Highs and Lows From the Washington Capitals’ 2025-26 Season – Hockey Writers – Washington Capitals

He became the first Capitals player to score a hat trick since Ovechkin, who also did it against the Ducks. Sourdif also showed off his fitness by participating in his first NHL tilt against Drake Batherson, earning big stick taps and cheers from his teammates. He also recorded two points in the same game. Sourdif and Leonard are the franchise’s three scoring pairs of at least 15 goals, and they are quickly teaming up to be key parts of the team’s future.

Down: The Power Play

The team’s power play has been its biggest kryptonite this season. Not being able to score with the man advantage usually allows the Capitals to take or hold a lead and get some much needed wins. Before the Winter Olympic break, the team’s power play percentage ranked at or near the bottom of the league. Even with a push after the break and more success in the latter part of the season, the team still finished 25th overall in power play efficiency at 17.8%.

Kirk Muller coached the power play. However, head coach Spencer Carbery blamed the coaching staff as a whole, he said, “We are all involved in it. I will not separate the details of who carries each responsibility. Kirk runs our power game, he does a good job. It is not a lack of effort, and it is not a lack of him trying to answer all the stones and find solutions in what we do, we all see it as necessary. However, it would not be surprising to see the coaching staff change this season.

Top: Offensive Defenders

A lot of a team’s success rests on the shoulders of its defenders. While some players have gone down in offensive production this season, a number of defensemen have stepped up and shown true two-way play. The most successful among them was Jakob Chychrun, who finished with 60 points, including 26 goals. He was the third leading scorer on the team, behind only Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.

Martin Fehervary and Rasmus Sandin each had monster seasons, too: Fehervary totaled 27 points, and Sandin had 29, with each player scoring five goals. League-wide, the Capitals finished third overall in blue-chip production with 55 goals and 212 points from the defense. If the leading scorer can’t get back on track this offseason, a combination of high-scoring players could be a huge asset in the 2026-27 postseason.

Bottom Line: Trade Deadline

The Capitals made a surprise trade deadline move this offseason, sending fourth baseman Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for minor league goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick. Dowd was a longtime Capital who excelled at the faceoff dot and brought physicality to the frontcourt. He was also the “feel good” guy in the locker room and loved by the fans.

The team also made a big move by sending lifelong Capitals defenseman John Carlson to the Ducks for a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Entry Draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Carlson held many records among franchise defensemen and was the veteran leader’s favorite for many seasons.

In terms of acquisitions, the team added Timothy Lilejgren and David Kampf, each for a selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. On paper, these two filled the positional holes left by the departure of Dowd and Carlson, but in reality, they fell short. Kampf played only two games with the team, mostly due to visa issues, and did not score a point. Liljegren also failed to score in his four games.

Maybe the picks they got will turn into superstars one day, but the deadline move raised eyebrows and left fans disappointed at the time. Both Dowd and Carlson are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with their new teams.

Top: Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas

The season ended on a high note when young talents Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas entered the lineup. The fans were buzzing with excitement about the two skaters joining the team, and they did not disappoint. Hutson scored a goal in his NHL debut on March 18 and went on to score 10 points in 14 games, including a multi-point performance.

Protas was a talented player for the AHL’s Hershey Bears, so the team was eager to give him a shot. He made his debut on April 8, playing on the line alongside his brother, Aliaksei Protas, and Wilson. The trio was an absolutely massive line, totaling 673 pounds. Ilya registered a point in his debut and finished the season with four points in four games. This performance gave fans an idea of ​​what the team’s next season might look like and created excitement for the new forward.

Down: Missed the Playoffs

If the Capitals’ playoff chances for the rest of the season could be summed up in a few words, it would be “false hope”. It felt like the team was always on the brink of winning the postseason, only to fall short again. In the first half of the season they started in the Metropolitan Division. In some places, they were completely out of contention.

At the end of the season, the Capitals had little hope that the playoffs were within reach. They were neck and neck for third place in the division with the Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets, but missed the berth by a few points. It felt very disappointing to miss the postseason in what may be Ovechkin’s last season. His future is still unclear, but we may have seen the last of playoff-caliber Ovi.

The team will need to retool and reset this offseason. Perhaps general manager Chris Patrick and staff will look to build a team around the exciting young core of Leonard, Sourdif, Hutson, and Ilya Protas. With only two members of the Stanley Cup winning team left, it’s time for a new era for the Washington Capitals. And it’s time to learn from this season, look forward to the next one, and work for future success.