Four Storylines Heading into Capitals’ 2024-25 Season

The Washington Capitals are heading into a crucial season after they were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. There was a lot of change this offseason, and there are quite a few storylines that will play out during the upcoming 2024-25 season. It is already a special campaign ahead, as the Capitals are celebrating their 50^th Anniversary of entering the league, along with the Kansas City Scouts, in 1974-75. The organization is planning out special events throughout the season to commemorate the history of the franchise.

Beyond that, there are some more storylines dealing with the on-ice product. An eventful campaign could become more impactful based on how certain storylines play out as the season progresses. There are a few things for fans to keep an eye on.

Does Alex Ovechkin Surpass Wayne Gretzky?

As things stand right now, Ovechkin is only 42 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky for the most goals by a player in league history. With two seasons currently left on his contract with Washington, he should be able to claim that record and potentially extend it by quite a few goals by the time the summer of 2026 rolls around. Whether the milestone is achieved in 2024-25, only time will tell.

Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin holds his 798, 799, and 800th career goal pucks in the locker room next to hats collected for his hat trick after an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

In 2022-23, Ovechkin tallied exactly 42 goals. He also scored 50 goals in the previous campaign in 2021-22. He is fully capable of taking care of that record this season. I expect there to be motivation by him and his teammates to try and claim that record before the season wraps up, if they can. The team obviously has other goals in mind too, like trying to grab another Stanley Cup in the Ovechkin Era window. Claiming that all-time goals record this season, though, would add more meaning into a special campaign.

How does the goalie situation play out?

It feels like only yesterday that Washington signed Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche netminder Darcy Kuemper in free agency. There was potential for him to be the next solid goalie for the team, but he did not end up living up to the expectations that the organization wanted of him. In a turn of events, backup Charlie Lindgren had a solid regular season in 2023-24, and Washington moved on from Kuemper altogether by trading him to Los Angeles for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Filling in the hole between the pipes, then-Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan pulled off a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights on the second day of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and received goalie Logan Thompson for two third-round picks (one in 2024 and the other in 2025). As things stand right now, the pairing in the crease will be Lindgren and Thompson, but how head coach Spencer Carbery plans to use both remains to be seen.

Lindgren, in his second season with the Capitals in 2023-24, put up a 25-16-7 record in 50 games played. He had a save percentage of .911 and a goals-against average of 2.67. Additionally, he also achieved six shutouts this past campaign as well. There is familiarity there with Lindgren making a name for himself to an extent with Washington. However, Thompson has quite a bit of NHL experience as well from his time in Las Vegas. In 103 games played in four seasons with the Golden Knights, he posted a record of 56-32-11 with a save percentage of .912, a goals-against average of 2.67, and four shutouts.

Washington Capitals’ Charlie Lindgren plays during a preseason NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The starting goalie position is up for grabs. Lindgren has the benefit of playing on the team for two seasons, but Thompson had some stellar performances while with the Golden Knights. Will one of the two officially win the starting role or will Carbery split the duo a bit more evenly in a 1A/1B position? Training camp and preseason will start the goaltending competition, and all eyes will be on both of them to see if anyone stands out.

How do the new players gel together on the team?

Former GM MacLellan was busy this offseason remaking the look of the roster. He made some trades that brought in forwards Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, goalie Thompson, and defenseman Jakob Chychrun. He also landed blueliner Matt Roy in free agency, signing him to a six-year contract. As good as the team looks on paper, the transition must happen on the ice.

Starting with Dubois, will Washington be the right fit for him? The 26-year-old started his NHL career with the Columbus Blue Jackets; before also suiting up for the Winnipeg Jets and the Los Angeles Kings. He has shown in previous seasons that he is capable of almost netting 30 goals on multiple occasions, while hitting the 60-point mark three times. He was supposed to be a significant addition to the Kings last offseason, but general manager Rob Blake and his staff decided after one season that it was best to move on despite inking him to a long-term contract. Now, Washington and Dubois will see how this pairing between both sides works out. Maybe Dubois will get some crucial ice time with Ovechkin, or maybe he will take over as a leader on his own line come the fall.

Then, there’s Mangiapane, who the Capitals acquired via trade from the Calgary Flames. I would consider him to have been almost like an underrated talent while he was over in the province of Alberta. The Flames teams he was on had a lot of skill. Between Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, and Rasmus Andersson among others; there were a lot of players carrying the load for the club. Mangiapane, though, is a superb player in his own right. In 75 games last season, he totaled 40 points with 14 goals and 26 assists. His career high in goals occurred in 2021-22 with 35. Will the change of scenery to D.C. increase his goal output?

One of the top sought-after free agents on defense was Matt Roy, who spent the first six campaigns of his career with the Kings. Roy signed a six-year deal with the Capitals, and he will be a great asset to a blue line that already included John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin. The 2022-23 season saw him produce nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points, while he notched 25 points in 81 games last season between five goals and 20 assists. If Carbery and the Capitals can get the same numbers, if not better from Roy, then this signing was a slam dunk by MacLellan.

Rounding out the defense this offseason, MacLellan also pulled the trigger on a free agency day trade with the Ottawa Senators. He acquired Jakob Chychrun from them in exchange for defender Nick Jensen and a third-round selection in 2026. Chychrun, who has played the majority of his career as a member of the Arizona Coyotes, suited up for Ottawa last season and tied his career high in points with 41 (he had 14 goals and 27 assists with the Senators). With one season left on his current contract and it appearing that no extension could be happening between both sides, Ottawa GM Steve Staios moved him to the Capitals. Now on his third club, fans will see if Chychrun fits in well with the rest of the group. If both sides like how things play out in 2024-25, there is a real possibility that Chychrun will be a long-term defenseman for the team, joining Roy and Sandin in that regard.

Will the Capitals improve from last season?

To put things in perspective, Washington finished the 2023-24 campaign with a record of 40-31-11. They finished fourth in the Metropolitan Division, but they were able to clinch a playoff spot. Despite that, the team was not able to beat the Rangers. Expectations are raised now with the new additions who can help bolster the lineup that already had significant players like Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and Carlson. Last season’s results were not acceptable, and MacLellan addressed the positions of need well. On paper, this roster has the potential to make a stronger push in the standings, as well as be a serious threat should they make the postseason. It is a matter now of getting the right results on the ice. Key figures helping with that will be Carbery and his coaching staff. Training camp and preseason are going to go a long way in helping get the players to all gel. If everything goes according to plan on the ice, then the other 31 teams will have a problem when it comes time to play against the Capitals in 2024-25.