The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Timothy Liljegren to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension. Liljegren’s deal has an average annual value of $3.25 million.

The Capitals acquired Liljegren from the San Jose Sharks at the 2026 NHL trade deadline in March. The 27-year-old blueliner finished the season with 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists) in 47 games for both teams.

Liljegren was brought in by the Capitals to fill the void left by John Carlson. He played in only four games for Washington, recording seven blocks, two hits and three takeaways while averaging 16 minutes a night.

With the new extension in place, the Capitals will likely give Liljegren a bigger opportunity next season. This especially comes as Rasmus Sandin is out for a long time at the end of the 2025-26 season after tearing his ACL.

Liljegren’s acquisition and Carlson’s departure led to several changes at D-Corps. Sandin switched primarily to the right side and played a top-4 role.

The Capitals still have to address their right side with Liljegren’s return. After Liljegren and Matt Roy, the only other right-handed defensemen on the team are Trevor van Riemsdyk and Dylan McIlrath. However, it is very possible that van Riemsdyk, being an unrestricted free agent, could be traded.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

Two Washington Capitals rookies were recognized for the 2025-26 Calder Trophy. Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdiff both received top-12 votes for the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.

Leonard finished eighth in the voting with one third-place vote, four fourth-place votes and 19 fifth-place votes. Meanwhile, Sourdough finished in 12th place with a fourth-place vote and a fifth-place vote.

Meanwhile, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer won this year’s Calder unanimously. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft did so by earning all 198 first-place votes.

Leonard made his NHL debut at the end of the 2024–25 season, recording one goal and an assist in nine regular season games and eight playoff games. He then returned for his first full NHL season and finished with 20 goals and 25 assists in 75 games.

Additionally, Leonard was a vital part of the lineup and helped spark the Capitals’ power play. Although he missed a period due to injury, he returned and led the team in goals by March.

Meanwhile, the Sourdough Capitals had a new addition via trade with the Florida Panthers. After some call-ups and time in the AHL he made quite an impact in his first full NHL season.

Following an injury to Pierre-Luc Dubois in late October, Sourdiff moved from the fourth-line wing to full-time centre. In 78 games, the 24-year-old player recorded 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin spent some time in DC after the season ended. However, the 40-year-old is officially heading back to his native Russia for the summer.

Ovechkin recently completed his 21st season with the Capitals. Now, he will look to make a decision on his future as he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

According to Russian news outlet TASS, Ovechkin and his family are scheduled to arrive in Moscow, Russia on Wednesday. The 40-year-old’s wife, Nastya Ovechkina, posted a photo on Instagram of their two sons sitting on top of the luggage.

At media breakdown day, Ovechkin said he was “pretty sure” he had not played his final NHL game. However, their decision will depend on health and family circumstances. The Great 8’s sons, Sergei and Ilya, want him to play another year.

“I tell them, ‘We’ll see.’ They’re excited,” Ovechkin said. “They want me to come back because they love the city, and they love the team, and they love the guys.”

More importantly, Ovechkin hopes the Capitals will compete for another Stanley Cup by his return.

“That’s probably the biggest thing,” Ovechkin said. “Otherwise, if you take different scenarios, like family-wise, health-wise, but also team-wise, that’s the most important thing for me.”

Ovechkin finished the 2025–26 season with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) while appearing in all 82 games for the Capitals. Meanwhile, the team missed the playoffs for just the fifth time during The Great 8’s tenure in DC.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals had a busy Thursday morning with a few acquisitions. The team signed Theodore Niederbach and Petr Sikora to deals.

The 24-year-old Niederbach was signed to a one-year, two-way contract ($1.025 million/$85,000). In 2025–26, he scored a career-high 13 goals in 52 regular season games with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

During the season, Nederback finished fourth on Frölunda in assists (19), fifth in goals and sixth in points (32). The six-foot, 196-pound forward recorded two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in six SHL playoff games.

Niederbach was originally selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round (51st overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Sikora was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $995,000. He was selected by the Capitals in the sixth round (178th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Last season, Sikora recorded nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 24 games with HC Oselár Trník of the Czech Extraliga (Czech-1). The six-foot, 194-pound forward led his team in assists and points.

Sikora also added six points in four games as well as two points in 10 playoff games with HC Frydek-Mistek of the Maxa Liga.

Ironically, Sikora should not be confused with former NHL player and two-time Stanley Cup champion, Petr Sikora.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery was held Tuesday night, as the Washington Capitals will select the 16th overall pick in the draft. The team did not even move from its original position in the sequence.

Additionally, the Capitals also have the Anaheim Ducks’ first-round pick following the John Carlson trade. As a result, the team will have two selections in the early rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft.

