The Washington Capitals made improvements this off-season for two reasons. They want to have a better ending than last season when they were swept out of the first round. They also want to get Alex Ovechkin past Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. He currently sits second in NHL history with 853 goals, 42 away from breaking Gretzky’s record. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery says he expects that record to go down this year.
“Do I think he can score 42 goals this year? Yes, I do,” Carbery told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. “I absolutely think he’s capable of that.”
Ovechkin has scored 42 goals 13 times in his remarkable career. He hit 42 most recently in 2022-23 when he hit that number exactly in 73 games. This season marks his 20th year in the league, all with the Capitals, and he will be 39 years old on opening night. According to Statemuse, Gordie Howe has the all-time lead in goals by a 39-year-old with 39. He is the only player with over 30 goals.
It is hardly outlandish to think that Ovechkin can score 42 goals this season. While he did just do it as a 37-year-old, his age-38 season was one of his worst. His 31 goals were the fewest in a non-shortened season in his career. The Capitals still made the playoffs but he was not an impactful player in their four games.
Ovechkin must stay healthy and perform on the powerplay to break the record this season. The Capitals added center Pierre-Luc Dubois and defenseman Jacob Chycrun to get the puck to Ovechkin both at even strength and on the powerplay.
Expectations for Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals this season
The main expectation Capitals fans should have is to have an Alex Ovechkin goals counter on the screen in every game. As he gets closer to 894, more games are going to be on national television and more cameras will be on Ovechkin. Each goal he scores will gain more and more social media traction.
Outside of Ovechkin, the Capitals should expect to make the playoffs this season. They dramatically improved their defense and surrounding forwards with their off-season moves. Charlie Lindgren is now the unquestioned starter after they dumped Darcy Kuemper in exchange for Dubois.
Logan Thompson made his way from Vegas to Washington to replace Kuemper in between the pipes. While he has been a starting goalie in the past, the Capitals should allow Lindgren to start with the top job. He snatched it away from Kuemper and led them to the playoffs last year and his great play was part of the reason that the Capitals were able to make the playoffs.
The New Jersey Devils will almost certainly command a playoff spot after their disappointing season. It is easy to replace the Capitals in NHL playoff predictions because of their very low 91-point regular season and winless playoffs. The Capitals can prove those predictors wrong by dominating offensively.
With one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time on their side, the Capitals always have ‘boom’ potential offensively. They ranked 28th in goals scored as a team last season and must improve on that to make the playoffs.
