Scenes & Takeaways From Day 1 Of Capitals Training Camp: Good Vibes, 'Good Energy' & Plenty Of Potential

ARLINGTON, V.A. – The Washington Capitals are back.

Seventy skaters reported for the official start of Capitals training camp on Thursday, as players were split into three separate groups to kick off the festivities.

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Here are the takeaways from an eventful Day 1.

- Tom Wilson and Pierre-Luc Dubois look like they could be a promising duo on the top-6. Both were skating on a potential second-line combination with Connor McMichael, who starts camp on the wing. Dubois said that Wilson has been a good resource and leader for him so far, and head coach Spencer Carbery said specifically that putting Wilson with Dubois was one way of getting PLD further acclimated to his new team. Both have hit it off so far.

- Alex Ovechkin's still got it. He is dealing with what he calls a "minor" injury that he suffered in training (something appeared to be ailing him during Monday's informal skate session), but on the ice, he feels good and is showcasing that power and strength in every stride. His shot is still wicked strong.

- To start camp, Ovechkin was with Dylan Strome and Andrew Mangiapane. Carbery explained that Ovechkin and Strome have a good foundation, so that's why they're starting together. Mangiapane, meanwhile, brings speed, and reminds Strome a lot of former teammate Conor Sheary.

Related: Capitals Monitoring Ovechkin To Open Training Camp As Captain Deals With 'Minor' Injury

- Another player update: Rasmus Sandin is not in D.C. yet as he deals with visa issues. Washington has no update on his status or when he may get to the area, as he's been given no timeline in his attempt to return to the States from Sweden.

- Two young players that stood out in their respective groups: Ivan Miroshnichenko in Group A and Jakub Vrana in Group B. Both led the pack in their skate tests, and Miroshnichenko was skating hard, playing with ferocity and showing off his speed. The same goes for Vrana, whose speed and rocket of a shot make him a standout. Both had strong openings to camp; now it's a matter of consistency to win a spot.

- Speaking of skate tests, Matt Roy and Brandon Duhaime also impressed in that testing, as did Dubois and Mangiapane.

- Nic Dowd said that this is the best he's felt coming into a training camp since he joined the Capitals in 2018.

"Mentally, I'm really excited about what we've done with our team this summer. It's nice to see everybody, and we've got a lot of new faces and guys seem, I don't know, genuinely really, really excited. There's a lot of good energy," Dowd said.

Related: For Jakub Vrana, D.C. Has Always Felt Like Home, And That Makes His Second Act With The Capitals Even Sweeter

- Ethan Bear was back on the ice and looked decent as he skated with Hardy Häman Aktell. Carbery was thrilled to see Bear back in the mix, adding that it's nice to have him rejoin the fold and return after being in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last season.

- In Group C, Oasiz Wiesblatt made his presence known in... well, Oasiz Wiesblatt fashion. He was throwing his weight around and was a force to be reckoned with.

Here's a photo gallery from the first day: