Plenty of noise has surrounded Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren heading into the 2026-27 season, especially after the team lost fellow goalie Clay Stevenson on waivers earlier this week.
Lindgren struggled to find consistent play in net last season, going just 9-8-3 with a 3.52 goals-against average and an .879 save percentage. His struggles raised questions about where he fits into the club’s future plans, but his goaltending battery mate, Logan Thompson, is now pushing back, believing some of the criticism has gone too far.
“Yeah, I think it was a little too much noise,” Thompson said Thursday. “I think people were really rooting against Charlie. A lot of people that I kind of see a lot, so I didn’t like that.”
Thompson has also gotten to know Lindgren away from the rink, and the two have developed a close friendship in addition to their working relationship. That relationship reportedly kept the Capitals from trading Lindgren this past summer and ultimately led to Stevenson landing with the Winnipeg Jets.
“I think Charlie is a really important piece to this organization,” Thompson said. “He’s been a good friend to me. And on the ice, he’s a good goalie partner. I think he’s going to have a great year, and I’m excited to get to work with him.”
Thompson’s optimism that Lindgren is due for a bounce back is essentially the message the rest of the Capitals seem to be taking into the new season. Head coach Spencer Carbery pointed to Lindgren’s health and preparation as reasons for optimism.
“I think just the opportunity to come back this year fresh, feeling healthy, and try to show that he is still capable of playing at the level that we’ve seen in the past,” Carbery said. “We’re confident that he’s going to be able to do that.”
Carbery pointed to Lindgren’s first start of last season as an example of the type of goaltending the Capitals know he’s capable of providing.
That start came against the New York Rangers in the second half of a back-to-back. Washington struggled to generate much offensively, but Lindgren stopped all 35 shots he faced to keep the Capitals in the game and ultimately helped them escape with a 1-0 victory.
“We didn’t play very well; it was on a back-to-back, and I think we might have won 1-0 or something like that,” Carbery said. “He was phenomenal, and we’re not asking for him to save the world. It’s a tough game to play, back-to-backs, and sometimes he’s going to be put in some of those difficult situations, but just doing everything he can to put the team in the best position possible to win a hockey game and battle his ass off, and that’s all we’re asking for from Chuck.”
Lindgren will face the same scenario to start this year, as he will get the start for Washington in the second half of a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. Thompson will lead the Capitals out onto the ice the night prior when they open their regular season against the Carolina Hurricanes.
