The Washington Capitals were arguably the NHL’s busiest team this offseason.
After overseeing a roster that missed the playoffs for just the fifth time in the Alex Ovechkin era, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick set out to do as much as he could this summer to ensure they would get back into the postseason at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Patrick recently spoke with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti about the dealings and what partially inspired them.
“We didn’t necessarily have to make drastic moves to make our team better than what we were last year,” Patrick said. “But on the other hand, I do feel like the players were looking for something here, you know, ‘Are we going to try to make that next step now? We were a good team last year. Are we going to look to make that next step now to be a top team in the league?’
“So I think we all thought it was important internally that we do some stuff that the players are going to see and say, ‘Hey, management’s all-in here. They believe in us.'”
Washington’s marquee additions came in the form of two high-scoring wingers, Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, as well as former Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner and hulking defenseman Vincent Desharnais. The club also retained Ovechkin, their legendary captain, as the soon-to-be 41-year-old winger signed on for another season after becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
Tuch and Kyrou represent the top-six upgrades that the Capitals have been seeking for multiple seasons, while Jenner will help fill the veteran void left by Nic Dowd when he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights at last season’s trade deadline. On defense, Desharnais will provide a physical presence on an already high-powered backend.
The new faces join a corps of players already on the roster led by names like Ovechkin, Jakob Chychrun, Logan Thompson, Dylan Strome, and Pierre-Luc Dubois. They are supplemented by exciting, emerging young stars like Ryan Leonard, Cole Hutson, and Ilya Protas, all expected to make the team out of training camp.
Washington is expected to start their camp in the next few weeks, with their first preseason game scheduled for September 20 on the road against the Boston Bruins. With their new-look lineup, the club will be expected to not only return to the playoffs, but emerge as a true contender for the Stanley Cup.
