All articles tagged with #washington capitals
Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick says the team pushed for a bold offseason to prove the roster is all-in, adding top-six forwards Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, veteran Boone Jenner and defenseman Vincent Desharnais while bringing back captain Alex Ovechkin. The goal is to return to the playoffs and contend for the Stanley Cup, with training camp approaching ahead of a Sept. 20 preseason against the Boston Bruins.
Logan Thompson starred for the Capitals last season (31-21-6, 2.44 GAA, .912 SV%, 29.3 GSAE) and led goalies in goals saved above expected, but NHL Network ranked him sixth on its preseason top goaltenders list. The ranking leaves him outside the top five despite strong performance as Washington pursues a Cup with added talent and Thompson backing up Charlie Lindgren.
The NHL is expanding its international reach with Monday matinee games. The Washington Capitals will play six Monday games in the 2026-27 season, including two 1:00 p.m. ET starts and a 4:00 p.m. ET start, as part of a broader European primetime schedule and Global Series in Finland and Germany. The league aims to deepen international fan engagement, with Capitals facing the Maple Leafs, Oilers, Penguins, Islanders, and Lightning on selected Mondays; the March 15 home game may require fans to adjust work/school schedules.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin signed a one-year deal to return for a 22nd season, and the published 2026-27 schedule points to what could be his final home game on April 4, 2027 against the Penguins at Capital One Arena, with a three‑game road finish ending April 10 vs the Flyers; retirement chatter persists but he hasn’t ruled out playing beyond 2026-27 as he chases 1,000 career goals and another Stanley Cup.
Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is back for his 22nd season, and GM Chris Patrick’s offseason move to add Alex Tuch via a sign-and-trade gives Washington a credible path back to the playoffs, backed by an over-35 contract that starts with a $1 million base and a $4.25 million cap hit with incentives.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin returns for a 22nd NHL season on a one-year deal as Washington retools with trades for Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch and four-year signings of Boone Jenner and Vincent Desharnais, aiming to rebound from missing the playoffs and chase another Stanley Cup while planning for life after Ovechkin.
Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading scorer and Capitals captain, will return for the 2026-27 season on a one-year, $4.25 million contract after weighing retirement as Washington's offseason moves reshaped the roster.
Ovechkin, nearly 41 and the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, re-signs with the Capitals on a one-year contract with a $4.25M cap hit ($1M base salary, $3.25M signing bonus) and up to a $4.75M performance bonus if he plays 10 games, potentially earning $9M; his return anchors Washington’s playoff push as the team added depth via offseason moves to support contending plans.
The Capitals, after a busy start to free agency that added Jenner, Desharnais, Brodzinski, Holl and Dunne, reportedly have about $4.38M in cap space but can use the NHL’s performance-bonuses mechanism (including a 7.5% cushion) to fit Alex Ovechkin under the cap. GM Chris Patrick says there are levers to pull and expects to discuss a potential return with Ovechkin, emphasizing winning remains a priority. The team also bolstered its depth with Kyrou and Tuch, and a cap rise next summer could ease any future overages as they pursue a championship window.
The Washington Capitals signed former Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner to a four-year, $23 million contract (about $5.75 million per season), adding a veteran center/left winger known for leadership and strong faceoffs after he posted 38 points in 67 games for Columbus last season. The deal leaves roughly $3.5 million in cap space for Washington, with Rasmus Sandin’s $4.6 million LTIR hit expected at the start of 2026-27.
The Washington Capitals selected forward Logan Stuart, 208th overall, in the seventh round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The California native spent the past two seasons with the US National Team Development Program, recording 45 points in 80 games, and will play for the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes next season. He also appeared for Team USA at the U-18 World Junior Championship (1 goal in 5 games) and is the son of former NHL star Brad Stuart. He was ranked 127th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in their final rankings.
The Washington Capitals moved up 11 spots in the fourth round to select forward Tyus Sparks with the 101st overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft, sending Columbus’s 4th-rounder (112) and San Jose’s 2028 fifth-round pick in the deal. Sparks, 18, split the WHL season between the Vancouver Giants and Spokane Chiefs, scoring 65 points in 69 regular-season games and adding 3 playoff points (2 goals, 1 assist) in five games; he led the Chiefs in points and ranked second in assists and power-play goals (8). NHL Central Scouting listed him 37th among North American skaters. Sparks, an Idaho native, would be only the third Idaho-born player in NHL history, with a family background in football and gymnastics and a childhood favorite in Patrice Bergeron.
The Washington Capitals drafted Finnish center Oliver Suvanto 18th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. A 6'3", 207-pound forward who played for Tappara in Liiga, Suvanto was the second-youngest first-round pick and says his game mirrors Barkov’s: a strong two-way, workmanlike ethic. Washington views him as a future second-line center who can also play wing, praised for size, smart play, and leadership, and Suvanto has trained with Barkov ahead of the 2026 IIHF World Championship while aiming to add offensive consistency.
Washington Capitals drafted Finnish center Oliver Suvanto with the 18th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound prospect from Tappara in Liiga played 48 games against men this season, recording 11 points, and was named one of Finland's top three players at the World Juniors. Suvanto is set to return to Tappara for 2026-27 and is viewed as a potential elite two-way center; his selection ends a 20-year wait for a Finnish draftee by the Capitals (last was Oskar Osala in 2006) and breaks a streak of first-round wingers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and San Jose’s 2028 fifth-round pick. Lapierre, a 24-year-old former 2020 first-rounder, has been a depth, possession-focused forward who posted 4 goals and 16 points in 74 games last season and could slide into Pittsburgh’s bottom six, potentially replacing departed veterans as he enters the RFA arbitration process.