For the first time in a while, the Caps have a number of roster spots up for grabs in training camp this season. In recent years, all but one or two spots were taken before training camp even started.

At forward the Caps have three open slots in the top-12 and likely one more spot for a 13th forward. Here’s a look at where things stand early in camp.

Nine returning forwards are a lock to make the team.

The locks: Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Lars Eller, Jay Beagle, Alex Ovechkin, Andre Burakovsky, Brett Connolly, TJ Oshie, and Tom Wilson.

That leaves three spots in the lineup as well as one more extra forward spot up for grabs. While a lot of teams carry 14 forwards, it’s likely the Caps will only carry 13 due to limited cap space.

The players in the mix for the last four spots are: Jakub Vrana, Nathan Walker, Chandler Stephenson, Travis Boyd, Riley Barber, Alex Chiasson, Devante Smith-Pelly, Anthony Peluso, Liam O’Brien, Tyler Graovac.

• Peluso, O’Brien, and Graovac are the three longest shots make the opening night lineup. One of them could grab the 13th forward spot if the team prefers another bubble player, for example Barber, to play in Hershey full-time rather than receive sporadic minutes in DC. In other words, some players in the mix will likely be sent to Hershey if they don’t crack the top-12 because that will be better for their development than being the 13th forward
• Vrana is the most skilled of all of these players. While it’s not a certainty, there’s a chance one of the three opening will be in the top-six. Vrana would be the favorite to grab that spot. While some reviews of Vrana’s 2016-17 season were mixed, he posted 36 points in 49 regular season games for the Bears and showed promise during his 21 games for the Caps. Vrana is a favorite to land one of the three open spots in the opening night lineup.
• Smith-Pelly is likely to get a long look as winger on the fourth line, especially since he’ll be fully healthy this season. With so much youth being injected into the lineup this season out of necessity, the Caps will likely look for a veteran to land at least one of the open spots. Smith-Pelly has a leg up on Chiasson here because of the fact that he’s already under contract.

DSP said he was hurt all of last year. A nagging knee thing that he mentioned to Devs in Oct. “I don’t want to say I was forced to play …”

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) September 17, 2017

• Chiasson could force his way onto the roster with a good camp and preseason. The fact that he’s not yet under contract could work against him, but the Caps lack of depth at right wing could be the reason Chiasson finds himself on the opening night roster.
• As Mike Vogel pointed out recently, Walker and Stephenson have to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL, whereas Boyd and Barber don’t. Boyd and Barber are certainly in the mix to grab a roster spot, but Walker and Stephenson likely have the inside track here due to their waiver status.
• As of today, my guess is Vrana, Smith-Pelly, and Walker are all in the Caps opening night lineup and Stephenson will start the season as the 13th forward.

Headline image: Chris Gordon