.C. after just four games. It stands to reason, then, that Sheary will leave the biggest hole in the lineup, one that quickly looks to be replaced by a combination of Phillips and the Capitals’ other NHL-ready young talent. He’d been a solid middle-six contributor for the Caps over the past three seasons, solidifying himself as a solid bet for around 15 goals and 40 points.

Hagelin did not play last season as he attempted to rehab eye and hip injuries that eventually forced his retirement from the league. Smith disappointed mightily with the Boston Bruins last season, and he was dealt to Washington in the blockbuster Dmitry Orlov deadline deal. He fared a bit better in Washington, recording five goals in 22 contests, and he’ll now try and add value to the Stars’ fourth line.

Salary Cap Outlook

At the time of publication, the Capitals are in the midst of making paper transactions to maximize the LTIR relief of Pacioretty and Edmundson to begin the season. Because of that, they technically have $0 in cap space at the time of writing, per CapFriendly, but will have $1.75M in flexibility to play with after placing Edmundson on LTIR (likely later Tuesday). That will last until he’s ready to return to the lineup.

Key Questions

Is Sandin The Real Deal?: The 23-year-old defenseman was electric after coming over via trade from Toronto last season, notching 15 points in just 19 games as a Cap while averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. If he can stay anywhere close to that pace next season, he’ll solidify himself as a suitable replacement for Orlov, who flew under the radar for a decade as one of the most underrated complementary players in the league behind Carlson. It’ll also force his value up in contract talks — Sandin is making just $1.4M against the cap this season but is a restricted free agent next summer. A true breakout campaign could convince Washington to sign him to a long-term extension.

Can The Youth Movement Help Now?: Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko are all names under 23 looking to log NHL minutes for Washington this season. Can their campaigns be promising enough to convince the Caps’ brass that they’ll be enough to replace the aging core around Alex Ovechkin over the next few seasons as he chases the all-time goals record? If so, the team could look to rebound from an expected mediocre season in 2023-24 and remain closer to playoff contention in their captain’s twilight years.

What’s The Deal In The Crease?: Darcy Kuemper is still an undisputed NHL starter, but injuries remain a concern for the netminder as he enters his age-33 season. Backup Charlie Lindgren had a nice start to last season but flamed out near the end, recording a below-average save percentage of .899 on the year. Kuemper, meanwhile, posted a solid .907 but has also notched over a .920 in three of the last five seasons. He’s due for a bit of positive regression and, if that’s the case, could help keep Washington in the Wild Card conversation later into the season.