As Spencer Carbery starts his first season in Washington, he’ll attempt to revitalize a team that failed to make the playoffs this spring for the first time in nine years. The Capitals’ bounce-back will depend in part on forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha, who both struggled last year. Though Kuznetsov and Mantha were apparently on the trade block this offseason, no trades have yet materialized.

Carbery spoke on the pair during a podcast interview on Mike Vogel’s Break the Ice, where he walked through his plan to help both players return to form.

Carbery stressed information gathering as the first step in that process, comparing each skater’s peak performance to their most recent play. Without a front-row view of either player’s past, Carbery will rely on other members of the Capitals organization to fill in the gaps.

“Find out from teammates, other coaches, management, scouts, whatever it is, find out what’s made them successful in the past or what have they looked like when they’ve been at their best,” he said. “Now watch the film and see the good of when they were at the top of their game.”

Kuznetsov and Mantha both experienced a precipitous drop last season: Kuznetsov scored 55 points (12g, 43a) for his worst-scoring campaign since his sophomore year, while Mantha’s points per game dropped by more than a third (from 0.62 to 0.40). For better or worse, Carbery hopes that such a sharp decline could signal the underlying issue.

“Now look at the last 20 games, whatever it is, from the previous season that they played in,” he continued. “What doesn’t look the same? What’s different about this player than what I saw when he was clicking on all cylinders? So try to identify those details inside of their game that potentially I can help them with.”

Both players could also benefit from a fresh start under new coaching staff. In the final months of Peter Laviolette’s tenure in Washington, Kuznetsov spent time on the team’s the fourth line, while Mantha was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions. Carbery has already spoken to both players and detailed a more collaborative plan to get back on track.

“It’s my job to help them see those things and then give them confidence and get them back to where they were,” he said. “And does that always work out? No. There’s no magic pixie dust. But at the end of the day, I understand it’s my job to get the most out of Anthony Mantha and help him get there.

“It’s not like, ‘okay, good luck. You need to do XYZ.’ I have to help him get there and have to help identify the situations where he’s doing a great job and where he’s not. And it won’t be different for any other player, trying to help them reach their full potential.”

Mantha has been particularly candid about his performance last season. He told reporters at the Capitals’ Breakdown Day that he had hired a “mental coach” following the healthy scratches, and spoke frankly about his recent play during an interview last month.

“I find that I was not present and involved enough for my team,” he said. “Points, hits, and all the little details. I want to be ready this year to accomplish them.”

Kuznetsov, meanwhile, has signaled a desire to stay in DC after a previous trade request. Earlier this summer, Carbery said Kuznetsov would remain a critical part of the lineup and noted he appeared excited for the season ahead. With a new head coach and without any apparent moves sending him out of Washington, the Capitals appear likely to wait and see how he performs this fall.

When speaking with Vogel, Carbery exhibited optimism about the pair of players, who he argued could still make a positive impact on his team.

“I have great belief that they’re going to come in, be highly motivated. They want to do well, they want to be the best, they want to win games and help the Washington Capitals win a ton of games this year.

“So with that, that’s a great situation. Two highly motivated guys that I think are going to come in and do a great job for our group, and I’m going to do everything I can to help them.”

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB