How Much Did Capitals Actually Improve This Offseason, And Is There Still Work To Be Done?

The Capitals made some significant changes this summer, bringing in Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jakob Chychrun and more. How much will those moves pay off?

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The Washington Capitals look a lot different than they did a few weeks ago, but how much did they actually improve?

Significantly.

Washington overturned roughly a third of its roster, parting ways with the likes of Darcy Kuemper, Nick Jensen and more while bringing in Logan Thompson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jakob Chychrun and more.

Here’s a recap of all the team’s moves and how much D.C. has actually taken a step forward, as well as if there’s still work to be done.

Additions: Pierre-Luc Dubois (trade), Andrew Mangiapane (trade), Logan Thompson (trade), Jakob Chychrun (trade), Matt Roy (free agency), Brandon Duhaime (free agency), Taylor Raddysh (free agency)

Departures: Darcy Kuemper (trade), Beck Malenstyn (trade), Nick Jensen (trade), Max Pacioretty (free agency), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (free agency)

Looking at the additions, Washington is in much better shape across the board.

First, the offense got the boost that it needed. Last season, the Capitals managed the fifth-least goals on average in the NHL, while there were no players on the roster producing at a point-per-game pace.

Though Alex Ovechkin still hit the 30-goal mark while Dylan Strome led in overall scoring, Washington needed another X-factor, especially with Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov no longer in the mix.

Ultimately, there was a need to revamp the top-6, solidify the center situation and replenish the fourth line with Beck Malenstyn and Nicolas Aube-Kubel headed out.

D.C. did just that. Pierre-Luc Dubois, though he still has a lot to prove and is coming off an inconsistent year, has the upside and potential to be a 60-point player, and with the right ice time and coaching, can be a solid scorer and producer who can play a top-line center role and add a new spark to the power play.

Pierre-Luc Dubois scores first goal with Kings in return to Winnipeg - The Athletic

With Dubois in the mix, D.C. also has five legitimate NHL center options, though Connor McMichael appears likely to move to the wing.

Andrew Mangiapane can also make a difference on the top-6 and man advantage; just two years ago, he had 35 goals, and he is confident he can get back to that scoring pace with some tweaks to his game. He has put up 40 points in each of the last three seasons and can get to the high-danger areas, and he’s a threat when he gets time and space and the puck on his tape.

As for the fourth line, Brandon Duhaime brings physicality and identity to replace Malenstyn and is expected to have strong chemistry with Nic Dowd while helping out on the penalty kill. Taylor Raddysh, meanwhile, is another interesting pickup: he has a knack for the net and just a season ago, had 20 goals.

On the blue line, the left side got a lot stronger with Chychrun joining the mix, while he brings more offense to the blue line and provides the power play with another catalyst and potential quarterback.

Matt Roy also brings more stability and defensive awareness to the right side, and the top-4 looks completely different with head coach Spencer Carbery having several options to work with when it comes to lining things up. Chychrun could very well play with new addition Roy, but he could also fit in well alongside John Carlson.

Speaking of Carlson, the new additions also take a lot of weight off of his shoulders; he led the NHL in ice time last season and was taking on heavy, heavy minutes, but with more stability on the backend, he’ll have a bit more help while still playing a big role.

Then, in net, Washington went from overpaying for a struggling backup in Darcy Kuemper to finding a suitable 1B option for Charlie Lindgren, who will get the option to remain the bonafide starter but now has a young, rising partner in Logan Thompson.

In 2023, Thompson was an All-Star with outstanding numbers, though injuries led to some inconsistency recently. However, with him fully healthy and getting a fresh start, he’s expected to make the most of his new role and work well in tandem with Lindgren.

All of the Capitals’ additions this offseason were under the age of 30, bringing down their average to 28.42 years old, per Elite Prospects.

So, overall, the moves put D.C. in a much better spot. But is there still work to do?

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