The Capitals entered the lottery with just a 0.5 percent chance of advancing, finishing the furthest away in the top 10. The team was eliminated in both the draws in the beginning itself.

The Capitals missed the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, finishing in the middle of the pack.

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. They will likely select Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, the top prospect in this year’s class.

The San Jose Sharks have moved up to second overall, while the Vancouver Canucks will finish third. Vancouver entered the draft with the worst record in the NHL and the best odds (18.5 percent) for the first or second pick.

The Capitals have selected 16th overall only once in their franchise history, in 2012. At that time, the team had selected Tom Wilson, who had performed very well in DC.

The 2026 NHL Draft will take place June 26-27 in Buffalo, New York.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals have announced they are parting ways with assistant coach Kirk Mueller. Müller’s contract was due to expire in June.

On Monday morning, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick released a statement regarding Mueller. The assistant coach wants to pursue “other opportunities in the National Hockey League.”

“Kirk has expressed his desire to explore other opportunities within the National Hockey League and we respect and support his decision,” Patrick said. “We thank Kirk for his dedication, professionalism and numerous contributions he has made during his three years with our organization. He is an experienced and highly respected coach whose work ethic, leadership and commitment to player development have made a meaningful impact on our team both on and off the ice. We wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of his career.”

Muller joined head coach Spencer Carberry’s staff in June 2023. He was brought in to work with the Capitals’ forwards and run the power play.

Last season, the Capitals’ power play struggled and ranked eighth-worst in the NHL at 17.8 percent. The team missed the playoffs for the first time under Carberry due to inconsistency on the man advantage.

In Mueller’s three-year tenure, the Capitals’ power play operated at 20.6 percent and near the middle league-wide.

Muller’s NHL coaching tenure began in 2006–07 with the Montreal Canadiens. He briefly served as head coach for both Montreal and the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Capitals will be looking to fill another coaching staff void this summer. It already looks to be a busy offseason for the team in general.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas has a bright future. Aliaksi’s younger brother was named AHL Rookie of the Year for his performance with the Hershey Bears.

On Thursday, Protas won the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding rookie for 2025-26. The 19-year-old now becomes the second Hershey player to win the award, joining Ron Hextall.

Protas led all AHL rookies in scoring with 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 69 games, the fourth-most points by a teenager. He also led the Bears in goals, power-play goals, shots on goal (147), and plus-minus (17) this season.

The 19-year-old was eventually called up to the Capitals to help them make a late playoff run. Protas recorded one goal and three assists for four points in four games, which the Capitals ultimately won.

Protas is likely to return to the NHL full-time next season. For now, he’s back with Hershey for the Calder Cup playoffs, focused on the first line. He scored a goal to help the Bears defeat the Bridgeport Islanders in Game 1.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals will be without Rasmus Sandin for a while. The defenseman underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.

The typical ACL recovery timeline is six to nine months. Even if the Capitals had made the playoffs, they likely would have been without Sandin in the lineup. The 38-year-old player may possibly return by next January after his recovery.

Sandin suffered an ACL injury on April 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Justin Brazeau’s collision caused his skate to get stuck in the ice and twist his leg. The Swedish blueliner could not put weight on his foot and had to be helped off the ice.

“It was an unfortunate play,” Sandin said. “Almost all my weight was on that foot. If I could have shifted a little bit of my weight to my other foot, I don’t think anything would have happened. I haven’t really examined the game since, you’re just angry that it happened.”

Sandin played very well in the 2025–26 season, recording 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists) in 73 games. The blueliner was also third on the team in blocks and had a plus/minus of plus-4.

Sandin was also promoted to the top pairing and moved to right side following the trade of John Carlson. However, with the Swede out for most of 2026-27, general manager Chris Patrick will look to fill the void.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s work may not be done yet. The 40-year-old hinted at a possible comeback on Thursday’s media breakdown day.

The NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer is still deciding whether to return for his 22nd season. Ovechkin currently has 929 career goals in 1,573 games.

“Honestly, I’m pretty sure this isn’t my last game,” Ovechkin said. “I hope this isn’t my last game against Columbus. How I said, I have to make a decision, see where we are.”

Ovechkin said he would make a decision about his future in the offseason after talking to family and friends. He is yet to talk to the Capitals coaching staff and management.

Ovechkin also joked that general manager Chris Patrick wanted to sign him for two more years. The Great 8, meanwhile, wants the Capitals to compete again.

“First of all, we have to make the playoffs and we have to fight for the Cup,” Ovechkin said. “That’s probably the biggest thing.”

The Great 8’s decision will also depend on their health and family. He also said that his sons Ilya and Sergei want him to play again.

“They keep asking. I say we’ll see,” Ovechkin said, smiling. “They’re excited. They want me to come back because they love the city, love the team, love the guys.”

