- There’s no firm timeline for when (or if) Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom might return next season after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery but Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic feels (subscription link) that the team is planning to be without the 34-year-old for the entire regular season with a small hope that he could be ready in the playoffs. Backstrom has three years left on his deal with a $9.2MM AAV and will clearly be eligible to go on LTIR. However, if the Caps feel that he won’t return at all during the season, that would give them more flexibility to add to their roster as they wouldn’t have to have enough freed up to accommodate his return. Speculatively, this feels like a situation where they’ll want to wait until closer to midseason and then reassess things heading towards the trade deadline.
Capitals Rumors
Hershey Bears Hire Todd Nelson
The Hershey Bears lost their head coach Scott Allen to the NHL a few weeks ago, when the Washington Capitals promoted him to replace the outgoing Scott Arniel. That left an appealing vacancy for the Capitals affiliate, one they have filled with an equally experienced coach. Todd Nelson, who spent the last four seasons as an assistant with the Dallas Stars, has been hired as the new head coach in Hershey.
It was in 2017 that Nelson led the Grand Rapids Griffins to a Calder Cup championship but his success in the minor leagues started long before that. In 11 seasons as the head coach of an AHL or UHL team he has never missed the playoffs or had a record below .500. With two championships in the UHL with the Muskegon Fury, the Calder Cup win just a few years ago, and even some head coaching experience at the NHL level with the Edmonton Oilers, it’s hard to argue with the choice.
Fans of the team may even remember him from his playing days when he spent one season with the Bears and racked up a career-high 50 points in 70 games. The former defenseman appeared seven times at the NHL level, including six (two regular season, four playoff) games for the Capitals where he scored his first (and only) NHL goal.
Capitals Expected To Name Todd Nelson Head Coach With AHL Hershey
With the Capitals promoting Scott Allen to an assistant coaching role with the big club to replace Scott Arniel, that left a head coach opening to be filled with their AHL affiliate in Hershey. It appears that they’re close to filling that opening as ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that Washington is closing in on hiring former Stars assistant Todd Nelson as the next head coach of the Bears.
Nelson has been coaching for nearly two decades and it will be his third stint as an AHL head coach after running Oklahoma City for parts of five seasons (before becoming Edmonton’s interim bench boss) and three years in Grand Rapids before he joined Dallas four years ago.
It will be a return of sorts for the 53-year-old as Nelson spent three seasons as a player in Washington’s system, spent primarily at the minor league level although he scored his only NHL goal in a Capitals uniform. Nelson became available back in May once Dallas decided to overhaul their coaching staff and while he won’t be making it back behind an NHL bench, he’ll be returning to a very familiar role.
Looking Back At The First Round Of The 2005 NHL Entry Draft
On this date 17 years ago, the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. It was the league’s first major event since the lockout that cost them the entire 2004-05 season ended just over a week prior, and considering the draft’s top prize, there was added intrigue.
With the lack of regular-season standings to determine the draft order, the league implemented a snake draft system to make things more equitable for teams in later rounds that didn’t fare so well in the draft lottery. One team that did fare well that night, though, was the Pittsburgh Penguins, who cemented a 15-plus year run of success by drafting future captain Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick.
Five players selected that night went on to appear in at least 1,000 NHL games, including Crosby. One was 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Jack Johnson, taken third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes. Johnson never played a single game for Carolina, though, as he was traded the following offseason to the Los Angeles Kings along with defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky in exchange for defenseman Tim Gleason and center Eric Belanger.
Johnson wasn’t the only player from the first round to play meaningful games for the Kings, though. The team selected two-time Stanley Cup champion and future captain Anze Kopitar with the 11th overall selection. Another thousand-gamer was selected directly after him when the New York Rangers picked defenseman Marc Staal 12th overall, while Johnson’s teammate on the 2022 Avalanche, forward Andrew Cogliano, was selected 25th by the Edmonton Oilers.
One name from that night who could still join the 1,000-game club was St. Louis Blues selection and current Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie. Taken 24th overall, he only needs 100 more appearances to hit the mark.
