The Washington Capitals are in the midst of a busy offseason following a number of trades and signings and a change in their front office structure. All the while, the team still faces questions going into the 2024-25 campaign.
From what the new moves mean for the lineup to the status of waiting prospects, we reopen The Hockey News ' Capitals Mailbag to answer some of those burning inquiries.
Editor's Note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.
How's the team looking going into next season? - @saratogaorbust
As I penned in an article on Saturday, Washington is looking a lot better. The team overhauled roughly a third of the roster and got younger while bringing in more pieces to help with the offense and bring overall stability to the mix.
Does this mean that D.C. is automatically a contender? Of course not, this is still a team in transition and these are all new pieces. Now it's a matter of how they mesh together. That said, the roster got the upgrade it needed; now it's up to the coaches and players to trust the process and make things happen on the ice.
Related: How Much Did Capitals Actually Improve This Offseason, And Is There Still Work To Be Done?
Does Andrew Mangiapane fit into the Capitals' long-term plans? - @blueliner98
Andrew Mangiapane brings a lot of potential and upside, but still, some uncertainty. The 28-year-old has shown that he can be a threat in the offensive zone and play a key role on special teams, and he had 35 goals just two years ago. However, he just needs to find that consistency.
I think D.C. sees how this year goes with him and sees how he fits into the system. There are several prospects in the pipeline waiting for their opportunity (we'll get to that), but if Mangiapane fits in with Spencer Carbery's systems and proves to pack a punch and bring his scoring prowess to the mix, he could be in for a longer stay.
Will Charlie Lindgren, Logan Thompson and Jakob Chychrun return after next season? - @GaryBDail
I think this question falls well in line with the Mangiapane question above. This is a year for D.C. to prove itself and show that those moves were all the team needed to succeed.
Charlie Lindgren has impressed the organization and has certainly earned his job as the starter going into the season. Logan Thompson adds another factor, though, as a solid 1B option who can create competition in the crease.
I think that in goal, the Capitals see how Lindgren and Thompson fare as a tandem and make a decision from there, especially with Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson getting closer to being NHL-ready by the day.
As for Chychrun, the 26-year-old wasn't necessarily expecting to land in D.C. but is excited for the opportunity in Washington. Former general manager Brian MacLellan said that when it comes to Chychrun, they'll wait and see how he meshes before making a decision there. Personally, though, I think he'll fit in well, and I think there's a future here for him in the District.
Related: Let's Talk About The Capitals & Rutger McGroarty
These signings are great, but is it blocking the path for players like Hunter Shepard and other AHlers ready to make the jump? - @catman932
This is an interesting question with Washington wanting to kind of skip over the rebuild stage and transition while remaining a contender.
The Capitals have a number of prospects waiting for their NHL chance, including Hunter Shepard, who seemed ready to step into the No. 2 role when Darcy Kuemper was shipped out for Pierre-Luc Dubois. However, I think when Thompson emerged on the market, MacLellan saw an opportunity to create a more stable and competitive situation in net and strengthen his team, and therefore took it.
Shepard has a lot of upside and has shown promise, but this past season had its highs and lows, and it wouldn't be useful to have him spending time as a full-time No. 2 up at the highest level and not playing as much when he could be getting top minutes and continuing his development in Hershey. So no, I don't think that bringing in Thompson blocks him for now.
As for other names like Ivan Miroshnichenko and Riley Sutter, it's up to them to outplay others for their opportunity, but also, hockey's a business, and D.C.'s desire to remain a contender means more playing time at the lower levels for those players waiting for their chance. So now, it's just about paying their dues.
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What's the latest on Alex Ovechkin's conditioning ahead of his 20th NHL season? Was he out of shape at all last season? - @knk4jack and @natslbl
All — Alex Ovechkin will be just fine.
Ovechkin is currently vacationing in Turkey but will start more training soon, and has meanwhile played some padel and beach volleyball to get some off-ice fitness in. He's also playing in an NHL vs. KHL All-Star Game to close out July.
The captain said that he plans to make some changes to his offseason training, but there doesn't seem to be much wrong with his conditioning. He knows the way to prepare and has been through the motions, and he knows what works for him and what doesn't.
But what about his struggles earlier last season? It didn't seem like it was a result of being out of shape; it more so seemed like he was ailing a bit with injuries, trying to find the perfect hockey stick and adjusting to new systems.
He hit reset during the 2024 All-Star Break and came back with a vengeance. Still managed 31 goals. He'll be 39 in September and is 42 goals away from Wayne Gretzky's record. Ovechkin also wants D.C. to remain competitive and surely wants one more shot at a Stanley Cup, so when it comes to him being ready for the season, be confident he'll be ready.
Pictures and videos don't tell the whole story. He's going to be fine.
Will T.J. Oshie be back? If not, what happens? @KuwaitKlick and @joecct77
The latest update came from Oshie himself, who said in a new interview with NHL Network that he wants to come back but is still looking for a permanent fix to his chronic back issues that leave him "literally on the floor." He ominously added that the list of solutions is dwindling, though.
Related: T.J. Oshie Provides Update On Back, Where He's At As He Ponders Future With Capitals: 'You Just Don't Want To Be That Burden'
I think Oshie thinks of the team first and his decision will be based on not just how he feels, but if he can still be a top contributor. And if he can't, he won't be back.
If that's the case, then the plan appears to go on long-term injured reserve for this final year of his contract. If not, he'll stay in the mix.
Washington is giving Oshie all of the time he needs to make a decision — and rightfully so, given what he's brought to the organization — and that will come around training camp time.
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