The Washington Capitals have spent the 2026 NHL offseason letting everyone know that not only do they plan to make it back into the playoffs, but also make some big-time noise once there.
General manager Chris Patrick made several big additions to his roster, including multiple new forwards and some size on the backend. One of the club’s expected top contributors, long-time center Dylan Strome, is excited by the moves and recently told NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that now it’s on the players to deliver after the front office’s big leap of faith this summer.
“I mean, I think it has to be,” Strome said when asked if this is now a Stanley Cup-or-bust season for the Capitals. “I think with the pieces that we’ve added, you can’t ask much more from management, so now it’s time for the players to step up and do what’s asked of us.”
Washington’s marquee adds come in the form of two star, high-scoring wingers, Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, as well as former Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner and hulking defenseman Vincent Desharnais. However, perhaps the biggest move of them all came with legendary winger Alex Ovechkin signing on for one more season with the Capitals.
Strome has been Ovechkin’s primary center since he arrived in DC as a free agent ahead of the 2022-23 season. The two have shared the ice at five-on-five for over 1,892 minutes across the past three seasons, with the Capitals outscoring their opposition 104-89 during those minutes.
The 29-year-old pivot told Zeisberger that he was on a golf course when he found out Ovechkin had re-signed, checking his phone to see that the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer had sent a message to the Capitals’ group chat confirming the news. With Ovechkin back in the fray, the Caps now have 11 players on their roster who have scored at least 20 goals in a single season during their careers, and six of those players have also hit the 30-goal threshold before.
“Not only with Ovi coming back but some of the other things too,” Strome said. “Tuch was the big fish. So I think they had the goal in mind of what they wanted to do in the offseason, and it seems they obtained that goal pretty well, getting some high-octane offensive guys that can definitely help on the power play and five-on-five scoring, which is obviously important during the playoffs.”
While head coach Spencer Carbery could put Strome right back with Ovechkin in the fall, he also now has plenty of other options to work through, and no matter what, Strome will have two very good wingers to dish the puck to. After a career-best, 82-point effort during the 2024-25 season, Strome couldn’t find that same magic this past year, failing to reach the 60-point mark for the first time with the Capitals.
Strome will be hoping the team’s increased depth helps him get closer to those previous highs, and of course, the Capitals deep into the 2027 postseason.