Future Stanley Cup-winning skaters weren’t the only future legends drafted that night, though. Two of the greatest goalies in recent memory were drafted that night, with the Montreal Canadiens selecting Carey Price with the fifth overall pick and the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Tuukka Rask with the 21st overall pick, of course prior to trading him to the Boston Bruins the following season.
Just three players selected that night, all taken within four picks of each other, would never make an NHL appearance. Slovak forward Marek Zagrapan, drafted 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres, played just three years in the organization with two different AHL affiliates, scoring 20 goals there just once. At 35 years old, Zagrapan is still active, playing the 2022-23 season in the French Ligue Magnus.
Directly after him, the Washington Capitals took Canadian defenseman Sasha Pokulok with the 14th overall pick. The first overage player taken in the draft, he’s arguably the biggest bust of the night. He never spent a full season in the AHL, bouncing up and down between there and the ECHL for four seasons after turning pro in 2006. He failed to make a notable impact in Europe, too, only lasting one season in the DEL (2010-11) before floating around various lower-level leagues in Eastern Europe and Quebec.
Lastly, there’s Canadian winger Alex Bourret, taken by the Atlanta Thrashers at 16th overall. A short but strong power winger, Bourret had a very successful junior career in the QMJHL that just didn’t translate. His North American career fizzled out quickly after a strong start in the AHL, but after being traded twice (first to the Rangers, then to the Coyotes), he had just 14 points in 48 AHL games during his final season there in 2008-09.
Washington Capitals Hire Scott Allen
The Washington Capitals have hired Scott Allen as an assistant coach to replace Scott Arniel, after the latter moved to the Winnipeg Jets this offseason.
Allen, 56, has plenty of experience with the organization, having served as an assistant and then head coach of the Hershey Bears, Washington’s AHL affiliate. He’ll now move up the chain to join Peter Laviolette’s NHL squad, joining assistants Kevin McCarthy and Blaine Forsythe.
This isn’t his first time at this level. The veteran coach has been on the bench with the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Arizona Coyotes in the past, and has a long history in the ECHL and AHL.
In his new role, he will be responsible for coaching the forwards in Washington and running the penalty kill, two things that haven’t really been a problem for the team recently. The Capitals ranked 12th in the league last season on the penalty kill and scored the tenth most goals in the league.
Washington Capitals Sign Gabriel Carlsson
The Washington Capitals have added some defensive depth, signing Gabriel Carlsson to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $400K.
Carlsson, 25, was one of the players that did not receive a qualifying offer this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent after playing sparingly for the Columbus Blue Jackets the last several years. Originally selected 29th overall in the 2015 draft, he has just 75 games played at the NHL level.
While 38 of those games did come this year, there’s not a lot of track record to go on for Carlsson, given he has averaged fewer than 13 minutes a night in his short career. He’s huge–6’5″–and can skate well enough, but hasn’t ever been much of a puck-mover and offers very little offensive upside. In his minor league career, which spans 146 games in the AHL, he has just 32 points.
Still, in terms of depth signings, a 25-year-old first-round pick that has size and (some) NHL experience certainly isn’t the worst option. The Capitals have enough at the position between their returning veterans and younger prospects that Carlsson shouldn’t be asked to play regularly, and will likely spend a good bit of the year in the minor leagues.
Washington Capitals Sign Alexander Suzdalev, Ludwig Persson
The Washington Capitals have inked another two prospects, signing Alexander Suzdalev and Ludwig Persson, their third-round picks from this year. The young forwards have each signed three-year entry-level contracts.
Suzdalev, 18, was the 70th overall pick, after lighting up the scoresheet in Sweden this season. Originally born in Russia, he is a product of the Swedish hockey system and even competes for that country internationally. This season, playing for the junior HV71 team, he scored 51 points in 45 games, and eventually found himself rising up draft boards. By the end of the year he was considered the 26th best international skater by NHL Central Scouting.
Persson, 18, was taken just 15 picks later at 85th overall out of the same league. While he got a handful of games with Frolunda’s SHL team, it was the organization’s junior program where he really excelled, scoring 61 points in 41 games. The winger is expected to play in the Swedish second tier next season for BIK Kalskoga.
