Capitals training camp opens Thursday and Spencer Carbery is fired up for Year 2

The Capitals celebrate their 50th season this year, coming off a perhaps unexpected playoff appearance in Year 1 of the Spencer Carbery era – and as we found out Wednesday when he joined the Junkies live at the Monumental Sports Network studios, no one is more fired up for Year 2, which starts officially when camp starts later this week, than Coach Carbs himself.

“I was looking at it this morning…potentially, on opening night, there may be as many as nine or 10 new faces in the lineup compared to the 20 that dressed last opening night,” Carbery said. “There are a lot of great players that we've added to the roster, and we’re looking forward to seeing that – especially in training camp, because with the new faces, it’s on us to make sure we're bringing it together.”

One of the new faces whose face you won’t actually see is goalie Logan Thompson, who was added from Vegas and could, like Charlie Lindgren did to Darcy Kuemper last year, push for more equal time in goal than a strict backup.

“We like our tandem a lot. Everybody knows what Chucky was able to do last year; he wasn’t supposed to be the guy, but right from the start of the year, there was no real dip in his play. Usually you get good stretches from goalies and then it'll dip a little bit, but he was so consistent all year long and that's why he pushed the envelope to sort of take the ball late in the season from Kemp,” Carbery said. “Now he has the opportunity to be a No. 1A goalie, and he’s going into camp trying to prove that and take another step – and Logan for that matter is in the same sort of spot. He's been the guy at various points in Vegas, and so coming to us, I think it's a great tandem of two guys that are gonna push each other.”

But, uh, don’t forget all of those old heads and returnees, either, especially that Ovechkin guy.

“Going into this year, we still have Willie (Tom Wilson), O(vechkin), and John Carlson left from 2018, and those pillar veteran guys that are so important to our team past and present,” Carbery said. ”We’ve gotten even younger, added some guys in free agency and through trades, and I think we’re a little more spread with a veteran group but also some real young guys, guys in late-twenties, a little better mix.”

Take a listen to Carbs’ entire visit, which includes some thoughts on a few other newcomers, the offensive strategy, and more!