NHL.com's Dan Rosen answers weekly questions
What is your take on the Washington Capitals? What is behind the successful season so far? Lastly, should they bring in Ryan Leonard for the playoffs? -- @alehtonen_
Solid additions who have made an impact, quality goaltending, young players taking the next steps in their careers and a resurgence of Alex Ovechkin as one of the best goal-scorers in the NHL today. That's the Capitals in a nutshell. That's why they've been better than expected this season. And it's all backed by excellent coaching from Spencer Carbery, who should be the favorite for the Jack Adams Award given to the NHL coach of the year this season.
Washington essentially turned over more than a third of its roster from last season, but all nine players added have been a net positive, including forwards Lars Eller via trade and Jakub Vrana through a PTO. They're all playing regularly when healthy too. Forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois (31 points in 40 games), Taylor Raddysh (17 points in 40 games), Andrew Mangiapane (16 points in 39 games), Vrana (11 points in 25 games), Brandon Duhaime (nine points in 40 games) and Eller (seven points in 21 games), and defensemen Jakob Chychrun (28 points in 35 games) and Matt Roy (eight points in 30 game) have combined for 127 points (44 goals, 83 assists) in 270 games. That's a total 0.47 points per game coming from the additions the Capitals made in the offseason, including 0.80 from Chychrun and 0.78 from Dubois. Goalie Logan Thompson, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 29, has been one of the best goalies in the League, going 16-2-2 with a 2.39 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 20 games. He has split time evenly with Charlie Lindgren, who is 10-8-2 with a 2.70 GAA and .900 save percentage.
Aliaksei Protas, 24, and Connor McMichael, 23, have each taken huge strides from last season. Protas already has 18 goals and 35 points in 40 games. He had six goals and 29 points in 78 games last season. McMichael has 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 40 games; he had two more points, one more goal and one more assist in exactly twice as many games last season.
And then there's Ovechkin, who's scored 19 goals in 24 games, putting him 23 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's record of 894. He missed 16 games with a fractured left fibula from Nov. 21-Dec. 23, but the Capitals survived going 10-5-1, a sign of the team they've become. Ovechkin had eight goals in Washington's first 43 games last season before finishing with 23 goals in the final 36, so he has 42 goals in his past 60 games since Jan. 27, 2024, which is sixth most in the NHL in that span, albeit in fewer games than the five players ahead of him.
Regarding Leonard, assuming he signs following this season at Boston College, it makes sense for the Capitals to use him in the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they need him and believe he can make an impact. Injuries would dictate that. A drop off in play from a top nine forward would dictate that, but just tossing Leonard in and limiting him to a fourth-line role, 10 minutes per game, doesn't make sense. That's not the player he is and it's not a role that fits him, but if there's a role for him, then yes, he should be a part of it.
