After a longer-than-normal offseason after missing the playoff cut last season, the Washington Capitals hit the ice officially for the first time of the season Thursday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington.
”It was a long summer,” Jakob Chychrun said after the skate. “We had plenty of time to flush that out.”
After missing the playoff cut, the Capitals underwent a massive restructuring in the offseason, acquiring Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, and others – and also assembling one of the most sizeable lineups in NHL history. The assemblage of talent has this year’s Capitals thinking big – and they are aware of what they can accomplish in the next seven months if things go their way.
”You want to be on these teams and be on these rosters where you feel you have the talent to succeed,” Chychrun said. “The beauty of it is guys come here, and they absolutely love it here. They love playing here. It’s a very tight-knit group. Great city to play for and a great place to live.”
And, although he said the team always came into camp with high hopes, particularly after finishing atop the Eastern standings in 2024-25, they know this group has potential to be very special.
“The expectations are something we will welcome,” he added. “We know we are a very good team and we have to push the envelope to show that on a night-to-night basis.”
”I think when an organization gets some of the best players available, it creates an excitement for the current players,” Tom Wilson said. “We’re going to go all in and get the best players … I think we have an opportunity to make some noise.”
While part of the season’s storyline will be if this is Alex Ovechkin’s last season – which he was non-committal on when asked – certainly the Capitals’ size and speed will not be easy for opponents to deal with this season.
And, as one of the imports, Tuch said he was excited to be with the Capitals.
”I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad atmosphere here, no matter what is going on,” Tuch said. “There have been a lot of successful teams here in Washington; the fans have been very lucky.”
He also added that while it was the largest team he’d ever played for, it was also perhaps as sizeable as the Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s.
Fans will get their first chance to see the revamped Capitals this weekend, as they open the preseason in Boston Sunday afternoon, followed by their second straight preseason game in the home of their AHL affiliate in Hershey Monday.
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