| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Nicklas Backstrom  ActiveNicklas Backstrom made roughly a $10,000 donation to the youth hockey organization Valbo HC. Backstrom's donation was the bonus that he received for helping Team Sweden win gold at the 2017 World Championships. Backstrom is a former member of the organization and their arena is named after him. Sep 4 |
| 2 | Evgeny Kuznetsov ActiveEvgeny Kuznetsov picked up a goal and two assists in Washington's 4-2 preseason win over the Montreal Canadiens. Kuznetsov opened the scoring with a power play goal that looked way too easy, as he went around veteran Mark Streit like he wasn't even there. The 25-year-old saw his point total come down from 77 in 2015-16 to 59 last season. Don't be surprised if he bounces back in a big way in 2017-18. He has the talent to put together an 80-point season, but he'll have to prove that last year was just a blip on the radar. Sep 20 |
| 3 | Lars Eller ActiveLars Eller had a pair of assists in the Capitals 4-2 win Saturday. Eller had Alex Ovechkin on his wing and that never hurts as he set up Ovie's insurance goal. Eller has five assists in 11 games during the playoffs and has not been a bad selection in playoff pools thus far. May 7 |
| 4 | Jay Beagle ActiveJay Beagle had the best season of his NHL career in 2016-17. The 31-year-old who has one more year on his contract, had 13 goals and 30 points with a plus-20 rating this past season and gave the Capitals some depth scoring as a bottom-six forward. He was pointless in 13 playoff games and that did not bode well for Washington who once again were bounced from the playoffs in the second round. Look for 25-30 points next season from Beagle. May 22 |
| 5 | Chandler Stephenson ActiveThe Washington Capitals have signed Chandler Stephenson to a two-year contract. Stephenson's deal is two-way in the first season with him having the potential to earn $650,000 at the NHL level or $125,000 in the minors. For the second season it turns into a one-way contract, which means he'll make $650,000 in 2018-19 regardless of what level he's playing in. He had 10 goals and 38 points in 72 AHL contests last season. The 23-year-old has appeared in 13 career NHL games, but doesn't have a point at that level. Jun 29 |
| LW | 1 | Alex Ovechkin ActiveAlex Ovechkin understands that he won't be playing in the 2018 Winter Olympics. "I said every time I was asked since last Olympics that nobody is going to tell me I can't play because my country was going to be allowed to ask me," Ovechkin said. "Now the IIHF and NHL say my country is not allowed to ask anybody in the NHL to play and there is nothing to talk about anymore. NHL players in the Olympics is good for hockey and good for Olympics. It sucks that will we not be there to play!!" Ovechkin isn't the only player disappointed that he won't be able to represent his country, but at least this statement provides some closure on the situation because for a time it seemed like he might go no matter the consequences. Sep 15 |
| 2 | Brett Connolly ActiveBrett Connolly will battle for a top-six forward spot at training camp. There appears to be a position open alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. "I think everything will take care of itself and they are going to try guys in different spots," said Connolly. "But you know, if I slip into that second power-play unit where [Justin] Williams was last year, I think I can do well there and I'm not really too worried about who I'm going to play with this year." He was comfortable playing on the third line with Lars Eller last season and wouldn't mind playing there again. Sep 20 |
| 3 | Tyler Graovac ActiveThe Washington Capitals have acquired Tyler Graovac from the Minnesota Wild for a fifth-round pick in 2018. Washington needed to acquire one more player who met the minimum requirements for the expansion draft or they would have had to expose two of Lars Eller, Tom Wilson or Jay Beagle. Graovac had seven goals and two assists in 52 games with Minnesota this season. Regardless of where he plays next season, he won't have any fantasy value. Jun 14 |
