| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Nicklas Backstrom  ActiveWashington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom took sole possession of first place in NHL scoring - at least for now - as his assist gives him 64 points. Forty-six of those points are assists. Backstrom seemed like an All-Star all season even when he didn't make the team, but now that omission seems extra glaring as his red-hot run continues. Feb 21 |
| 2 | Evgeny Kuznetsov ActiveEvgeny Kuznetsov had an assist in Washington's 3-1 loss on Sunday. Kuznetsov is riding a four-game point streak. That brings him up to six goals and 23 points in 52 contests in 2014-15. He's worth taking a chance on in fantasy drafts for the 2015-16 campaign as he has a ton of offensive upside and at that point he'll have had plenty of time to adjust to playing in the NHL after excelling in the KHL. Feb 9 |
| 3 | Brooks Laich ActiveBrooks Laich enjoyed a two-point night in the Capitals’ 4-1 win over the Devils on Saturday. Laich scored via the empty net, but he also got an assist on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s power-play goal in the second period. For the second straight season, Laich has dealt with injuries, thus he has just four points in 11 games. Jay Beagle and Karl Alzner notched the other markers, while Joel Ward recorded two assists. Dec 6 |
| 4 | Michael Latta ActiveMichael Latta will be back in the Capitals lineup Wednesday night against the Penguins. Latta has appeared in just two games since the new year but will get another chance Wednesday versus Pittsburgh as he draws back into the lineup. He's put up just four assists in 30 games this season but does have 39 penalty minutes and 53 hits. Head coach Barry Trotz has yet to determine who will come out of the lineup to make room for Latta. Jan 28 |
| 5 | Liam O'Brien ActiveThe Washington Capitals have assigned Liam O'Brien to the AHL. The 20-year-old has one goal and two points in 13 games this season. Dec 7 |
| LW | 1 | Alex Ovechkin ActiveAlex Ovechkin scored a goal in a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovechkin has 39 goals and 62 points in 62 contests in 2014-15. He's already reached the 40-goal milestone in six of his previous nine campaigns. With 461 goals, Ovechkin ranks 54th on the all-time list behind Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine (468). Given that he's still just 29, Ovechkin has the potential to rapidly rise up the all-time ranks in the coming years. Feb 26 |
| 2 | Marcus Johansson ActiveMarcus Johansson scored a goal in a 5-3 win over Anaheim. Johansson has 14 goals and 33 points in 57 contests in 2014-15. There's a decent chance that he'll narrowly surpass his career high of 46 points in a single season. Feb 16 |
| 3 | Joel Ward ActiveJoel Ward scored a goal in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals found themselves down 2-0 in the second period but they were eventually able to tie the game on goals from Ward and Tom Wilson. The 34-year-old veteran now has 14 goals and 25 points in 61 games. Eric Fehr and Brooks Laich picked up the assists on Ward's goal. The loss ends Washington's four-game winning streak. Feb 22 |
| 4 | Jason Chimera ActiveJason Chimera will be scratched for his second straight game as his Capitals take on the Jets. If this is a new trend, it's hard to see where he'll fit into the lineup with just five goals, 12 points, and 90 hits through 54 games this season. Feb 19 |
| 5 | Aaron Volpatti ActiveWhile he made his season debut on Feb. 3, Aaron Volpatti will sit out another game as the Washington Capitals face the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Volpatti received 12 shifts (9:03 TOI) in his first game of 2014-15. In 41 games last season, he generated two goals and 49 PIM. Feb 6 |
| RW | 1 | Troy Brouwer ActiveTroy Brouwer scored a goal and assisted on another in the Washington Capitals' 4-3 loss Wednesday night to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. Brouwer now has 18 goals and 14 assists on the season. Defenseman John Carlson also had a goal and an assist for the Capitals. Carlson has established himself as one of the NHL's better offensive defensemen, with 10 goals and 33 assists this season. Alex Ovechkin, one of the NHL's better offensive forwards, scored the Caps' third goal Wednesday, his 39th of the season. Ovechkin also dished out a game-high eight hits. Jason Chimera picked up a couple of assists. Feb 25 |
| 2 | Andre Burakovsky ActiveAndre Burakovsky will be back in the Caps lineup Wednesday night versus Pittsburgh. After being a healthy scratch in Sunday’s loss to the Flyers, head coach Barry Trotz will insert the 20-year-old back onto the Caps top line with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Burakovsky has skated in 45 games this season, posting nine goals and 12 assists with a plus 12 rating. But what’s more telling is the fact that the Capitals are 7-0-0 in their last seven games when he’s in the lineup and 0-4-1 when he’s a healthy scratch. Time will tell if Trotz will keep him in the lineup more regularly but based on those records, it’d be foolish to leave him out. Feb 25 |
| 3 | Jay Beagle ActiveJay Beagle will sit out Wednesday’s game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. This will be Beagle’s first game out of the lineup this year and first game being scratched since November 27, 2013. An early offensive zone penalty in Sunday’s loss to the Flyers may be a reason why head coach Barry Trotz will elect to scratch the veteran forward. He will be replaced by Andre Burakovsky Wednesday night. Feb 25 |