Interestingly enough, Suzdalev was actually picked by the Regina Pats in the 2021 CHL Import Draft, meaning he could potentially come to North America to play next season, should the Capitals believe that’s best for his development. Either way, both players will not burn the first year of these deals if they play anywhere but the NHL.
Washington Capitals Sign Dylan Strome
5:46 pm: The Washington Capitals have made the deal official, bringing Strome to the United States’ capital on a one-year, $3.5MM deal.
4:35 pm: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals are expected to sign top unqualified RFA Dylan Strome to a one-year contract worth $3.5MM.
For Washington, this is an important signing to give them a legitimate second-line center in the absence of Nicklas Backstrom. While the team is more optimistic Backstrom will be able to return during the season after a serious hip surgery that could threaten his career, Strome is a strong option with top-six experience to replace him.
Despite going unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks (and some puzzling early-season scratches by former head coach Jeremy Colliton), the 25-year-old had a strong year on a weak Chicago team with a career-high 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 69 games. With the chance to play with names like Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Anthony Mantha, T.J. Oshie, Connor Brown, and others, Strome could finally hit the offensive potential he had when he was drafted third overall in 2015.
It’s a strong signing for Washington, who’s had a quietly great offseason by adding defensive depth and signing veteran netminder Darcy Kuemper.
Washington Capitals Re-Sign Marcus Johansson
The Washington Capitals are keeping Marcus Johansson around, re-signing the free agent forward to a one-year, $1.1MM contract.
Johansson, 31, has a long, history with the Capitals, having played the first seven seasons of his career with the organization. A first-round pick in 2009, he was a big part of their offense for years, before eventually getting dealt to the New Jersey Devils for a pair of draft picks. The Capitals would go on to win the Stanley Cup the following year, while Johansson dealt with an injury-riddled campaign in New Jersey.
It’s been a very inconsistent ride since then, with the Swedish forward playing for the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, and Seattle Kraken following his time with the Devils, before a deadline trade this year brought him back to Washington. While he’s not in quite the same role as he once was, Johansson is still a great possession player that can bounce around a lineup, filling in wherever necessary.
For $1.1MM, he poses no risk to the Capitals, as his entire contract can be buried in the minor leagues if necessary. For at least the first part of the season that likely won’t be necessary, while the team deals with injuries to several key forwards, but it is not out of the question for Johansson to be scratched at some point near the end of the year, if he’s not providing better performance than Washington’s younger options.
Washington Capitals To Acquire Connor Brown
After he was linked to the Edmonton Oilers earlier in the day, Connor Brown is actually on his way to the Washington Capitals. The Ottawa Senators have sent Brown to the Capitals in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.
It was easy to see that Brown had been pushed out of Ottawa’s top-six by recent additions Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux, and almost immediately trade speculation started around his future. The 28-year-old forward has just one year left on his contract that carries a $3.6MM cap hit and is owed $4MM in actual salary this season.
He didn’t play his way out of Ottawa though, as the hard-working forward was still one of the team’s most consistent options last season, averaging more than 20 minutes a night and scoring 39 points in 64 games. While he probably won’t get quite as much ice time in Washington, he arrives as an instant penalty-killing improvement and versatile player that can move up and down whenever needed.
Brown is the kind of player that coaches love, never taking a shift off or quitting on a play. Not big or exceptionally skilled, he earns his paycheck by out-working the other team. It’s been like that for years. Despite being a sixth-round pick in 2012, Brown put up 128 points during his final year of junior, actually outscoring a young Connor McDavid. When he stepped into the AHL he found immediate success, scoring 21 goals and 61 points as a rookie for the Toronto Marlies.
It will be interesting to see where he starts, given the absence of Tom Wilson to start the season. Brown is a natural right-winger, though he can play the other side as well.
For the Senators, adding a second-round pick essentially makes up the value they gave Toronto in the Matt Murray trade, making them whole while clearing a good amount of money off the books. That money has been used for DeBrincat and Giroux, two offensive stars that should immediately push their team to an entirely new level.