Spring Cleaning – Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals entered the 2025-26 season expecting some regression after nearly winning the Presidents’ Trophy the year before. That concern proved justified as declining production, injuries, weaker special teams, and uncertainty surrounding Alex Ovechkin’s future left Washington outside the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine why the Capitals could not recreate the magic of their previous season and the major fork in the road facing General Manager Chris Patrick this summer.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00:00] The Capitals are eliminated from playoff contention on April 13 after entering the season with expectations of taking a step backward from their Eastern Conference-leading 2024-25 campaign.

[00:00:25] Neil and Vic revisit Washington’s late-season decline from the previous year. The Capitals were 32 games above .500 on March 23, 2025, but finished the regular season 4-7-1 as the pursuit of Alex Ovechkin’s scoring record became the team’s central focus.

[00:00:55] Washington still won the Eastern Conference and defeated Montreal in five games, but looked noticeably slower than Carolina during its second-round playoff elimination.

[00:01:15] Eight Capitals players produced career seasons in 2024-25, making it difficult to expect the same level of performance one year later.

[00:01:35] Neil believes the attention surrounding Ovechkin’s record chase disrupted the team’s rhythm. Once the record was secured, Washington never fully regained the form it displayed earlier in the season.

[00:02:00] A quiet offseason provides little reinforcement, and the Capitals pace toward only 90 points through their first 72 games before finishing the season with an 8-2-0 run.

[00:02:20] Several important players experience major declines in production. Dylan Strome falls from 82 points to 58, while Aliaksei Protas drops from 66 points to 52.

[00:02:45] Connor McMichael also regresses, falling from 26 goals and 57 points to 14 goals and 46 points. Neil and Vic discuss how only a few additional goals could have changed several close games and kept Washington in the playoff race.

[00:03:00] Pierre-Luc Dubois becomes one of the team’s most significant losses. After playing all 82 games and producing career highs with 46 assists and 66 points the previous season, Dubois is limited to only 29 games.

[00:03:30] Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, and Logan Thompson remain dependable, while Ryan Leonard takes an encouraging step with 20 goals and 45 points.

[00:03:50] Justin Sourdif contributes 15 goals and 35 points after arriving from Florida, while Aliaksei Protas’ younger brother, Ilya Protas, positions himself for a full-time role next season.

[00:04:10] Washington’s special teams also regress. The power play falls from 14th to 25th, while the penalty kill drops from fourth to 15th.

[00:04:35] Neil explains that even moderate declines become costly in a league where so many games are decided by one goal.

[00:04:55] The Capitals also remain one of the NHL’s older teams, and the unified effort that produced so many career seasons in 2024-25 does not carry over.

[00:05:10] Alex Ovechkin’s future becomes the defining offseason question. He has not yet decided whether he will return for another season or retire.

[00:05:30] General Manager Chris Patrick enters the 2026 NHL Draft with five selections, including two first-round picks.

[00:05:50] Washington owns its original first-round selection and Anaheim’s pick acquired in the John Carlson trade.

[00:06:05] The Capitals do not own a second-round pick after the Justin Sourdif trade, a third-round pick following the Jakob Chychrun deal, or a sixth-round selection after acquiring David Kämpf.

[00:06:25] Washington projects to have approximately $4.4 million in cap space, leaving Patrick with limited flexibility before additional offseason moves.

[00:06:45] Unrestricted free agents include Ovechkin, Brandon Duhaime, David Kämpf, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Timothy Liljegren.

[00:07:00] Restricted free agents Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre also require new contracts as management evaluates which younger players belong in the next version of the team.

[00:07:20] Neil believes ownership and management must first learn Ovechkin’s intentions before deciding whether to retool or begin a more significant rebuild.

[00:07:40] If Ovechkin returns, Washington is unlikely to dismantle the roster around him. The organization may instead attempt one more playoff push during the final chapter of his career.

[00:08:00] If Ovechkin retires, the Capitals could accept several difficult seasons in order to acquire higher draft picks and inject more youth into the lineup.

[00:08:20] Vic argues that Washington still possesses enough useful pieces to avoid tearing the roster down completely. A retool may be more appropriate than a total rebuild.

[00:08:40] Neil compares the possible approach with Pittsburgh’s successful strategy of adding several complementary veterans around Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.

[00:09:00] The episode concludes with Washington standing at a clear organizational crossroads. Every major offseason decision—from free agency to roster construction—will depend on whether Ovechkin chooses to return for one more season.