Washington Capitals on The Hockey News

Capitals Mailbag Pt. 2: Who Centers Ovechkin, Ovi's Sticks, Goalie Situation, Odd Men Out, Prospect Updates, More Moves Coming?

By Sammi Silber,

4 hours ago

The Washington Capitals are entering the 2024-25 campaign looking a lot different, and though they got a lot of answers to their questions with a busy offseason, there's still quite a bit to consider.

From who'll center Alex Ovechkin to how the goaltending situation plays out through the organization, we take a look at more of your burning questions in Part 2 of our Capitals Mailbag.

Who's most likely to center Alex Ovechkin this season? Will John Carlson remain on the first power-play unit? - @kevLar299

It's easy to assume that Pierre-Luc Dubois, the team's big center acquisition this summer, will get to go on the top line with Alex Ovechkin, but spots aren't guaranteed and head coach Spencer Carbery wouldn't commit to that being the case.

Of course, it's no question that Dubois will at least get a look there to see if there is a spark or some chemistry. The 6-foot-4 pivot is a young, talented forward who brings a different look to the forward lines and the potential for offense.

If there's chemistry to be had, Dubois will stick there, and there's reason to be encouraged and excited that he can fit in well with D.C. Carbery himself is excited to see how he can work with the young center to unlock his full potential and help him maintain consistency, and last season, we saw just how big an impact Carbery can have on his players.

However, sometimes, there's not chemistry to be had; maybe Dubois fits better and produces better alongside Connor McMichael or Sonny Milano. If that's the case, Dylan Strome, who has fit well with Ovechkin over the course of his tenure in D.C., will remain his go-to guy down the middle.

As for Carlson, I think Carbery tries a bit of everything and see how Jakob Chychrun also fits into the mix, but that Carlson keeps his spot on PP1. He's earned it and shown that he still thrives there. However, he will split the time more evenly with Chychrun, who'll add depth on the second unit. The Chychrun acquisition allows for Carlson to not have to play ridiculously high minutes.

Will Ovechkin be moved from his D spot on the power-play? @TaylorStoneking

I don't see Ovechkin being moved from that position right away; I think Kirk Muller sees how Pierre-Luc Dubois and other pieces work with Ovechkin in that position, and then the group goes from there.

After a rough start to the year, Washington finished with the best power play in the second half, so things were on the up-and-up. That said, no reason to tear it down, though having Chychrun in that mix does give you the option to move Ovechkin elsewhere.

It'll be a wait-and-see situation going into camp, and Carbery did note that the power play would be a question mark. But I don't see a full-blown restructure right off the bat.

What stick will Ovechkin use the most next season? - @BurnabyJoe1919

Ovechkin has found a custom stick supplier that works incredibly well for him and made a big difference. Reports and other talk I've heard around is that CCM stopped producing his sticks and that he wasn't getting the same feel from their newer products.

His custom twigs, though, have made a difference, and it's hard to see him straying away from that.

Will Hunter Shepard or Clay Stevenson get any looks at the top level even if Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson are both healthy? @TunedOut6

General manager Brian MacLellan had mentioned that he wants to see Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson get turns at the NHL level, but it is very hard to do this if both 1A and 1B options are performing well and healthy.

The Capitals have a lot of confidence in Lindgren and Thompson, who are expected to interchange in the crease, though Lindgren has earned his chance to take a starting role and run with it. That said, I don't see them turning to their AHL options unless A) one of Lindgren or Thompson are banged up or B) things really go downhill, a-la the Jack Campbell situation in Edmonton.

With the recent acquisitions and signings, is anyone on a tight leash where this is a make-or-break year for them to prove their worth? - @go_goob

I don't think it's a tight leash , per se, but I do think these are important years for Sonny Milano and Connor McMichael.

With an influx of centers and only so many spots in the lineup, Milano will have to show that he can be a top scorer and consistent contributor to the mix, and also remain healthy to keep his spot.

This is also an important year for McMichael to show he can be versatile and take on a big role on the wing and also take on more responsibility as he looks to earn a long-term contract after signing a bridge deal this summer.

Taylor Raddysh, who signed a one-year, $1 million deal, will also have to battle to show he fits in well in a fourth line role and can keep his spot.

