Sammi’s Daily: Answers To Capitals Questions, Draft Takes, Free Agents

The Washington Capitals kick off their Wednesday with a press conference, as general manager Brian MacLellan will speak to the media at 10 a.m. ET.

All the while, the team is preparing for the 2022 NHL Draft and also looking ahead to free agency, where they have several voids to fill, from finding a No. 1 goaltender to filling voids on the top-6.

Here are the latest news and notes from D.C. and across the NHL:

Capitals Links

• General manager Brian MacLellan shared an update on Nicklas Backstrom and his uncertain timeline, as well as how his injury impacts the team’s offseason. (WHN)
• Speaking of the Capitals offseason, here’s what MacLellan’s plans look like and why making a splash doesn’t seem to be the answer — for now. (WHN)
• Per reports, the Capitals are among the teams interested in trading for J.T. Miller, who may fit in well with what Washington needs. (WHN)
• We re-opened the WHN Mailbag to discuss the Capitals goaltending situation, Connor McMichael, Evgeni Malkin and much more. (WHN)

NHL Links

• In addition to J.T. Miller, here are some other Vancouver Canucks that could be shipped out this offseason. (VHN)
• Here’s an update on the Ivan Fedotov situation and more from the Philadelphia Flyers. (PHN)
• What does the latest draft order look like, and how will the picks shake up? (Pro Hockey Talk)
• This is always a fun one: here are some Florida Panthers draft picks that aren’t first-rounders who turned out to be stars. (FHN)

Sammi’s Top Shelf Takes

• With MacLellan saying that the plan isn’t currently to go sign an expensive free agent center, I can see Hendrix Lapierre making a run for a roster spot this season. While J.T. Miller is much less expensive, costing $5.25 million next year, he will require an extension. And with the current plan being for Backstrom to play again, this option doesn’t seem like it will pan out. But that’s just pure speculation on my part.
• A report came out from Sport-Express that Kirill Kaprizov returned to the States after the Ivan Fedotov situation unfolded, and that he was wanted for buying a military card. However, Kaprizov’s father debunked these rumors almost immediately. MacLellan also shared his take on the situation overseas, saying the team isn’t concerned about their Russian players being able to return for 2022-23.
• More front office history has been made in the Show, as Kate Madigan has been promoted to assistant general manager with the New Jersey Devils. She’s the fifth woman to be promoted to that role this year.
• Justin Schultz turns 32 today. With regard to pending free agents, MacLellan said there have been preliminary talks with some of the pending UFAs agents. After the draft, the team will circle back and also explore more options.