Breakdown Day 2022

Brian MacLellan says Capitals’ first offseason decision will be its goaltending

Brian MacLellan rolled the dice last summer. Without many great veteran options in goal, the Capitals general manager decided to bring back his young goaltending tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek for another season. The decision ultimately did not work out.

Both goalies started the same amount of games in the regular season (39) and neither separated themselves as the full-time starter. Vanecek got the opportunity to start Game One in the playoffs against the Florida Panthers, but ultimately yielded the net to Samsonov in Game Two after a poor performance. Sammy was mostly sensational in the postseason but sported career lows in save percentage (.896) and GAA (3.29) during the regular season. Both players showed promise. They also showed maddening inconsistency.

While MacLellan admitted there was a chance the team could turn to both goalies again next year for the third consecutive season, he made clear that the team would address all options in how to improve the position.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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TJ Oshie broke his foot and developed back issues trying to play through it: ‘Everything snowballed from there’

TJ Oshie missed 38 games during the 2021-22 regular season due to a lower-body injury, an upper-body injury, COVID, and a non-COVID illness.

Oshie, feeling healthy and optimistic, came into the season looking to register his sixth 20-goal season for the Capitals. Then an errant shot block turned his season into a nightmare.

During Breakdown Day on Sunday, Oshie revealed that he broke his foot in an October 27 game against the Detroit Red Wings. The injury put the right winger in a walking boot and on crutches.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Nicklas Backstrom on the hip issue that hugely impacted his 2021-22 season: ‘We have some decisions to make’

Nicklas Backstrom had a difficult 2021-22 season that started with him on long-term injured reserve for nearly half the season due to lingering issues with his hip. Backstrom had surgery on his hip in 2015.

During the season, Backstrom was a healthy scratch several times as the coaching staff worked to manage his minutes. Moving forward, Backstrom and the Capitals have decided what they did this season to have him play consistently can’t persist.

“We’ll see what’s gonna happen,” Backstrom said hinting at another surgery. “We have some decisions to make. Those decisions aren’t finalized yet so we’ll take it day by day.”

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By Chris Cerullo 1 year ago

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Alex Ovechkin confirms he was dealing with a shoulder injury in the playoffs: ‘If it hurts you have some injections, you have some magic pill’

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin missed the last three games of the regular season due to an upper-body injury he suffered in an April 24 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Breakdown Day Sunday, Ovechkin confirmed it was a left shoulder issue.

“It’s not a secret that I hit the board, hit my shoulder,” Ovechkin said. “In playoffs, I don’t think it matter. If it hurts you have some injections, you have some magic pill.”

Despite the pain, Ovechkin delivered 30 hits (eighth-most in the NHL) and was a point-per-game player in the series, finishing second on the Capitals in postseason scoring only behind TJ Oshie.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 year ago

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Carl Hagelin will never get 100 percent vision back after almost losing left eye, plans on playing next season

Carl Hagelin had quite a tragic end to his season that will have unfortunate long-term effects on his life due to an eye injury he suffered at the end of a March 1 practice. The Swedish forward revealed the news to reporters at this year’s Breakdown Day.

According to Hagelin, an errant stick blade ruptured the choroid in the back of his left eye. Hagelin’s vision will never be the same.

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By Chris Cerullo 1 year ago

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