Evgeny Kuznetsov says he had a lingering back injury that lasted months last season

Evgeny Kuznetsov told Capitals media on Thursday, the first day of Training Camp, that he played through a lingering injury during the 2022-23 season.

“A little bit, but nothing that probably I’m going to talk about publicly,” he said in English. “But there are a lot of guys playing hurt a little bit.”

Speaking publicly in a Russian-language interview with Slippery Ice, Kuznetsov said that it was a back injury that lasted five months.

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By Ian Oland 3 hours ago

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Evgeny Kuznetsov called Alex Alexeyev ‘a fool’ for thinking he’d be anything other than the 7th defenseman after re-signing with Capitals

The Washington Capitals appeared resistant to give young players minutes during the Peter Laviolette era, but with Lavy gone, Alex Alexeyev, seemed ecstatic about his future in DC.

Spending much of the 2022-23 season as a healthy scratch and extra defenseman, Alexeyev showed promise at the end of the year while regularly receiving a lineup spot from the outgoing head coach.

Alexeyev was one of the first players to re-sign with the Capitals over the offseason, inking a two-year, $1.65 million contract on May 2 that will pay him $775,000 in 2023-24 and $875,000 in 2024-25. The Russian rearguard was a restricted free agent, meaning the Capitals could have matched any contract offer he received from another team, but Alexeyev opted to not even test the market.

An apparently jaded Kuznetsov poked fun of his teammate’s enthusiasm in a tell-all Russian-language interview with Slippery Ice that included Capitals Russian amateur scout (per Elite Prospects), Andrei Nikolishin.

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By Ian Oland 5 hours ago

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Evgeny Kuznetsov says Bill Daly wanted to give him a much harsher suspension for his conduct related to a positive drug test

Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov was suspended three games by the NHL in 2019 for “inappropriate conduct.” The league determined that Kuznetsov had misled officials regarding a video that had circulated on social media showing him near a table with two lines of white powder.

Kuznetsov denied using cocaine, the supposed substance in the video, and explained that he had left the room soon after seeing the “strange substances on the table.” The Russian center would later test positive for cocaine while representing the Russian national team at the 2019 World Championships.

Kuznetsov spoke with Russian outlet Slippery Ice about the suspension process and revealed that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly initially wanted to keep him out of 20 games even though cocaine use is not prohibited in the NHL. The conversation was transcribed into Russian by sports.ru.

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By Chris Cerullo 6 hours ago

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Capitals announce roster for first preseason game under head coach Spencer Carbery

After only three days of on-ice Training Camp, the Washington Capitals will host their first game of the 2023 preseason.

Sunday, the Capitals will take on the Buffalo Sabres at Capital One Arena as Spencer Carbery makes his head coaching debut with the team.

The Capitals will sport a lineup that features a combination of veteran NHL players, minor leaguers, and prospects.

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By Ian Oland 7 hours ago

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Evgeny Kuznetsov speaks frankly on trade request in Russian language interview: ‘Rumors don’t just come out of nowhere’

Last March, a Russian report dropped from outlet Match TV saying that Evgeny Kuznetsov had requested a trade from the Washington Capitals for consecutive seasons. After six months with little new information, we have finally received some clarity from the man himself.

Before returning to DC for Training Camp, Kuznetsov sat down with former Capitals forward and team Russian amateur scout (per Elite Prospects) Andrei Nikolishin and the rest of the Slippery Ice crew. In the Russian-language interview (and the transcription by sports.ru,) he reveals that he never directly requested a trade but did have a lengthy, honest chat with general manager Brian MacLellan.

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By Chris Cerullo 9 hours ago

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Evgeny Kuznetsov points to Capitals’ hiring of Peter Laviolette for downturn in team: ‘You brought a coach who almost didn’t fit our style’

Evgeny Kuznetsov held his first press conference with Capitals media on Thursday, the first day of Capitals Training Camp. There, he seemed to blame himself for last season’s struggles and called Spencer Carbery “a perfect match” for a rebound year in 2023-24.

