Capitals: Preseason Ends This Weekend

The  Capitals content on Hockey Hot Stove is powered by Betalytics. Sign up here to start your no-strings 5-day free trial. Use Promo Code: HHS to receive a 25% discount on the best predictive sports data available. Plans start from $9.99 monthly.

While the work continues on the exterior of Capital One Arena in Chinatown, the Washington Capitals hope their renovation work is complete.

On Friday, the Caps play their first home game since April 10, which was billed as Alex Ovechkin’s potential farewell. While Ovechkin has since quelled that notion, his lower-body injury will cause him to miss what likely will be a dress rehearsal for the new season.

Logan Thompson is expected to play the entire game against the Boston Bruins, reports say, and he without question enters this season as the team’s starting goaltender. Thompson also played Washington’s preseason opener in Boston, allowing a pair of goals in a shootout loss.

Friday’s game may not have as much meaning roster-wise for the Capitals, but will be a preview of the lineup to come in a week’s time in the season opener in Raleigh.

With a regular lineup Friday, Saturday will be a depth lineup, as with the new CBA rules no player with over 100 NHL games’ experience cannot play in more than 2 preseason games, meaning a lot of the veteran roster will be ineligible to participate in the game in Philadelphia.

While the veteran-laden roster is mostly set, there are a couple of unanswered questions about the Capitals lineup to start the season.

The most intriguing is in net, as Charlie Lindgren and Clay Stevenson may split Saturday’s game in Philadelphia as they did on Monday in Hershey, with Lindgren allowing 2 goals on 14 shots and Stevenson not tested heavily, turning aside all 6 shots he faced.

Forward-wise, Jonny Brodzinski, who scored three times in the Capitals’ first two exhibition games, is ineligible to play in either game due to the CBA rules, so the spotlight will be on Ethan Frank, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Andrew Cristall for the last forward spots.

Miroshnichenko seems to have an inside track on a spot, with 2 points against Boston Sunday, as well as the most likely player to be claimed on waivers. Brodzinski would probably be second-most likely of that group to be claimed, with his inexpensive one-year deal for a team being an attractive proposition. Frank is probably more likely to be waived, as his new two-year contract worth $4 million total could be a deterrent for teams.

Cristall would not be subject to waivers, making his job the hardest to make the roster, as while his NHL chance will come, it likely won’t be Monday.

Teams need to submit their “Opening Night” rosters by Monday at 5 pm – even though the Capitals don’t play until Friday, which means the Capitals could have some wiggle room to try and protect an extra player temporarily until late in the week.

With Ovechkin not participating in either game this weekend, it’s possible he could retroactively be placed on IR, allowing a roster spot to be freed for a forward to be held onto until Thursday, at which time it would be less likely someone would get claimed with other teams having their 23-man roster already set.

Possible Capitals Roster Moves

The Capitals also could paper Ilya Protas to the AHL, as while he seems set to be in the team’s actual Opening Night lineup, it wouldn’t be necessary to have him taking a spot in the three days of practice while other teams play.

Patrick could also just pre-empt the deadline and trade a player who has to clear waivers, most likely for a pick just to avoid losing a forward for nothing.

So while Washington’s week-long preseason will end Saturday, Friday will offer a glimpse of this year’s roster, and Saturday will give management a final chance to evaluate the last pieces of the roster.