As the Washington Capitals saluted their fans and skated off the ice one final time in their 50th anniversary season, the moment was tinged with disappointment.
“We had hoped for a different ending to our playoff run and feel the disappointment alongside our players and fans,” Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement on X, following a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of their Round 2 series.
However, that disappointment only highlighted the Capitals’ progress during their milestone year. True to the French proverb, which translates to “appetite comes with eating,” the organization enjoyed much success during a whirlwind season that began with modest expectations. So, the sting of their abrupt end in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals was palpable. Yet, while the 2024-25 campaign may have ended on a bitter note, it will ultimately be remembered for its triumphs: the breakout stars, new leaders, and one historic goal that rewrote the NHL record books.
Capitals Retooled on the Fly
Following a First-Round sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers in the 2024 Playoffs, the team entered the offseason at a crossroads: retool or rebuild. However, general manager Chris Patrick made it clear that there was no choice. Brian McLellan’s successor set the tone for the upcoming season at his introductory press conference, insisting that Alexander Ovechkin’s final seasons in DC would not be reduced to a farewell tour.
“My intention is to be competitive,” Patrick said, insisting that the team keep momentum heading into the post-Ovechkin era, while underscoring that it is easy to get stuck in an “endless cycle of tearing down and building up and tearing down and building up.”
Patrick had every reason to be invigorated, with McLellan making many key acquisitions before stepping down to focus on his role as president of hockey operations. Learning from the struggles of yesteryear, the Capitals sought to address numerous issues, including adding scoring depth, shoring up the blue line, and finding stability in goal.
The results spoke for themselves. Washington surged to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, finishing just six points shy of a Presidents’ Trophy this season. Among the standout additions was Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquired from the Los Angeles Kings for Darcy Kuemper. Dubois delivered the best offensive season of his career with 66 points. On the back end, Jakob Chychrun flourished, netting 20 goals—ranked third among NHL defensemen—while anchoring the top pairing alongside John Carlson. Depth pieces like Matt Roy, Andrew Mangiapane, and Taylor Raddysh also fulfilled their roles with reliability and consistency.
Then there was Logan Thompson, whose breakout campaign is its own special story. The undrafted goaltender, who was acquired via trade from the Vegas Golden Knights to share goaltending duties with Charlie Lindgren, if not be his backup, put together the kind of season that had his exclusion from Vezina Trophy consideration labeled a snub. Thompson posted a career best 2.49 goals-against average (GAA) –– ranked seventh in the league –– and tied for ninth in save percentage (SV%).
Despite allowing a few questionable goals in the deciding Game 5 loss against the Hurricanes that had him visibly upset, Thompson put together a postseason that saw him save 8.9 goals above expected, second only to the Carolina Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen, and had him in the conversation as an early Conn Smythe candidate. Most importantly, Thompson’s breakout season may provide Washington with the long-term stability in net that has been missing since Braden Holtby’s departure.
Capitals’ Young Veterans Have Breakout Seasons
If not for one monumental storyline that overshadowed much of the NHL season, the breakout performances from Washington’s young veterans might have been the Capitals’ defining narrative. Chief among them, Dylan Strome. Once labeled a draft “bust” and left without a qualifying offer by the Chicago Blackhawks, the former third-overall pick has blossomed in Washington, but 2024-25 was his true coming-out party. The 28-year-old led the team with 82 points (29 goals, 53 assists), emerging as a legitimate first-line center, equally effective at both ends of the ice.
Strome, who never cracked 70 games in a single season before arriving in Washington, played all 82 games for the second straight season and was a key part in keeping the team rolling during Ovechkin’s 16-game absence, posting 5 goals and 10 points during the stretch. Speaking of Ovechkin, Strome learned to be a playmaker for the Capitals’ captain, at even strength and on the power play. Often lauded for his high hockey IQ, he successfully tailored his game to match Ovechkin’s unique signature style, earning high praise from his legendary linemate, who said Strome is capable of “carry[ing] the team on his shoulders.”
But perhaps the most eye-opening leap came from Aliaksei Protas. Spending much of the season paired with Ovechkin and Strome, the 24-year-old finished the season as the team’s third-leading scorer, establishing himself as a reliable top-six forward. In his fifth NHL season, Protas more than doubled his point total and quintupled his goal output over the previous season, registering 30 goals and 66 points.
Protas’ evolution as a two-way player was equally impressive. With a plus-40 rating, the Belarusian ranked third in the league, made even more impressive by his position on the wing.
Protas’ regular season was cut short by a scary skate cut injury to a tendon. Though recovery limited his postseason production, he still emerged as head coach Spencer Carbery’s Swiss Army knife —slotting in across the lineup and averaging 17:36 in ice time during the Capitals’ final six playoff games, second only to Tom Wilson among forwards.