“I’m not the guy that’s going to get big paycheck and be happy everyday,” Kuznetsov said. “So every time I come back home after a bad practice or bad game, I’m beating myself (up) and I’m not happy about (it). Every time I walking in locker room every morning knowing they tell me you’re not performing the way the guys expected me to perform, I’m feeling bad about (it).”

Kuzy spoke about his feelings and his own personal problems from last season, but he was careful to not comment on the cause of the conflict and friction.

He saved that for a tell-all interview with the Russian outlet Slippery Ice. There, Kuznetsov criticized general manager Brian MacLellan and former Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette. He even spoke to a private meeting he had with MacLellan where he told Mac his true feelings.

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By Ian Oland 10 hours ago

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Anthony Mantha hasn’t been the star the Capitals hoped for when they traded for him: ‘That player’s here (now)’

When the Washington Capitals acquired Anthony Mantha from the Detroit Red Wings in April 2021, they thought they were getting a talented playmaker who would fully blossom into a star without having to be The Man in DC.

“He’s the main guy (with Detroit) and there’s probably a little pressure on him to produce,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said after the trade happened. “I think he comes here and he’s just got to fit in. He’s going to have a veteran group of players. I think he’s going to learn from those veterans. I think we have a good leadership group of older guys that have been around. We have a lot of guys that have won a Cup. So I think it’s up to him to fit in, play well, relax, and compete and I think everything will work out.”

Except, everything hasn’t worked out. In three seasons with the Caps, Mantha has scored only 24 goals and 58 points in 118 games, struggling through injury and major bouts of inconsistency. Mantha hit his low point in 2022-23 when Peter Laviolette healthy-scratched him multiple times. MacLellan even looked to deal Mantha over the summer, but could find no takers.

Now, Mantha is doing everything he can to become the player he once was as he enters the final season of a four-year, $22.8 million contract.

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By Ian Oland 12 hours ago

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Capitals believe Connor McMichael is ready for full-time jump to NHL, plan to eventually make room for him at center

Connor McMichael is primed for his fourth season as a professional hockey player after being drafted by the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The Caps opened their Training Camp on Thursday and have made it clear that they believe the 22-year-old forward is finally ready for the full-time jump to the NHL.

Both new head coach Spencer Carbery and general manager Brian MacLellan have spoken about McMichael’s growth as a player. They have also acknowledged his natural position of center which he has rarely gotten the opportunity to play in the NHL.

The praise comes after McMichael took a bit of a step back last year as he got into just six NHL games compared to the 68 he played in his rookie season. But, under a new, more familiar coaching regime, McMichael appears to be set up for more long-term success.

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By Chris Cerullo 12 hours ago

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Hershey Bears design 12-time Calder Cup Champions logo into faceoff circle at Giant Center

Thanks to Mike Vecchione, the Hershey Bears won their twelfth Calder Cup in June after defeating the Coachella Valley Firebirds in overtime of Game Seven.

Now, the Bears will remind every fan and every opponent of their accomplishment when they first step into their home arena.

The Bears created their new sheet of ice for the 2023-24 season this week and the design of the faceoff circle will include the team’s 12-time championship logo that adorns much of the team’s merch.

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By Ian Oland 1 day ago

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Spencer Carbery to modify Capitals power play so teams ‘don’t know what’s coming’ and can’t neutralize Alex Ovechkin

The Washington Capitals opened a new era this week when head coach Spencer Carbery and the rest of his staff stepped out onto the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for Training Camp. The Caps hired Carbery in June after they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

One of the contributing factors to that postseason absence was the performance of the team’s power play unit. The Caps have seen their once vaunted power play drop to the 20th best unit in the NHL.

Carbery, in his previous two seasons as an assistant for the Toronto Maple Leafs, was the mastermind behind the team’s power play that sat at or near the top of the league.

While the Caps’ power play hasn’t run drills yet, Carbery will experiment during the preseason as he considers bigger systematic changes versus smaller modifications.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 day ago

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