| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Nicklas Backstrom  ActiveNicklas Backstrom is a prime candidate to be a replacement all-star after Thursday's news that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will miss the Jan. 25 classic in Columbus. Backstrom has had a terrific season thus far with 15 goals and 47 points in 46 games. The 27-year-old has been an essential part of the Caps' season, helping the team build a 12-point cushion on the Metropolitan's final playoff spot. Backstrom has never been to the all-star game before. Jan 22 |
| 2 | Evgeny Kuznetsov ActiveEvgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal in a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Kuznetsov has four goals and 13 points in 32 contests in 2014-15. He's got a lot of offensive upside, so he'll be worth keeping in mind for 2015-16 fantasy drafts even if he doesn't put up big numbers this season. Dec 24 |
| 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 a healthy scratch against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Latta has played just twice in 2015 with little to show for it. But he has 39 PIMs and 53 hits in 30 games this season. If your league rewards gritty forwards like him, keep on eye on him if he ever gets back into the lineup consistently. Jan 20 |
| 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 | Marcus Johansson ActiveMarcus Johansson scored twice in Washington's 6-2 victory over Toronto. Johansson has 12 goals and 24 points in 39 contests in 2014-15. He's never recorded more than 14 goals in a single season, but it wouldn't be shocking to see him flirt with the 20-goal mark. Jan 8 |
| 2 | Joel Ward ActiveJoel Ward picked up an assist in the Capitals 3-0 win Saturday. Ward now has 10 goals and 18 points this season including three power play goals. His fantasy value is in his points as he has only six penalty minutes and a plus-three rating. Dec 28 |
| 3 | Jason Chimera ActiveJason Chimera, with only his fourth goal of the season, scored the lone Washington goal in the Capitals' 1-0 shutout over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night. At 3:13 of the first period, Chimera tipped in a shot by Matt Niskanen, who got credit for his 12th assist of the season. The victory was the Capitals' seventh in a row on home ice. Jan 14 |
| 4 | Aaron Volpatti  I.L.Aaron Volpatti will not play Tuesday night against Edmonton. Volpatti, once a viable option for pools that reward the tough guys, hasn't suited up in the NHL since April 5th, 2014. He hasn't taken a penalty, a minor, since Feb. 2nd, 2014. Needless to say he's lacking in fantasy value. Jan 20 |
| RW | 1 | Alex Ovechkin ActiveAfter Alex Ovechkin lobbied to be one of the last picks in the All-Star draft so that he could win a car, it was finally revealed after the game why he wanted one so much. Alex Ovechkin had been trying to win one of the news Honda Honda Accords given out during the All-Star event so that he could donate it to the Washington Ice Dogs, which is a special needs hockey program. Ovechkin befriended one of the members of the team, 10-year-old Ann Schaub. He was skating at an event with the team when Ann invited him to come over to her house for sushi. Her family had been big fans of his as years earlier Ovechkin had met Ann's older brother, Louie, and gave him a stick. Ovechkin didn't end up winning a car, but Honda was curious as to what Ovechkin's motivations were for lobbying for the vehicle. When Honda learned of Ovechkin's goal, they gave him a car so that he could donate it to the Ice Dogs. Jan 26 |
| 2 | Troy Brouwer ActiveTroy Brouwer had two assists in a 6-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brouwer has recorded between 33 and 43 points in each of his previous five seasons and he's on pace to do so again in 2014-15. He has 11 goals and 20 points in 39 contests. Jan 8 |
| 3 | Andre Burakovsky ActiveAndre Burakovsky had two assists in a 5-4 shootout loss to Edmonton. Burakovsky has recorded at least a point in back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 26-29. He's tied for sixth place among rookies in the scoring race with 18 points 37 contests. Jan 21 |
| 4 | Jay Beagle ActiveJay Beagle scored a goal in Washington's 2-1 win on Monday. Beagle has six goals and 12 points in 37 contests in 2014-15. He's already set new career-highs in goals and points with his showing this season. Jan 13 |
