The Washington Capitals missed the playoffs last season. That stung for a guy like Alex Ovechkin, who has spent his entire 21-year career chasing Stanley Cups. Now he’s back for year No. 22, and the roster around him looks a whole lot different.
General manager Chris Patrick didn’t mess around this summer. He brought in Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, and Vincent Desharnais. That’s not just depth. That’s a serious retooling of a forward group that needed a spark. And Ovechkin noticed.
“What management did signing new players, trading for new guys, you can see how (Patrick) said for ‘Carbs’ (coach Spencer Carbery), it’s going to be lots of work, lots of thinking of what line combinations are going to be,” Ovechkin told NHL.com. “We have lots of depth in our lineup, so yeah, I’m very excited.”
A Roster Built on Paper, But the Work Starts Now
The Capitals have a reputation for loading up on veterans. But this group has a different feel. Tuch and Kyrou bring speed. Jenner brings grit. Desharnais adds size on the blue line. It’s a mix that Carbery can actually play with in different situations.
Ovechkin knows the hype means nothing until the puck drops. “I’m very excited for the team and for the fans as well because on the paper, you can see our team is one of the best teams. But now we have to work for the Stanley Cup, for the playoffs first and then the Stanley Cup.”
He’s also the guy who scored 32 goals last season while playing all 82 games. That’s 20 seasons with at least 30 goals out of 21 in the league. It’s not a fluke at this point. It’s just what he does.
Patrick’s Plan Has Options
Patrick didn’t just add bodies. He added scorers. Multiple 20-goal and 30-goal guys. Then you throw in the greatest goal-scorer of all time. “It really just melds into our lineup very well and gives Carbs a lot of options now going into a game on a given night,” Patrick said.
No one’s handing the Caps the Cup. The Metro Division is a grind. But this team has more firepower than it did a year ago, and a captain who still believes they can get there.
That’s probably the most dangerous thing about Washington right now.
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