The Washington Capitals are just about ready to start their 2024-25 campaign – so let’s talk about it!
Q1. Who is the biggest surprise on the opening night roster?
Becca: Pretty easy to say Jakub Vrana…so yeah, I’m going Vrana. He had a pretty decent showing in preseason, but it’s hard to turn a PTO deal into an actual contract – especially on a team where most of the roster spots have already been claimed and the salary cap situation is tight. All credit to Vrana for putting in the work to get himself back to NHL viability and for putting his best foot forward for his old team, and here’s hoping this is the start of a bounceback season for #13.
J.P.: Guess that leaves me with Dylan McIlrath. Like Vrana, a mid-first-round pick in the first half of the 2010s, but his route to the opening night roster was quite the contrast to Jake’s. Seemingly drafted for an earlier era, McIlrath is a mountain of a man, an intimidating stay-at-home throwback who struggled to make and stay in NHL lineups for over a decade. But he stuck to it, grinding out more than 700 games in the AHL and redefining himself as a reliable leader along the way (just ask anyone in Hershey). Obviously it didn’t hurt his cause that the Caps kept eight defensemen on the roster, but, regardless, kudos to Dylan McIlrath for making an NHL opening night roster in the year 2024 – no one had that on their bingo card five years ago.
Luke: Vrana and McIlrath are taken so I don’t think there are any other surprises.
Andrew: Nothing to add here. But glad to see both Dylan McIlrath and Jakub Vrana with the team. Especially Vrana.
Kalilu: Glad to see that Ovechkin kid made the squad.
Q2. Does Alex Ovechkin pass Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record this season?
Kalilu: I’m leaning towards yes. I’m going to assume that he won’t post a shooting percentage of 5.4% again, as he did through the first 43 games of last year. Even through that cold stretch, he had some of the strongest underlyings on the team when it came to generating scoring chances, which eventually led to the production we’re used to as he scored at a 52-goal pace through the rest of the season. A 40-goal campaign shouldn’t even be a thought for anyone his age (Gordie Howe is the only one who’s been able to do it), but given what he showed last season in addition to the upgrades the Caps made to their forward group this year…I feel pretty good betting on #8 one last time.
J.P.: Yeah, betting against Ovi to parry Father Time and keep scoring goals hasn’t typically worked out for the bettor. His shot volume was down last year, career-lows in fact, but with a revamped power play, some better playmaking talent around him and some positive regression in the shooting percentage department, I’m not going to bet against him.
Luke: I’ll go with no, but I think he gets really close. I hope I am wrong and he passes the goal record this season so next season is a lot less stressful and he can just enjoy his final season in the NHL (that tore my heart out writing that sentence). But like JP says, it’s best to never bet against Ovi.
Andrew: Yes. It’s mainly optimism. Although I do think he can do it. If the powerplay is better this season then it’s a firm yes. But last year’s start for the Captain was not fun to watch. I’m hoping the added center depth will help Alex Ovechkin’s offense as well as the rest of the team.
Q3. Which Capital is poised for a breakout season?
Kalilu: This is going to be Hendrix Lapierre’s first full season in the big leagues after splitting the last two years between DC and Hershey. He was one of Washington’s few bright spots in the playoffs last May, and if the Caps are to get back to that stage, they’re going to need his creativity to help spark an offense that was lifeless for much of last year. He’s going to be centering the 3rd line for now with the top-2 center spots locked up by Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois. If things pan out as I’m hoping for, Lapierre can make taking one of those two spots a worthwhile conversation.
Luke: I guess it depends on what breakout means, but someone I think will have a career year is Jakob Chychrun. He’s going to be super motivated in his contract year and is probably on the best team he’s ever played on. If he sticks with Carlson as his partner those two could put up a lot of points. Chychrun put up a career high 41 points last season, I think we see 50+ easily, especially if Carlson goes out with injury for any sort of long duration.
Becca: I’m going with PLD, just because there were a lot of haters out there when he was traded to DC and I would love to see every single one of them eat their words. Spencer Carbery is a very good coach, he’ll have scrappy linemates and the chance to line up on a power play with Alex Ovechkin night after night…I think he returns to form.
Andrew: I don’t think it will be a breakout season, but I’m picking Rasmus Sandin for a career year. John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun will be expected to be the offense pair and get heavy minutes. But I think Sandin will have chances as the offensive guy on the not top pair. I’ll say he gets 30 assists for the first time in his NHL career.
Q4. Rapid-fire prediction time for the first game of the season:
- First Caps goal of the season will be scored by…
- Luke: Nic Dowd.
- J.P.: Mangiapane.
- Becca: Tom Wilson.
- Andrew: Jakub Vrana
- Kalilu: I’m doubling down on Lapierre.
- First Cap to take a penalty will be…
- Luke: Nic Dowd
- J.P.: Chychrun (disclaimer: I’m only picking him to practice spelling his name, which I might be able to do without thinking about it too much by March)
- Becca: Luke is correct, it’s going to be Nic Dowd.
- Andrew: John Carlson
- Final score of Caps-Devils tomorrow night will be…
- Luke: 3-5 Devils (NJD will have already played 3 games at this point, they’ll be better prepared)
- J.P.: 4-1 Jerz… lots of new pieces here, so a slow start wouldn’t surprise (or scare) me.
- Becca: I’ll go 3-2…Caps. Because someone has to be the optimist around here.
- Andrew: 3-1 New Jersey. Why are the Capitals not playing until Saturday?
- Kalilu: 4-2 Caps. The Gretzky chase begins with an Ovi ENG.