| 4 | Eric Fehr ActiveEric Fehr has done a very good job at center for the Washington Capitals. He was especially impressive against Pittsburgh on Wednesday when he won 77 percent of his 22 faceoffs and was tasked with helping the Caps shutdown Sidney Crosby. "I give a lot of credit, just to Fehr's line that frustrated Sid's line there," coach Barry Trotz said. "He did a really good job." Fehr also scored his 15th goal of the season in the contest. Jan 29 |
| 5 | Tom Wilson ActiveTom Wilson is a healthy scratch in Sunday's game against Anaheim. Aaron Volpatti and Steven Olesky will also watch the game from the press box. Feb 15 |
| D | 1 | Matt Niskanen ActiveMatt Niskanen had two assists in a 4-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday night. Niskanen has two goals and 17 points in 47 contests this season. That's a huge step down from his 46-point showing in 2013-14 and while it's obviously too late to replicate that success, we wouldn't dismiss the possibility of him finishing the 2014-15 campaign on a high note. Jan 28 |
| 2 | John Carlson ActiveJohn Carlson scored for the Capitals in their 3-1 win over the Red Wings on Saturday night. If the All-Star lineup didn’t need a representative from all 30 teams (and had five Blackhawks not made it, limiting the pool), Carlson could’ve easily found himself on the team. He’s easily been the Capitals’ best defensemen. He has five goals and 31 points this season. Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward got the other goals. Jan 10 |
| 3 | Mike Green ActiveThe Capitals are unlikely to trade Mike Green prior to the March 2 deadline, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Green is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. He means too much for the Capitals, who have designs on making noise in the playoffs, and it would probably be difficult for them to find a player who fit his puck-moving mold. Green has 36 points in 51 games this season. Feb 21 |
| 4 | Brooks Orpik ActiveWashington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz describes defenseman Brooks Orpik as "a little bit hurt, but not not injured." Orpik was able to play in the 2015 Winter Classic despite being banged up. Orpik has eight assists and 32 SOG, but his value is best illustrated in grit stats, as he has 34 PIM and 141 hits so far in 2014-15. Jan 3 |
| 5 | Karl Alzner ActiveKarl Alzner scored a goal in a 4-3 loss on Sunday. Alzner also recorded two hits and two blocked shots during the game. While not always used in fantasy leagues, those categories are arguably more relevant to Alzner given that he's not an offensive defenseman. He has four goals and 13 points in 50 contests. Feb 2 |
| 6 | Dmitry Orlov  I.L.Dmitry Orlov (wrist) still believes he will play this season. That being said, we're almost into February and Orlov isn't close to returning. "It's getting better," Orlov noted. "It's still stiff and I need to keep making it strong. I think I will play this season. But it needs to be stronger." He suffered a fractured wrist while playing in the 2014 World Championship. He had surgery to repair the damage, but then suffered an infection. Jan 30 |
| 7 | John Erskine I.L.John Erskine underwent neck surgery on Wednesday. It might be a few weeks before he starts his rehabilitation program and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return. He had four points and 56 penalty minutes in 37 games in 2013-14. Oct 22 |
| 8 | Jack Hillen ActiveWashington defenseman Jack Hillen and forward Aaron Volpatti will both be healthy scratches Wednesday against the Penguins. Hillen has skated in 34 games this season, adding just five assists with no goals and has found himself scratched for the last two games. He’s being replaced by Cam Schilling who will skate in his second straight game for the first time in his career. Volpatti has played in just two games this season back on February 14th and February 3rd and has yet to record a point. Feb 25 |
| 9 | Cam Schilling ActiveWith Mike Green a very late scratch, Cam Schilling will make his season debut for the Washington Capitals against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. He's not a big fantasy threat at this point, so JFYI. Feb 6 |
| G | 1 | Braden Holtby ActiveWashington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby usually enjoys games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wednesday night, however, Holtby and the Caps were 4-3 losers to the Pens in Washington. Holtby entered the game with a .033 goals-against average, a .989 save percentage and two shutouts in three victories against Pittsburgh this season. But the Pens were the better team in this one, outshooting the Caps 26-24 and controlling the play for most of the game. Holtby made 22 saves. His record dropped to 29-14-9. His GAA is now 2.20 and his save percentage, .923. Feb 25 |
| 2 | Justin Peters ActiveJustin Peters stopped 30 of 33 shots in Sunday's 5-3 win over Anaheim. Peters' winless slump is finally over. The Capitals' backup goaltender had previously lost three consecutive starts but he hadn't collected a win since November 8th. It's a good thing that Braden Holtby has been a rock between the pipes for Washington, because Peters' numbers haven't been very flattering. His record improves to 3-5-1 and he has an ugly 3.52 goals-against-average and a .875 save percentage. Feb 15 |