| 4 | Jakub Vrana ActiveJakub Vrana looked good during Wednesday's preseason game. Vrana was making the most of his opportunity to play alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. "I thought Vrana created a lot of chances," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "His speed was noticeable. There’s little nuances in his game that we can teach. But with his speed, he had a couple chances right off the bat. He had some good looks; got to hit the net though. He missed the net a couple times." Vrana had three goals and six points in 21 games with Washington last season, but he has a considerable amount of offensive upside. He's definitely a player to keep an eye on during the preseason. Sep 21 |
| 5 | Nathan Walker ActiveNathan Walker could become the first Australian to play in an NHL game this season. Walker has a chance to claim a roster spot out of training camp on the fourth line. He had 11 goals and 23 points in 58 games with the Hershey Bears of the AHL last year. Walker also plays with an edge and described himself as a "pest." Jul 30 |
| RW | 1 | T.J. Oshie ActiveT.J. Oshie believes the Washington Capitals won't be able to dominate the standings in 2017-18. The Capitals have won back-to-back Presidents' Trophies, but Oshie expects it to be more difficult. "We lost a lot of really, really good players, and I think we knew that was going to happen," Oshie said. "Now we're going to need a lot of younger guys to fill in for a lot of different roles. "I'm looking for everyone to take that next step. It's not one or two guys; we need everyone to get on board and to find that next level. From our star players to our support players and to the guys that play the dirty minutes, we need everyone." Aug 24 |
| 2 | Andre Burakovsky ActiveThe Washington Capitals have inked Andre Burakovsky to a two-year, $6 million contract. Burakovsky was a restricted free agent this summer after completing his entry-level contract. A bridge deal made a lot of sense here as Burakovsky has shown promise, but he hasn't reached the 40-point mark in a season yet. The 2017-18 campaign could be where that changes though as he should get an opportunity to serve as a top-six forward. Jul 4 |
| 3 | Tom Wilson ActiveTom Wilson hopes to secure a regular spot on one of the Capitals' top two lines. Wilson's physical play is what he's known for and so far his career-high in points was his 23 in 2015-16. The 23-year-old might be able to grow offensively though. "I’ve had success in short periods of time with them, but in order to be a top-six guy, you need to have that consistency and you need to make sure you’re producing every night," Wilson said. "I don’t look at it as pressure — there’s pressure on everyone in this league. Whether you’re a first-line or a fourth-line guy, you’re expected to do your job. Obviously when you’re expected to score and produce, there’s an extra eye on you, but that’s the nature of the game." If nothing else he's a great source of hits and penalty minutes in fantasy leagues that value one or both of those categories. If he grows his game offensively then that'd be a bonus. Sep 19 |
| 4 | Devante Smith-Pelly ActiveDevante Smith-Pelly was dealing with a nagging knee injury for the entirety of the 2016-17 campaign. That might explain why Smith-Pelly struggled in 2016-17 with four goals, nine points, and a minus-19 rating in 53 games. The Devils decided to buy him out over the summer, but Washington inked him to a one-year, two-way contract. He might be a decent bottom-six forward this season, but he isn't likely to be a significant offensive factor. Sep 17 |
| 5 | Riley Barber ActiveRiley Barber has been assigned to Hershey of the AHL. He made his third appearance of the season with the Capitals on Tuesday night. The 23-year-old has 12 points in 19 games with Hershey this year. Mar 1 |
| D | 1 | John Carlson ActiveJohn Carlson will indeed return to action in Game 1 against Toronto on Thursday. He'll pair back with Karl Alzner as well. Carlson posted nine goals and 37 points in 72 games this season. Apr 13 |
| 2 | Matt Niskanen ActiveMatt Niskanen insisted that there was no intent to injure when he cross-checked Sidney Crosby in the back of the head during Monday's contest. Niskanen received a five-minute major and game misconduct while Crosby was unable to continue playing. "It wasn’t intentional," Niskanen said. "I’ve seen the replay. In super slowmo, it looks really bad. I caught him high. He’s coming across trying to score. As he’s doing that, he’s getting lower and lower. And when it’s happening that fast, you know, my stick and his head collided. I wasn’t extending, trying to hit him in the head." Niskanen added that he wasn't trying to crosscheck Crosby with "a serious amount of force." Niskanen won't be suspended, so he's expected to be in the lineup for Game 4. May 2 |