| 5 | Eric Fehr ActiveEric Fehr wants to remain a member of the Washington Capitals. Fehr will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 unless he re-signs but he has told his agent that he wants to stay. "I’d love to be here," Fehr said. "I get along with everybody here. Some of my best friends are here. It’s a city I really love, so we’d love to stay here. That’s stuff we’ll worry about at another time." Fehr has 14 goals and 22 points in 42 games this season. Jan 24 |
| 6 | Tom Wilson ActiveTom Wilson thinks he needs to fight less with the Capitals doing so well. Wilson does not want to spend the five minutes in the sin bin and force the Capitals to go with only 11 forwards. "If we’re playing good hockey, we’re playing a four-line game, we’re up in the game, anyone that knows the game knows that’s not really a good time for our side to fight," Wilson said. "That’s textbook, the other team, we’re down in a game, we’re on the road, our guys are flat, I’ve got to fight to get the guys going. That’s textbook for them. We don’t want to fall into that. Not a lot of guys on our team would fall into that anyways, but for a few of us, it’s about playing hard, having that team toughness, knowing that we’re going to defend each other but not crossing the line into undisciplined play or taking a bad penalty or giving them any ammunition to get the game going in their favor." Wilson has two goals and eight assists in 33 games with 77 penalty minutes but has only four minors in his last 10 games. Jan 17 |
| D | 1 | Matt Niskanen ActiveMatt Niskanen got an assist in a 1-0 win over Philadelphia. After recording 46 points last season, Niskanen has just two goals and 14 points in 43 games in 2014-15. The fact that he's declined this season isn't surprising, but the degree to which he's fallen is. We wouldn't be surprised if he does at least a bit better in the second half of the season. Jan 15 |
| 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 ActiveMike Green had two assists in a 5-4 shootout loss to Washington. It was Green's second multi-point game in the span of three contests. He has four goals and 27 points in 38 games this season. Jan 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 has three goals and 11 points in 46 games this season. That's a pace Alzner should be able to maintain, although it's not enough to intrigue most standard league owners. Alzner is more noteworthy in leagues that count blocked shots as he already has 87 of those this season. That's more or less in line with expectations going into the campaign. Jan 23 |
| 6 | Dmitry Orlov I.L.Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said that Dmitry Orlov may be shut down for the season if his wrist doesn't improve "over the next couple of weeks." "It’s been a frustrating situation for us with his injury. I’d love to see our team with Orlov and Green on the third pair. That’s six really good defensemen," MacLellan said. Orlov, still just 23 years old, hasn't dressed for the Caps this season though he has one season left at just $2M before he's an RFA. He's also managed a respectable 31 points through 119 career games, all with Washington. Jan 23 |
| 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 ActiveJack Hillen will see his ninth game of the season Saturday night in New Jersey as he subs in for Nate Schmidt. Hillen, like Schmidt, has no fantasy value. Dec 20 |
| G | 1 | Braden Holtby ActiveBraden Holtby suffered a rare loss against an unlikely opponent Tuesday as the Capitals dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to the Oilers. The Caps held a two-goal lead with less than five minutes to play in the third period, but coughed it up and eventually fell in the shootout. Hotly allowed four goals on 31 shots in the loss, which drops his record to 22-9-8 on the year. He has still lost only two regulation games since December 2nd. Jan 20 |
| 2 | Justin Peters ActiveJustin Peters yielded five goals on 26 shots in Washington’s 5-4 loss to the Stars on Saturday night. Peters was making his first start since Nov. 29, a span of 21 consecutive games for Braden Holtby. Peters has not been good — with a 3.51 goals-against average and .864 save percentage — but the Capitals need to give him more time between the pipes to get him into a rhythm and give Holtby more time off. Holtby is due to make around 70 starts. Jan 17 |