Summer Coolers – Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals received a major wake-up call last season. After finishing atop the Eastern Conference in 2024-25, Washington dropped 16 points, finished fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 95 and missed the playoffs. GM Chris Patrick responded aggressively, surrounding Alexander Ovechkin with Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and Boone Jenner. Neil Smith and Vic Morren see a Capitals roster that, on paper, looks significantly stronger—and determined not to repeat last season’s disappointment.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00:00] Washington finishes fourth in the Metro with 95 points, a 16-point decline from the previous season, and misses the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

[00:00:25] Despite winning the Cup in 2018, the Capitals have won only one playoff series since that championship.

[00:00:40] Offense, defense, power play and penalty killing all decline as many players fail to duplicate their career seasons from 2024-25.

[00:00:55] Pierre-Luc Dubois also misses significant time with injury, contributing to a season where many of the previous year’s positives disappear.

[00:01:00] Neil describes missing the playoffs as an “ice bucket challenge” after Washington had challenged for the Presidents’ Trophy the year before.

[00:01:25] That previous season also featured Ovechkin passing Wayne Gretzky’s career goal-scoring record, creating an unforgettable year in Washington.

[00:01:45] The disappointing follow-up convinces management that dramatic changes are necessary to give Ovechkin and the existing core more support.

[00:02:00] Ovechkin re-signs July 2 on a one-year, $4.25 million contract and enters the season 71 goals away from 1,000.

[00:02:20] Jordan Kyrou arrives from St. Louis for Connor McMichael, Dalibor Dvorsky and a 2026 first-round pick.

[00:02:40] Washington then lands Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade with Buffalo and signs longtime Columbus captain Boone Jenner.

[00:03:00] Vic views the three additions as a major statement from Chris Patrick, bringing Washington more scoring, experience and leadership.

[00:03:15] Neil likes McMichael and acknowledges Washington surrendered quality pieces, but Tuch brings another high-end player into the lineup.

[00:03:30] Kyrou provides the pure goal-scoring ability he displayed in St. Louis, while Jenner adds veteran leadership to an already mature roster.

[00:04:00] Additional depth arrives with Johnny Brodzinski, Josh Dunne, Justin Holl and 6-foot-7 defenseman Vincent Desharnais.

[00:04:25] Trevor van Riemsdyk leaves for Pittsburgh, Brandon Duhaime signs with Toronto and Brett Leason heads to San Jose.

[00:04:40] Washington also has intriguing young players pushing toward larger roles, beginning with 6-foot-5, 225-pound Ilya Protas.

[00:05:00] Protas produced four points in four NHL games last season and could become a much more significant part of the Capitals lineup.

[00:05:15] Cole Hutson, younger brother of Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson, is another prospect to watch after appearing in 14 games for Washington.

[00:05:35] Neil likes the young talent coming through the system and believes the Capitals look considerably stronger on paper than they did last season.

Washington isn’t quietly hoping for a rebound. The Capitals responded to missing the playoffs by adding Kyrou, Tuch and Jenner around Ovechkin and the established core. They sacrificed some younger assets to do it, but the message is clear: this organization still intends to compete now. After last season’s dramatic step backward, Neil and Vic see a roster built to make sure Washington doesn’t experience the same disappointment again.