Ovechkin is set to become a free agent this offseason, although he does not plan to sign with another team. Another possibility is that the 40-year-old Russian returns to the KHL, where he played with Moscow Dynamo.

In his 21st season, Ovechkin recorded 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points in 82 games. Despite straining his hamstring early on, he was able to play all 82 games for the first time since 2017–18.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, clinched a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs. They did so on Wednesday with a dominant 5-1 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Ivan Miroshnichenko, Ilya Protas and Clay Stevenson all returned after being called up by the Capitals. He helped Hershey clinch a playoff berth for the sixth consecutive season and first under head coach Derek King.

Miroshnichenko recorded his 13th goal of the season on the power play with one assist, while Protas finished with two assists. Protas has 64 points in 67 games, which leads all AHL rookies and is sixth in the league. Meanwhile, Miroshnichenko now has 100 career AHL points.

Stevenson started in net a day after stopping 27 of 28 shots to help the Capitals defeat Columbus. He played even better with 32 saves on 33 shots in the Bears’ win.

Corey Schueneman and Matt Strome, Dylan’s younger brother, also contributed goals for Hershey. Then, in the third period, Alexander Suzdalev and Sam Bitton both recorded empty-netters to seal the victory.

Unfortunately, Bogdan Trineyev suffered an upper body injury in the second period and did not return. It’s bad enough that the Bears were already missing some key players in the lineup.

With the win, Hershey improved to 31–30–6–3 and is currently in fifth place in the Atlantic Division. They have two games left to decide who their first round opponent will be.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

For the second consecutive year, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. This certainly comes as no surprise if you’ve been following the team.

The Masterton Trophy is an annual award under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. It is awarded “to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

The PHWA Washington Chapter released this statement:

“In Alex Ovechkin’s 21st season with the Capitals, and after breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record a season ago, he continues to play with the same passion and dedication he has given to the game since entering the league in 2005. At the age of 40, Ovechkin remains an integral part of the Capitals’ locker room. And on the ice, Ovechkin leads the team in goals and assists this season. Having again made history by hitting 1,000 career goals combined in the regular season and playoffs and tying Gordie Howe for the most 25-goal seasons in NHL history, he is undecided about his future next season, but has maintained a love of hockey that is infectious in the dressing room.

Despite turning 40 before the season, Ovechkin still made a major contribution on the ice. The Russian winger now has 61 points (31 goals, 30 assists) in 78 games, along with 928 career goals.

Ovechkin is in the final year of his contract and will make a decision about his future this summer. The 40-year-old talked about it in a recent interview with Capitals radio play-by-play announcer John Walton.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Ilya Protas from AHL Hershey. Ilya is the younger brother of Capitals winger Aliaksei Protas.

Protas, 19, could make his NHL debut this Wednesday when the Capitals visit Toronto. The young Russian forward nicknamed “Little Pro” is already making a splash with the Hershey Bears this season.

Protas has recorded a team-high 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) in 66 games with Hershey. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward leads all AHL rookies in points and is tied for sixth among all skaters.

Protas currently leads the Bears in goals, points, power-play goals, power-play points, shots and plus-minus. The 19-year-old most recently recorded a career-high six points (one goal, five assists) against Hartford on April 4. It was the AHL’s first six-point game since 2019.

The Capitals originally selected Protas in the third round (75th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft. Ilya was selected five years after older brother Aliaksei, who was also drafted in the third round in 2019.

The Capitals are currently three points out of the playoff positions with four games left in the regular season. Will Little Pro’s NHL debut be enough to reach the playoffs?

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

In case you were sleeping, the Washington Capitals made a big move overnight. The Washington Capitals traded veteran defenseman and franchise veteran John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks.

In exchange, the Capitals received a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NHL draft. The team also received a 2027 third-round pick.

Karlsson, 36, spent all 17 seasons of his NHL career with the Capitals. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (1,143), goals (166), assists (605), and points (771) among defensemen.

This season, Karlsson recorded 46 points (10 goals, 36 assists) in 55 games with the Capitals. The Natick, Massachusetts native will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Most notably, Karlsson helped lead the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup title in 2018. He led all defensemen in the playoffs with 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists) in 24 games played.

Karlsson was originally selected by the Capitals in the first round (27th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft.

“Since joining our organization 17 years ago, John Carlson has exemplified what it means to be a Washington Capitals every day,” said general manager Chris Patrick. “John’s determination, leadership, tenacity and skill helped our franchise reach new heights and established him as a cornerstone and one of the greatest players in Capitals history.”

Karlsson is now the second major move made by the Capitals ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. The team already sent Nick Dowd to Vegas on Thursday in exchange for picks and goaltending prospect Jesper Wickman.

This news from Carlson could also be a signal for 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin to retire after the 2025-26 season. As you can tell, the Capitals are focusing on developing young players.