| 3 | Dmitry Orlov ActiveDmitry Orlov has inked a six-year, $30.6 million contract extension with the Washington Capitals. Orlov was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1. He had six goals and 33 points in 82 games while averaging 19:32 minutes last season. He'll celebrate his 26th birthday in July so he might not have much upside left, but if all he does is maintain his current level then he'll look pretty reasonable with his $5.1 million annual cap hit. Jun 30 |
| 4 | Brooks Orpik ActiveBrooks Orpik is probable for Tuesday's match versus Calgary. He received some maintenance Monday and didn't skate on Monday after he was banged up on Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mar 20 |
| 5 | Taylor Chorney ActiveTaylor Chorney will be a healthy scratch in Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chorney played in just 18 games during the regular season and he piled up one goal and four assists. He hasn't played in a playoff game in 2017. Paul Carey and Chandler Stephenson will also watch from the press box. Apr 27 |
| 6 | Christian Djoos ActiveChristian Djoos is hoping to gain weight this season. Djoos was listed at 164 pounds last season, and he says he's up to 168 pounds right now. He still feels like he wants to add a little more bulk. "For sure, I need to get bigger," Djoos said. "We’re working on it every day here in the gym and back home over the summer. It feels good, getting bigger and stronger. I just got to keep eating, keep eating, work out, then maybe one day just explode and gain some pounds." The 23-year-old had an impressive season in the minors last year, as he put up 13 goals and 58 points in 66 games with AHL Hershey. Sep 3 |
| 7 | Madison Bowey ActiveMadison Bowey could be ready for the jump to the NHL in 2017-18. "He looks like an NHLer," Hershey coach Troy Mann said. "He's got that demeanor out there. He has that size and the physical tools to play at the NHL level. Certainly his consistency is something we've worked on the last two seasons." Bowey skated in just 34 games for the Bears last season, as he missed a large chunk of the year because of a lacerated ankle tendon, but he played well when he was healthy. The 22-year-old blueliner will compete with Christian Djoos, Aaron Ness, Tyler Lewington and Lucas Johansen for a roster spot at training camp. Jul 30 |
| 8 | Lucas Johansen ActiveWashington GM Brian MacLellan is confident that Lucas Johansen will be a strong contributor at the NHL level. "I really like Lucas Johansen, and whether it's now or six months from now or a year from now, I think he's going to be a factor," MacLellan said. There is a chance he could earn a roster spot with the Capitals out of training camp. If Johansen doesn't make the team then he could be one of the first call-ups in 2017-18 if Washington needs a defenseman. Jul 26 |
| G | 1 | Braden Holtby ActiveBraden Holtby is happy to see so many open roster spots in Washington's lineup. The Capitals lost a number of veteran pieces this summer, as Justin Williams, Marcus Johansson and Karl Alzner are no longer with the organization. "It’ll be nice, especially in training camp, to have some spots open, to create a little more intensity," Holtby said. "The last few years we’ve basically had our roster, and everyone knew that. Guys were fighting for call-ups. This year, with so many roster spots open, it should really prepare us for Game 1." One roster that isn't up for grabs is Holtby's. He's the undisputed number one goalie in Washington. Aug 24 |
| 2 | Philipp Grubauer ActivePhilipp Grubauer has signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals. That's double Grubauer's cap hit from the previous two seasons. He posted a 2.04 GAA and .926 save percentage last season, but he was limited to 24 games due to the presence of Braden Holtby. With Holtby set to be the Capitals' starter for the foreseeable future, Grubauer is likely to eventually leave Washington either via free agency or a trade. For now though, the Capitals have a superb tandem. Jul 6 |