Devante Smith-Pelly

Devante Smith-Pelly believes he has a ‘good shot’ at making Calgary Flames roster after post-Stanley Cup troubles

At the beginning of September, former Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly received a PTO with the Calgary Flames. While he attended BioSteel Camp in Toronto around the time of the agreement, he opted not to speak to the media. On Tuesday, he broke his silence for the first time ahead of the Flames’ Training Camp, discussing his decision to sign the PTO and take his talents to the Pacific Division. He also spoke about what went wrong in Washington.

“They showed interest from the start,” Smith-Pelly said to TSN reporters about why he felt Calgary was the right place for him. “Obviously, would have loved to get a contract coming into camp but they’ve got some other things they’ve got to deal with contract-wise. I looked at the lineup and where I saw myself fitting in, and thought this would be a good spot to compete for a chance to play.”

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By Donya Abramo 5 days ago

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Devante Smith-Pelly receives PTO from Calgary Flames

After two months-plus of waiting, Devante Smith-Pelly has finally found a new landing spot for next season.

The Calgary Flames have given the popular former Capitals forward a PTO, which will give him the opportunity to make the team out of training camp.

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By Ian Oland 2 weeks ago

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Bad blood: Radko Gudas’s fights with Tom Wilson, Devante Smith-Pelly, and…Andre Burakovsky?

Radko Gudas came to the Capitals in an early off-season trade that sent Matt Niskanen to Philadelphia. The 6’0″, 204-pound defenseman has been in nineteen NHL fights since the 2012-13 season. Eight of those were for the Tampa Bay Lightning and more recently eleven with the Flyers.

Here are some of the best fights–and other memorable moments–between Gudas and current and former teammates on the Washington Capitals

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By Brennin Weiswerda 2 weeks ago

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Contract-celebrating Jakub Vrana asks Devante Smith-Pelly ‘how is the pasta’ on Instagram

Tuesday afternoon, Jakub Vrana officially re-signed, inking a two-year, $6.7 million contract to stay in Washington through the 2020-21 season.

Former teammate Devante Smith-Pelly was one of the first people to congratulate Vrana on social media despite being without a contract himself.

Vrana had a classic response.

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By Ian Oland 2 months ago

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Leader, role model, and warrior: Capitals players salute retiring Brooks Orpik on social media

Brooks Oprik announced his retirement through a Capitals release on Tuesday morning.

During his time in Washington, the hulking defenseman left an indelible impact on his teammates. From his big goals to his big hits, Capitals players looked up to Orpik as a leader, role model, and friend. On social media and in statements released through the team, the Capitals showered Orpik with praise and thanked him for his time in Washington.

“Batya was a great leader in our locker room and was so important for us to win our first Stanley Cup,” Alex Ovechkin said.

“He is a terrific person and a friend,” TJ Oshie said.

“Thanks for always looking after me on and off the ice,” Andre Burakovsky said. “You have been a true friend and role model for me.”

Hockey players can sometimes be inarticulate. This is not one of those times.

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By Ian Oland 3 months ago

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The best moments from the modern-day Capitals’ NHL drafts

The 2019 NHL Draft begins on Friday, June 21 in Vancouver. The first round will be broadcast on Friday night and the following six rounds will all be squeezed in on Saturday. Later draft picks basically get the same treatment as technical awards at the Golden Globes.

The Capitals’ current roster has had some pretty memorable moments from their NHL draft days–let’s take a look!

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By Brennin Weiswerda 3 months ago

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From Brett Connolly to Jakub Vrana, here’s Brian MacLellan on all the pending Capitals moves you’re interested in this summer

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan made a rare appearance in front of the media on Thursday to discuss all the happenings of the team from injuries to the NHL Draft.

The most interesting part of the discussion came when Mac took questions on the team’s philosophy on moves this summer and beyond. The Capitals have a glut of middle and bottom six forwards that are free agents including Jakub Vrana, Andre Burakovsky, Brett Connolly, and Devante Smith-Pelly. Braden Holtby and Nicklas Backstrom are also unrestricted free agents the summer of 2021 and can begin negotiations on a new deal as soon as July 1.

We wrote about how the Capitals would like to bring back Andre Burakovsky, but are listening to offers. Here’s what MacLellan had to say on the others.

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By Ian Oland 3 months ago

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Devante Smith-Pelly’s new dog has the perfect name: Stanley

Devante Smith-Pelly has had a memorable week. The Capitals forward celebrated his hometown basketball team, the Toronto Raptors, win an NBA championship on his birthday.

Now, he has a new addition to his family.

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By Ian Oland 3 months ago

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Devante Smith-Pelly one of many notable athletes and celebrities to attend Game 5 of NBA Finals in Toronto

Up 3-1 over the Golden State Warriors, the Toronto Raptors were in position to wrap up their first ever NBA championship on Monday night. And the stars were out north of the border to show support to the team, including one player who knows a thing or two about clutch scoring in a decisive championship game.

Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly, who is an unrestricted free agent come July, attended the game and sat in the lower bowl behind one of the baskets. Smith-Pelly, a Scarborough, Ontario native, has attended several Raptors playoffs games since the Caps season ended, including some with his mother and family.

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By Ian Oland and Cara Bahniuk 3 months ago

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