The Capitals have a total of 22 picks in the next three drafts, including four first-round selections and nine picks in the first three rounds.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals traded veteran forward Nick Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

In return, the Capitals acquired prospect goaltender Jesper Wickman, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick.

“Really tough day for our organization, our team, players, staff. Nick Dowd is being traded after seven years,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry told reporters. “He means a lot to this team. He means a lot to this community, to him and his family. He will be missed. It’s one of the unfortunate parts of this business, having to say goodbye to good people.”

Dowd, 35, recorded 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists) in 55 games with the Capitals this season. The fan favorite finished his tenure in Washington with 166 points (79 goals, 87 assists) in 506 games from 2018–19.

During his tenure in DC, Dowd was a staple on the Capitals’ fourth line and penalty kill unit. The 35-year-old posted a career-best 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) last season.

Dowd was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round (198th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. The forward also spent half a year in Vancouver before signing with the Capitals in the 2018 offseason. At that time the team had won the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, Wickman was selected by Vegas in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old goaltender has spent the entire 2025-26 campaign with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL.

In 18 games this season, Wickman has a record of 8-7-3, a 3.41 goals-against average and an .866 save percentage for the Silver Knights.

Right now, the Capitals (31-25-7) are four points behind Boston for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot. The two teams will face off on Saturday afternoon, a day after the trade deadline.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals have re-signed Ethan Frank to a two-year, $4 million extension. The average annual value of the contract will be $2 million.

Frank, 28, has recorded 30 points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 76 career games with the Capitals. This season, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward has 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 52 games.

Frank’s 11 goals are tied for the seventh-most goals in the NHL among skaters who average less than 13:00 of ice time per game. Additionally, the forward also ranks eighth among the Capitals in goals scored and fifth in goals allowed per 60 minutes at 5v5 (0.85).

Additionally, Frank is the fastest skater on the Capitals roster, with a maximum skating speed of 23.52 mph. This is in the 97th percentile among NHL skaters in top skating speed.

The 28-year-old started this season with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, but has worked his way back up to the Capitals’ main roster. He has been a key member of the lineup ever since.

With Frank, the Capitals have 17 players under contract next season and $34.5 million to work with in cap space. Teams will also determine their plans ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

Washington Capitals stars Tom Wilson and Logan Thompson will get a chance at Olympic gold. It came after Team Canada once again rallied to defeat Finland 3-2 in the semi-finals on Friday.

Wilson played a key role in the victory, as he helped assist Shea Theodore on the game-tying goal. The 31-year-old placed the puck in the zone and sent it toward the goal. Finally, Theodore got the breakthrough and gave a point shot to Zeus Saros to make the score 2–2.

Wilson was also very physical again, throwing his body around and showing off his two-way game. The Capitals alternate captain has really made his presence felt on the Olympic stage.

With the game tied 2–2 at regulation time, Canada resorted to the power play with a chance to score. Then Nathan MacKinnon recorded the game-winner with 36 seconds remaining. Canada’s first goal was scored by Sam Reinhart.

Wilson finished the game with one assist and a plus-1 rating in 12:47 of ice time. He has four points with 29 penalty minutes in five matches so far in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Thompson has still only appeared in one game for Canada, serving as backup to Jordan Binnington. In that one game versus Switzerland, the Capitals netminder stopped 24 of 25 shots for the win with a .960 save percentage.

Canada will now await the winner of USA-Slovakia to advance to the gold medal game on Sunday. If the Slovaks win, Wilson and Thompson will face their Capitals teammate Martin Fehrváry.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson made a major contribution to Team Canada’s resounding 10-2 victory over France. He finished with the first Gordie Howe hat trick in Olympic history.

Things quickly got going when Wilson scored Canada’s first goal of the game. The 31-year-old came forward and smothered the counterattack for Drew Doughty’s tally.

Later, Wilson added to his point total by assisting Connor McDavid on the third goal. The Capitals returned to the top line with forwards McDavid and Maclin Celebrini.

Wilson made his presence felt with his aggressive play throughout the game. He was once again very physical with his anticipating abilities and two-way play.

Halfway through the third, Pierre Cremon hit Nathan MacKinnon and knocked him to the ice. That’s when Wilson looked up from the bench, returned to the ice and dropped the gloves with Cremon.

As a result, both players received two minutes for scuffling, five minutes for fighting and an automatic game misconduct. As Capitals fans will know, Wilson isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates.

The 31-year-old recorded a goal, an assist and a plus-1 rating on Sunday. He finished with two shots and seven penalty minutes for 11:31 minutes of ice time.

Canada’s victory was so one-sided that it defeated France 46–14. The Canadians now finished 3–0–0 in group play.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman