The Washington Capitals won their second game of the 2024 preseason. They defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena last night by a final score of 3-2. There were a few names in particular who stood out on the stat sheet for the Capitals.
Dubois Tallies Two Points in Latest Preseason Game
Winger Tom Wilson and new Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois both stood out in the preseason victory over Columbus. They each notched a goal and recorded an assist. The other Washington goal came from Nic Dowd. Ivan Miroshnichenko, Brandon Duhaime, Taylor Raddysh, and Trevor van Riemsdyk all had an assist.
Dubois has fit in nicely in D.C. this preseason. He has suited up in two games so far and has a total of three points (one goal and two assists). If head coach Spencer Carbery and his staff can bring out the offense he has shown in the past with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets, Dubois will be a key figure on this franchise’s offense for many seasons to come. Dubois’ three best campaigns offensively in his career are below (in order of most points):
- 2022-23 (Winnipeg Jets): 27 goals and 36 assists for 63 points in 73 games
- 2018-19 (Columbus Blue Jackets): 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points in 82 games
- 2021-22 (Winnipeg Jets): 28 goals and 32 assists for 60 points in 81 games
Dubois would help increase Washington’s offensive production if he can provide these numbers. The Capitals need to boost their goal totals for 2024-25. They only scored 220 goals last season, which ranked last in the Eastern Conference and 28th out of all 32 teams in the league. Dubois, along with other newcomers like Andrew Mangiapane, will factor into a potential offensive increase. The defense will also get more involved offensively with bringing in Jakob Chychrun. He scored 14 goals last season for the Ottawa Senators, and finished with a total of 41 points in 82 games. Time will tell if the new talents can help get Washington above the team goal total from last season.
Ivan Miroshnichenko’s Preseason
Miroshnichenko has been one of the players to watch for the Capitals. He has remained in the training camp mix, while others have found their way either back to their junior teams or were sent down to the Hershey Bears. Miroshnichenko has become a significant forward in the club in a short span of time. So far, the 20-year-old has played in four preseason games and has a goal and an assist.
Miroshnichenko debuted for Washington in the regular season during the 2023-24 campaign. He played in 21 games and accrued six points (two goals and four assists). He also got some NHL postseason experience with one game in the series against the New York Rangers.
As I mentioned in my forward projections for the 2024-25 season, I have Miroshnichenko making Washington’s roster. He will potentially get some more NHL games under his belt, and it will be intriguing what his offensive production looks like as a result.
Terik Parascak Heads Back to Prince George (WHL)
The Capitals announced today that their 2024 first-round pick Terik Parascak will be returned to the Prince George Cougars in the Western Hockey League (WHL). It will be interesting how he builds off his success from his campaign with the Cougars last season. He notched 105 points in 68 games for the team (43 goals and 62 assists). That point total ranked him third among his teammates. Only Zac Funk (123 points) and Riley Heidt (117 points) had more. Parascak will be looked upon as one of Prince George’s key offensive leaders for their upcoming campaign in 2024-25.
