The Washington Capitals’ roster decisions are coming down to the wire, as the team must be at 23 men by October 7th– just five days away. The team made some decisive cuts recently, placing Ethen Frank, Hardy Häman-Aktell, Alex Limoges, Riley Sutter, and Chase Priskie on waivers. However, young talents Andrew Cristall, Jakub Vrana, and Henrik Rybinski all survived the most recent round of eliminations. All three players have had standout preseasons and show great promise as potential members of Washington’s opening-night roster.
Andrew Cristall, a 2023 round-two draft pick, has shown surprising offensive talent this preseason. The forward recorded a point in three of the Capitals’ preseason games (2g, 1a) and created numerous chances against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 19-year-old Cristall is not eligible to play in the AHL, so his options are to either push the envelope and join the NHL as a Capital or return to the junior leagues to play with the Kelowna Rockets. With the Capitals this preseason, he ranks second among players in shots on goal (8), individual shot attempts (14), individual scoring chances (9), and individual high-danger chances (4). Coach Spencer Carbery spoke highly of his performance thus far, stating that Cristall was making the decision tough on the team. Cristall indicated that his goal was to “hopefully, stay for a little longer and keep showing my best. Just trying to work and find a spot.” He added, “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been some of the most fun hockey I’ve ever played in my life. I’m having a great time.”
Much like Cristall, Jakub Vrana has been standing out to the Capitals’ coaching staff. However, it has been Vrana’s speed that has made him a contender for the team’s opening-night roster. His quickness has allowed him to create multiple rush chances, using one of those chances to score a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Carbery likened him to William Nylander, who he got to know during his time on the Leafs’ coaching staff.
“I’ve been around a few players like that. Willy Nylander is very much like that,” Spencer Carbery remarked. “[Vrana] gets himself two or three times a game into situations where he’s all of a sudden on a 2-on-1 or a rush where he’s taking on a defenseman 1-on-1. To me, I chalk that up to just very, very high-end offensive IQ of knowing where the puck’s going next and when he can start to move his feet and find space, and you saw that tonight.”
Vrana is, of course, a fan favorite for the roster due to his previous time with the team. Vrana has taken note of the love from Washington anytime he is on the ice. “It’s nice to be out there,” Vrana said. “I feel good out there. I heard [the fans]. That was really nice. I definitely feel that. I’m really happy that they supported me and they were loud. It felt good.”
The third forward vying for a spot with Washington is forward Henrik Rybinski. Unlike Cristall and Vrana, though, he has been making waves for his defensive skill. He was an unexpected long-term contender, but after being part of the Hershey Bears’ successful fourth line during their ’23-’24 championship run, it is not entirely surprising that he is sticking around. Among forwards this training camp, Rybinski has received the fifth-most penalty-killing ice time (4:30), and Washington’s coaching staff have been able to get a good look at him in general, as he has an overall ice time of 44:49. Spencer Carbery noted that he “feels like he’s trending up in our organization”. Rybinski, along with Jakub Vrana and Andrew Cristall, have a few days to prepare and train before the Capitals’ last preseason game against Boston on October 5th.