Connor McMichael wasn’t far behind. The 2019 first-round pick built on flashes from past seasons to tally 57 points, including 26 goals, locking down the role of second-line center. His speed, playmaking, and versatility gave the Capitals much-needed depth down the middle — and another piece to build around moving forward.
Together, Strome, Protas, and McMichael developed into the players the Capitals expected them to be and then some. Their emergence gave Washington one of its most productive and balanced forward corps in years and signaled that the team’s competitive window may be longer than expected.
Capitals’ Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks
Speaking of Wilson, the word “sniper” doesn’t immediately come to mind. Known more for his bruising style—famous for his fights and forechecking—Wilson has never been known for his scorer’s touch. But in 2024-25, at 31 years old, he proved that old dogs can learn new tricks. Wilson turned in a career-best 33 goals and 32 assists, a stunning offensive leap that included significant time playing alongside Ovechkin.
In doing so, he not only rewrote his own story but also etched his name in Capitals’ history. Wilson now holds the record for the most seasons played (12) before reaching a 30-goal mark, underscoring just how unexpected and impressive this offensive surge has been.
From Rookie Bench Boss to Jack Adams Front-Runner
The Caps’ progress in 2024-25 wasn’t limited to the ice. In his second season behind the bench, Carbery elevated himself from a rookie head coach swept out of the playoffs in his first season to the frontrunner for the Jack Adams Trophy.
In his second season, Carbery continued to fine-tune Washington’s game, reinforcing his vision for a fast-paced style and new defensive strategy. The results were undeniable: the Capitals’ offense was an efficient and balanced machine, scoring 70 more goals over the previous season while giving up 23 fewer, resulting in a 20-point leap in the standings, a 51-win season, and the Capitals’ first Eastern Conference regular-season title in eight seasons.
Carbery’s ascent is marked not only by his tactical savvy but also by his ability to connect with players across generations. Young talents like Protas and McMichael flourished under his watch, while veterans such as Ovechkin found renewed energy in his fast-paced system. His emphasis on accountability and attention to detail has turned heads around the league and led to a nomination for the Jack Adams Award. Though Washington ultimately fell short in the second round of the playoffs, Carbery’s rapid rise signals the arrival of a new coaching force in the NHL—one with the potential to define the Capitals’ next era.
Gr8 Breaks the Record
While the Capitals’ 2024-25 season had many memorable moments, it will be forever defined by one story. On April 6, Alexander Ovechkin etched his name into hockey history, scoring the 895th goal of his illustrious NHL career, passing Wayne Gretzky as the league’s all-time leading goal scorer and cementing himself as the greatest sniper of all time. One season removed from one of his worst campaigns as a professional that had pundits entertaining the “cliff theory” about his future, Ovechkin turned back the clock at 39, putting together another classic year.
To say the journey to the record was a breeze would be an insult. Ovechkin started the season slow, registering only 10 points in October, half of which came in the last two days of the month. However, once he hit his stride in November, it seemed that the NHL goal record was a foregone conclusion. That is, until disaster struck.
On Nov. 18, he suffered a broken fibula following a knee-on-knee collision with the Utah Hockey Club’s Jack McBain. Again, the doubters emerged, questioning whether this injury would derail his record chase. And once again, in the superhuman fashion that has defined his career, Ovechkin defied all the odds.
Despite the serious injury, he returned after missing only 16 games. Many assumed it would take him time to regain his form and that the Gr8 Chase might have been put on hold. However, he didn’t just hit the ground running––he sprinted. In a three-and-a-half month stretch, the Russian didn’t just captivate Washington, he had the entire sports world glued to their screens. Between his return on Dec. 29 and the April 6 milestone, he rattled off 27 of his 44 regular-season goals in just 35 games.
As he closed in on the record, Ovechkin’s milestone moments were attended by NHL legends, league brass, and even US government officials. The outpouring of congratulatory messages from icons like Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Michael Phelps demonstrated the weight of his achievement. But Ovechkin’s chase wasn’t just about personal glory—it fueled the Capitals’ resurgence. Over that stretch, the team won 22 of 35 games, solidifying their place atop the Eastern Conference and securing home-ice advantage in the postseason.
If Caps’ Anniversary Year Not a Blip, Next Season Could be Even Better
As Washington closes the book on its milestone 50th anniversary season—despite an anticlimactic finish––the outlook on the next season is bright. That is, assuming this season wasn’t an aberration. If the factors that fueled their success in 2024-25––continued progress from the Capitals’ young veterans, the emergence of Thompson as a legitimate Vezina contender and Ovechkin’s renewed vigor––carry over into next year, that, coupled with new surprises, should have the Caps’ thinking about a deeper playoff run in 2025–26.
