The Washington Capitals secured the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference last season but faced a daunting challenge in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers.
The Capitals were swiftly eliminated in a four-game sweep, during which captain Alex Ovechkin failed to record a single point. After starting the season with just eight goals in the first half, questions arose about whether Father Time had finally caught up to the legendary captain and if the Capitals were heading toward an inevitable rebuild.
The first quarter of the 2024-25 NHL season, however, has been a complete turnaround for both the Capitals and Ovechkin. Through 25 games, the team boasts an impressive 17-6-2 record, leading the Metropolitan Division.
Ovechkin, who shed weight during the offseason, has rediscovered the scoring prowess that has defined his Hall of Fame career. Though his season was temporarily interrupted by a leg-on-leg collision with Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain, Ovechkin has resumed skating and could return to action soon.
Meanwhile, the Capitals bolstered their roster with key offseason additions. These include goaltender Logan Thomas from the Vegas Golden Knights, former Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane, forward Pierre-Luc Dubois via a trade with the Los Angeles Kings, and defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators.
While the Capitals have impressed so far, can they keep it going and what are the biggest reasons for hope and concern?
Washington Capitals’ biggest reason for hope during 2024-25 season
The emergence of forward Connor McMichael has been one of the most pleasant surprises for any NHL club so far this season.
Originally selected by Washington with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 Draft, McMichael is already well on pace to break his previous career-high in goals set last season with 18; he’s already tallied 14 goals in 25 games this season.
Upon the conclusion of his three-year, entry-level contract, McMichael signed a two-year extension with the Capitals this past July worth $4.2 million. If he continues this scoring prowess, he could be in line for a very handsome raise.
Another main reason for hope in the American capital city is the play of goaltender Logan Thompson, acquired from the Golden Knights. The Capitals needed another goaltender to pair with Charlie Lindgren, who played the role of hero last season and helped as much as any player lead them to their (albeit brief) postseason spot.
Thompson has gone an impressive 10-1-2 with a career-best 2.52 goals-against-average, and a .913 save percentage. His goals-against-average is the lowest in his career so far.
Washington Capitals’ biggest reason for concern during 2024-25 season
The main concern for the Capitals is the health and durability of Ovechkin, who suffered the aforementioned leg injury – a fractured fibia – against the Utah Hockey Club and has missed the last eight straight games.
It’s the longest stretch that he’s been absent in his NHL career, with the previous longest absence coming in November of 2009 when he missed six straight.
The good news is that he’s roared back to life by recapturing the form that has made him the NHL’s best pure goal-scoring forward since his rookie season of 2005-06. Before his injury, he had scored 15 goals in the 18 games he skated in, a full 82-game pace of 68 goals.
Still, there is plenty of reason for optimism considering that Ovechkin has already made an appearance back out on the ice, according to coach Spencer Carbery.
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“It was nice to see,” coach Spencer Carbery said via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. “Just the first step. No timeline updates or anything like that. This is just a step in the progression of him coming back.”
Meanwhile, his teammates continue to marvel at his work ethic.
“I don’t think he’s real, to be honest. It’s been two weeks with a broken leg and he’s back on the ice,” said Dubois. He’s a machine. It’s great to see him back on the ice. He was happy when he got off, all excited. We were all excited. So, it’s a great sign, a step in the right direction.”
Ovechkin is also just 27 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894 goals set during his career with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.
In fact, Ovechkin has already gotten Gretzky’s blessing to attempt to break the record.
“If that kind of person is rooting for me, it’s pretty cool stuff,” Ovechkin said. “He’s the best player out there and he’s a great human. He supports me and it’s a pretty cool thing. I hope when it’s going to be close, he’ll give me some advice. But not yet.”
The Capitals will have to continue on without Ovechkin for the time being, as he’s not quite ready to return to game action.