| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Nicklas Backstrom  ActiveNicklas Backstrom has become the leader of the Washington Capitals. While most would figure it would be Alex Ovechkin, Ovie is not the one in the dressing room to say a lot and Backstrom has become quite vocal when needed. "He's a fairly quiet guy," T.J. Oshie said. "He's reserved, he's extremely poised with his emotions and with his hockey game, how he carries himself on the ice. When things need to be said and Nick speaks and he stands up and he says something, you listen because he cares, he thinks about what he says and he says the right things and a lot of the right moments." Backstrom is the Capitals top point-getter as he finished with 86 points in the regular season and 13 points in 13 playoffs games. He should be taken in the top-two rounds of most pools next season. May 21 |
| 2 | Evgeny Kuznetsov ActiveEvgeny Kuznetsov is not worried about his status as a restricted free agent. The 24-year-old (25 on Friday) is also eligible for arbitration so the likelihood of a holdout is miniscule compared to previous RFA's like Johnny Gaudreau who were not eligible for arbitration. "Just want to enjoy and play hockey," Kuznetsov said. "Long as I'm going to enjoy the hockey, I'm going to play hockey. It's going to be one years, eight years, 50 years, maybe I'm going to be like [Jaromir] Jagr." Look for a 75-80 point season from Kuznetsov next year and draft him accordingly. May 14 |
| 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 ActiveChandler Stephenson has been summoned from the minors. He was returned to the AHL Hershey recently and his recall is probably just an insurance move. May 1 |
| LW | 1 | Alex Ovechkin ActiveThe Vegas Golden Knights will not be trading for Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, per GM George McPhee. "That's not going to happen. Too many No. 8 jerseys in Washington," McPhee told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. McPhee could be bluffing, but the Golden Knights also don't really have the assets to acquire a player of Ovechkin's caliber in a trade. McPhee has also said that he plans on going with younger players in his quest to build up his expansion roster. All in all, Ovechkin to Vegas seems like a huge long-shot. Jun 3 |
| 2 | Marcus Johansson ActiveMarcus Johansson was playing with a fractured finger. The injury was revealed when it came out that Johansson wouldn't play for Team Sweden in the 2017 World Championship. He might require surgery as a result of the injury. He had two goals and eight points in 13 playoff games. May 11 |
| 3 | Andre Burakovsky ActiveAndre Burakovsky may graduate to Washington's top-six forward group next season. Washington GM Brian MacLellan would like to see Burakovsky move onto one of the team's top-two lines in 2017-18. "It sure looks like Burakovsky is ready to get to the next level," said MacLellan. "You put him in a top-six role, I would assume he’s going to be successful." Burakovsky mostly played on the third line this past season and he produced 35 points in 64 games, but he looked good on a line with Nicklas Backstrom during the playoffs. He could be worth keeping an eye on going into next year. May 30 |
| 4 | Daniel Winnik ActiveDaniel Winnik is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. That's a familiar position for Winnik, who has already played for seven different teams, but it's not one he's looking forward to. "It sucks," Winnik said. "There's a lot of guys in the league that are in the same boat. I'm older now, but I don't think my game's declined at all so hopefully that helps me come free agency if I get there." He had 12 goals and 25 points in 72 games this season. He has expressed an interest in re-signing with the Capitals. May 14 |
| RW | 1 | T.J. Oshie ActiveThe Washington Capitals have signed T.J. Oshie to an eight-year, $46 million contract extension. That works out to a $5.75 million annual cap hit, which is on the low end of what we thought he would get, but presumably the Capitals got him to agree to a lower AAV in exchange for a longer contract. In that regard this deal might hurt Washington in the long-term as Oshie will turn 31 in December. For now though his continued presence will be big for the Capitals as he's been a key member of the squad. He's breached the 50-point mark in each of his last four seasons and had 33 goals and 56 points in 68 contests in 2016-17. Jun 23 |
| 2 | Justin Williams ActiveJustin Williams could be a free agent target for the Dallas Stars. TSN's Darren Dreger suggested that Williams could be a fit for the Stars, as they shift their focus to addressing their forwards following the acquisition of Marc Methot from Vegas on Monday night. Williams could still return to the Capitals, but it's likely that he will listen to other offers. Jun 27 |
| 3 | Tom Wilson ActiveTom Wilson is fine after leaving practice early on Tuesday, according to coach Barry Trotz. He was hit in the foot with a shot and left the session early. Wilson had three goals and 12 penalty minutes in six games against Toronto in Round 1 of the postseason. He should be available for Game 1 versus Pittsburgh on Thursday. Apr 25 |
| 4 | Brett Connolly ActiveBrett Connolly has agreed to a two-year contract with the Washington Capitals. Connolly's new contract has an annual average value of $1.5 million. He didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Capitals, but he was still expected to stay with the team. Jun 26 |
| 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 | Kevin Shattenkirk ActiveTampa Bay made contact with Kevin Shattenkirk Sunday when the window to speak with pending unrestricted free agents opened. The Lightning don't want to put themselves back into cap trouble unless the situation is worth it, so Shattenkirk could price himself out of their range. He also nixed a trade to Tampa Bay from St. Louis in January. Shattenkirk will be a highly sough-after player on July 1 and there will be competition for his services. Jun 26 |
| 3 | 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 |
| 4 | Karl Alzner ActiveKarl Alzner will test free agency on July 1, but he did speak with the Golden Knights. If Vegas signed him during their 72-hour window then the Capitals would not be in danger of losing defenseman Nate Schmidt or backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer in the expansion draft. Jun 21 |
| 5 | 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 |
| 6 | Dmitry Orlov ActiveCapitals GM Brian MacLellan is open to giving a long-term contract to Dmitry Orlov. He sees Orlov as a valuable piece of Washington's top-four defense corps. According to reports, Orlov is being courted by the KHL, but it doesn't seem like the team is concerned. He is slated for restricted free agency and getting him signed is a top priority. May 30 |
| 7 | 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 |
| G | 1 | Braden Holtby ActiveThe Washington Capitals have protected 11 players in the expansion draft. They include Nicklas Backstrom, Andre Burakovsky, Tom Wilson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin, Lars Eller, Marcus Johansson, Dmitry Orlov, John Carlson, Matt Niskanen and Braden Holtby. The Golden Knights will likely decide between Philipp Grubauer and Nate Schmidt as to who they will select from Washington. Jun 18 |
| 2 | Philipp Grubauer ActivePhilipp Grubauer thinks he's ready to become a starter goaltender. That doesn't necessarily mean he's on his way out of Washington, though it wouldn't be surprising if that were the case anyways. Keep in mind that he's scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer and he would potentially be an expensive option as a backup, so the Capitals might want to allocate their cap space elsewhere. Las Vegas is a possible destination for him. In the meantime he plans to join Team Germany in the 2017 World Championship. May 12 |