Is there another move coming for a proven top-6 left wing option? Will Milano, Van Riemsdyk or Down be traded to make it happen? - @Soren17Capitals

I don't think so. MacLellan, before GM Chris Patrick took over, said that he was done and comfortable with the lineup that he has. Big moves are fun, but they're also expensive, and the team still has to wait and see what T.J. Oshie's status is and doesn't have unlimited flexibility after an influx of moves to kick off the summer.

Milano has a lot to prove, Trevor van Riemsdyk fills out a deep right side, and the team is comfortable coming into the season with eight defensemen. Nic Dowd plays such a big role on and off the ice and is expected to work wonders with Brandon Duhaime on the fourth line and penalty kill.

Personally, I think this group now is the one that takes the ice at training camp and D.C. goes from there. The team also wants room to re-sign these options, too.

Are there more depth signings coming for the Capitals, like Alex Limoges or Matthew Phillips? - @vetradrak0n

Washington re-upped a good amount of these guys, including Limoges, but also Ethen Frank and Chase Priskie. Matthew Phillips hit free agency, as did Lucas Johansen. The team also signed Luke Philp and Spencer Smallman.

The Hershey Bears did say goodbye to Jimmy Huntington and Joe Snively, two big losses, and Hendrix Lapierre appears ready to graduate to the NHL ranks. Keep in mind, though, that Hershey is expected to get Mike Sgarbossa back after he was called up last season for a long-term stay in D.C.

Ultimately, it depends on how things look closer to camp if the team will look to fill those voids with new signings or promote prospects from within. The Bears may also make some AHL signings of their own.

Andrew Cristall's skating took a big step forward — is this a good sign for Terik Parascak? - @RonnyDonny13

Wendy Marco is brilliant — that's the first thing. She can make a huge difference for players, and every single Capitals prospect I spoke to at camp sang her praises and stressed just how vital every single drill was.

With Marco's help at camp, and then with work he put in on his own, Cristall improved big time. I can only imagine that will be the same for Parascak, who still needs to fine-tune areas of his game but looked to improve in areas as he spent more time with Marco at camp.

When will Ilya Protas make the jump to the Hershey Bears? - @rogerapage

Ilya Protas, the younger brother of Aliaksei, entered the CHL Import Draft following his impressive showing in the USHL with Des Moines, and he was taken third overall by the Windsor Spitfires.

Protas appears set to train with his brother and attend the Capitals camps in the fall, and then report to Windsor for his first year in juniors. As part of the CHL-NHL agreement, Protas will not be able to play in the AHL until the age of 20.

Brother Aliaksei thrived with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders, so expect Ilya to do well in Windsor and enjoy the CHL route.

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Was Joe Snively approached about a new contract or did he leave on his own for an NHL opportunity? - @hstingray

I can't imagine that the Capitals didn't touch base with Joe Snively, a hometown product, to see where he was at, but it seems like this move allows him the NHL chance that he just wasn't getting in D.C. It was a busy summer for Washington and the team is not looking to promote from within right now, and he's been waiting years in the pipeline.

There was reportedly KHL interest, too, but Snively saw an opportunity for a fresh start with another NHL team who may have more leeway to give him an NHL chance, so that's what happened.

Will there be a new jersey for the 50th anniversary season? - @Ivancapsrock5

There's a patch, but I haven't heard about a new jersey. In addition to the patch, there will be other notable moments and celebrations of the team's history. That said, anything could happen, but I haven't heard anything about a new sweater coming.

Why did the Capitals take Parascak over Cole Eiserman or Michael Hage? - @Queep477491

I wrote on this yesterday; Washington really likes the upside and skill that they saw from Parsacak, as well as his work ethic and attitude. He really put in a lot of effort to improve after missing out on a WHL spot just a year ago, and in his rookie season, took his chance and ran with it by putting up 43 goals and 62 assists for a whopping 105 points.

The upside there and drive really appealed to D.C., and they surely liked what he had to say in interviews. Not that Eiserman and Hage aren't likeable, but the Capitals think they have a steal in Parascak.

Any update on the development camp free agent invites? - @MeanGene41

A handful will likely be back for rookie and training camps in September and look to earn their deals from there. Oasiz Wiesblatt did say that there was interest from D.C., but nothing guaranteed.