Kuznetsov Traded to Hurricanes Caps send Evgeny to Carolina for 2025 3rd-rd pick (LeBrun)   Full story coming....   The Carolina Hurricanes are acquiring forward Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick pending a trade call, according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun. The Capitals are retaining 50 per cent of his salary. He has one more year left on his contract at a $7.8 million cap hit, LeBrun reports.     Kuznetsov, 31, is on the seventh year of an eight-year, $62.4 million deal with an AAV o ..read more

This morning, billionaire sports club owner Ted Leonsis, along with Virginia Guvnah Glenn Youngkin, announced a non-binding agreement to move the Capitals and Wizards to Alexandria Virginia’s ‘Potomac Yards’ area, just south of Reagan National Airport, as early as 2028.   We’ll see.  Early reviews from all the WaPo user comments include:   1) What, another billionaire getting tax breaks?   2) Traffic is already horrendous enough in the Northern VA suburbs of DC.   3) Virginia taxpayers ain’t gonna stand for the extra hits to their wallets.   4) Considerately more ..read more

https://youtu.be/asInCK90XaU?si=RJrprfTK_RmCk8UN ..read more

Just learned that Carl Hagelin is retiring.  He hadn’t played since the Caps 2021-22 season.  A stick under the visor in practice (iirc) more than a year ago almost led to eye loss.  Now age 33 and continuing difficulties, he is retiring.  One less older guy in Washington I suppose, but eye injuries are scary.  Nobody needs or deserves that.   Way back in helmetless days of Hull, Orr, Howe, Beliveau, Esposito, and nearly every other player, there had to be more respect between players in keeping sticks down.  I suppose Hull introducing the ferocious slap shot ..read more

FINAL RECORD 35-37-10 80 points, 12th in conference, 12 points out of a playoff spot   ADDITIONS  Max Pacioretty  will spend much of his time on IR for the Capitals this season. He is the only addition. Oh I guess boring third pair defender Edmonson coming over from Montreal might count   SUBTRACTIONS  Depth forwards Sheary, Craig Smith and Connor Brown all left, depth defenders Irwin and Pilon as well. At the deadline they dealt key players Hathaway, Orlov and Eller.   IN THE SYSTEM Connor McMichael and Beck Malynstyn are nhl depth forwards, Alexander Alexyev wil ..read more

Wilson signs 7-year, $45.5 million contract with Capitals through 2030-31 Forward had 22 points, led Washington in penalty minutes last season NHL.com @NHLdotcom  10:50 AM   Tom Wilson signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals on Friday. It has an average annual value of $6.5 million and begins with the 2024-25 season, running through the 2030-31 season.   The 29-year-old forward, who could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season, had 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) in 33 games for the Capitals last season ..read more

Perhaps the Tom Wilson ethos shall continue in the Washington swamp, based on what Ryan Leonard had to say last night after being picked #8:   But as the newest Capital, Leonard quickly noted that there’s a player with his new organization who fits the same mold. “Tom Wilson,” Leonard said with a smile. “Tom Wilson, definitely. Tom Wilson. Definitely.”   I find it so hard to feel anything here, with the young’un now off to four years of college.  It will be a different world in 2027 ..read more

…pretty old, Sunny Boy, pretty dad-gummed old.   WaPo sports had a fun article today, listing the 13 athletes on Washington Metro Area (WMA) teams who had the longest tenures.  (So baseball, football, men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, men’s and women’s soccer.  7 teams.)   The Capitals have 6 of the 13 longest tenures amongst the seven franchises.  LOL.   1 - Ovechkin 18 yrs 2 - Backstrom 16 yrs 3 - Carlson 14 yrs 6 - Wilson 10 yrs 7 - Kuznetsov 10 yrs 11 - Oshie 8 yrs   Of course, this Age Gauge reading must be tempered by the fact that most WMA sports f ..read more

Capitals name Leafs assistant Spencer Carbery as new head coach Emily Kaplan, ESPNMay 30, 2023, 11:01 AM ET The Washington Capitals named Spencer Carbery as their new head coach on Tuesday. Carbery, 41, will receive a four-year deal, a source told ESPN.   Carbery was one of the buzziest names on the coaching circuit, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs and running their power play. He now returns to the Capitals organization, where he came up through the ranks coaching for its ECHL and AHL affiliates.   Sportsnet was fi ..read more

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/washington-capitals-and-head-coach-peter-laviolette-mutually-part-ways   Another HC change will be coming in the Metro.   Lavy and the Caps say good bye to each other.   Laviolette was in his third season as the head coach of the Capitals, finishing with a record of 115-78-27 in the regular season with the team. He failed to win a playoff series during his tenure, losing to the Boston Bruins in 2021 and the Florida Panthers in 2022.   ..read more