The Washington Capitals were the top team in the Eastern Conference this regular season. Still, the Capitals were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs. The Capitals will look to take another step towards winning the Cup again in 2025-26. We will look at the dream scenario in 2025 NHL free agency to help the Caps bring Alex Ovechkin one more Stanley Cup.
The biggest story for the Capitals this offseason may be the future for Ovechkin. Ovi is going into the final year of a five-year contract he signed after the 2021 season. He may be retiring after his contract ends this season. An email was sent out to season ticket holders suggesting this is his last year, but that proved to be an incorrect email. Still, if this is his last campaign, the perfect situation for this offseason would be to set up the team for one more run at the Cup.
The Capitals are in somewhat of a precarious situation when it comes to the salary cap. The Caps are projected to have just $10 million in salary cap space according to Cap Wages. Still, they have already made moves to prepare for this offseason. The Capitals re-signed Logan Thompson earlier in the year, and then re-signed Jakob Chychrun during the season. Even with limited cap space, Washington could have a dream offseason.
Sign a star free agent
The perfect scenario for the Capitals would be for them not only to be able to send out Ovechkin as a champion, but also to bring in the future of the franchise. The Capitals do have players such as Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Ryan Leonard, who are becoming their young core, but the Caps need someone to lead that group. The top option would be bringing in Mitch Marner. Although with the high contract demands of Marner, this may be out of the range of even a dream. Marner would fit in well on the top line with Dylan Strome and Ovi, then stay there with Protas or Anthony Beauvillier when Ovi moves on. Marner would instantly become one of the top point producers on the squad, and at just 28, he could lead the roster for years to come.
A more realistic option may be Nikolaj Ehlers. First, Ehlers can play the right wing opposite Ovechkin. He played roughly 14 percent of the time on the right side this past season. Then, he could move back to the left side when Ovi retires. He is a little older than Marner, but at 29, would be a solid bridge from the old guard to the young crew. Ehlers would also be a major addition to the top line.
First, Ehlers’ advanced metrics also show that he would be a huge addition to the team. IPP is the Individual Point Percentage, which measures how often a player scores a goal or receives an assist when they are on the ice. Ehlers had a 77.27 percent IPP this year. That would have placed him first on the Capitals this season, just ahead of Ovi in 5v5 situations. Ehlers can also turn defense into offense. He had 10 rush attempts this past season, which would have placed him third among forwards on the Capitals this past season. While Ehlers may not be a face of the franchise type of player, he can be a younger star that helps bridge the gap.
Re-sign Anthony Beauvillier
The Capitals need to bring back Beauvillier. He was brought in via a trade with the Penguins at the trade deadline. The winger would play just 18 games with the team, but scored two goals and added three assists. Still, he was great in the playoffs for the Capitals. He scored two goals and added four assists in the playoffs, often playing with Strome and Ovechkin on the top line. His six points placed him tied for third on the team in points in the playoffs.
Further, Beauvillier could be brought in at a solid price for a forward who could play on one of the top two lines. Last offseason, he signed a one-year contract with only a $1.25 million AAV. After his playoff performance, it is unlikely he will be that inexpensive, but he could still be brought in for a fairly good price. Current expectations for a contract have him with an AAV of just over $3 in his next deal. Further, in a perfect situation, Beauvillier would sign a one-year deal.
First, Ovechkin’s $9.5 million comes off the books. Second, it would give the Capitals decisional flexibility when it comes to other players. They could move to a total rebuild, and let a player like John Carlson and his $8 million salary walk, or they could move forward with the core and re-sign Carlson, McMichael, and Beauvillier. Still, asking the winger to bet on himself again may be a lot to do. Regardless, bringing Beauvillier back is a must for the front office.
Bring in forward depth
The Capitals need solid depth further down the line as well. The third line in the playoffs consisted of Andrew Mangiapane, McMichael, and Leonard. Both McMichael and Leonard are under the age of 25, but Mangiapane will be 30 this year and is a free agent. The Capitals should look to replace Mangiapane on the third line with someone with better production, but who could still help the two young players on the line. That player is Matt Duchene. Duchene could be a high-value signing, coming off a one-year deal that was just $3 million.
Duchene has shown to be reliable, playing over 70 games in each of his last four seasons. Further, he has scored 20 or more goals while adding 50 or more points in each of his last three years. Duchene is coming off a great year with the Stars. He scored 30 goals with 52 assists, good for 82 total points. That was his most since the 2021-22 season, and the second most of his NHL career. With nearly two decades of experience, he would provide solid leadership for this young line. Further, his production will help the Caps’ offense progress to a three-line scoring threat.
