30 – Number of days remaining until the 2016-17 season. But it’s also…
…the combined number of goals scored by the Caps’ top six defensemen (based on the opening night roster) in the 2015-16 season. The blueliners managed to scrape together those 30 goals as a group despite long-term injuries, including almost half a season to Brooks Orpik. They also did so without a single one of them hitting double-digits in goals on his own; the last time that happened was 2010-11 (when the entire defense, all 11 of them, combined for 28 goals).
John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov checked in with eight goals apiece to share the lead among Caps’ defensemen; close behind were Matt Niskanen (5), Karl Alzner (4), Brooks Orpik (3) and Nate Schmidt (2).